falseUS000020258400002025842020-12-092020-12-09
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
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Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)
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December 9, 2020
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System Energy Resources, Inc.
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(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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Arkansas
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1-09067
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72-0752777
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(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)
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(Commission
File Number)
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(IRS Employer
Identification No.)
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1340 Echelon Parkway, Jackson, Mississippi
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39213
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(Address of principal executive offices)
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(Zip Code)
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Registrant’s telephone number, including area code
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(601) 368-5000
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(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)
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Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Title of Class
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Trading
Symbol
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Name of Each Exchange
on Which Registered
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N/A
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 8.01 Other Events.
On December 7, 2020, System Energy Resources, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into an Underwriting Agreement for the sale of $200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its First Mortgage Bonds, 2.14% Series due December 9, 2025 (the “Bonds”). In addition to the lien of the Company’s Mortgage and Deed of Trust dated as of June 15, 1977 (as amended, restated and supplemented by the Twenty-Fourth Supplemental Indenture thereto dated as of September 1, 2012), the Bonds have as additional security the sole and exclusive benefit of the Thirty-eighth Assignment of Availability Agreement, Consent and Agreement, dated as of December 9, 2020, among System Energy Resources, Inc., Entergy Arkansas, LLC, Entergy Louisiana, LLC, Entergy Mississippi, LLC, Entergy New Orleans, LLC, and The Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee. The sale of the Bonds closed on December 9, 2020. The Bonds were offered pursuant to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-233403-01), which became effective upon filing.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
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Exhibit No.
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Description of Exhibit
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4.58
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4.6
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Thirty-eighth Assignment of Availability Agreement, Consent and Agreement, dated as of December 9, 2020, among System Energy Resources, Inc., Entergy Arkansas, LLC, Entergy Louisiana, LLC, Entergy Mississippi, LLC, Entergy New Orleans, LLC, and The Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee.
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5.12
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5.13
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5.14
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23.13
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23.14
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23.15
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104
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Cover Page Interactive Data File – the cover page XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
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System Energy Resources, Inc.
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(Registrant)
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Date December 9, 2020
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/s/ Steven C. McNeal
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(Signature)
Steven C. McNeal
Vice President and Treasurer
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Exhibit 4.58
7(c)(ii) and 18(iii)
SYSTEM ENERGY RESOURCES, INC.
OFFICER’S CERTIFICATE
1-B-1
Establishing the Form and Certain Terms of the
First Mortgage Bonds, 2.14% Series due December 9, 2025
The undersigned, Steven C. McNeal, Vice President and Treasurer and an Authorized Officer of System Energy Resources, Inc., an Arkansas corporation (the “Company”) (all capitalized terms used herein that are not defined herein but are defined in the Mortgage referred to below shall have the meanings specified in such Mortgage), pursuant to Board Resolutions effective as of November 16, 2020, and Sections 201 and 301 of such Mortgage, does hereby certify to THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, as trustee (the “Trustee”) under the Mortgage and Deed of Trust, dated as of June 15, 1977 (as amended, restated and supplemented by the Twenty-Fourth Supplemental Indenture thereto dated as of September 1, 2012, and as to be further supplemented by this Officer’s Certificate, the “Mortgage”) as of December 7, 2020, that:
1.The Securities of the Twenty-third series to be issued under the Mortgage (the “Bonds”) shall be issued in a series designated “First Mortgage Bonds, 2.14% Series due December 9, 2025;” the Bonds shall be in substantially the form set forth in Exhibit A hereto; the Bonds shall initially be issued in the aggregate principal amount of $200,000,000; however, the aggregate principal amount of Bonds which may be authenticated and delivered under the Mortgage is unlimited; and the Bonds issued on the original issue date and any additional Bonds issued thereafter shall be considered one and the same series of Securities under the Mortgage; additional Bonds, without limitation as to amount, having substantially the same terms as the Outstanding Bonds (except for the issue date, price to public and, if applicable, the initial interest payment date) may be issued by the Company without notice to or the consent of the existing Holders of the Bonds.
2.The Bonds shall mature and the principal shall be due and payable together with all accrued and unpaid interest thereon on December 9, 2025, and the Company shall not have any right to extend the Maturity of the Bonds as contemplated in Section 301(d) of the Mortgage.
3.The Bonds shall bear interest as provided in the form thereof set forth in Exhibit A hereto; the Interest Payment Dates for the Bonds shall be June 9 and December 9 of each year, commencing June 9, 2021.
4.Each installment of interest on the Bonds shall be payable as provided in the form thereof set forth in Exhibit A hereto; the Company shall not have any right to extend any interest payment periods for the Bonds as contemplated in Section 301(e) of the Mortgage.
5.The principal of, and premium, if any, and each installment of interest on the Bonds shall be payable, and registration of transfers and exchanges in respect of the Bonds may be effected, at the office or agency of the Company in The City of New York and as otherwise provided in the form of Bond set forth in Exhibit A hereto; and notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Bonds or in respect of the Mortgage may be served at the office or agency of the Company in The City of New York; the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee will initially be the agency of the Company for such payment, registration of transfers and exchanges and service of notices and demands, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent for all such purposes; and the Trustee will initially be the Security Registrar and the Paying Agent for the
Bonds; provided, however, that the Company reserves the right to change, by one or more Officer’s Certificates, any such office or agency and such agent.
6.The Regular Record Dates for the interest payable on any given Interest Payment Date with respect to the Bonds shall be the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding such Interest Payment Date.
7.The Bonds are subject to redemption as provided in the form thereof set forth in Exhibit A hereto.
8.No service charge shall be made for the registration of transfer or exchange of the Bonds; provided, however, that the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with the exchange or transfer.
9.The Bonds shall be issued initially in global form registered in the name of Cede & Co. (as nominee for The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”)); provided, that the Company reserves the right to provide for another depository, registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act, to act as depository for the global Bonds (DTC and any such successor depository, the “Depository”); beneficial interests in Bonds issued in global form may not be exchanged in whole or in part for individual certificated Bonds in definitive form, and no transfer of a global Bond in whole or in part may be registered in the name of any Person other than the Depository or its nominee except that (i) if the Depository (A) has notified the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as depository for the global Bonds or (B) has ceased to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act and, in either case, a successor depository for such global Bonds has not been appointed by the Company within ninety (90) days after the Company receives such notice or becomes aware of such condition, as the case may be, (ii) the Company executes and delivers to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate providing that the global Bonds shall be so exchangeable or (iii) there shall have occurred and be continuing an Event of Default with respect to the Bonds, in each case, the Company will execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of definitive Bonds, will authenticate and deliver Bonds in definitive certificated form in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the global Bonds representing such Bonds in exchange for such global Bonds, such definitive Bonds to be registered in the names provided by the Depository; each global Bond (i) shall represent and shall be denominated in an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Bonds to be represented by such global Bond, (ii) shall be registered in the name of the Depository or its nominee, (iii) shall be delivered by the Trustee to the Depository, its nominee, any custodian for the Depository or otherwise pursuant to the Depository’s instruction and (iv) shall bear a legend restricting the transfer of such global Bond to any person other than the Depository or its nominee; none of the Company, the Trustee, any Paying Agent or any Authenticating Agent will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to, or payments made on account of, beneficial ownership interests in a global Bond or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests; the Bonds in global form will contain restrictions on transfer, substantially as described in the form set forth in Exhibit A hereto.
10.None of the Trustee, the Security Registrar or the Company shall have any liability for any acts or omissions of the Depository, for any transfers of beneficial interests in the Bonds, for any Depository records of beneficial interests, for any transactions between the Depository and beneficial owners or in respect of any transfers effected by the Depository or by any participant members of the Depository or any beneficial owner of any interest in any Bonds held through any such participant member of the Depository.
11.If the Company shall make any deposit of money and/or Eligible Obligations with respect to any Bonds, or any portion of the principal amount thereof, as contemplated by Section 801 of the Mortgage, the Company shall not deliver an Officer’s Certificate described in clause (z) in the first paragraph of said Section 801 unless the Company shall also deliver to the Trustee, together with such Officer’s Certificate, either:
(A) an instrument wherein the Company, notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of its indebtedness in respect of such Bonds, shall assume the obligation (which shall be absolute and unconditional) to irrevocably deposit with the Trustee or Paying Agent such additional sums of money, if any, or additional Eligible Obligations (meeting the requirements of Section 801), if any, or any combination thereof, at such time or times, as shall be necessary, together with the money and/or Eligible Obligations theretofore so deposited, to pay when due the principal of and premium, if any, and interest due and to become due on such Bonds or portions thereof, all in accordance with and subject to the provisions of said Section 801; provided, however, that such instrument may state that the obligation of the Company to make additional deposits as aforesaid shall be subject to the delivery to the Company by the Trustee of a notice asserting the deficiency accompanied by an opinion of an independent public accountant of nationally recognized standing, selected by the Trustee, showing the calculation thereof; or
(B) an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that, as a result of a change in law occurring after the date of this certificate, the Holders of such Bonds, or portions of the principal amount thereof, will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the satisfaction and discharge of the Company’s indebtedness in respect thereof and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts, at the same times and in the same manner as if such satisfaction and discharge had not been effected.
12.The Eligible Obligations with respect to the Bonds shall be Government Obligations.
13.For purposes of the provisions contained in paragraphs 14 – 18, the following terms shall be defined as follows:
“Availability Agreement” shall mean the Availability Agreement, dated as of June 21, 1974, as amended and as may be further amended from time to time, among the Company, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi and Entergy New Orleans.
“Basic Agreements” shall mean the Availability Agreement and the Thirty-eighth Assignment of Availability Agreement.
“Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday or a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in The City of New York, New York, are authorized or required by law or executive order to remain closed or a day on which the corporate trust office of the Trustee is closed for business.
“Entergy Arkansas” shall mean Entergy Arkansas, LLC, a Texas limited liability company and successor in interest to Arkansas Power & Light Company, an Arkansas corporation, and Arkansas-Missouri Power Company, an Arkansas corporation.
“Entergy Louisiana” shall mean Entergy Louisiana, LLC, a Texas limited liability company and successor in interest to Louisiana Power & Light Company, a Louisiana corporation.
“Entergy Mississippi” shall mean Entergy Mississippi, LLC, a Texas limited liability company and successor in interest to Mississippi Power & Light Company, a Mississippi corporation.
“Entergy New Orleans” shall mean Entergy New Orleans, LLC, a Texas limited liability company and successor in interest to New Orleans Public Service Inc., a Louisiana corporation.
“Grand Gulf Project” shall mean the two-unit steam electric generating station of the Company located in Mississippi along the east bank of the Mississippi River near Port Gibson, Mississippi, consisting of two nominally-rated 1,250,000 kw steam nuclear-fueled electric generating units.
“System Companies” shall mean Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi and Entergy New Orleans.
“Thirty-eighth Assignment of Availability Agreement” shall mean the Thirty-eighth Assignment of Availability Agreement, Consent and Agreement, dated as of December 9, 2020, among the Company, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans and the Trustee.
14.So long as any Bonds remain Outstanding, the Company will comply with the following covenants in addition to those specified in Article Seven and Section 1201 of the Mortgage:
Security Interests in Certain Agreements.
The Company will not transfer, pledge, assign or grant a security interest in any of its right, title and interest in, to or under (including its right to any moneys due or to become due under) any of the Basic Agreements, except to the extent expressly permitted pursuant to or recognized by the terms of the Thirty-eighth Assignment of Availability Agreement.
Availability Agreement.
The Company will (i) duly perform all obligations to be performed by it under the Availability Agreement and the Thirty-eighth Assignment of Availability Agreement, (ii) promptly take any and all action (including, without limitation, obtaining all orders, consents, permits, licenses and approvals, and making all registrations, declarations and filings) as may be necessary to enforce its rights under the Availability Agreement or the Thirty-eighth Assignment of Availability Agreement and to enforce or secure the performance by the other parties thereto of their respective obligations thereunder, and (iii) use its best efforts to obtain all orders, consents, permits, licenses and approvals, and make all registrations, declarations and filings, necessary to keep the Availability Agreement and the Thirty-eighth Assignment of Availability Agreement in full force and effect. In the event of any material nonperformance by any party under the Availability Agreement or the Thirty-eighth Assignment of Availability Agreement, the Company agrees that it will (i) duly perform all obligations to be performed by it under any other agreement for the sale of capacity and/or energy from the Grand Gulf Project, (ii) promptly take any and all action (including, without limitation, obtaining all orders, consents, permits, licenses and approvals, and making all registrations, declarations and filings) as may be necessary to enforce its rights under any other agreement for the sale of capacity and/or energy from the Grand Gulf Project and to enforce or secure the performance by the other parties thereto of their respective obligations thereunder, and (iii) use its best efforts to obtain all orders, consents, permits, licenses and approvals, and make all registrations, declarations and filings necessary to maintain any other agreement for the sale of capacity and/or energy from the Grand Gulf Project in full force and effect.
15.The following events shall be additional Events of Default (in addition to those set forth in Section 901 of the Mortgage) so long as any Bonds remain Outstanding:
(a) Any System Company shall fail to pay or advance to the Company or the Trustee, as the case may be, any amount which such System Company shall be obligated to pay or advance to the Company pursuant to the Availability Agreement and the Thirty-eighth Assignment of Availability Agreement (or would be obligated to pay or advance
under such agreements but for (i) the provisions of Section 7 of the Availability Agreement or the equivalent provision of any agreement substituted therefor, (ii) the bankruptcy or reorganization of any System Company or the pendency of proceedings therefor, (iii) the condemnation or seizure of control of all or substantially all of the properties of any System Company by a governmental authority or (iv) the occurrence of an event described in clause (i) or (ii) of paragraph (c) hereof) within thirty (30) days after the date when such System Company shall be obligated to pay or advance such amount (or would be obligated to pay but for the events described in (i) through (iv) of this subsection) or any of the parties thereto shall default in the performance of its obligations contained in the first sentence of Section 4 of the Availability Agreement (it being understood that if the entire amount of such obligatory payment is deposited with the Trustee before the expiration of such period of thirty (30) days, such Event of Default shall no longer be considered to be continuing under the Mortgage);
(b) Default by any System Company or the Company in the observance or performance of any other covenant or agreement contained in the Availability Agreement or the Thirty-eighth Assignment of Availability Agreement, and the continuance of the same unremedied for a period of thirty (30) days after written notice thereof, stating it is a “Notice of Default” under the Mortgage, shall have been given to the Company by the Trustee or the Holders of at least fifteen per centum (15%) in principal amount of the Bonds then Outstanding; or
(c) The Availability Agreement or the Thirty-eighth Assignment of Availability Agreement shall, pursuant to a final binding judgment or order as to which no further appeals are available, at any time for any reason (i) cease to be in full force and effect or (ii) shall be declared to be null and void, or the validity or enforceability thereof shall be contested by any System Company or the Company or any System Company or the Company shall deny that it has any or further liability thereunder; unless (A) within forty-five (45) days after the occurrence of any such event any System Company or the Company, as the case may be, shall have entered into a substitute Agreement and furnished the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate, confirmed by an opinion of an investment banking firm appointed by the Board of Directors of the Company, to the effect that in the opinion of the signers, the substitute Agreement offers (subject to obtaining necessary regulatory approval, if any) equivalent security to the Bonds, and (B) within one hundred and eighty (180) days after the occurrence of such event any System Company or the Company, as the case may be, shall have obtained all necessary regulatory approvals for the performance of such substitute agreement and shall have provided to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to such effect and to the effect that such substitute agreement is valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or other laws affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights.
16.In addition to the security provided under the Mortgage, the Thirty-eighth Assignment of Availability Agreement and all proceeds therefrom, shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Holders of the Bonds then Outstanding, and any enforcement thereof or remedy related thereto shall be for the benefit of and subject to the direction and control of such Holders in the same manner as any remedy or means of enforcement relating to the Mortgaged and Pledged Property are within the direction and control of the Holders of the Bonds, and any proceeds therefrom shall be applied for the exclusive benefit of the Holders of the Bonds in the same manner as set forth in Section 906 (Second) of the Mortgage.
17.Upon the termination of the Availability Agreement as contemplated by paragraph 18 hereof, this Officer’s Certificate and the terms of the Bonds shall be automatically amended, without any further action by the Company, the Trustee or the Holders of the Bonds, to delete paragraphs 15 and 16 hereof. The Company shall provide the Trustee with prompt written notice of any such
termination, and the Trustee shall, at the request of the Company, and upon receipt of an Officer’s Certificate and Opinion of Counsel pursuant to Sections 104 and 1303 of the Mortgage, execute such instruments as may be reasonably required or desirable to evidence such amendments.
18.The Company reserves the right to terminate the Availability Agreement and the Thirty-eighth Assignment of Availability Agreement, and each Holder the Bonds, by its acquisition of an interest in such Securities, irrevocably consents to such termination without any other further action by any Holder of the Bonds, upon delivery to the Trustee of an Officer’s Certificate stating the following: The Availability Agreement and the Assignments thereof are similarly terminated as they relate to all other outstanding series of Securities and all other indebtedness of the Company or no longer apply or do not apply to any other such series of Securities or indebtedness.
19.The Bonds shall have such other terms and provisions as are provided in the form set forth in Exhibit A hereto.
20.No Event of Default under the Mortgage has occurred or is occurring.
21.The undersigned has read all of the covenants and conditions contained in the Mortgage, and the definitions in the Mortgage relating thereto, relating to the issuance and authentication and delivery of the Bonds and in respect of compliance with which this certificate is made.
22.The statements contained in this certificate are based upon the familiarity of the undersigned with the Mortgage, the documents accompanying this certificate, and upon discussions by the undersigned with officers and employees of the Company familiar with the matters set forth herein.
23.In the opinion of the undersigned, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenants and conditions have been complied with.
24.In the opinion of the undersigned, such conditions and covenants, and all conditions precedent provided for in the Mortgage (including any covenants compliance with which constitutes a condition precedent) relating to the authentication and delivery of the Bonds requested in the accompanying Company Order have been complied with.
[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have executed this Officer’s Certificate as of the date set forth above.
By: /s/ Steven C. McNeal
Name: Steven C. McNeal
Title: Vice President and Treasurer
STATE OF LOUISIANA §
§
PARISH OF ORLEANS §
On the 7th day of December, 2020, before me appeared Steven C. McNeal, to me personally known, who, being by me duly sworn, did say that he is Vice President and Treasurer of SYSTEM ENERGY RESOURCES, INC., and that the above instrument was signed on behalf of said corporation by authority of its Board of Directors, and said Steven C. McNeal acknowledged said instrument to be the free act and deed of said corporation.
/s/ Mark Grafton Otts___________________
Mark Grafton Otts
State of Louisiana, Parish of Jefferson
Notary Public Identification No. 4430
Commission is Issued for Life
Exhibit A
[FORM OF REGISTERED BOND]
[Unless this certificate is presented by an authorized representative of The Depository Trust Company, a New York corporation (“DTC”), to System Energy Resources, Inc., or its agent for registration of transfer, exchange, or payment, and any certificate issued is registered in the name of Cede & Co. or in such other name as is requested by an authorized representative of DTC (and any payment is made to Cede & Co. or to such other entity as is requested by an authorized representative of DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE, OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL inasmuch as the registered owner hereof, Cede & Co., has an interest herein.]
No. R-___
CUSIP No. 871911 AT0
MATURITY DATE: December 9, 2025
PRINCIPAL AMOUNT: $_________
SYSTEM ENERGY RESOURCES, INC.
FIRST MORTGAGE BONDS, 2.14% SERIES DUE DECEMBER 9, 2025
SYSTEM ENERGY RESOURCES, INC., a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Arkansas (herein referred to as the “Company,” which term includes any successor Person under the Mortgage referred to below), for value received, hereby promises to pay to
or registered assigns, the principal amount specified above on the Maturity Date set forth above and to pay interest on the unpaid principal hereof and on any overdue interest from and including December 9, 2020, or from and including the most recent interest payment date to which interest has been paid on Securities of this series or duly provided for, semiannually on June 9 and December 9 of each year, commencing June 9, 2021, and on the Maturity Date (each, an “Interest Payment Date”), at the rate of 2.14% per annum (the “Interest Rate”) to but excluding the date on which the principal hereof is paid or made available for payment. In the event that any Interest Payment Date is not a Business Day (as defined below), then payment of interest payable on such date will be made on the next succeeding day which is a Business Day (and without any interest or other payment in respect of such delay) with the same force and effect as if made on the Interest Payment Date. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, as provided in such Mortgage, be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding such Interest Payment Date (each a “Regular Record Date”), except that interest payable at Maturity will be payable to the Person to whom principal shall be paid. Any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Securities of this series not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which the Securities of this series may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, all as more fully provided in the Mortgage referred to herein.
The Company shall pay interest on such Defaulted Interest (to the extent that payment thereof is enforceable under the applicable law) at the Interest Rate.
Payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest at Maturity on this Security shall be made upon presentation of this Security at the office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose in The City of New York, in the State of New York, in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts; provided, however, that, at the option of the Company, interest on this Security (other than interest payable at Maturity) may be paid by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto, as such address shall appear on the Security Register, and provided, further, that if such Person is a securities depositary, such payment may be made by such other means in lieu of check as shall be agreed upon by the Company, the Trustee and such Person.
All terms used in this Security not otherwise defined herein which are defined in the Mortgage shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Mortgage and in the Officer’s Certificate establishing the terms of the Securities of this series (the “Series Officer’s Certificate”).
This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of securities of the Company (herein called the “Securities”), issued and to be issued in one or more series under a Mortgage and Deed of Trust dated as of June 15, 1977 (as amended, restated and supplemented by the Twenty-Fourth Supplemental Indenture thereto dated as of September 1, 2012, and as further supplemented by the Officer’s Certificate establishing the Securities, herein called the “Mortgage,” which term shall have the meaning assigned to it in such instrument), between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee (herein called the “Trustee,” which term includes any successor trustee under the Mortgage), and reference is hereby made to the Mortgage, for a statement of the property mortgaged, pledged and held in trust, the nature and extent of the security, the conditions upon which the Lien of the Mortgage may be released and to the Mortgage, Board Resolutions and Series Officer’s Certificate creating the series designated on the face hereof, for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities and of the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. The acceptance of this Security shall be deemed to constitute the consent and agreement by the Holder thereof to all of the terms and provisions of the Mortgage. This Security is one of the series designated on the face hereof.
Securities of this series shall be redeemable at the option of the Company in whole or in part, upon notice mailed not less than thirty (30) days nor more than sixty (60) days prior to the date fixed for redemption (the “Redemption Date”) (i) at any time prior to November 9, 2025 (the “Par Call Date”), at a price (the “Redemption Price”) equal to the greater of (a) 100% of the principal amount of Securities of this series being redeemed and (b) as determined by the Independent Investment Banker, the sum of (x) the present value of the payment on the Par Call Date of the principal amount of the Securities of this series being redeemed plus (y) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of interest on the Securities of this series being redeemed to the Par Call Date (excluding the portion of any such interest accrued to the Redemption Date), discounted (for purposes of determining such present values) to the Redemption Date on a semiannual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Adjusted Treasury Rate plus 30 basis points, and (ii) at any time on or after the Par Call Date, at the Redemption Price equal to 100% of the principal amount of Securities of this series being redeemed, plus, in each case, any accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but not including, the Redemption Date.
“Adjusted Treasury Rate” means, with respect to any redemption date:
(1) the yield, under the heading which represents the average for the immediately preceding week, appearing in the most recently published statistical release designated “H.15” or any successor publication which is published at least weekly by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and which establishes yields on actively traded United States Treasury securities adjusted to constant maturity under the caption “Treasury Constant Maturities,” for the maturity corresponding to the Comparable Treasury Issue (if no maturity is within three months before or after the remaining term of the Securities of this series (assuming, for this purpose, that the Securities of this series mature on the Par
Call Date), yields for the two published maturities most closely corresponding to the Comparable Treasury Issue shall be determined and the Adjusted Treasury Rate shall be interpolated or extrapolated from such yields on a straight line basis, rounding to the nearest month); or
(2) if such release (or any successor release) is not published during the week preceding the calculation date for the Adjusted Treasury Rate or does not contain such yields, the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue, calculated using a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for such redemption date.
The Adjusted Treasury Rate shall be calculated on the third Business Day preceding the redemption date.
“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday or a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in The City of New York are authorized or required by law or executive order to remain closed or a day on which the corporate trust office of the Trustee is closed for business.
“Comparable Treasury Issue” means the United States Treasury security selected by the Independent Investment Banker as having a maturity comparable to the remaining term of the Securities of this series (assuming, for this purpose, that the Securities of this series mature on the Par Call Date) that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of comparable maturity to the remaining term of the Securities of this series (assuming, for this purpose, that the Securities of this series mature on the Par Call Date).
“Comparable Treasury Price” means, with respect to any redemption date, (1) the average of five Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such redemption date after excluding the highest and lowest such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations or (2) if the Independent Investment Banker obtains fewer than five such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations.
“Independent Investment Banker” means one of the Reference Treasury Dealers that we appoint to act as the Independent Investment Banker from time to time or, if any of such firms is unwilling or unable to select the Comparable Treasury Issue, an independent investment banking institution of national standing appointed by the Company.
“Reference Treasury Dealer” means (1) Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and its successors; provided, however, that if the foregoing shall cease to be a primary U.S. Government securities dealer in New York City (a “Primary Treasury Dealer”), the Company will substitute therefor another Primary Treasury Dealer, and (2) any other Primary Treasury Dealer selected by the Independent Investment Banker after consultation with the Company.
“Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations” means, with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any redemption date, the average, as determined by the Independent Investment Banker, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in writing to the Independent Investment Banker at 5:00 p.m. on the third Business Day preceding such redemption date.
Notice of redemption (other than at the option of the Holder) shall be given by mail to Holders of Securities all as provided in the Mortgage. As provided in the Mortgage, notice of redemption at the election of the Company as aforesaid may state that such redemption shall be conditional upon the receipt by the applicable Paying Agent or Agents of money sufficient to pay the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on this Security on or prior to the date fixed for such redemption; a notice of
redemption so conditioned shall be of no force or effect if such money is not so received and, in such event, the Company shall not be required to redeem this Security.
In the event of redemption of this Security in part only, a new Security or Securities of this series of like tenor representing the unredeemed portion hereof shall be issued in the name of the Holder hereof upon the cancellation hereof.
The Mortgage contains provisions for defeasance at any time of the entire indebtedness of this Security upon compliance with certain conditions set forth in the Mortgage and the Series Officer’s Certificate.
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of this series shall occur and be continuing, the principal of the Securities of this series may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Mortgage.
The Mortgage permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders of the Securities of this series at any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of all series at the time Outstanding to be directly affected thereby. The Mortgage also contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in principal amount of the Securities of each series at the time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all Securities of such series, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Mortgage and certain past defaults under the Mortgage and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Security and of any Security issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Security.
As provided in and subject to the provisions of the Mortgage, the Holder of this Security shall not have the right to institute any proceeding with respect to the Mortgage or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee or for any other remedy thereunder, unless such Holder shall have previously given the Trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of this series, the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of all series at the time Outstanding in respect of which an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as the Trustee and offered the Trustee reasonable indemnity, and the Trustee shall not have received from the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of Securities of all series at the time Outstanding in respect of which an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing a direction inconsistent with such request, and shall have failed to institute any such proceeding for 60 days after receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity. The foregoing shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Holder of this Security for the enforcement of any payment of principal hereof or any premium or interest hereon on or after the respective due dates expressed herein.
No reference herein to the Mortgage and no provision of this Security or of the Mortgage shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and any premium and interest on this Security at the times, place and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.
The Securities of this series are issuable only in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. As provided in the Mortgage and subject to certain limitations therein and herein set forth, Securities of this series are exchangeable for Securities of this series, of authorized denominations and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same.
No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.
The Company shall not be required to execute, and the Security Registrar shall not be required to register, the transfer of or exchange of (a) Securities of this series during a period of 15 days immediately preceding the date notice is to be given identifying the serial numbers of the Securities of this series called for redemption, (b) any Security during the 15 days before an Interest Payment Date, or (c) any Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Security being redeemed in part.
The Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Security is registered as the absolute owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
This Security shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York (including without limitation Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations Law or any successor to such statute), except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act shall be applicable.
As provided in the Mortgage, no recourse shall be had for the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any Securities, or any part thereof, or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof, or of the indebtedness represented thereby, or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement under the Mortgage, against, and no personal liability whatsoever shall attach to, or be incurred by, any incorporator, shareholder, member, limited partner, officer, manager or director, as such, past, present or future of the Company or of any predecessor or successor of the Company (either directly or through the Company or a predecessor or successor of the Company), whether by virtue of any constitutional provision, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being expressly agreed and understood that the Mortgage and all the Securities are solely corporate obligations and that any such personal liability is hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as part of the consideration for, the execution of the Mortgage and the issuance of the Securities.
Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee referred to herein by manual signature, this Security shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Mortgage or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly executed.
SYSTEM ENERGY RESOURCES, INC.
By:_______________________________________
Name:
Title:
[FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION]
CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Mortgage.
Dated:
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, as Trustee
By:_______________________________________
Authorized Signatory
THIRTY-EIGHTH ASSIGNMENT OF AVAILABILITY AGREEMENT, CONSENT AND AGREEMENT
This Thirty-eighth Assignment of Availability Agreement, Consent and Agreement (hereinafter referred to as this “Assignment”), dated December 9, 2020, is made by and among System Energy Resources, Inc. (the “Company”), Entergy Arkansas, LLC, (“Entergy Arkansas”) (successor in interest to Arkansas Power & Light Company and ArkansasMissouri Power Company), Entergy Louisiana, LLC (“Entergy Louisiana”) (successor in interest to Louisiana Power & Light Company), Entergy Mississippi, LLC (“Entergy Mississippi”) (successor in interest to Mississippi Power & Light Company), and Entergy New Orleans, LLC (“Entergy New Orleans”) (successor in interest to New Orleans Public Service Inc.) (hereinafter Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi and Entergy New Orleans are called individually a “System Operating Company” and collectively, the “System Operating Companies”) and The Bank of New York Mellon (successor to United States Trust Company of New York), as trustee (the “Trustee”).
WHEREAS:
A. Entergy Corporation (successor to Middle South Utilities, Inc.) (“Entergy”) owns, either directly or indirectly, all of the outstanding common securities of the Company and each of the System Operating Companies, and the Company has a 90% undivided ownership and leasehold interest in Unit No. 1 of the Grand Gulf Steam Electric Generating Station (nuclear) project (the “Project”) (more fully described in the “Restated Mortgage” hereinafter referred to).
B. Prior hereto, the Company, the System Operating Companies and the Trustee, as trustee for the holders of $250,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s First Mortgage Bonds, 4.10% Series due 2023 (the “Twenty-second Series Bonds”) issued under a Mortgage and Deed of Trust dated as of June 15, 1977, between the Company and the Trustee, as amended, restated and supplemented by a Twenty-fourth Supplemental Indenture dated as of September 1, 2012 (the “Twenty-fourth Supplemental Indenture”) (said Mortgage and Deed of Trust as so amended, restated and supplemented by the Twenty-fourth Supplemental Indenture, the “Original Restated Mortgage”), entered into a Thirty-seventh Assignment of Availability Agreement, Consent and Agreement dated as of September 1, 2012, which was subsequently amended by the Amendment to the Thirty-seventh Assignment of Availability Agreement, Consent and Agreement, dated as of September 18, 2015 (as so amended, “Thirty-seventh Assignment of Availability Agreement) (substantially in the form of this Agreement) to secure the Twenty-second Series Bonds.
C. The Original Availability Agreement has been amended by the First Amendment thereto dated as of June 30, 1977, the Second Amendment thereto dated June 15, 1981, the Third Amendment thereto dated June 28, 1984, and the Fourth Amendment thereto dated as of June 1, 1989 (the Original Availability Agreement, as so amended and as it may be further amended and supplemented, is hereinafter referred to as the “Availability Agreement”).
D. Unit No. 1 and Unit No. 2 of the Project have been designated by the Company and the System Operating Companies as being subject to the Availability Agreement and as being System Energy Generating Units (as defined in the Availability Agreement) thereunder.
E. The Company seeks to refinance that part of the capital costs related to the Project heretofore financed and, to that end, (i) the Company has entered into an Underwriting Agreement, dated December 7, 2020, between the Company and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, as underwriter, providing, among other things, for the issue and sale by the Company of
$200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of First Mortgage Bonds, 2.14% Series due December 9, 2025 (the “Twenty-third Series Bonds”), to be issued under and secured pursuant to the Original Restated Mortgage as supplemented by Officer’s Certificate No. 1-B-1 dated as of December 7, 2020 (“Officer’s Certificate No. 1-B-1”) (as so supplemented by Officer’s Certificate No. 1-B-1, and as the same may from time to time hereafter be amended and supplemented in accordance with its terms, hereinafter referred to as the “Restated Mortgage”).
F. The Company, by this instrument, wishes to (i) provide for the assignment by the Company to the Trustee of certain of the Company’s rights under the Availability Agreement, and (ii) create enforceable rights hereunder in the Trustee, all as hereunder set forth.
G. The System Operating Companies are willing to, and by this instrument do, supplement their undertakings under the Availability Agreement in the same manner as in the Assignments of Availability Agreement.
H. All things necessary to make this Assignment the valid, legally binding and enforceable obligation of each of the parties hereto have been done and performed and the execution and performance hereof in all respects have been authorized and approved by all corporate and shareholder action necessary on the part of each thereof.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the terms and agreements hereinafter set forth, the parties agree with each other as follows:
ARTICLE I.
Security Assignment and Agreement
1.1 Assignment and Creation of Security Interest. As security for (i) the due and punctual payment of the interest (including, if and to the extent permitted by law, interest on overdue principal, premium and interest) and premium, if any, on, and the principal of, the Twenty-third Series Bonds (whether at maturity, pursuant to mandatory or optional prepayment, by acceleration or otherwise), (ii) the due and punctual payment of all fees and costs, expenses and other amounts that may become payable by the Company under the Restated Mortgage and that are a charge on the trust estate thereunder, which is superior to the charge thereon for the benefit of the Twenty-third Series Bonds, together in each case, with all costs of collection thereof (all such amounts referred to in the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii) being hereinafter collectively referred to as “Obligations Secured Hereby”), the Company hereby assigns to the Trustee, and creates a security interest in favor of the Trustee, in all of the Company’s rights to receive all moneys paid or to be paid to the Company pursuant to Section 4 of the Availability Agreement or advances pursuant to Section 2.2(b) hereof, but only to the extent that such payments or advances are attributable to payments or advances with respect to Unit No. 1 or Unit No. 2, and all other claims, rights (but not obligations or duties), powers, privileges, interests and remedies of the Company, whether arising under the Availability Agreement or this Assignment or by statute or in law or in equity or otherwise, resulting from any failure by any System Operating Company to perform its obligations under the Availability Agreement or this Assignment, but only to the extent that such claims, rights, powers, privileges, interests and remedies relate to Unit No. 1 and Unit No. 2, all to the extent, but only to the extent, required for the payment when due and payable of Obligations Secured Hereby, together in each case with full power and authority, in the name of the Trustee, or the Company as assignor, or otherwise, to demand payment of, enforce, collect, receive and accept receipt for any and all of the foregoing (the rights, claims, powers, privileges, interests and remedies referred to above being hereinafter sometimes called the “Collateral”).
1.2 Other Agreements.
(a) The Company has not and will not assign the rights assigned in Section 1.1 as security for any indebtedness other than the Obligations Secured Hereby, except as recited and provided in paragraph (b) of this Section 1.2.
(b) The Company has secured its Indebtedness for Borrowed Money (as defined below) represented by the Twenty-second Series Bonds, as referred to in Whereas Clause B hereof by the Thirty-seventh Assignment of Availability Agreement, and shall be entitled to secure the interest and premium, if any, on, and the principal of, other Indebtedness for Borrowed Money of the Company issued by the Company to any person (except Entergy or any affiliate of Entergy) to finance the cost of the Project (including, without limitation, Indebtedness for Borrowed Money outstanding under the Restated Mortgage) or to refund (including any successive refundings) any such Indebtedness for Borrowed Money (including such Indebtedness for Borrowed Money now outstanding) issued for such purpose, the incurrence of which Indebtedness for Borrowed Money is at the time permitted by the Restated Mortgage (herein, together with such Indebtedness for Borrowed Money now outstanding, called “Additional Indebtedness”), by entering into an assignment of availability agreement, consent and agreement including, without limitation, the Thirty-seventh Assignment of Availability Agreement (each being hereinafter called an “Additional Assignment”) with the holders of such Additional Indebtedness or representatives of or trustees for such holders, or both, as the case may be (herein called an “Additional Assignee”). Each Additional Assignment hereafter entered into shall be substantially in the form of this Assignment, except that there shall be substituted in such Additional Assignment appropriate references to the Additional Indebtedness secured thereby, the applicable Additional Assignee and the agreement or instrument under which such Additional Indebtedness is issued in lieu of the references herein to the Twenty-third Series Bonds, the Trustee and the Restated Mortgage, respectively, and such Additional Assignment may contain such other provisions as are not inconsistent with this Assignment and do not adversely affect the rights hereunder of the holders of the Twenty-third Series Bonds or the Trustee.
(c) Notwithstanding any provision of this Assignment to the contrary, or any priority in time of creation, attachment or perfection of a security interest, pledge or lien by the Trustee, or any provision of or filing or recording under the Uniform Commercial Code or any other applicable law of any jurisdiction, the Trustee agrees that the claims of the Trustee hereunder with respect to the Trustee and any security interest, pledge or lien in favor of the Trustee now or hereafter existing in and to the Collateral shall rank pari passu with the claims of each Additional Assignee under the corresponding provisions of the Additional Assignment to which it is a party with respect to the Availability Agreement and any security interest, pledge or lien in favor of such Additional Assignee under such Additional Assignment now or hereafter existing in and to the Collateral, irrespective of the time or times at which prior, concurrent or subsequent Additional Assignments are entered into in accordance with Section 1.2(b) hereof.
1.3 Payments to the Trustee. The Company agrees that, if and whenever it shall make a demand to a System Operating Company for any payment pursuant to Section 4 of the Availability Agreement or advances pursuant to Section 2.2(b) hereof with respect to Unit No. 1 or Unit No. 2, it will separately identify the respective portions of such payment or advance, if any, required for (i) the payment of Obligations Secured Hereby and (ii) the payment of any other amounts then due and payable in respect of Additional Indebtedness and instruct such System Operating Company (subject to the provisions of Section 1.4 hereof) to pay or cause to be paid the amount so identified as required for the payment of Obligations Secured Hereby directly to the Trustee. Any payments made by any System Operating Company pursuant to Section 4 of the Availability Agreement or advances pursuant to Section 2.2(b) hereof with respect to Unit No. 1 or Unit No. 2 shall, to the extent necessary to satisfy in full the assignment set forth in Section 1.1 of this Assignment and the corresponding assignments set forth in the
Additional Assignments, be made pro rata in proportion to the respective amounts secured by, and then due and owing under, such assignments.
1.4 Payments to the Company. Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 1.1 and 1.3, unless and until the Trustee shall have given written notice to the System Operating Companies of the occurrence and continuance of any Event of Default (as defined in the Restated Mortgage), all moneys paid or to be paid to the Company pursuant to Section 4 of the Availability Agreement or advanced pursuant to Section 2.2(b) hereof with respect to Unit No. 1 and Unit No. 2 shall be paid or advanced directly to the Company and the Company need not separately identify the respective portions of payments or advances as provided in Section 1.3 hereof, provided that notice as to the amount of any such payments or advances shall be given by the Company to the Trustee simultaneously with the demand by the Company for any such payments or advances. If the Trustee shall have duly notified the System Operating Companies of the occurrence of any such Event of Default, such payments or advances shall be made in the manner and in the amounts specified in Section 1.3 hereof until the Trustee shall by further notice to the System Operating Companies give permission that all such payments or advances may be made again to the Company, such permission being subject to revocation by a subsequent notice pursuant to the first sentence of this Section 1.4. The Trustee shall give such permission if no such Event of Default continues to exist.
1.5 Definitions. For the purposes of this Assignment, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(a) the term “Indebtedness for Borrowed Money” shall mean the principal amount of all indebtedness for borrowed money, secured or unsecured, of the Company then outstanding and shall include, without limitation, the principal amount of all bonds issued by a governmental or industrial development agency or authority in connection with an industrial development revenue bond financing of pollution control facilities constituting part of the Project; and
(b) the term “Subordinated Indebtedness of the Company” shall mean indebtedness marked on the books of the Company as subordinated and junior in right of payment to the Obligations Secured Hereby (as defined in Section 1.1 hereof) to the extent and in the manner set forth below:
(i) if there shall occur an Event of Default (as defined in the Restated Mortgage), then so long as such Event of Default shall be continuing and shall not have been cured or waived, or unless and until all the Obligations Secured Hereby shall have been paid in full in money or money’s worth at the time of receipt, no payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest shall be made upon Subordinated Indebtedness of the Company; and
(ii) in the event of any insolvency, bankruptcy, liquidation, reorganization or other similar proceedings, or any receivership proceedings in connection therewith, relative to the Company or its creditors or its property, and in the event of any proceedings for voluntary liquidation, dissolution or other winding up of the Company, whether or not involving insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings, then the Obligations Secured Hereby shall first be paid in full in money or money’s worth at the time of receipt, or payment thereof shall have been provided for, before any payment on account of principal, premium, if any, or interest is made upon Subordinated Indebtedness of the Company.
ARTICLE II.
Consent to Assignment by the System Operating
Companies and Other Agreements
2.1 Consent to Assignment by the System Operating Companies.
(a) Each System Operating Company hereby consents to the assignment under Article I and agrees with the Trustee to make payments or advances to the Trustee in the amounts and in the manner specified in Section 1.3 at the Trustee’s address as set forth in Section 6.1 hereof.
(b) Subject to the provisions of Section 4 of the Availability Agreement and Section 2.2(g) hereof, each System Operating Company agrees that all payments or advances made to the Trustee or to the Company as contemplated by Sections 1.3 and 1.4 hereof shall be final as between such System Operating Company and the Trustee or the Company, as the case may be, and that it will not seek to recover from the Trustee for any reason whatsoever any moneys paid or advanced to the Trustee by virtue of this Assignment, but the finality of any such payment or advance shall not prevent the recovery of any overpayments or mistaken payments or excess advances or mistaken advances which may be made by such System Operating Company unless an Event of Default (as defined in the Restated Mortgage) has occurred and is continuing, in which case any such overpayment or mistaken payment or excess advances or mistaken advances shall not be recoverable but shall constitute Subordinated Indebtedness of the Company to such System Operating Company.
2.2 Other Agreements. Anything in the Availability Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, it is hereby agreed as follows:
(a) Regardless of whether any person or persons (other than the System Operating Companies) shall become a Party or Parties (as such terms are defined in the Availability Agreement) to the Availability Agreement, the System Operating Companies shall at all times be obligated to make the payments required pursuant to Section 4 of the Availability Agreement and to make advances pursuant to Section 2.2(b) hereof with respect to Unit No. 1 and Unit No. 2 to the same extent as if the System Operating Companies were the only Parties to the Availability Agreement, except to the extent and only to the extent that such payments or advances are actually made by such person or persons. In the event that any such person shall become a Party to the Availability Agreement, the Company and the System Operating Companies shall cause such person, at the time when such person becomes a Party to the Availability Agreement, to consent by written instrument to the terms and provisions of this Assignment, and thereupon such person shall be bound by all of the terms and provisions of this Assignment (other than the provisions of the preceding sentence) to the same extent as if named a System Operating Company herein. A copy of such written instrument, in form and substance satisfactory to the Trustee, shall promptly be delivered to the Trustee together with an opinion of counsel to the effect that such instrument complies with the requirements hereof and constitutes a valid, legally binding obligation of such person.
(b) In the event and to the extent that any action by any governmental regulatory authority, including, without limitation, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or any successor thereto, shall have the effect of prohibiting the System Operating Companies from making any payments that would otherwise be required pursuant to Section 4 of the Availability Agreement (as supplemented hereby) with respect to Unit No. 1 and Unit No. 2, the System Operating Companies shall make advances to the Company at the same time, and in the same amounts as such prohibited payments and all such advances shall constitute Subordinated Indebtedness of the Company.
(c) Each System Operating Company agrees that (i) all Indebtedness for Borrowed Money of the Company to such System Operating Company and all amounts paid by such System Operating Company pursuant to Section 4 of the Availability Agreement or advanced pursuant to Section 2.2(b) hereof shall constitute Subordinated Indebtedness of the Company and (ii) no such Subordinated Indebtedness of the Company shall be transferred or assigned (including by way of security) to any person (other than to a successor of such System Operating Company by way of merger, consolidation or the acquisition by such person of all or substantially all of such System Operating Company’s assets). The Company agrees that it shall duly record all Subordinated Indebtedness of the Company as such on its books.
(d) No authorization by any governmental regulatory authority being required other than, with respect to the payments pursuant to the provisions of Section 4 of the Availability Agreement, appropriate orders, or the taking of other action, by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or any successor thereto as to specific terms and provisions under which power and energy associated therewith available at the Project shall be made available by the Company to the System Operating Companies and pursuant to which the System Operating Companies shall agree to pay the Company for the right to receive such power and the energy associated therewith, each System Operating Company agrees that its duty to make the payments to the Company pursuant to the provisions of Section 4 of the Availability Agreement and the advances pursuant to Section 2.2(b) hereof with respect to Unit No. 1 and Unit No. 2 shall be absolute and unconditional, (a) whether or not such System Operating Company shall have received all authorizations of governmental regulatory authorities necessary at the time to permit such System Operating Company to perform its other duties and obligations hereunder, under the Availability Agreement or under the System Agreement (as defined in the Availability Agreement), (b) whether or not the Company shall have received all authorizations of governmental regulatory authorities necessary at the time to permit the Company to perform its duties and obligations hereunder, under the Availability Agreement or under the System Agreement, (c) whether or not any authorizations referred to in the foregoing clauses (a) and (b) continue, at the time, in effect, (d) whether or not, at any time in question, the Company shall have performed its duties and obligations hereunder, under the Availability Agreement or under the System Agreement, (e) whether or not the System Agreement shall, from time to time, be amended, modified or supplemented or shall be canceled or terminated or such System Operating Company shall have withdrawn therefrom, (f) whether or not the Project shall be maintained in commercial operation, energy from the Project is being produced or delivered or is available (including, without limitation, delivery or availability to such System Operating Company), an abandonment of the Project shall have occurred or the Project shall be in whole or in part destroyed or taken, for any reason whatsoever, (g) whether or not the Company shall be solvent, (h) whether or not the Company or such System Operating Company shall continue to be subsidiary companies of Entergy, (i) regardless of any event of force majeure, and (j) regardless of any other circumstance, happening, condition or event whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing.
(e) In the event that Entergy shall cease to own directly or indirectly a majority of the common securities of any System Operating Company, the obligations of such System Operating Company hereunder and under the Availability Agreement shall not be increased by an amendment to or modification of the terms and provisions of the Restated Mortgage, including Officer’s Certificate No. 1-B-1, or the Twenty-third Series Bonds unless such System Operating Company shall have consented in writing to such amendment or modification.
(f) The obligations of each System Operating Company under Section 4 of the Availability Agreement and Section 2.2(b) hereof to make the payments or advances specified therein or herein with respect to Unit No. 1 and Unit No. 2 to the Company shall not be subject to any abatement, reduction, limitation, impairment, termination, setoff, defense, counterclaim or recoupment whatsoever or any right to any thereof (including, but not limited to, abatements,
reductions, limitations, impairments, terminations, setoffs, defenses, counterclaims and recoupments for or on account of any past, present or future indebtedness of the Company to such System Operating Company or any claim by such System Operating Company against the Company, whether or not arising hereunder, under the Availability Agreement or under the System Agreement and whether or not arising out of any action or nonaction on the part of the Company or the Trustee, including any disposition of the Project or any part thereof pursuant to the Restated Mortgage, requirements of governmental authorities, actions of judicial receivers or trustees or otherwise and whether or not arising from willful or negligent acts or omissions). The foregoing, however, shall not, subject to the provisions of paragraph (c) of this Section 2.2, affect in any other way any rights and remedies of such System Operating Company with respect to any amounts owed to such System Operating Company by the Company or any such claim by such System Operating Company against the Company. The obligations and liabilities of each System Operating Company hereunder or under the Availability Agreement shall not be released, discharged or in any way affected by any reorganization, arrangement, compromise, composition or plan affecting the Company or any change, waiver, extension, indulgence or other action or omission in respect of any indebtedness or obligation of the Company or such System Operating Company, whether or not the Company or such System Operating Company shall have had any notice or knowledge of any of the foregoing. Neither failure nor delay by the Company or the Trustee, or any holder, or representative of any holder of the Twenty-third Series Bonds to exercise any right or remedy provided herein or by statute or at law or in equity shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right or remedy preclude any other or further exercise thereof, or the exercise of any other right or remedy. Each System Operating Company also hereby irrevocably waives, to the extent that it may do so under applicable law, any defense based on the adequacy of a remedy at law which may be asserted as a bar to the remedy of specific performance in any action brought against such System Operating Company for specific performance of this Assignment or the Availability Agreement by the Company, by the Trustee, by the holders of the Twenty-third Series Bonds or for their benefit by a receiver or trustee appointed for the Company or in respect of all or a substantial part of the Company’s assets under the bankruptcy or insolvency law of any jurisdiction to which the Company is or its assets are subject. Anything in this Section 2.2(f) to the contrary notwithstanding, no System Operating Company shall be precluded from asserting as a defense against any claim made against such System Operating Company upon any of its obligations hereunder and under the Availability Agreement that it has fully performed such obligations in accordance with the terms of this Assignment and the Availability Agreement.
(g) Each System Operating Company shall, subject to the provisions of Section 2.2(c) hereof, be proportionately subrogated to all rights of the Trustee and the holders of the Twenty-third Series Bonds against the Company in respect of any amounts paid or advanced by such System Operating Company pursuant to the provisions of this Assignment and the Availability Agreement and applied to the payment of the Obligations Secured Hereby. The Trustee agrees that it will not deal with the Company, or any security for the Twenty-third Series Bonds in such a manner as to prejudice such rights of any System Operating Company.
ARTICLE III.
Term
This Assignment shall remain in full force and effect until, and shall terminate and be of no further force and effect after, all Obligations Secured Hereby shall have been paid in full in money or money’s worth at the time of receipt; provided that this Assignment shall continue to be effective or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time any payment of any of the Obligations Secured Hereby is rescinded or must otherwise be returned by the Trustee upon the insolvency, bankruptcy or reorganization of the Company, any System Operating Company or otherwise, all as though such payment had not been made. It is agreed that all the covenants
and undertakings on the part of the System Operating Companies and the Company set forth in this Assignment are exclusively for the benefit of, and may be enforced only by, the Trustee, by the holders of the Twenty-third Series Bonds as provided in the Restated Mortgage, or for their benefit by a receiver or trustee for the Company or in respect of all or a substantial part of its assets under the bankruptcy or insolvency law of any jurisdiction to which the Company is or its assets are subject.
ARTICLE IV.
Assignment
Neither this Assignment nor the Availability Agreement nor any interest herein or therein may be assigned, transferred or encumbered by any of the parties hereto or thereto, except transfer or assignment by the Trustee to its successors in accordance with Article Ten of the Restated Mortgage, except as otherwise provided in Article I hereof and except that
(i) in the event that any System Operating Company shall consolidate with or merge with or into another corporation or shall transfer to another corporation or other person all or substantially all of its assets, this Assignment and the Availability Agreement shall be transferred by such System Operating Company to and shall be binding upon the corporation resulting from such consolidation or merger or the corporation or other person to which such transfer is made and, as a condition to such consolidation, merger or other transfer, such corporation or other person shall deliver to the Company and the Trustee a written assumption, in form and substance satisfactory to the Trustee, of such System Operating Company’s obligations and liabilities under this Assignment and the Availability Agreement and an opinion of counsel to the effect that such instrument complies with the requirements hereof and thereof and constitutes a valid, legally binding and enforceable obligation of such corporation or other person; and
(ii) in the event that the Company shall consolidate with or merge with or into another corporation or shall transfer to another corporation or other person all or substantially all of its assets, this Assignment and the Availability Agreement shall be transferred by the Company to and shall be binding upon the corporation resulting from such consolidation or merger or the corporation or other person to which such transfer is made and, as a condition to such consolidation, merger or other transfer, such corporation or other person shall deliver to the Trustee a written assumption, in form and substance satisfactory to the Trustee, of the Company’s obligations and liabilities under this Assignment and the Availability Agreement and an opinion of counsel to the effect that such instrument complies with the requirements hereof and thereof and constitutes a valid, legally binding and enforceable obligation of such corporation or other person.
ARTICLE V.
Amendments
5.1 Restrictions on Amendments. Neither this Assignment nor the Availability Agreement may be amended, waived, modified, discharged or otherwise changed orally. This Assignment and the Availability Agreement may be amended, waived, modified, discharged or otherwise changed only by a written instrument that has been signed by all the parties hereto, in the case of this Assignment, or by the persons specified in Section 11 of the Availability Agreement, in the case of the Availability Agreement, and that has been approved by the holders of more than 50% in principal amount of the Twenty-third Series Bonds Outstanding (as defined in the Restated Mortgage) at the time of such consent or that does not materially adversely affect the rights of the Trustees or the holders of the Twenty-third Series Bonds or that is necessary in
order to qualify the Restated Mortgage under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as contemplated by Sections 1301 and 1302 of the Restated Mortgage, provided, however, that (i) without the written consent of the holder of all the Twenty-third Series Bonds affected thereby, no amendment, waiver, modification, discharge or other change in or to this Assignment or the Availability Agreement shall be made that shall change the terms of this Section 5.1 and (ii) no such amendment, waiver, modification, discharge or other change shall be made that shall modify, without the written consent of each of the Trustee, the rights, duties or immunities or the Trustee.
5.2 The Trustee's Execution. The Trustee shall, at the request of the Company, execute any instrument amending, waiving, modifying, discharging or otherwise changing this Assignment, or any consent to the execution of any instrument amending, waiving, modifying, discharging or otherwise changing the Availability Agreement (a) as to which the Trustee shall have received an opinion of counsel to the effect that such instrument has been duly authorized by each person executing the same and is permitted by the provisions of Section 5.1 hereof and that this Assignment, or the Availability Agreement, as the case may be, as amended, waived, modified, discharged or otherwise changed by such instrument, constitutes valid, legally binding and enforceable obligations of the Company and each of the System Operating Companies, and (b) that shall have been executed by the Company and each of the System Operating Companies. The Trustee, shall be fully protected in relying upon the aforesaid opinion.
ARTICLE VI.
Notices
6.1 Notices, etc., in Writing. All notices, consents, requests and other documents authorized or permitted to be given pursuant to this Assignment shall be given in writing and either personally served on the party to whom (or an officer of a corporate party) it is given or mailed by registered or certified firstclass mail, postage prepaid, addressed as follows:
If to System Energy Resources, Inc., to:
639 Loyola Avenue
New Orleans, Louisiana 70113
Attention: Treasurer
If to Entergy Arkansas, LLC, to:
639 Loyola Avenue
New Orleans, Louisiana 70113
Attention: Treasurer
If to Entergy Louisiana, LLC, to:
639 Loyola Avenue
New Orleans, Louisiana 70113
Attention: Treasurer
If to Entergy Mississippi, LLC, to:
639 Loyola Avenue
New Orleans, Louisiana 70113
Attention: Treasurer
If to Entergy New Orleans, LLC, to:
639 Loyola Avenue
New Orleans, Louisiana 70113
Attention: Treasurer
If to the Trustee, to:
The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A.
4655 Salisbury Road, Suite 300
Jacksonville, Florida 32256
Attention: Cynthia Moore, Vice President
with copies to each other party.
6.2 Delivery, etc. Notices, consents, requests and other documents shall be deemed given or served or submitted when delivered or, if mailed as provided in Section 6.1 hereof, on the third day after the day of mailing. A party may change its address for the receipt of notices, consents, requests and other documents at any time by giving notice thereof to the other parties. Any notice, consent, request or other document given hereunder may be signed on behalf of any party by any duly authorized representative of that party.
The Trustee agrees to accept and act upon instructions or directions pursuant to this Assignment sent by unsecured e-mail, pdf, facsimile transmission or other similar unsecured electronic methods. If any party elects to give the Trustee e-mail or facsimile instructions (or instructions by a similar electronic method) and the Trustee in its discretion elects to act upon such instructions, in the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct, the Trustee’s understanding of such instructions shall be deemed controlling. The Trustee shall not be liable for any losses, costs or expenses arising directly or indirectly from the Trustee’s reliance upon and compliance with such instructions notwithstanding should such instructions conflict or be inconsistent with a subsequent written instruction. Each party agrees to assume all risks arising out of the use of such electronic methods to submit instructions and directions to the Trustee, including without limitation the risk of the Trustee acting on unauthorized instructions, and the risk of interception and misuse by third parties.
ARTICLE VII.
Enforcement
7.1 Mortgage Terms and Conditions. The Trustee enters into and accepts this Assignment upon the terms and conditions set forth in Article Ten of the Restated Mortgage with the same force and effect as if those terms and conditions were repeated at length herein and made applicable to the Trustee in respect of this Assignment and the trusts hereunder and in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by the Trustee hereunder. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Trustee assumes no responsibility as to the validity or enforceability hereof or for the correctness of the recitals of fact contained herein or in the Availability Agreement, which shall be taken as the statements, representations and warranties of the Company and the System Operating Companies.
7.2 Enforcement Action. At any time when an Event of Default under the Restated Mortgage has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee may proceed, either in its own name and as trustee of an express trust or otherwise, to protect and enforce the rights of the Trustee and those of the Company under this Assignment and the Availability Agreement by suit in equity, action at law or other appropriate proceedings, whether for the specific performance of
any covenant or agreement contained herein or in the Availability Agreement or otherwise, and whether or not the Company shall have complied with any of the provisions hereof or thereof or proceeded to take any action authorized or permitted under applicable law. Each and every remedy of the Trustee shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and shall be in addition to any other remedy given hereunder or under the Restated Mortgage or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or by statute.
7.3 Attorney-in-Fact. The Company hereby constitutes the Trustee its true and lawful attorney, irrevocably, with full power (in such attorney’s name or otherwise), at any time when an Event of Default (as defined in the Restated Mortgage) has occurred and is continuing, to enforce any of the obligations contained herein or in the Availability Agreement or to take any action or institute any proceedings that to the Trustee may seem necessary or advisable in the premises.
ARTICLE VIII.
Severability
If any provision or provisions of this Assignment shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
ARTICLE IX.
Governing Law
This Assignment and, so long as this Assignment shall be in effect, the Availability Agreement, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
ARTICLE X.
Succession
Subject to Article IV hereof, this Assignment and the Availability Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns, but no assignment hereof, or of the Availability Agreement, or of any right to any funds due or to become due under this Assignment or the Availability Agreement shall in any event relieve the Company or any System Operating Company of their respective obligations hereunder.
ARTICLE XI.
Waiver of Jury Trial
EACH OF THE PARTIES HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS ASSIGNMENT, THE AVAILABILITY AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Thirty-eighth Assignment to be duly executed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized as of the day and year first above written.
ENTERGY ARKANSAS, LLC
ENTERGY LOUISIANA, LLC
ENTERGY MISSISSIPPI, LLC
ENTERGY NEW ORLEANS, LLC
SYSTEM ENERGY RESOURCES, INC.
By:/s/ Kevin J. Marino
Name: Kevin J. Marino
Title: Assistant Treasurer
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON,
as Trustee
By:/s/ Laurence J. O’Brien
Name: Laurence J. O’Brien
Title: Vice President
Exhibit 5.12
December 9, 2020
System Energy Resources, Inc.
1340 Echelon Parkway
Jackson, Mississippi 39213
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel for System Energy Resources, Inc., an Arkansas corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration Statement No. 333-233403-01) (the “Registration Statement”), relating to, among other things, the offer and sale of $200,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of the Company’s First Mortgage Bonds, 2.14% Series due December 9, 2025 (the “Bonds”). The Bonds have been issued pursuant to the Company’s Mortgage and Deed of Trust, dated as of June 15, 1977, between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as amended, restated and supplemented by the Twenty-fourth Supplemental Indenture dated as of September 1, 2012 (as so amended, restated and supplemented, including by the officer’s certificate establishing the terms of the Bonds, being hereinafter referred to as the “Mortgage”).
In our capacity as such counsel, we have examined the Registration Statement and the Mortgage, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. As to questions of fact material to the opinions expressed herein, we have relied upon representations and certifications of officers of the Company and appropriate public officials without independent verification of such matters except as otherwise described herein. We have also examined or caused to be examined such other documents and have satisfied ourselves as to such other matters as we have deemed necessary in order to render this opinion. In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, and the conformity to the originals of the documents submitted to us as certified, facsimile or photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. We have not examined the Bonds, except a specimen thereof, and we have relied upon a certificate of the Trustee as to the authentication and delivery thereof.
Subject to the foregoing and to the further exceptions and qualifications set forth below, we are of the opinion that the Bonds are legally valid and are binding obligations of the Company.
System Energy Resources, Inc.
December 9, 2020
Page 2
This opinion is limited to the laws of the States of New York, Arkansas and Mississippi and the federal laws of the United States of America. To the extent that the opinions relate to or are dependent upon matters governed by the laws of the State of Arkansas, we have relied upon the opinion of Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP, which is being filed as Exhibit 5.14 to the Registration Statement. To the extent that the opinions relate to or are dependent upon matters governed by the laws of the State of Mississipi, we have relied upon the opinion of Wise Carter Child & Caraway, P.A., which is being filed as Exhibit 5.13 to the Registration Statement.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.12 to a Current Report on Form 8-K, which will be incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and to the references to our firm, as counsel, in the Registration Statement under the caption “Legality.” In giving the foregoing consents, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Exhibit 5.13
December 9, 2020
System Energy Resources, Inc.
1340 Echelon Parkway
Jackson, Mississippi 39213
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel for System Energy Resources, Inc., an Arkansas corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration Statement No. 333-233403-01) (the “Registration Statement”), relating to, among other things, the offer and sale of $200,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of the Company’s First Mortgage Bonds, 2.14% Series due December 9, 2025 (the “Bonds”). The Bonds have been issued pursuant to the Company’s Mortgage and Deed of Trust, dated as of June 15, 1977, between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as amended, restated and supplemented by the Twenty-fourth Supplemental Indenture dated as of September 1, 2012 (as so amended, restated and supplemented, including by the officer’s certificate establishing the terms of the Bonds, being hereinafter referred to as the “Mortgage”).
In our capacity as such counsel, we have examined the Registration Statement and the Mortgage, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. As to questions of fact material to the opinions expressed herein, we have relied upon representations and certifications of officers of the Company and appropriate public officials without independent verification of such matters except as otherwise described herein. We have also examined or caused to be examined such other documents and have satisfied ourselves as to such other matters as we have deemed necessary in order to render this opinion. In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, and the conformity to the originals of the documents submitted to us as certified, facsimile or photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. We have not examined the Bonds, except a specimen thereof, and we have relied upon a certificate of the Trustee as to the authentication and delivery thereof.
Subject to the foregoing and to the further exceptions and qualifications set forth below, we are of the opinion that the Bonds are legally valid and are binding obligations of the Company.
This opinion is limited to the laws of the States of Mississippi and the federal laws of the United States of America. To the extent that the opinions relate to or are dependent upon matters governed by the laws of the State of New York, we have relied upon the opinion of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, which is being filed as Exhibit 5.12 to the Registration Statement. To the extent that the opinions relate to or are dependent upon matters governed by the laws of the State
Hattiesburg Office Jackson Office Gulf Coast Office
601 Adeline Street Post Office Box 651, Jackson, MS 39205-0651 2510 14th Street, Suite 1125
Hattiesburg, MS 39401 401 East Capitol Street, Heritage Building, Suite 600 Gulfport, MS 39501
601.582.5551 Jackson, MS 39201 228.867.7141
601.968.5500
System Energy Resources, Inc.
December 9, 2020
Page 2
_______________
of Arkansas, we have relied upon the opinion of Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP, which is being filed as Exhibit 5.14 to the Registration Statement.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.13 to a Current Report on Form 8-K, which will be incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and to the references to our firm, as counsel, in the Registration Statement under the caption “Legality.” In giving the foregoing consents, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Very truly yours,
WISE CARTER CHILD & CARAWAY
Professional Association
By: /s/ Betty Toon Collins
December 9, 2020
System Energy Resources, Inc.
1340 Echelon Parkway
Jackson, Mississippi 39213
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel for System Energy Resources, Inc., an Arkansas corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration Statement No. 333-233403-01) (the “Registration Statement”), relating to, among other things, the offer and sale of $200,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of the Company’s First Mortgage Bonds, 2.14% Series due December 9, 2025 (the “Bonds”). The Bonds have been issued pursuant to the Company’s Mortgage and Deed of Trust, dated as of June 15, 1977, between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as amended, restated and supplemented by the Twenty-fourth Supplemental Indenture dated as of September 1, 2012 (as so amended, restated and supplemented, including by the officer’s certificate establishing the terms of the Bonds, being hereinafter referred to as the “Mortgage”).
In our capacity as such counsel, we have examined the Registration Statement and the Mortgage, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. As to questions of fact material to the opinions expressed herein, we have relied upon representations and certifications of officers of the Company and appropriate public officials without independent verification of such matters except as otherwise described herein. We have also examined or caused to be examined such other documents and have satisfied ourselves as to such other matters as we have deemed necessary in order to render this opinion. In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, and the conformity to the originals of the documents submitted to us as certified, facsimile or photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. We have not examined the Bonds, except a specimen thereof, and we have relied upon a certificate of the Trustee as to the authentication and delivery thereof.
Subject to the foregoing and to the further exceptions and qualifications set forth below, we are of the opinion that the Bonds are legally valid and are binding obligations of the Company.
This opinion is limited to the laws of the States of Arkansas and the federal laws of the United States of America. To the extent that the opinions relate to or are dependent upon matters governed by the laws of the State of New York, we have relied upon the opinion of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, which is being filed as Exhibit 5.12 to the Registration Statement.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.14 to a Current Report on Form 8-K, which will be incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and to the references to our firm, as counsel, in the Registration Statement under the caption “Legality.” In giving the foregoing consents, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is
System Energy Resources, Inc.
December 9, 2020
Page 2
____________________________
required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP
Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP