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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 27, 2001

Registration No. 333-    



UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549


FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


UTILICORP UNITED INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

DELAWARE 44-0541877
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

20 West Ninth Street, Kansas City, Missouri, 64105-1711, (816) 421-6600
(Address and telephone number of registrant's principal executive offices)

LESLIE J. PARRETTE, JR., ESQ.
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL
UTILICORP UNITED INC.
20 WEST NINTH STREET
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI 64105
(816) 421-6600
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

WITH COPIES TO:

JEFFREY T. HAUGHEY, ESQ.   ROBERT W. MULLEN, JR., ESQ.
BLACKWELL SANDERS PEPER MARTIN LLP   MILBANK, TWEED, HADLEY & MCCLOY LLP
2300 MAIN STREET, SUITE 1100   1 CHASE MANHATTAN PLAZA
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI 64108   NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10005
(816) 983-8000   (212) 530-5000

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the registration statement becomes effective.


   If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. / /

   If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest investment plans, check the following box. /x/

   If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. / /

   If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. / /

   If delivery of the prospectus is expected to be made pursuant to Rule 434, please check the following box. / /


CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE



Title of each
class of securities
to be registered

  Amount to be registered

  Proposed maximum offering price per unit

  Proposed maximum aggregate offering price(2)

  Amount of registration fee(3)


Senior Notes   $500,000,000   100%(1)   $500,000,000   $125,000
Common Stock par value $1.00 per share(4)   15 million shares   31.00(5)   $465,000,000   $116,250
Total           $965,000,000   $241,250

(1)
Omitted pursuant to General Instruction II.D. of Form S-3.
(2)
Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee in accordance with Rule 457 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
(3)
The Registrant previously paid a filing fee of $15,000 in connection with the registration of $60,000,000 of securities under Registration Statement No. 333-56476 on March 2, 2001, of which $55,760,000 remained unsold. The Registrant subsequently removed from registration $55,760,000 of securities registered under Registration Statement No. 333-56476, which remained unsold by the Registrant. As a result, the Registrant has a balance of $13,940 with the Securities and Exchange Commission representing the registration fee for the securities deregistered under such Registration Statement. Such balance is being applied toward the payment of a portion of the registration fee in respect of the securities registered hereunder pursuant to Rule 457(p) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. As a result, a payment of $227,310 accompanies this filing.
(4)
Includes a Preference Stock Purchase Right attached to each share of Common Stock that, prior to the occurrence of certain events, will not be evidenced separately from the Common Stock.
(5)
Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(c), based on the average of the high and low prices of the Registrant's Common Stock as listed on the New York Stock Exchange on August 20, 2001.


    The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to Section 8(a), may determine.




Subject to completion, dated August 27, 2001

PROSPECTUS

$500,000,000
15,000,000 Shares

LOGO

SENIOR NOTES
COMMON STOCK


    We will provide specific terms of these securities in supplements to this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and any supplement carefully before you invest.


    Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

This Prospectus is dated            , 2001


TABLE OF CONTENTS

About This Prospectus   2
Where You Can Find More Information   3
The Company   3
Use of Proceeds   3
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges   4
Description of Common Stock   4
Description of Senior Notes   8
Plan of Distribution   12
Experts   13


ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

    This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission utilizing a "shelf" registration process. Under this shelf process, we may, from time to time, sell in one or more offerings senior notes up to a total dollar amount of $500,000,000 and up to 15,000,000 shares of common stock. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with additional information described under the heading "Where You Can Find More Information." Unless otherwise indicated or unless the context requires otherwise, all references in this prospectus to "UtiliCorp," "we," "our," "us," or similar references mean UtiliCorp United Inc. and all of our subsidiaries.

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

    We file annual, quarterly and special reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You may read and copy any materials that we file at the Commission's Public Reference Room at 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information regarding the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the Commission at 1-800-SEC-0330. We file information electronically with the Commission. The Commission maintains an Internet site that contains the reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically. The address of the Commission's Internet site is http://www.sec.gov.

    The Commission allows us to "incorporate by reference" the information we file with them, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to other documents. This information incorporated by reference is considered part of this prospectus, and information that we file later with the Commission will automatically update and supersede this information. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any future filings we make with the Commission under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:

You may request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by telephoning or writing to us at the following address:

Investor Relations
UtiliCorp United Inc.
20 West Ninth Street
Kansas City, Missouri 64105
816-421-6600

    Additionally, you can get further information about us on our website, http://www.utilicorp.com. We do not, however, intend for the information on our website to constitute part of this prospectus.

    This prospectus is part of a registration statement we filed with the Commission. You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus and in any prospectus supplement. We have not authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it.


THE COMPANY

    We are a multinational energy and energy services company headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Our executive offices are located at 20 West Ninth Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64105 and our telephone number is 816-421-6600.


USE OF PROCEEDS

    Unless otherwise set forth in a prospectus supplement, the net proceeds from the sale of the offered securities will be used for general corporate purposes including repayment of debt, construction and acquisitions.

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RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

    Our ratio of earnings to fixed charges for each of the periods indicated is as follows:

 
  Twelve Months
Ended June 30,

  Years Ended December 31,
 
  2001
  2000
  1999
  1998
  1997
  1996
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges   3.20   2.05   2.03   2.01   2.29   1.79

    The ratio of earnings to fixed charges represents the number of times fixed charges are covered by earnings. For the purpose of these ratios, earnings consist of income before provisions for income taxes and fixed charges less undistributed earnings in equity investments. For this purpose, fixed charges comprise (1) interest on all indebtedness and amortization of debt discount and expense, (2) interest capitalized and (3) an interest factor attributable to rentals.


DESCRIPTION OF COMMON STOCK

General

    The following description of our common stock is a summary and is not complete. You should refer to our governing corporate documents and our Michigan Gas Utilities Indenture, dated as of July 1, 1951, which secures the first mortgage bonds issued by Michigan Gas Utilities Company and assumed by us in connection with our acquisition of Michigan Gas Utilities Company in 1989.

    We are authorized to issue up to 430,000,000 shares of capital stock consisting of:

400,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $1 per share;

10,000,000 shares of preference stock, without par value; and

20,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, par value $1 per share.

Dividend Rights and Limitations

    Subject to the limitation referred to below, our board of directors may declare dividends on our capital stock out of funds legally available for that purpose.

    Cash dividends on our capital stock are restricted by provisions of the Michigan Gas Utilities Indenture. Under the most restrictive of these provisions, we may not declare or pay any dividend, other than a dividend payable in shares of our capital stock, if, after giving effect to the dividend, the sum of:

    In addition, we may not declare dividends unless we maintain a tangible net worth of at least $250 million and the total principal amount of our outstanding indebtedness does not exceed 70% of our capitalization. None of our retained earnings was restricted as to payment of cash dividends on our capital stock as of June 30, 2001.

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Voting Rights

    Holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record. Our board of directors is divided into three classes, and each year one class is elected to serve a three-year term. Holders of common stock do not have cumulative voting in the election of directors. Accordingly, the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of our common stock voting for the election of directors can elect all the directors, and the remaining holders will not be able to elect any directors.

Liquidation Rights

    Our outstanding common stock is, and the common stock that may be offered from time to time, when issued and paid for will be, fully paid and non-assessable. Holders of common stock do not have any preemptive rights. On liquidation, the holders of the common stock will be entitled to all amounts remaining for distribution after payment of the liquidation preferences of the outstanding shares, if any, of the Class A common stock and the preference stock.

Class A Common Stock and Preference Stock

    Without action by our stockholders, our board of directors may issue one or more series of Class A common stock or preference stock that may have terms more favorable than the common stock, including preferential dividend, liquidation, redemption and voting rights.

    We may use the Class A common stock or the preference stock as an anti-takeover device because these securities may be issued with "super voting" rights and placed in the control of parties aligned with current management. However, the NYSE has in effect a rule that restricts our ability to issue Class A common stock and preference stock with super voting rights. There are presently no shares of Class A common stock or preference stock issued or outstanding.

Stockholder Rights Plan

    We have adopted a stockholder rights plan under which our stockholders have been granted one preference stock purchase right for each share of common stock held. The following description of the purchase rights is not complete. You should refer to the Rights Agreement we entered into with First Chicago Trust Company of New York on December 31, 1996, a copy of which we filed with the Commission as an exhibit to our Form 8-A Registration Statement filed on March 4, 1997.

    Each purchase right, when it becomes exercisable as described below, entitles the holder to purchase one-thousandth of a share of our Series A Participating Cumulative Preference Stock, no par value, at a purchase price of $76.67, subject to certain adjustments and other specified conditions.

    The purchase rights become exercisable upon the occurrence of a "distribution date," which is defined in the rights agreement as the earlier of:

    the tenth business day, or such later date as our board of directors may fix, after the date on which any company commences a tender or exchange offer which, if consummated, would result in the company acquiring ownership of more than 15% of our outstanding common stock; or

    the "flip-in date," which means the tenth business day after we first publicly announce that a company has acquired ownership of more than 15% of our outstanding common stock, or such other date as our board of directors may adopt prior to the flip-in date that would otherwise have occurred.

    The rights agreement does not apply to certain acquisitions, including acquisitions by a company that inadvertently acquires ownership of more than 15% of our outstanding common stock, provided the company promptly divests sufficient shares of common stock to reduce its percentage ownership below 15%.

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    If a flip-in date occurs, each purchase right, other than purchase rights the acquiring company or any of its affiliates beneficially own, will constitute the right to purchase from us that number of shares of our common stock having a market value equal to twice the exercise price of the purchase right. On the occurrence of a flip-in date, the purchase rights beneficially owned by the acquiring company or any of its affiliates will be void.

    In addition, our board of directors may, at its option, at any time after a flip-in date and prior to the time the acquiring company becomes the owner of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of our common stock, elect to exchange all of the outstanding purchase rights, other than those purchase rights beneficially owned by the acquiring company or its affiliates, for shares of our common stock at an exchange ratio of one share of our common stock per purchase right. Immediately upon the taking of that action by our board of directors, the right to exercise the purchase rights will terminate and each purchase right will then represent only the right to receive the appropriate number of shares of common stock.

    Whenever we become obligated to issue shares of common stock upon the exercise of or in exchange for purchase rights, we may substitute shares of preference stock, at a ratio of one one-thousandth of a share of preference stock for each share of common stock.

    If we are acquired in a merger or other similar business combination entered into while:

    the acquiring company or any of its affiliates is in control of our board of directors or 50% or more of our assets; or

    assets representing 50% or more of our operating income or cash flow are transferred to an acquiring company or any of its affiliates,

then we are required to take all necessary action to ensure that the purchase rights will "flip-over" and entitle each holder of a purchase right to purchase capital stock of the acquiring company having a market value equal to twice the purchase price of the preference stock otherwise purchasable pursuant to the purchase right.

    At any time prior to the earlier of a flip-in date and the tenth anniversary of the rights agreement, our board of directors may redeem the purchase rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $0.01 per purchase right. Under certain circumstances the rights agreement may be amended by our board of directors without approval from our stockholders.

    The purchase rights have an anti-takeover effect. Specifically, the purchase rights may cause substantial dilution to a person or group that attempts to acquire a substantial number of shares of our common stock without the approval of our board of directors. The purchase rights will not interfere with any merger or other business combination with a third party approved by our board of directors, because the board of directors may, at any time prior to a flip-in date, redeem the purchase rights as described above or amend the rights agreement to render it inapplicable to a specific transaction.

Additional Anti-Takeover Defenses

    A number of provisions in our governing corporate documents may have the effect of discouraging other companies from acquiring large blocks of our common stock or delaying or preventing a change of control of UtiliCorp. For instance, because our certificate of incorporation authorizes our board of directors to issue additional capital stock without stockholder approval, the board of directors could issue additional shares of stock to discourage a change of control of UtiliCorp. Furthermore, the absence of cumulative voting rights could discourage accumulations of large blocks of our common stock by purchasers seeking representation on our board of directors.

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    Other provisions in our certificate of incorporation are designed to discourage attempts to obtain control of UtiliCorp in a transaction not approved by our board of directors. Such provisions include:

    an 80% stockholder vote requirement to remove the entire board of directors;

    a prohibition against the removal of individual directors without cause;

    a requirement that the board of directors be divided into three classes, with one class elected each year for a three-year term;

    an 80% stockholder vote requirement to amend provisions of the certificate of incorporation relating to our board of directors;

    an 80% stockholder vote requirement to approve certain business transactions, unless certain minimum price conditions are met;

    an 80% stockholder vote requirement to amend the above-listed provisions;

    a requirement that stockholder action may be taken only at an annual or special meeting; and

    a requirement that special meetings may be called by not less than a majority of the stockholders.

    Our bylaws also contain provisions that may have an anti-takeover effect, including:

    advance notice requirements for stockholder nominations to our board of directors; and

    a requirement that nominating stockholders provide information comparable to that which we would be required to provide under federal securities laws.

These bylaw provisions could enable us to delay undesirable stockholder actions in order to give us more time and information to adequately respond.

    As previously described, our stockholder rights plan also has an anti-takeover effect. Severance agreements we have entered into with certain of our management employees may have anti-takeover effects as well. Such severance agreements provide that we must pay certain benefits if the employees are terminated without good cause or resign for good reason, as defined in the agreements, within three years after a change of control of UtiliCorp.

Transfer Agent and Registrar

    The co-transfer agents for our common stock are:

    The registrar for the common stock is Equiserve Trust Company, N.A. of Jersey City, New Jersey. Our common stock is listed on the New York, Pacific and Toronto Stock Exchanges, and unless the prospectus supplement accompanying this prospectus states otherwise, the common stock offered under this prospectus will be listed on those exchanges.

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DESCRIPTION OF SENIOR NOTES

    We may issue senior notes from time to time in one or more series, under an Indenture dated as of August 24, 2001, as supplemented, between us and BankOne Trust Company, N.A., as the trustee. The indenture has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. The following description of certain provisions of the indenture is a summary and is not complete. You should refer to all of the provisions of the indenture, including the definitions of certain terms contained in the indenture. A copy of the indenture may be obtained from us upon request.

General

    The indenture does not limit the aggregate principal amount of the senior notes or the aggregate principal amount of any particular series of senior notes that we may issue under the indenture. The indenture states that we may issue senior notes from time to time in one or more series. The senior notes will be unsecured obligations and will rank equally with all of our other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness.

    The specific terms of each series of senior notes will be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to that series, including the following terms, if possible:


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    Unless the applicable prospectus supplement states otherwise, we will pay the principal, and the premium and interest, if any, on the series of senior notes at the office or agency we maintain in New York, New York for that purpose. In addition, the transfer or exchange of the senior notes will be registerable at that same office. We may, however, pay interest by check mailed to the address as it appears on the security register of any person entitled to payment of interest. (Sections 301, 305 and 1002).

    Unless the applicable prospectus supplement states otherwise, we will only issue the senior notes in registered form without coupons and in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000. (Section 302). No service charge will be made for any registration of transfer or exchange of the senior notes, but we may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with the transfer or exchange. (Section 305).

    We may issue senior notes as original issue discount securities (as defined below) meaning that they will be sold at a discount below their principal amount. We will describe special federal income tax, accounting and other considerations applicable to original issue discount securities in the prospectus supplement. "Original issue discount security" is any security that provides for the acceleration of the maturity of an amount less than the principal amount of the security upon the occurrence and continuance of an event of default. (Section 101).

Events of Default

    With respect to any series of senior notes, the indenture defines an event of default as:

    If any event of default with respect to any series of senior notes at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing, either the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding senior notes of that series may, by notice, declare the principal amount (or, if the senior notes are original issue discount securities, such portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) of all senior notes of that series to be due and payable immediately. Upon certain

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conditions the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding senior notes of that series on behalf of the holders of all senior notes of that series may annul that declaration and waive past defaults. A declaration may not, however, be annulled if the default is a default in payment of principal of, or premium or interest, if any, on the senior notes and other specified defaults unless that default has been cured. (Section 502 and 513).

    The prospectus supplement relating to each series of outstanding senior notes which are original issue discount securities will contain the particular provisions relating to acceleration of the maturity of a portion of the principal amount of those original issue discount securities if an event of default occurs and continues.

    The indenture states that the trustee will give notice to the holders of any series of senior notes of a known default if that default is uncured or not waived. The trustee may decide to withhold a notice of default if it determines in good faith that withholding of the notice is in the interest of the holders of the senior notes unless the default is in the payment of principal (or premium, if any) or interest, if any, on any debt security of that series, or in the payment of any sinking fund installment. The trustee may not give notice of default until 30 days after the occurrence of a default in the performance of a covenant in the indenture other than for the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest, if any, or the deposit of any sinking fund installment. The term default with respect to any series of outstanding senior notes for the purpose only of this provision means the happening of any of the events of default specified in the indenture and relating to such series of outstanding senior notes, excluding any grace periods and irrespective of any notice requirements. (Section 602).

    The indenture contains a provision entitling the trustee, subject to the duty of the trustee during default to act with the required standard of care, to be indemnified by the holders of any series of outstanding senior notes before proceeding to exercise any right or power under the indenture at the request of the holders of that series of senior notes. (Section 603). The indenture states that the holders of a majority in principal amount of outstanding senior notes of any series may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee, or exercising any trust or other power conferred on the trustee. The trustee, however, may decline to act if that direction is contrary to law or the indenture. (Section 512).

    The indenture requires us to annually file with the trustee a certificate stating that no default exists or identifying any existing default.

Defeasance

    At our option, we:

if we deposit with the trustee (and in the case of a discharge, 91 days after such deposit) money, or U.S. government obligations, or a combination of both, sufficient to pay all the principal of and interest on the senior notes on the date those payments are due in accordance with the terms of the senior notes to and including a redemption date which we irrevocably designate for redemption of the senior notes. To exercise this option, we must meet certain conditions, including delivering to the trustee an opinion of counsel stating that the deposit and related defeasance will not cause the holders of the senior notes to recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes. (Sections 403 and 1008).

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Modification of the Indenture

    With respect to any series of senior notes we and the trustee may add provisions to or change or eliminate any of the provisions of the indenture relating to that series if holders of at least a majority in principal amount of that series of senior notes, voting as a class, consent. We and the trustee cannot, however, modify the indenture to:

Consolidations, Merger and Sale of Assets

    Without the consent of the holders of any of the outstanding senior notes under the indenture, we may:

    Certain of the covenants described above will not necessarily afford the holders protection in the event we are involved in a highly leveraged transaction, such as a leveraged buyout. However, we must obtain regulatory approval to issue long-term debt.

Outstanding Senior Notes

    In determining whether the holders of the requisite principal amount of outstanding senior notes have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver under the indenture, the following are taken into account:

Regarding the Trustee

    We have a bank line of credit and maintain depository and other banking relationships with Bank One, N.A., an affiliate of the trustee.

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

    We may sell the securities in any of four ways:

    Any underwriter, dealer or agent, may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933. The terms of the offering of the securities with respect to which this prospectus is being delivered will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement and will include:

    If underwriters are used in the sale of securities, the securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own account and may be resold from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. The securities may be offered to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters or directly by one or more underwriters acting alone. Unless otherwise set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the securities described in the applicable prospectus supplement will be subject to certain conditions precedent, and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the securities if any are so purchased by them. Any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time.

    The securities may be sold from time to time directly by us through agents designated by us. Any agents involved in the offer or sale of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is being delivered, and any commissions payable by us to such agents, will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, any agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment.

    If dealers are utilized in the sale of any securities, we will sell the securities to the dealers as principals. Any dealer may resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale. The name of any dealer and the terms of the transaction will be set forth in the prospectus supplement with respect to the securities being offered.

    Securities may also be offered and sold, if so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, in connection with a remarketing upon their purchase, in accordance with a redemption or repayment pursuant to their terms, or otherwise, by one or more firms, which we refer to herein as the "remarketing firms," acting as principals for their own accounts or as our agents. Any remarketing firm will be identified and the terms of its agreement, if any, with us and its compensation will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Remarketing firms may be deemed to be underwriters, as that term is defined in the Securities Act in connection with the securities remarketed thereby.

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    If so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will authorize agents, underwriters or dealers to solicit offers by certain specified institutions to purchase the securities to which this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement relates from us at the public offering price set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, plus, if applicable, accrued interest, pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. These contracts will be subject only to those conditions set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, and the applicable prospectus supplement will set forth the commission payable for solicitation of the contracts.

    Underwriters will not be obligated to make a market in any securities. No assurance can be given regarding the activity of trading in, or liquidity of, any securities.

    Agents, dealers, underwriters and remarketing firms may be entitled, under agreements entered into with us, to indemnification by us against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribution to payments they may be required to make in respect thereof. Agents, dealers, underwriters and remarketing firms may be customers of, engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us in the ordinary course of business.

    Each series of securities will be a new issue and, other than the common stock, which is currently listed on the New York, Pacific and Toronto Stock Exchanges, will have no established trading market. We may elect to list any series of securities on an exchange, and in the case of the common stock, on any additional exchange, but, unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, we shall not be obligated to do so. No assurance can be given as to the liquidity of the trading market for any of the securities.

    We may also offer senior notes directly to the public, with or without the involvement of agents, underwriters or dealers and may utilize the Internet or another electronic bidding or ordering system for the pricing and allocation of such senior notes. Such a system may allow bidders to directly participate, through electronic access to an auction site, by submitting conditional offers to buy that are subject to acceptance by us, and which may directly affect the price or other terms at which such securities are sold.

    The final offering price at which senior notes would be sold and the allocation of senior notes among bidders, would be based in whole or in part on the results of the Internet bidding process or auction. Many variations of the Internet auction or pricing and allocating systems are likely to be developed in the future, and we may utilize such systems in connection with the sale of Senior Notes. We will describe in the related supplement to this prospectus how any auction or bidding process will be conducted to determine the price or any other terms of the Senior Notes, how potential investors may participate in the process and, when applicable, the nature of the underwriters' obligations with respect to the auction or ordering system.


EXPERTS

    Our annual consolidated financial statements and schedules incorporated in this prospectus by reference from our 2000 Annual Report on Form 10-K have been audited by Arthur Andersen LLP, independent public accounts, as indicated in their report with respect thereto, and are incorporated herein in reliance upon the authority of said firm as experts in giving said reports.

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PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

    The aggregate estimated expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities registered by this registration statement are as follows (all amounts except the Commission's filing fee are estimated):

Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee   $ 241,250
Stock Exchange listing fees     40,000
Accounting fees and expenses     50,000
Printing fees     150,000
Legal fees and expenses     150,000
Transfer Agent, Registrar and Trustee fees     50,000
Total   $ 681,250

Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

    Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law confers broad powers upon corporations incorporated in that state with respect to indemnification of any person against liabilities incurred by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or other business entity. The provisions of Section 145 are not exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement or otherwise.

    The Certificate of Incorporation of the registrant contains a provision that eliminates the personal liability of the registrant's directors to the registrant or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law.

    The registrant has a dual phase insurance policy providing directors and officers with indemnification, subject to certain exclusions and to the extent not otherwise indemnified by the registrant, against loss (including expenses incurred in the defense of actions, suits or proceedings in connection therewith) arising from any negligent act, error, omission or breach of duty while acting in their capacity as directors and officers of the registrant. The policy also reimburses the registrant for liability incurred in the indemnification of its directors and officers.

    The Bylaws of the registrant entitle officers and directors to be indemnified by the registrant against costs or expenses, attorneys' fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement that are actually and reasonably incurred in connection with an action, suit or proceeding, including actions brought by or in the right of the registrant, to which such persons are made or threatened to be made a party, by reasons of their being a director or officer. Such right, however, may be made only as authorized by (i) a majority vote of a quorum of disinterested directors, or (ii) if such quorum is not obtainable or, if obtainable, a majority thereof so directs, by independent legal counsel, or (iii) by the stockholders of the registrant, upon a determination that the person seeking indemnification acted in good faith and in the manner that he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the registrant's best interest, or, if the action is criminal in nature, upon a determination that the person seeking indemnification had no reasonable cause to believe that such person's conduct was unlawful. This provision also requires the registrant, upon authorizations by the board of directors, to advance costs and expenses, including attorneys' fees, reasonably incurred in defending such actions; provided, that any person seeking such an advance must first provide the registrant with an undertaking to repay any amount as to which it may be determined such person is not entitled.

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Item 16. Exhibits.

Exhibit
  Description
1 (a) Form of Purchase Agreement for Senior Notes.
1 (b) Form of Purchase Agreement for Common Stock.
4 (a)* Certificate of Incorporation (Exhibit 3(a)(1) to UtiliCorp United Inc.'s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2001).
4 (b)* Bylaws (Exhibit 3.1 to UtiliCorp United Inc.'s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 1998).
4 (c)* Twentieth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of May 26, 1989, Supplemental to Indenture of Mortgage and Deed of Trust, dated July 1, 1951. (Exhibit 4(d) to Registration Statement No. 33-45382).tiliCorp United's Current Report on Form 8-K, dated November 30, 1990).
4 (d) Indenture, dated as of August 24, 2001, between UtiliCorp United Inc. and BankOne Trust Company, N.A. as Trustee.
4 (e)* Form of Rights Agreement between UtiliCorp United Inc. and First Chicago Trust Company of New York, as Rights Agent. (Exhibit 4 to UtiliCorp United Inc.'s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 1996).
5   Opinion of Leslie J. Parrette, Jr.
12   Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges.
23 (a) Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP, Kansas City, Missouri.
23 (b) Consent of Leslie J. Parrette, Jr. (included in Exhibit 5).
24   Powers of Attorney (included in signature page to this registration statement).
25   Form T-1 Statement of Eligibility of Trustee.

*
Incorporated by reference pursuant to Rule 411(c).

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Item 17. Undertakings.

    The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

    (1) To file, during the period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

    (i)
    To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

    (ii)
    To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of a prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective registration statement.

    (iii)
    To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (1)(i) and (1)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement.

    (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

    (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

    (4) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

    (5) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant of the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

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SIGNATURES

    Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Kansas City, State of Missouri, on August 21, 2001.

    UTILICORP UNITED INC.

 

 

By:

 

/s/ 
DAN STREEK    
Dan Streek
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

    The undersigned directors of UtiliCorp United Inc. appoint Richard C. Green, Jr. and Leslie J. Parrette, Jr. our true and lawful attorneys with power to each of them to sign for us this registration statement and any and all amendments to this registration statement, and generally do all such things in our names and in our capacities as directors to enable UtiliCorp United Inc. to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 and all requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with this offering.

    Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed below on August 21, 2001 by the following persons in the capacities indicated:

SIGNATURE
  TITLE

 

 

 
/s/  RICHARD C. GREEN, JR.    
Richard C. Green, Jr.
  Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer* (Principal Executive Officer)

/s/ 
DAN STREEK    
Dan Streek

 

Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

/s/ 
ROBERT K. GREEN    
Robert K. Green

 

President, Chief Operating Officer and Director*

/s/ 
JOHN R. BAKER    
John R. Baker

 

Director*

/s/ 
IRVINE O. HOCKADAY    
Irvine O. Hockaday

 

Director*

/s/ 
STANLEY O. IKENBERRY    
Stanley O. Ikenberry

 

Director*

/s/ 
ROBERT F. JACKSON, JR.    
Robert F. Jackson, Jr.

 

Director*

/s/ 
L. PATTON KLINE    
L. Patton Kline

 

Director*

/s/ 
HERMAN CAIN    
Herman Cain

 

Director*
*
A majority of the board of directors

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INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit
  Description
1 (a) Form of Purchase Agreement for Senior Notes.
1 (b) Form of Purchase Agreement for Common Stock.
4 (a)* Certificate of Incorporation (Exhibit 3(a)(1) to UtiliCorp United Inc.'s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2001).
4 (b)* Bylaws (Exhibit 3.1 to UtiliCorp United Inc.'s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 1998).
4 (c)* Twentieth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of May 26, 1989, Supplemental to Indenture of Mortgage and Deed of Trust, dated July 1, 1951. (Exhibit 4(d) to Registration Statement No. 33-45382).
4 (d) Indenture, dated as of August 24, 2001, between UtiliCorp United Inc. and BankOne Trust Company, N.A. as Trustee.
4 (e)* Form of Rights Agreement between UtiliCorp United Inc. and First Chicago Trust Company of New York, as Rights Agent. (Exhibit 4 to UtiliCorp United Inc.'s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 1996).
5   Opinion of Leslie J. Parrette, Jr.
12   Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges.
23 (a) Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP, Kansas City, Missouri.
23 (b) Consent of Leslie J. Parrette, Jr. (included in Exhibit 5).
24   Powers of Attorney (included in signature page to this registration statement).
25   Form T-1 Statement of Eligibility of Trustee.

*
Incorporated by reference pursuant to Rule 411(c).



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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
THE COMPANY
USE OF PROCEEDS
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
DESCRIPTION OF COMMON STOCK
DESCRIPTION OF SENIOR NOTES
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
EXPERTS
PART II INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
SIGNATURES
INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit 1(a)

UTILICORP UNITED INC.

SENIOR NOTES

FORM OF PURCHASE AGREEMENT

[Date]

[Name(s) of Co-Representative(s)]
As Representative(s) of the several
Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto
c/o [Name]
[Address]

Ladies and Gentlemen:

UtiliCorp United Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "COMPANY"), proposes to issue and sell the principal amount of its securities identified in Schedule II hereto (the "Securities") to the several Underwriters named in SCHEDULE I hereto (the "UNDERWRITERS") The Securities will be issued pursuant to the terms of an indenture dated as of August __, 2001, as supplemented (THE "INDENTURE"), BETWEEN THE COMPANY AND BANKONE TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS TRUSTEE (THE "TRUSTEE").

The Company wishes to confirm as follows its agreement with you (the "REPRESENTATIVES") and the other several Underwriters on whose behalf you are acting, in connection with the several purchases of the Securities by the Underwriters.

1. REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND PROSPECTUS. The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "COMMISSION") in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the "Act"), and the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the "Trust Indenture Act"), and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, a registration statement on Form S-3 under the Act (the "REGISTRATION STATEMENT"), including a prospectus subject to completion relating to the Securities. The term "REGISTRATION STATEMENT" as used in this Agreement means the registration statement (including all financial schedules and exhibits, excluding Form T-1), as supplemented or amended prior to the execution of this Agreement. The term "PROSPECTUS" as used in this Agreement means the prospectus in the form included in the Registration Statement, as amended and supplemented by the prospectus supplement relating to the Securities (the "PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT") in the form filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b). The term "PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS" as used in this Agreement means any preliminary prospectus included in the Registration Statement or filed with the Commission under Rule 424(a) or any preliminary prospectus supplement to the


prospectus included in the Registration Statement and filed with the Commission under Rule 424(b) and as such prospectus or prospectus supplement shall have been amended from time to time prior to the date of the Prospectus. Any reference in this Agreement to, the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Act, as of the date of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, and any reference to any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed after such date under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "EXCHANGE ACT") which, upon filing, are incorporated by reference therein, as required by paragraph (b) of Item 12 of Form S-3. As used herein, the term "INCORPORATED DOCUMENTS" means the documents which at the time are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto.

2. AGREEMENTS TO SELL AND PURCHASE. The Company hereby agrees, subject to all the terms and conditions set forth herein, to issue and sell to each Underwriter and, upon the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company herein contained and subject to all the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at a purchase price of equal to ____% of the principal amount thereof, the principal amount of Securities set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto (or such principal amount of Securities increased as set forth in Section 10 hereof).

3. TERMS OF PUBLIC OFFERING. The Company has been advised by you that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of their respective portions of the Securities and initially to offer the Securities upon the terms set forth in the Prospectus.

4. DELIVERY OF THE SECURITIES AND PAYMENT THEREFOR. Delivery to the Underwriters of and payment for the Securities shall be made at the office of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP, One Chase Manhattan Plaza, New York, NY 10005, at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on _______ (the "CLOSING DATE"). The place of closing for the Securities and the Closing Date may be varied by agreement between you and the Company.

Certificates for the Securities to be purchased hereunder shall be for the accounts of the Underwriters as you shall request prior to 9:30 A.M., New York City time, on the second business day preceding the Closing Date. The certificates evidencing the Securities to be purchased hereunder shall be delivered on the Closing Date against payment of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of immediately available funds. All references to certificates mean one or more global securities registered in the name of The Depository Trust Company or its nominee.

5. AGREEMENTS OF THE COMPANY. The Company agrees with the several Underwriters as follows:

(a) To prepare the Prospectus in relation to the Securities in a form approved by the Representatives and to file the Prospectus Supplement as required pursuant to Rule 424(b)

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under the Act not later than the Commission's close of business on the second business day following the delivery of the Prospectus relating to the applicable Securities or, if applicable, such earlier time as may be required by Rule
424(b); to make no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date for such Securities which shall be disapproved by the Representatives for such Securities promptly after reasonable notice thereof; to advise the Representatives promptly of any such amendment or supplement after such Closing Date and furnish the Representatives with copies thereof; to file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the offering or sale of such Securities, and during such same period to advise the Representatives, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus has been filed with the Commission, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any prospectus or registration statement relating to the Securities, of the suspension of the qualification of such Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening by the Commission of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any such stop order or of any such order preventing or suspending the use of any prospectus relating to the Securities or suspending any such qualification, to use promptly its reasonable efforts to obtain its withdrawal;

(b) The Company will furnish to each of you, and to counsel to the Underwriters such number of copies as you may reasonably request of each of the Registration Statement as originally filed with the Commission and of each amendment and supplement thereto, including consents, financial statements and all exhibits thereto;

(c) Prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company has delivered to you, without charge, in such quantities as you have requested, copies of each Preliminary Prospectus. The Company consents to the use, in accordance with the provisions of the Act and with the securities or Blue Sky laws of the jurisdictions in which the Securities are offered by the several Underwriters and by dealers, prior to the date of the Prospectus, of each Preliminary Prospectus so furnished by the Company.

(d) As soon after the execution and delivery of this Agreement as possible and thereafter from time to time for such period as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered in connection with sales by any Underwriter or dealer, the Company will expeditiously deliver to each Underwriter and each dealer, without charge, as many copies of the Prospectus (and of any amendment or supplement thereto) as you may request. The Company consents to the use of the Prospectus in accordance with the provisions of the Act and with the securities or Blue Sky laws of the jurisdictions in which the Securities are offered by the several Underwriters and by all dealers to whom Securities may be sold, both in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities and for such period of time thereafter as the Prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered in connection with sales by any Underwriter or dealer. If during such period of time any event shall occur that in the judgment of the Company or in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters is required to be set forth in the

3

Prospectus or should be set forth therein in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it is necessary to supplement or amend the Prospectus (or to file under the Exchange Act any document which, upon filing, becomes an Incorporated Document) in order to comply with the Act or any other law, the Company will forthwith prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate supplement or amendment thereto (or to such document), and will expeditiously furnish to the Underwriters and dealers a reasonable number of copies thereof. In the event that the Company and you, as Representatives of the several Underwriters, agree that the Prospectus should be amended or supplemented, the Company, if requested by you, will promptly issue a press release announcing or disclosing the matters to be covered by the proposed amendment or supplement.

(e) The Company will cooperate with you and with counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the registration or qualification of the Securities for offering and sale by the several Underwriters and by dealers under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as you may designate and will file such consents to service of process or other documents necessary or appropriate in order to effect such registration or qualification; provided that in no event shall the Company be obligated to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or to take any action which would subject it to service of process in suits, other than those arising out of the offering or sale of the Securities, in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject.

(f) The Company will make generally available to its security holders a consolidated earnings statement, which need not be audited, covering a twelve-month period commencing after the effective date of the Registration Statement and ending not later than 15 months thereafter, as soon as practicable after the end of such period, which consolidated earnings statement shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158).

(g) During the period of five years hereafter, the Company will furnish to you (i) as soon as available, a copy of each report of the Company mailed to stockholders or filed with the Commission, and (ii) from time to time such other information concerning the Company as you may reasonably request.

(h) If this Agreement shall terminate or shall be terminated after execution pursuant to any provisions hereof (otherwise than pursuant to paragraph (c) of Section 10 hereof or by notice given by you terminating this Agreement pursuant to Section 10 hereof) or if this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Company to comply with the terms or fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, the Company agrees to reimburse the Representatives for all out-of-pocket expenses (including fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters) incurred by you in connection herewith.

(i) The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities substantially in accordance with the description set forth in the Prospectus.

(j) For a period beginning on this date and ending on the Closing Date, the Company will not, directly or indirectly, sell, contract to sell, grant any option to purchase, issue

4

any instrument convertible into or exchangeable for, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, any debt securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries (each, a "SUBSIDIARY" and collectively the "SUBSIDIARIES"), except with your prior consent.

6. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter that:

(a) Each Preliminary Prospectus included as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment or supplement thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the Act, complied when so filed in all material respects with the provisions of the Act except that this representation and warranty does not apply to statements in or omissions from such Preliminary Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by or on behalf of any Underwriter through you expressly for use therein. The Commission has not issued any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus.

(b) The Company and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement meet the requirements for using Form S-3 under the Act. The Registration Statement in the form in which it became effective and also in such form as it may be when any amendment thereto shall become effective and the Prospectus when filed with the Commission under Rule 424(b) under the Act, complied or will comply in all material respects with the provisions of the Act and will not at any such times contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of the Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, except that this representation and warranty does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by or on behalf of any Underwriter through you expressly for use therein. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of such registration statements has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by the Commission.

(c) The Incorporated Documents heretofore filed, when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and none of such documents contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; and any further Incorporated Documents or any further amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the

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Company by an Underwriter of Securities through the Representatives expressly for use in the Prospectus relating to such Securities;

(d) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, or entered into any transaction, not in the ordinary course of business, that is material to the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, or sustained any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus; and, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, there has not been any material change in the capital stock, or material increase in the short-term debt or long-term debt, of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any material adverse change, or any development involving, or which may reasonably be expected to involve, a prospective material adverse change in or affecting the condition (financial or other), business, prospects, properties, net worth, assets or results of operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus;

(e) This Agreement has been duly authorized by the Company and conforms in all material respects to the descriptions thereof in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus;

(f) The Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and is the legal, valid binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws now or hereafter in effect relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights generally and general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law);

(g) The Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and (when executed by the Company and authenticated in accordance with the Indenture and delivered and paid for pursuant to this Agreement) will be the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws now or hereafter in effect relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights generally and general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law). The Securities (when executed by the Company and authenticated in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Representatives) will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture (subject to the exceptions set forth in the preceding sentence);

(h) The Indenture and the Securities conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.

(i) Each of the Company and each of its Subsidiaries that is significant to the Company as determined by reference to item 1-02 of Regulation S-X under the Act (the

6

"SIGNIFICANT SUBSIDIARIES") has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, with full power and authority (corporate and other) to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus, and is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the character of the business conducted by it or the location of the properties owned or leased by it makes such qualification necessary (except where failure to be so qualified and in good standing could not be reasonably expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole);

(j) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is, nor with the giving of notice or lapse of time or both would be, in violation of or in default under, nor will the execution or delivery of this Agreement or consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement result in a violation of, or constitute a default under, the certificate of incorporation, bylaws or other governing documents of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any agreement, indenture or other instrument to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which any of them is bound, or to which any of their properties is subject, nor will the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement violate any law, rule, administrative regulation or decree of any court or any governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company, its Subsidiaries or any of their properties, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge, claim or encumbrance upon any property or asset of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. which, in each case described above, would be material to the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole. Except for permits and similar authorizations required under the Act, the Trust Indenture Act, the Federal Power Act and the securities or Blue Sky laws of certain jurisdictions, and except for such permits and authorizations as have been obtained, no consent, approval, authorization or order of any court, governmental agency or body or financial institution is required in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

(k) Except as described in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, there is no litigation or governmental proceeding to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or to which any property of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is subject or which is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, contemplated against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which could reasonably be expected to result in any material adverse change in the condition (financial or other), results of operations, business, prospects, net worth or assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole;

(l) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation of any law, ordinance, governmental rule or regulation or court decree to which it is subject which violation could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or other), results of operations, business, prospects, net worth or assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole;

(m) To the knowledge of the Company, the accountants who have audited and reported upon the financial statements filed with the Commission as part of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or incorporated by reference thereto are independent accountants as

7

required by the Act and the regulations thereunder. The consolidated financial statements and schedules (including the related notes) included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, fairly present the consolidated financial position, the results of operations and changes in financial condition of the entity or entities to which such statements relate at the respective dates and for the respective periods to which they apply. Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied, except as set forth in the Registration Statement and Prospectus. The other financial and statistical information and data set forth in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, are fairly presented and have been prepared on a basis consistent with such financial statements and the books and records of the entities purported to be shown thereby;

(n) Except as set forth in or contemplated by the Prospectus, the Company and each of its Subsidiaries hold all patents, licenses, certificates and permits from governmental authorities necessary for the conduct of its present operations (except where failure to hold such patents, licenses, certificates and permits could not be reasonably expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole);

(o) The Company has not distributed and, prior to the later to occur of (i) the Closing Date and (ii) completion of the distribution of the Securities, will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or other materials, if any, permitted by the Act; and

(p) The Company maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management's general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management's general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

7. INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION. (a) The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each of you and each other Underwriter against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any other prospectus relating to the Securities, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any other prospectus

8

relating to the Securities, or any amendment or supplement thereto in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter of Securities through the Representatives expressly for use in the Prospectus relating to such Securities, and provided, further, that with respect to any such untrue statement in or omission from the Preliminary Prospectus, the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 7(a) shall not inure to the benefit of an Underwriter to the extent that the sale to the person asserting any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action was an initial resale by such Underwriter and any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action of or with respect to such Underwriter results from the fact that both (A) to the extent required by applicable law, a copy of the Prospectus was not sent or given to such person at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of such Securities to such person and (B) the untrue statement in or omission from the Preliminary Prospectus was corrected in the Prospectus unless, in either case, such failure to deliver the Prospectus was a result of non-compliance by the Company.

(b) Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Company against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and any other prospectus relating to the Securities, or any amendment or supplement thereto or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and any other prospectus relating to the Securities, or any amendment or supplement thereto in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein; and will reimburse the Company for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred.

(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party otherwise than under such subsection. In case any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation.

9

(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 7 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters of the Securities on the other from the offering of the Securities to which such loss, claim, damage or liability (or action in respect thereof) relates. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law or if the indemnified party failed to give the notice required under subsection (c) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters of the Securities on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and such Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from such offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriters. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company on the one hand or such Underwriters on the other and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this subsection (d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this subsection (d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above in this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating any claim or defending any such action, suit, proceeding or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this
Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the applicable Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The obligations of the Underwriters of Securities to contribute pursuant to this
Section 7 are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations with respect to such Securities and not joint.

(e) The obligations of the Company under this Section 7 shall be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Act; and the obligations of the Underwriters under this Section 7 shall be in addition to any liability which the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same

10

terms and conditions, to each officer and director of the Company and to each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Act.

8. CONDITIONS OF UNDERWRITERS' OBLIGATIONS. The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Securities hereunder are subject to the following conditions:

(a) All filings, if any, required by Rule 424 under the Act shall have been timely made; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of a registration statement relating to the Securities shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Underwriter threatened by the Commission; and any request of the Commission for additional information (to be included in a registration statement or prospectus or otherwise) shall have been complied with to your satisfaction.

(b) Subsequent to the effective date of this Agreement, there shall not have occurred (i) any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the condition (financial or other), business, prospects, properties, net worth or results of operations of the Company or the Subsidiaries not contemplated by the Prospectus, which in your reasonable opinion, as Representatives of several Underwriters, would materially adversely affect the market for the Securities, or (ii) any event or development relating to or involving the Company or any officer or director of the Company which makes any statement made in the Prospectus untrue or which, in the opinion of the Company and its counsel or the Underwriters and their counsel, requires the making of any addition to or change in the Prospectus in order to state a material fact required by the Act or any other law to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, if amending or supplementing the Prospectus to reflect such event or development would, in your reasonable opinion, as Representatives of several Underwriters, materially adversely affect the market for the Securities.

(c) You shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Closing Date, with respect to the validity of the Securities, the Indenture, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and other related matters as you reasonably may request, such counsel being able to rely on the opinion, dated the Closing Date, given pursuant to Section 8(d), and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such papers and information as they request to enable them to pass upon such matters.

(d) You shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin LLP, counsel to the Company, or the General Counsel or Senior Counsel of the Company, in either case, dated the Closing Date and addressed to you, as Representatives of the several Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to you and your counsel, to the effect that:

(i) The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification (except where the failure to be so qualified and in good standing could not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on UtiliCorp and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole), has duly obtained or has succeeded to and holds all material franchises and other governmental and corporate authority necessary to

11

carry on the public utility business in which it is engaged and to own, lease and operate the properties in use in such business;

(ii) Each Significant Subsidiary of the Company (other than foreign subsidiaries) has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation;

(iii) The Company has full corporate power and corporate authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement with respect to the Securities and to issue, sell and deliver the Securities;

(iv) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company;

(v) The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and (assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the Trustee) constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except that such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws now or hereafter in effect relating to creditors' rights generally and general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding in equity or at law);

(vi) The order of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission authorizing the issuance and sale of the Securities is in effect on the Closing Date and no other approval, authorization, consent or order of any federal, state or local commission or governmental authority (other than under state securities or Blue Sky laws, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) is required for the issuance and sale of the Securities or the performance by the Company of its other obligations under this Agreement, except such as are specified, obtained and in effect, and the issuance and sale of the Securities hereunder are in conformity with such approval, authorization, consent and order;

(vii) After due inquiry, such counsel does not know of any legal or governmental proceeding pending or threatened to which the Company or its Significant Subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company is subject that is required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and is not so described;

(viii) The statements made (A) in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus under the caption "Description of Senior Notes", (B) under the following sections of the caption "Underwriting" and (C) in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K or Quarterly Report

12

on form 10-Q under the caption "Legal Proceedings"; insofar as such statements constitute a summary of the legal matters, documents or proceedings referred to therein, fairly present the information called for with respect to such legal matters, documents and proceedings;

(ix) The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the Indenture will not violate any provision of applicable law that would be material to the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole or the certificate of incorporation or the bylaws of the Company or breach, or result in a default under, any agreement filed by the Company as an exhibit with the Commission;

(x) The Incorporated Documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus (other than the financial statements and related schedules and the other financial information and data therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion), when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and they have no reason to believe that any of such documents (other than the financial statements and related schedules and the other financial information and data therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion), when they became effective or were so filed, as the case may be, contained, in the case of a registration statement which became effective under the Act, an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or, in the case of other documents which were filed under the Act or the Exchange Act with the Commission, an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such documents were so filed, not misleading; and

(xi) The Registration Statement is effective under the Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and, to the best of such counsel's knowledge, no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending before or contemplated by the Commission and all filings required by Rule 424 under the Act have been made; the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (other than the financial statements and related schedules and the other financial information and data therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act and the Trust Indenture Act and the rules and regulations thereunder; they have no reason to believe that, as of its effective date, the Registration Statement (other than the financial statements and related schedules and the other financial information and data therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or that, as of its date, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (other than the financial statements and related schedules and the other financial

13

information and data therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading or that, as of the Closing Date for the Securities, neither the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (other than the financial statements and related schedules and the other financial information and data therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading; and they do not know of any amendment to the Registration Statement required to be filed or any contracts or other documents of a character required to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or required to be incorporated by reference into the Prospectus or required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which are not filed or incorporated by reference or described as required.

In giving the foregoing opinions, such counsel may rely on and
(2) the opinions of local counsel and the opinion of Hogan & Hartson L.L.P., with respect to the opinions set forth in paragraphs (i) and (vi) above. Such counsel shall state that you and they are justified in relying on such opinions.

(e) On or prior to the Closing Date (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded the Company's debt securities or preference stock by any "nationally recognized statistical rating organization," as that term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Act and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, with possible negative implication, its rating of any of the Company's debt securities or preference stock;

(f) On the date hereof and the Closing Date for the Securities, Arthur Andersen LLP and any of the other independent accountants of the Company or the Subsidiaries who have certified the financial statements of the Company and/or the Subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall have furnished to the Representatives such letters, the first letter dated the date hereof, and, second, a letter dated the Closing Date, both to the effect set forth in ANNEX I hereto, and with respect to such letter dated such Closing Date, as to such other matters as the Representatives may reasonably request and in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives;

(g) (i) Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries shall have sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus, and (ii) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus there shall not have been any material change in the capital stock, or material increase in the short-term debt or long-term debt of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any change, or any development involving or which may reasonably be expected to involve, a prospective change in or affecting the condition (financial or other), results of operations, business, prospects, net worth or assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, otherwise

14

than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus, the effect of which, in any such case described in Clause (i) or (ii) is, in the reasonable judgment of the Representatives so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus;

(h) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the Representatives at the Closing Date for the Securities a certificate or certificates of the Chief Executive Officer, President or the Chief Financial Officer of the Company (or such other officer as is acceptable to you) satisfactory to the Representatives as to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein at and as of such Closing Date, as to the performance by the Company of all of its obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior to such Closing Date, as to the matters set forth in subsections
(a), (g) and (i) of this Section 8 and as to such other matters as the Representatives may reasonably request.

(i) The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and any other commission or governmental authority having jurisdiction over any of the Company's public utility businesses shall have issued all approvals, authorizations, consents and orders (the "REGULATORY ACTIONS") required thereby for the issuance and sale of the Securities and the performance by the Company of its other obligations under this Agreement, each Regulatory Action shall be in effect, no proceedings to suspend the effectiveness of any Regulatory Actions shall be pending or threatened, no Regulatory Action shall contain any provision or condition that is unacceptable to the Underwriters, and the issuance and sale of the Securities to the Underwriters shall be in conformity with each Regulatory Action;

(j) The Company shall not have failed at or prior to the Closing Date to have performed or complied with any of its agreements contained in this Agreement and which are required to be performed or complied with by it hereunder and thereunder at or prior to the Closing Date.

(k) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to you such further certificates and documents as you shall have reasonably requested.

All such opinions, certificates, letters and other documents will be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to you and your counsel.

Any certificate or document signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to you, as Representatives of the Underwriters, or to counsel for the Underwriters, shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the statements made therein.

9. EXPENSES. The Company covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that the Company will pay or cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company's counsel and accountants in connection with the registration of the Securities under the Act and all other expenses in connection with the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the cost of printing or producing any Agreement among Underwriters, this Agreement, the Indenture or any supplement thereto

15

any Blue Sky Memoranda and any other documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Securities; (iii) all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Securities for offering and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 5(e) hereof, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky surveys; (iv) any filing fees incident to any required review by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. of the terms of the sale of the Securities; (v) the cost of preparing, issuing and delivering the Securities; (vi) the fees and expenses of any trustee and any agent of the trustee and the fees and disbursements of counsel for any trustee in connection with the Indenture and Securities; and
(vii) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section. It is understood, however, that, except as provided in this Section,
Section 7 and Section 5(h) hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel, transfer taxes on resale of any of the Securities by them, and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.

10. UNDERWRITING DEFAULT.

(a) If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase the Securities which it has agreed to purchase, the Representatives may in their discretion arrange for themselves or another party or other parties to purchase such Securities on the terms contained herein. If within thirty-six hours after such default by any Underwriter the Representatives do not arrange for the purchase of such Securities, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of thirty-six hours within which to procure another party or other parties satisfactory to the Representatives to purchase such Securities on such terms. In the event that, within the respective prescribed period, the Representatives notify the Company that they have so arranged for the purchase of such Securities, or the Company notifies the Representatives that it has so arranged for the purchase of such Securities, the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date for such Securities for a period of not more than seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any other documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which in the opinion of the Representatives may thereby be made necessary. The term "Underwriter" as used in this Agreement shall include any person substituted under this Section with like effect as if such person had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Securities.

(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the Representatives and the Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of such Securities which remains unpurchased does not exceed one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of the Securities, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the principal amount of Securities which such Underwriter agreed to purchase under this Agreement and, in addition, to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata share (based on the principal amount of Securities which such Underwriter agreed to purchase under this Agreement) of the Securities of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

16

(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the Representatives and the Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of Securities which remains unpurchased exceeds one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of the Securities, as referred to in subsection (b) above, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in subsection (b) above to require non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then this Agreement shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company.

Any notice under this Section 10 may be given by telegram, telecopy or telephone but shall be subsequently confirmed by letter.

11. TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT. This Agreement shall be subject to termination in your absolute discretion, without liability on the part of any Underwriter of the Securities by notice to the Company, if prior to the Closing Date there shall have occurred any of the following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange; (ii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities in New York or Missouri declared by either federal or state authorities; or (iii) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States or the declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war if the effect of any such event specified in this clause (iii) in the reasonable judgment of the Representatives makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.

12. INFORMATION FURNISHED BY THE UNDERWRITERS. The following statements set forth in the Prospectus Supplement under the heading "Underwriting" constitutes the only information furnished by or on behalf of the Underwriters through you as such information is referred to in Sections 6(b), 6(c) and 7 hereof: _________.

13. MISCELLANEOUS. Except as otherwise provided herein, notice given pursuant to any provision of this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission (i) if to the Company, at the office of the Company at 20 West Ninth Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64105, Attention: General Counsel (Facsimile: (816) 467-9732) or (ii) if to you, as Representatives of the several Underwriters, care of ____________________, Attention: ______________________________ (Facsimile:
______________________). Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.

This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit of, the Underwriters, the Company and, to the extent provided in Section 7 hereof, the officers and directors of the Company and each person who controls the Company or any Underwriter, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.

14. APPLICABLE LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

17

15. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto and thereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such respective counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return to us counterparts hereof.

Very truly yours,

UTILICORP UNITED INC.

By: _______________________________
Name:
Title:

Confirmed as of the date first
above mentioned on behalf of
themselves and the other several
Underwriters named in Schedule I
hereto.
[Lead Underwriter]

As Representatives of the Several Underwriters

By: [Lead Underwriter]

By: ________________________________
Name:
Title:


SCHEDULE I

UTILICORP UNITED INC.

                                                   Principal Amount of
        Underwriters                                    Securities
        ------------                               -------------------
                                                   $





















                                                   -------------------

Total                                              $
                                                   ===================

19

ANNEX I

Pursuant to Section 8(f) of the Purchase Agreement, each of the independent accountants shall furnish letters to the Underwriters to the effect that, severally:

(i) They are independent certified public accountants with respect to the Company and/or its Subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act and the applicable published rules and regulations thereunder;

(ii) In their opinion, the consolidated financial statements audited and reported upon by such accountants and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the regulations thereunder with respect to registration statements on Form S-3 and the Exchange Act and the regulations thereunder. The Form 10-K for the most recent year ended and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, included the required financial statement schedules which comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the regulations thereunder with respect to registration statements on Form S-3 and the Exchange Act and the regulations thereunder;

(iii) With respect to the entity or entities for which such accountants have certified the financial statements of the Company and/or the Subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement (hereinafter, with respect to each of such accountants, referred to as an "AUDITED ENTITY"), they have performed specified procedures, not constituting an audit, including a reading of all of the available interim consolidated financial statements of the Audited Entity since the end of the most recent fiscal year with respect to which an audit report has been issued, inquiries of and discussions with certain officials of the Audited Entity and certain of its subsidiaries responsible for financial and accounting matters with respect to the unaudited consolidated financial statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and all of the available interim unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Audited Entity since the end of the most recent fiscal year, and such other inquiries and procedures as may be specified in such letter, and on the basis of such inquiries and procedures nothing came to such accountant's attention that caused them to believe that: (A) the unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Audited Entity incorporated by reference in Registration Statement or the Prospectus do not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder or were not fairly presented on a basis substantially consistent with that of the corresponding audited financial statements incorporated by reference therein, or (B) at a specified date not more than five days prior to the date of such letter, there was any change in the outstanding capital stock (in the case of a corporation) of the Audited Entity or consolidated long-term debt of the Audited Entity, or any increase in preferred stock of the Audited Entity, in each case as compared with the amounts shown on the most recent consolidated balance sheet of the Audited Entity incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, except

20

in each such case as set forth in or contemplated by the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or except for such exceptions enumerated in such letter as shall have been agreed to by the Underwriters and the Company; and

(iv) In addition to the examination referred to in their report included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or Prospectus and the limited procedures referred to in clause (iii) above, such accountants have carried out certain other specified procedures, not constituting an audit, with respect to certain financial information which is included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or Prospectus which are specified by the Underwriters or their counsel, and have found such financial information to be in agreement with the relevant accounting, financial and other records of the Audited Entity identified in such letter.

All references in this Annex I to the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to the Prospectus (including the documents incorporated by reference therein) as defined in the Purchase Agreement as of the date thereof for purposes of such letter and to the Prospectus (including the documents incorporated by reference therein) in relation to the applicable Securities for purposes of the letter delivered at the Closing Date for such Securities.

All terms used in this Annex I shall have the meanings given them in the Purchase Agreement unless otherwise defined in this Annex I.

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Exhibit 1(b)

SHARES

UTILICORP UNITED INC.

COMMON STOCK

FORM OF PURCHASE AGREEMENT

[Date]

[Name(s) of Co-Representative(s)]
As Representative(s) of the several
Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto
c/o [Name]
[Address]

Ladies and Gentlemen:

UtiliCorp United Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "COMPANY"), proposes to issue and sell an aggregate of ___________ shares (the "INITIAL SECURITIES") of its common stock, par value $1 per share (the "COMMON STOCK"), to the several Underwriters named in SCHEDULE I hereto (the "UNDERWRITERS"). The Company also proposes to sell to the Underwriters, upon the terms and conditions set forth in
Section 2 hereof, up to an additional __________ shares (the "OPTION SECURITIES") of Common Stock. The Initial Securities together with the Option Securities shall be referred to as the "SECURITIES".

The Company wishes to confirm as follows its agreement with you (the "REPRESENTATIVES") and the other several Underwriters on whose behalf you are acting, in connection with the several purchases of the Securities by the Underwriters.

1. REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND PROSPECTUS. The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "COMMISSION") in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the "ACT"), a registration statement on Form S-3 under the Act (the "REGISTRATION STATEMENT"), including a prospectus subject to completion relating to the Securities. The term "REGISTRATION STATEMENT" as used in this Agreement means the registration statement (including all financial schedules and exhibits, excluding Form T-1), as supplemented or amended prior to the execution of this Agreement. The term "PROSPECTUS" as used in this Agreement means the prospectus in the form included in the Registration Statement, as amended and supplemented by the prospectus supplement relating to the Securities (the "PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT") in the form filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b). The term "PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS" as used in this Agreement means any preliminary prospectus included in the Registration Statement or filed with the Commission under Rule 424(a) or any preliminary


prospectus supplement to the prospectus included in the Registration Statement and filed with the Commission under Rule 424(b) and as such prospectus or prospectus supplement shall have been amended from time to time prior to the date of the Prospectus. Any reference in this Agreement to, the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Act, as of the date of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, and any reference to any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed after such date under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "EXCHANGE ACT") which, upon filing, are incorporated by reference therein, as required by paragraph (b) of Item 12 of Form S-3. As used herein, the term "INCORPORATED DOCUMENTS" means the documents which at the time are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto.

2. AGREEMENTS TO SELL AND PURCHASE. The Company hereby agrees, subject to all the terms and conditions set forth herein, to issue and sell to each Underwriter and, upon the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company herein contained and subject to all the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at a purchase price of $______ per Share (the "PURCHASE PRICE PER SHARE"), the number of Initial Securities set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto (or such number of Initial Securities increased as set forth in Section 10 hereof).

The Company also agrees, subject to all the terms and conditions set forth herein, to sell to the Underwriters, and, upon the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company herein contained and subject to all the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Underwriters shall have the right to purchase from the Company, at the purchase price per share, pursuant to an option (the "OVER-ALLOTMENT OPTION") which may be exercised one time prior to 9:00 P.M., New York City time, on the 30th day after the date of the Prospectus (or, if such 30th day shall be a Saturday or Sunday or a holiday, on the next business day thereafter when the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading), up to an aggregate of Option Securities. The Option Securities may be purchased only for the purpose of covering over-allotments made in connection with the offering of the Initial Securities. Upon any exercise of the over-allotment option, each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company the number of Option Securities (subject to such adjustments as you may determine in order to avoid fractional shares) which bears the same proportion to the number of Option Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters as the number of Initial Securities set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto (or such number of Initial Securities increased as set forth in Section 10 hereof) bears to the aggregate number of Initial Securities.

3. TERMS OF PUBLIC OFFERING. The Company has been advised by you that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of their respective portions of the applicable Securities and initially to offer the Securities upon the terms set forth in the Prospectus.

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4. DELIVERY OF THE SECURITIES AND PAYMENT THEREFOR. Delivery to the Underwriters of and payment for the Initial Securities shall be made at the office of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP, One Chase Manhattan Plaza, New York, NY 10005, at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on ________ (the "CLOSING DATE"). The place of closing for the Initial Securities and the Closing Date may be varied by agreement between you and the Company.

Delivery to the Underwriters of and payment for any Option Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters shall be made at the aforementioned office of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP at such time on such date (the "OPTION CLOSING DATE"), which may be the same as the Closing Date but shall in no event be earlier than the Closing Date nor earlier than two nor later than ten business days after the giving of the notice hereinafter referred to, as shall be specified in a written notice from you on behalf of the Underwriters to the Company of the Underwriters' determination to purchase a number, specified in such notice, of Option Securities. The place of closing for any Option Securities and the Option Closing Date for such Option Securities may be varied by agreement between you and the Company.

Certificates for the Initial Securities and for any Option Securities to be purchased hereunder shall be registered in such names and in such denominations as you shall request prior to 9:30 A.M., New York City time, on the second business day preceding the Closing Date or any Option Closing Date, as the case may be. The certificates evidencing the Initial Securities and any Option Securities to be purchased hereunder shall be delivered to you on the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, against payment of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of immediately available funds.

5. AGREEMENTS OF THE COMPANY. The Company agrees with the several Underwriters as follows:

(a) To prepare the Prospectus in relation to the Securities in a form approved by the Representatives and to file the Prospectus Supplement as required pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later than the Commission's close of business on the second business day following the delivery of the Prospectus relating to the applicable Securities or, if applicable, such earlier time as may be required by Rule 424(b); to make no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date for such Securities which shall be disapproved by the Representatives for such Securities promptly after reasonable notice thereof; to advise the Representatives promptly of any such amendment or supplement after such Closing Date and furnish the Representatives with copies thereof; to file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to
Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the offering or sale of such Securities, and during such same period to advise the Representatives, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus has been filed with the Commission, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any prospectus or registration statement relating to the Securities, of the suspension of the qualification of such Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening by the Commission of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the

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Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any such stop order or of any such order preventing or suspending the use of any prospectus relating to the Securities or suspending any such qualification, to use promptly its reasonable efforts to obtain its withdrawal;

(b) The Company will furnish to each of you, and to counsel to the Underwriters such number of copies as you may reasonably request of the Registration Statement as originally filed with the Commission and of each amendment and supplement thereto, including consents, financial statements and all exhibits thereto;

(c) Prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company has delivered to you, without charge, in such quantities as you have requested, copies of each Preliminary Prospectus. The Company consents to the use, in accordance with the provisions of the Act and with the securities or Blue Sky laws of the jurisdictions in which the Securities are offered by the several Underwriters and by dealers, prior to the date of the Prospectus, of each Preliminary Prospectus so furnished by the Company.

(d) As soon after the execution and delivery of this Agreement as possible and thereafter from time to time for such period as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered in connection with sales by any Underwriter or dealer, the Company will expeditiously deliver to each Underwriter and each dealer, without charge, as many copies of the Prospectus (and of any amendment or supplement thereto) as you may request. The Company consents to the use of the Prospectus in accordance with the provisions of the Act and with the securities or Blue Sky laws of the jurisdictions in which the Securities are offered by the several Underwriters and by all dealers to whom Securities may be sold, both in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities and for such period of time thereafter as the Prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered in connection with sales by any Underwriter or dealer. If during such period of time any event shall occur that in the judgment of the Company or in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters is required to be set forth in the Prospectus or should be set forth therein in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it is necessary to supplement or amend the Prospectus (or to file under the Exchange Act any document which, upon filing, becomes an Incorporated Document) in order to comply with the Act or any other law, the Company will forthwith prepare and, subject to the provisions of paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission an appropriate supplement or amendment thereto (or to such document), and will expeditiously furnish to the Underwriters and dealers a reasonable number of copies thereof. In the event that the Company and you, as Representatives of the several Underwriters, agree that the Prospectus should be amended or supplemented, the Company, if requested by you, will promptly issue a press release announcing or disclosing the matters to be covered by the proposed amendment or supplement.

(e) The Company will cooperate with you and with counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the registration or qualification of the Securities for offering and sale by the several Underwriters and by dealers under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as you may designate and will file such consents to service of process or other documents necessary or appropriate in order to effect such registration or qualification; provided that in no event shall the Company be obligated to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction

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where it is not now so qualified or to take any action which would subject it to service of process in suits, other than those arising out of the offering or sale of the Securities, in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject.

(f) The Company will make generally available to its security holders a consolidated earnings statement, which need not be audited, covering a twelve-month period commencing after the effective date of the Registration Statement and ending not later than 15 months thereafter, as soon as practicable after the end of such period, which consolidated earnings statement shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158).

(g) During the period of five years hereafter, the Company will furnish to you (i) as soon as available, a copy of each report of the Company mailed to stockholders or filed with the Commission, and (ii) from time to time such other information concerning the Company as you may reasonably request.

(h) If this Agreement shall terminate or shall be terminated after execution pursuant to any provisions hereof (otherwise than pursuant to paragraph (c) of Section 10 hereof or by notice given by you terminating this Agreement pursuant to Section 10 hereof) or if this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Company to comply with the terms or fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, the Company agrees to reimburse the Representatives for all out-of-pocket expenses (including fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters) incurred by you in connection herewith.

(i) The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities substantially in accordance with the description set forth in the Prospectus.

(j) Except as provided in this Agreement, the Company will not, directly or indirectly, (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of any Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable or exercisable for or repayable with Common Stock,
(2) sell or grant any option or contract to purchase, or purchase any option or contract to sell, Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for or repayable with Common Stock, (3) grant any option, right or warrant for the sale of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable or exercisable for or repayable with Common Stock, (4) lend or otherwise dispose of or transfer Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable or exercisable for or repayable with Common Stock, (5) request or demand that the Company file any registration statement related to the Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable or exercisable for or repayable with Common Stock, or (6) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable or exercisable for or repayable with Common Stock (whether such swap, agreement or transaction is to be settled by delivery of shares or other securities, in cash or otherwise), for a period of 90 days after the date of the Prospectus Supplement, without first obtaining written consent of the Representatives, other than any shares or options issued pursuant to Company employee and director plans and any Company dividend, and interest reinvestment and stock purchase plans.

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(k) Except as stated in this Agreement and in the Preliminary Prospectus and Prospectus, the Company has not taken, nor will it take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Common Stock to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

(l) The Company will cause the shares of Common Stock which it agrees to sell under this Agreement to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange on or before the Closing Date and will use its best efforts to maintain such listings on such exchange.

6. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter that:

(a) Each Preliminary Prospectus included as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment or supplement thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the Act, complied when so filed in all material respects with the provisions of the Act except that this representation and warranty does not apply to statements in or omissions from such Preliminary Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by or on behalf of any Underwriter through you expressly for use therein. The Commission has not issued any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus.

(b) The Company and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement meet the requirements for using Form S-3 under the Act. The Registration Statement in the form in which it became effective and also in such form as it may be when any amendment thereto shall become effective and the Prospectus when filed with the Commission under Rule 424(b) under the Act, complied or will comply in all material respects with the provisions of the Act and will not at any such times contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of the Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, except that this representation and warranty does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by or on behalf of any Underwriter through you expressly for use therein. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of such registration statements has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by the Commission.

(c) The Incorporated Documents heretofore filed, when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and none of such documents contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; and any further Incorporated Documents or any further amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading;

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provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter of Securities through the Representatives expressly for use in the Prospectus relating to such Securities;

(d) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries (each, a "SUBSIDIARY" and, collectively, the "SUBSIDIARIES") has since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, or entered into any transaction, not in the ordinary course of business, that is material to the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, or sustained any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus; and, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, there has not been any material change in the capital stock, or material increase in the short-term debt or long-term debt, of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any material adverse change, or any development involving, or which may reasonably be expected to involve, a prospective material adverse change in or affecting the condition (financial or other), business, prospects, properties, net worth, assets or results of operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus;

(e) This Agreement has been duly authorized by the Company and conforms in all material respects to the descriptions thereof in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus;

(f) The Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and, upon issuance and delivery and payment therefor in the manner described herein, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. The Securities conform to the descriptions thereof in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus. There are no preemptive or other rights to subscribe for or to purchase, or any restriction upon the transfer of, any shares of the Company's capital stock, including the Securities when issued, pursuant to the Company's certificate of incorporation, bylaws or other governing documents or any agreement or other instrument to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which it may be bound. Neither the filing of the Registration Statement nor the offering or sale of the Securities as contemplated by this Agreement gives rise to any rights, other than those which have been waived or satisfied, for or relating to the registration of any shares of the Company's capital stock;

(g) Each of the Company and each of its Subsidiaries that is significant to the Company as determined by reference to item 1-02 of Regulation S-X under the Act (the "SIGNIFICANT SUBSIDIARIES") has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, with full power and authority (corporate and other) to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus, and is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the character of the business conducted by it or the location of the properties owned or leased by it makes such qualification necessary (except where failure to be so qualified and in good standing could not be reasonably expected to have a material adverse

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effect on the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole). All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company, and all of the outstanding shares of capital stock of each Significant Subsidiary, have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of each Significant Subsidiary that are owned directly or indirectly by the Company are owned free and clear of any claim, lien, encumbrance or security interest except as otherwise disclosed in writing to the Representatives;

(h) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is, nor with the giving of notice or lapse of time or both would be, in violation of or in default under, nor will the execution or delivery of this Agreement or consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement result in a violation of, or constitute a default under, the certificate of incorporation, bylaws or other governing documents of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any agreement, indenture or other instrument to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which any of them is bound, or to which any of their properties is subject, nor will the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement violate any law, rule, administrative regulation or decree of any court or any governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company, its Subsidiaries or any of their properties, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge, claim or encumbrance upon any property or asset of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. which, in any case described above, would be material to the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole. Except for permits and similar authorizations required under the Act, the Federal Power Act and the securities or Blue Sky laws of certain jurisdictions, and except for such permits and authorizations as have been obtained, no consent, approval, authorization or order of any court, governmental agency or body or financial institution is required in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

(j) Except as described in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, there is no litigation or governmental proceeding to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or to which any property of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is subject or which is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, contemplated against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which could reasonably be expected to result in any material adverse change in the condition (financial or other), results of operations, business, prospects, net worth or assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole;

(k) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation of any law, ordinance, governmental rule or regulation or court decree to which it is subject which violation could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or other), results of operations, business, prospects, net worth or assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole;

(l) To the knowledge of the Company, the accountants who have audited and reported upon the financial statements filed with the Commission as part of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or incorporated by reference thereto are independent accountants as required by the Act and the regulations thereunder. The consolidated financial statements and schedules (including the related notes) included or incorporated by reference in the Registration

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Statement or the Prospectus, fairly present the consolidated financial position, the results of operations and changes in financial condition of the entity or entities to which such statements relate at the respective dates and for the respective periods to which they apply. Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied, except as set forth in the Registration Statement and Prospectus. The other financial and statistical information and data set forth in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, are fairly presented and have been prepared on a basis consistent with such financial statements and the books and records of the entities purported to be shown thereby;

(m) Except as set forth in or contemplated by the Prospectus, the Company and each of its Subsidiaries hold all patents, licenses, certificates and permits from governmental authorities necessary for the conduct of its present operations (except where failure to hold such patents, licenses, certificates and permits could not be reasonably expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole);

(o) The Company has not distributed and, prior to the later to occur of (i) the Closing Date and (ii) completion of the distribution of the Securities, will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or other materials, if any, permitted by the Act; and

(p) The Company maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management's general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management's general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

7. INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION. (a) The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each of you and each other Underwriter against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and any other prospectus relating to the Securities, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any other prospectus relating to the Securities, or any such amendment or supplement in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter of Securities

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through the Representatives expressly for use in the Prospectus relating to such Securities, and provided, further, that with respect to any such untrue statement in or omission from the Preliminary Prospectus, the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 7(a) shall not inure to the benefit of an Underwriter to the extent that the sale to the person asserting any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action was an initial resale by such Underwriter and any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action of or with respect to such Underwriter results from the fact that both (A) to the extent required by applicable law, a copy of the Prospectus was not sent or given to such person at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of such Securities to such person and (B) the untrue statement in or omission from the Preliminary Prospectus was corrected in the Prospectus unless, in either case, such failure to deliver the Prospectus was a result of non-compliance by the Company.

(b) Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Company against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and any other prospectus relating to the Securities, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and any other prospectus relating to the Securities, or any such amendment or supplement in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein; and will reimburse the Company for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred.

(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party otherwise than under such subsection. In case any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation.

(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 7 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above in respect of

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any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters of the Securities on the other from the offering of the Securities to which such loss, claim, damage or liability (or action in respect thereof) relates. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law or if the indemnified party failed to give the notice required under subsection (c) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters of the Securities on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and such Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from such offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriters. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company on the one hand or such Underwriters on the other and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this subsection (d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this subsection (d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above in this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating any claim or defending any such action, suit, proceeding or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the applicable Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The obligations of the Underwriters of Securities to contribute pursuant to this
Section 7 are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations with respect to such Securities and not joint.

(e) The obligations of the Company under this Section 7 shall be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Act; and the obligations of the Underwriters under this Section 7 shall be in addition to any liability which the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer and director of the Company and to each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Act.

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8. CONDITIONS OF UNDERWRITERS' OBLIGATIONS. The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Initial Securities hereunder are subject to the following conditions:

(a) All filings, if any, required by Rule 424 under the Act shall have been timely made; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of a registration statement relating to the Securities shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Underwriter threatened by the Commission; and any request of the Commission for additional information (to be included in a registration statement or prospectus or otherwise) shall have been complied with to your satisfaction.

(b) Subsequent to the effective date of this Agreement, there shall not have occurred (i) any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the condition (financial or other), business, prospects, properties, net worth or results of operations of the Company or the Subsidiaries not contemplated by the Prospectus, which in your reasonable opinion, as Representatives of the several Underwriters, would materially adversely affect the market for the Securities, or (ii) any event or development relating to or involving the Company or any officer or director of the Company which makes any statement made in the Prospectus untrue or which, in the opinion of the Company and its counsel or the Underwriters and their counsel, requires the making of any addition to or change in the Prospectus in order to state a material fact required by the Act or any other law to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, if amending or supplementing the Prospectus to reflect such event or development would, in your reasonable opinion, as Representatives of the several Underwriters, materially adversely affect the market for the Securities.

(c) You shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Closing Date, with respect to the validity of the Securities, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and other related matters as you reasonably may request, such counsel being able to rely on the opinion, dated the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be given pursuant to Section 8(d) and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such papers and information as they request to enable them to pass upon such matters.

(d) You shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin LLP, counsel for the Company or the General Counsel or Senior Counsel of the Company, in either case dated the Closing Date and addressed to you, as Representatives of the several Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to you and your counsel, to the effect that:

(i) The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification (except where the failure to be so qualified and in good standing could not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on UtiliCorp and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole), has duly obtained or has succeeded to and holds all material franchises and other governmental and corporate authority necessary to carry on the public utility business in which it is engaged and to own, lease and

12

operate the properties in use in such business and the maintenance of such franchises and other authority is not subject to any burdensome restriction or condition of an unusual character (except as described in the Registration Statement);

(ii) Each Significant Subsidiary of the Company (other than foreign subsidiaries) has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation;

(iii) The Company has full corporate power and corporate authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement with respect to the Securities and to issue, sell and deliver the Securities;

(iv) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company;

(v) There are no preemptive or other rights to subscribe for or to purchase, or any restriction upon the transfer of, any shares of the Company's Common Stock, including the Securities when issued, pursuant to the Company's certificate of incorporation, bylaws, or any agreement or other instrument and neither the filing of the Registration Statement nor the offering or sale of the Securities as contemplated by this Agreement gives rise to any rights, other than those which have been waived or satisfied, for or relating to the registration of any shares of the Company's Common Stock under the Company's certificate of incorporation, bylaws or any agreement or other instrument binding on the Company known to such counsel;

(vi) The Securities have been duly authorized, and, when delivered in accordance with the terms of this Agreement will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable;

(vii) The order of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission authorizing the issuance and sale of the Securities is in effect on the Closing Date and no other approval, authorization, consent or order of any federal, state or local commission or governmental authority (other than under state securities or Blue Sky laws, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) is required for the issuance and sale of the Securities or the performance by the Company of its other obligations under this Agreement, except such as are specified, obtained and in effect, and the issuance and sale of the Securities hereunder are in conformity with such approval, authorization, consent and order;

(viii) After due inquiry, such counsel does not know of any legal or governmental proceeding pending or threatened to which the Company or its Significant Subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company is subject that is required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and is not so described ;

13

(ix) The statements made (A) in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus under the captions "Description of Common Stock" and "_____" and (B) in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K or Quarterly Report on form 10-Q under the caption "Legal Proceedings"; insofar as such statements constitute a summary of the legal matters, documents or proceedings referred to therein, fairly present the information called for with respect to such legal matters, documents and proceedings;

(x) The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement will not violate any provision of applicable law that would be material to the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole or the certificate of incorporation or the bylaws of the Company or breach, or result in a default under, any agreement filed by the Company as an exhibit with the Commission;

(xi) The authorized capital stock of the Company conforms as to legal matters to the description thereof contained in the Preliminary Prospectus, and the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable;

(xii) The Incorporated Documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus (other than the financial statements and related schedules and the other financial information and data therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion), when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and they have no reason to believe that any of such documents (other than the financial statements and related schedules and the other financial information and data therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion), when they became effective or were so filed, as the case may be, contained, in the case of a registration statement which became effective under the Act, an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such registration statement became effective, not misleading, or, in the case of other documents which were filed under the Act or the Exchange Act with the Commission, an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such documents were so filed, not misleading; and

(xiii) The Registration Statement is effective under the Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and, to the best of such counsel's knowledge, no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending before or contemplated by the Commission and all filings required by Rule 424 under the Act have been made; the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (other than the financial statements and related schedules and the other financial information and data therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) comply as to form in all material respects with the

14

requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder; they have no reason to believe that, as of its effective date, the Registration Statement (other than the financial statements and related schedules and the other financial information and data therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or that, as of its date, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, ,(other than the financial statements and related schedules and the other financial information and data therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading or that, as of the Closing Date for the Securities, neither the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (other than the financial statements and related schedules and the other financial information and data therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading; and they do not know of any amendment to the Registration Statement required to be filed or any contracts or other documents of a character required to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or required to be incorporated by reference into the Prospectus or required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which are not filed or incorporated by reference or described as required.

In giving the foregoing opinions, such counsel may rely on (1) the opinions of local counsel, with respect to the opinion set forth in paragraph (i) above, (2) the opinions heretofore rendered by counsel to the Company, Gary J. Brouillette, Esq. and Messrs. Gage & Tucker with respect to the opinion set forth in paragraph (v) above and (3) the opinions of local counsel and the opinion of Hogan & Hartson L.L.P., with respect to the opinion set forth in paragraph (xi) above. Such counsel shall state that you and they are justified in relying on such opinions.

(e) On or prior to the Closing Date (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded the Company's debt securities or preference stock by any "nationally recognized statistical rating organization," as that term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Act and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, with possible negative implication, its rating of any of the Company's debt securities or preference stock;

(f) On the date hereof and the Closing Date for the Securities, Andersen LLP and any of the other independent accountants of the Company or the Subsidiaries who have certified the financial statements of the Company and/or the Subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall have furnished to the Representatives such letters, the first letter dated the date hereof, and, second, a letter dated the Closing Date, both to the effect set forth in ANNEX I hereto, and with respect to such letter dated such Closing Date, as to such other matters as the Representatives may reasonably request and in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives;

15

(g) (i) Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries shall have sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus, and (ii) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus there shall not have been any material change in the capital stock, or material increase in the short-term debt or long-term debt of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any change, or any development involving or which may reasonably be expected to involve, a prospective change in or affecting the condition (financial or other), results of operations, business, prospects, net worth or assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus, the effect of which, in any such case described in Clause (i) or (ii) is, in the reasonable judgment of the Representatives so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus;

(h) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the Representatives at the Closing Date for the Securities a certificate or certificates of the Chief Executive Officer, President or the Chief Financial Officer of the Company (or such other officer as is acceptable to you) satisfactory to the Representatives as to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein at and as of such Closing Date, as to the performance by the Company of all of its obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior to such Closing Date, as to the matters set forth in subsections
(a), (g) and (i) of this Section 8 and as to such other matters as the Representatives may reasonably request.

(i) The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and any other commission or governmental authority having jurisdiction over any of the Company's public utility businesses shall have issued all approvals, authorizations, consents and orders (the "REGULATORY ACTIONS") required thereby for the issuance and sale of the Securities and the performance by the Company of its other obligations under this Agreement, each Regulatory Action shall be in effect, no proceedings to suspend the effectiveness of any Regulatory Actions shall be pending or threatened, no Regulatory Action shall contain any provision or condition that is unacceptable to the Underwriters, and the issuance and sale of the Securities to the Underwriters shall be in conformity with each Regulatory Action;

(j) The Company shall not have failed at or prior to the Closing Date to have performed or complied with any of its agreements contained in this Agreement and which are required to be performed or complied with by it hereunder and thereunder at or prior to the Closing Date.

(k) The Securities shall have been approved for listing, and the Company will use its best efforts to maintain its listing, on the New York Stock Exchange.

(l) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to you such further certificates and documents as you shall have reasonably requested.

16

All such opinions, certificates, letters and other documents will be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to you and your counsel.

Any certificate or document signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to you, as Representatives of the Underwriters, or to counsel for the Underwriters, shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the statements made therein.

The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase Option Securities hereunder are subject to the satisfaction on and as of any Option Closing Date of the conditions set forth in this Section 8, except that, if any Option Closing Date is other than the Closing Date, the certificates, opinions and letters referred to in paragraphs (c), (d) and (f) shall be dated the Option Closing Date in question and revised to reflect the sale of Option Securities.

9. EXPENSES. The Company covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that the Company will pay or cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company's counsel and accountants in connection with the registration of the Securities under the Act and all other expenses in connection with the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the cost of printing or producing any Agreement among Underwriters, this Agreement, any Blue Sky Memoranda and any other documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Securities; (iii) all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Securities for offering and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 5(e) hereof, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky surveys; (iv) any filing fees incident to any required review by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. of the terms of the sale of the Securities; (v) the cost of preparing, issuing and delivering the Securities; (vi) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent and registrant for the Securities; and (vii) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section. It is understood, however, that, except as provided in this Section, Section 7 and Section 5(h) hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel, transfer taxes on resale of any of the Securities by them, and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.

10. UNDERWRITING Default.

(a) If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase the Securities which it has agreed to purchase, the Representatives may in their discretion arrange for themselves or another party or other parties to purchase such Securities on the terms contained herein. If within thirty-six hours after such default by any Underwriter the Representatives do not arrange for the purchase of such Securities, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of thirty-six hours within which to procure another party or other parties satisfactory to the Representatives to purchase such Securities on such terms. In the event that, within the respective prescribed period, the Representatives notify the Company that they have so arranged for the purchase of such Securities, or the Company notifies the Representatives that it has so

17

arranged for the purchase of such Securities, the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date for such Securities for a period of not more than seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any other documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which in the opinion of the Representatives may thereby be made necessary. The term "Underwriter" as used in this Agreement shall include any person substituted under this Section with like effect as if such person had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Securities.

(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the Representatives and the Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of such Securities which remains unpurchased does not exceed one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of the Securities, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the principal amount of Securities which such Underwriter agreed to purchase under this Agreement and, in addition, to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata share (based on the principal amount of Securities which such Underwriter agreed to purchase under this Agreement) of the Securities of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the Representatives and the Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of Securities which remains unpurchased exceeds one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of the Securities, as referred to in subsection (b) above, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in subsection (b) above to require non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then this Agreement shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company.

Any notice under this Section 10 may be given by telegram, telecopy or telephone but shall be subsequently confirmed by letter.

11. TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT. This Agreement shall be subject to termination in your absolute discretion, without liability on the part of any Underwriter of the Securities by notice to the Company, if prior to the Closing Date or any Option Closing Date (if different from the Closing Date and then only as to the Option Securities), as the case may be, there shall have occurred any of the following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange; (ii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities in New York or Missouri declared by either federal or state authorities; or (iii) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States or the declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war if the effect of any such event specified in this clause (iii) in the reasonable judgment of the Representatives makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.

18

12. INFORMATION FURNISHED BY THE UNDERWRITERS. The following statements set forth in the Prospectus Supplement under the heading "Underwriting" constitutes the only information furnished by or on behalf of the Underwriters through you as such information is referred to in Sections 6(b), 6(d) and 7 hereof: ___________.

13. MISCELLANEOUS. Except as otherwise provided herein, notice given pursuant to any provision of this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission (i) if to the Company, at the office of the Company at 20 West Ninth Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64105, Attention: General Counsel (Facsimile: (816) 467-9732) or (ii) if to you, as Representatives of the several Underwriters, care of _____________, Attention: (Facsimile: (___) ________) . Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.

This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit of, the Underwriters, the Company and, to the extent provided in Section 7 hereof, the officers and directors of the Company and each person who controls the Company or any Underwriter, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.

14. APPLICABLE LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

15. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto and thereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such respective counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

19

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return to us counterparts hereof.

Very truly yours,

UTILICORP UNITED INC.

By: ____________________________________
Name:
Title:

Confirmed as of the date first
above mentioned on behalf of
themselves and the other several
Underwriters named in Schedule I
hereto.

[Lead Underwriter]

As Representatives of the Several Underwriters

By: [Lead Underwriter]

By: ________________________________
Name:
Title:

20

SCHEDULE I

UTILICORP UNITED INC.

                                                             NUMBER OF
                        UNDERWRITERS                     INITIAL SECURITIES






















                                                    ----------------------------

Total                                               ============================

21

ANNEX I

Pursuant to Section 8(f) of the Purchase Agreement, each of the independent accountants shall furnish letters to the Underwriters to the effect that, severally:

(i) They are independent certified public accountants with respect to the Company and/or its Subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act and the applicable published rules and regulations thereunder;

(ii) In their opinion, the consolidated financial statements audited and reported upon by such accountants and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the regulations thereunder with respect to registration statements on Form S-3 and the Exchange Act and the regulations thereunder. The Form 10-K for the most recent year ended and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, included the required financial statement schedules which comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the regulations thereunder with respect to registration statements on Form S-3 and the Exchange Act and the regulations thereunder;

(iii) With respect to the entity or entities for which such accountants have certified the financial statements of the Company and/or the Subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement (hereinafter, with respect to each of such accountants, referred to as an "AUDITED ENTITY"), they have performed specified procedures, not constituting an audit, including a reading of all of the available interim consolidated financial statements of the Audited Entity since the end of the most recent fiscal year with respect to which an audit report has been issued, inquiries of and discussions with certain officials of the Audited Entity and certain of its subsidiaries responsible for financial and accounting matters with respect to the unaudited consolidated financial statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and all of the available interim unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Audited Entity since the end of the most recent fiscal year, and such other inquiries and procedures as may be specified in such letter, and on the basis of such inquiries and procedures nothing came to such accountant's attention that caused them to believe that: (A) the unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Audited Entity incorporated by reference in Registration Statement or the Prospectus do not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder or were not fairly presented on a basis substantially consistent with that of the corresponding audited financial statements incorporated by reference therein, or (B) at a specified date not more than five days prior to the date of such letter, there was any change in the outstanding capital stock (in the case of a corporation) of the Audited Entity or consolidated long-term debt of the Audited Entity, or any increase in preferred stock of the Audited Entity, in each case as compared with the amounts shown on the most recent consolidated balance sheet of the Audited Entity incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, except

22

in each such case as set forth in or contemplated by the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or except for such exceptions enumerated in such letter as shall have been agreed to by the Underwriters and the Company; and

(iv) In addition to the examination referred to in their report included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or Prospectus and the limited procedures referred to in clause (iii) above, such accountants have carried out certain other specified procedures, not constituting an audit, with respect to certain financial information which is included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or Prospectus which are specified by the Underwriters or their counsel, and have found such financial information to be in agreement with the relevant accounting, financial and other records of the Audited Entity identified in such letter.

All references in this Annex I to the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to the Prospectus (including the documents incorporated by reference therein) as defined in the Purchase Agreement as of the date thereof for purposes of such letter and to the Prospectus (including the documents incorporated by reference therein) in relation to the applicable Securities for purposes of the letter delivered at the Closing Date for such Securities.

All terms used in this Annex I shall have the meanings given them in the Purchase Agreement unless otherwise defined in this Annex I.

23


UTILICORP UNITED INC.

AND

BANK ONE TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
AS TRUSTEE


INDENTURE

DATED AS OF AUGUST 20, 2001


SENIOR NOTES



TABLE OF CONTENTS

                                                                                                  PAGE
                                                                                                  ----

ARTICLE ONE   DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION..............................1
   SECTION 101. DEFINITIONS........................................................................1
      Act..........................................................................................2
      Affiliate....................................................................................2
      Authenticating Agent.........................................................................2
      Board of Directors...........................................................................2
      Board Resolution.............................................................................2
      Business Day.................................................................................2
      Commission...................................................................................2
      Company......................................................................................2
      Company Request or Company Order.............................................................2
      Corporate Trust Office.......................................................................2
      corporation..................................................................................2
      Defaulted Interest...........................................................................2
      Depositary...................................................................................3
      Event of Default.............................................................................3
      Global Security..............................................................................3
      Holder.......................................................................................3
      Indenture....................................................................................3
      interest.....................................................................................3
      Interest Payment Date........................................................................3
      Maturity.....................................................................................3
      Officers' Certificate........................................................................3
      Opinion of Counsel...........................................................................3
      Original Issue Discount Security.............................................................3
      Outstanding..................................................................................3
      Paying Agent.................................................................................4
      Person.......................................................................................4
      Place of Payment.............................................................................4
      Predecessor Security.........................................................................4
      Redemption Date..............................................................................5
      Redemption Price.............................................................................5
      Regular Record Date..........................................................................5
      Responsible Officer..........................................................................5
      Securities...................................................................................5
      Security Register and Security Registrar.....................................................5
      Special Record Date..........................................................................5
      Stated Maturity..............................................................................5
      Subsidiary...................................................................................5
      Trustee......................................................................................5
      Trust Indenture Act..........................................................................6
      U.S. Government Obligations..................................................................6
      Vice President...............................................................................6


                                       i

   SECTION 102. COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATES AND OPINIONS...............................................6
   SECTION 103. FORM OF DOCUMENTS DELIVERED TO TRUSTEE.............................................7
   SECTION 104. ACTS OF HOLDERS....................................................................7
   SECTION 105. NOTICES, ETC., TO TRUSTEE AND COMPANY..............................................8
   SECTION 106. NOTICE TO HOLDERS; WAIVER..........................................................8
   SECTION 107. CONFLICT WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT..................................................9
   SECTION 108. EFFECT OF HEADINGS AND TABLE OF CONTENTS...........................................9
   SECTION 109. SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS.............................................................9
   SECTION 110. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE................................................................9
   SECTION 111. BENEFITS OF INDENTURE..............................................................9
   SECTION 112. GOVERNING LAW......................................................................9
   SECTION 113. LEGAL HOLIDAYS....................................................................10

ARTICLE TWO   SECURITY FORMS......................................................................10
   SECTION 201. FORMS GENERALLY...................................................................10
   SECTION 202. FORM OF TRUSTEE'S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION...................................10

ARTICLE THREE   THE SECURITIES....................................................................11
   SECTION 301. AMOUNT UNLIMITED; ISSUABLE IN SERIES..............................................11
   SECTION 302. DENOMINATIONS.....................................................................13
   SECTION 303. EXECUTION, AUTHENTICATION, DELIVERY AND DATING....................................13
   SECTION 304. TEMPORARY SECURITIES..............................................................15
   SECTION 305. REGISTRATION, REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE...............................15
   SECTION 306. MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST AND STOLEN SECURITIES..................................17
   SECTION 307. PAYMENT OF INTEREST; INTEREST RIGHTS PRESERVED....................................17
   SECTION 308. PERSONS DEEMED OWNERS.............................................................19
   SECTION 309. CANCELLATION......................................................................19
   SECTION 310. COMPUTATION OF INTEREST...........................................................19

ARTICLE FOUR   SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE.........................................................19
   SECTION 401. SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE...........................................19
   SECTION 402. APPLICATION OF TRUST MONEY........................................................21
   SECTION 403. SATISFACTION, DISCHARGE AND DEFEASANCE OF SECURITIES OF ANY SERIES................21

ARTICLE FIVE   REMEDIES...........................................................................23
   SECTION 501. EVENTS OF DEFAULT.................................................................23
   SECTION 502. ACCELERATION OF MATURITY; RESCISSION AND ANNULMENT................................25
   SECTION 503. COLLECTION OF INDEBTEDNESS AND SUITS FOR ENFORCEMENT BY TRUSTEE...................26
   SECTION 504. TRUSTEE MAY FILE PROOFS OF CLAIM..................................................27
   SECTION 505. TRUSTEE MAY ENFORCE CLAIMS WITHOUT POSSESSION OF SECURITIES.......................27
   SECTION 506. APPLICATION OF MONEY COLLECTED....................................................28
   SECTION 507. LIMITATION ON SUITS...............................................................28
   SECTION 508. UNCONDITIONAL RIGHT OF HOLDERS TO RECEIVE PRINCIPAL, PREMIUM AND INTEREST.........29
   SECTION 509. RESTORATION OF RIGHTS AND REMEDIES................................................29
   SECTION 510. RIGHTS AND REMEDIES CUMULATIVE....................................................29
   SECTION 511. DELAY OR OMISSION NOT WAIVER......................................................30
   SECTION 512. CONTROL BY HOLDERS................................................................30


                                       ii

   SECTION 513. WAIVER OF PAST DEFAULTS...........................................................30
   SECTION 514. UNDERTAKING FOR COSTS.............................................................30
   SECTION 515. WAIVER OF STAY OR EXTENSION LAWS..................................................31

ARTICLE SIX   THE TRUSTEE.........................................................................31
   SECTION 601. CERTAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES...............................................31
   SECTION 602. NOTICE OF DEFAULTS................................................................32
   SECTION 603. CERTAIN RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE.........................................................33
   SECTION 604. NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR RECITALS OR ISSUANCE OF SECURITIES............................34
   SECTION 605. MAY HOLD SECURITIES...............................................................34
   SECTION 606. MONEY HELD IN TRUST...............................................................34
   SECTION 607. COMPENSATION AND REIMBURSEMENT....................................................34
   SECTION 608. DISQUALIFICATION; CONFLICTING INTERESTS...........................................35
   SECTION 609. CORPORATE TRUSTEE REQUIRED; ELIGIBILITY...........................................35
   SECTION 610. RESIGNATION AND REMOVAL; APPOINTMENT OF SUCCESSOR.................................35
   SECTION 611. ACCEPTANCE OF APPOINTMENT BY SUCCESSOR............................................37
   SECTION 612. MERGER, CONVERSION, CONSOLIDATION OR SUCCESSION TO BUSINESS.......................38
   SECTION 613. PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF CLAIMS AGAINST COMPANY.................................38
   SECTION 614. AUTHENTICATING AGENTS.............................................................38

ARTICLE SEVEN   HOLDERS LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY..................................40
   SECTION 701. COMPANY TO FURNISH TRUSTEE NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF HOLDERS.........................40
   SECTION 702. PRESERVATION OF INFORMATION; COMMUNICATIONS TO HOLDERS............................40
   SECTION 703. REPORTS BY TRUSTEE................................................................41
   SECTION 704. REPORTS BY COMPANY................................................................41

ARTICLE EIGHT   CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, SALE OR LEASE..................................42
   SECTION 801. COMPANY MAY CONSOLIDATE, ETC., ONLY ON CERTAIN TERMS..............................42
   SECTION 802. SUCCESSOR CORPORATION TO BE SUBSTITUTED...........................................43

ARTICLE NINE   SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES............................................................43
   SECTION 901. SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES WITHOUT CONSENT OF HOLDERS................................43
   SECTION 902. SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES WITH CONSENT OF HOLDERS...................................44
   SECTION 903. EXECUTION OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES..............................................45
   SECTION 904. EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES.................................................46
   SECTION 905. CONFORMITY WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT...............................................46
   SECTION 906. REFERENCE IN SECURITIES TO SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES................................46

ARTICLE TEN   COVENANTS...........................................................................46
   SECTION 1001. PAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL, PREMIUM AND INTEREST.......................................46
   SECTION 1002. MAINTENANCE OF OFFICE OR AGENCY..................................................46
   SECTION 1003. MONEY FOR SECURITIES PAYMENTS TO BE HELD IN TRUST................................47
   SECTION 1004. CORPORATE EXISTENCE..............................................................48
   SECTION 1005. MAINTENANCE OF PROPERTIES........................................................48
   SECTION 1006. PAYMENT OF TAXES AND OTHER CLAIMS................................................49
   SECTION 1007. STATEMENT BY OFFICERS AS TO DEFAULT..............................................49
   SECTION 1008. DEFEASANCE OF CERTAIN OBLIGATIONS................................................49
   SECTION 1009. WAIVER OF CERTAIN COVENANTS......................................................50

ARTICLE ELEVEN   REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES.........................................................51


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   SECTION 1101. APPLICABILITY OF ARTICLE.........................................................51
   SECTION 1102. ELECTION TO REDEEM; NOTICE TO TRUSTEE............................................51
   SECTION 1103. SELECTION BY TRUSTEE OF SECURITIES TO BE REDEEMED................................51
   SECTION 1104. NOTICE OF REDEMPTION.............................................................52
   SECTION 1105. DEPOSIT OF REDEMPTION PRICE......................................................52
   SECTION 1106. SECURITIES PAYABLE ON REDEMPTION DATE............................................53
   SECTION 1107. SECURITIES REDEEMED IN PART......................................................53

ARTICLE TWELVE   SINKING FUNDS....................................................................53
   SECTION 1201. APPLICABILITY OF ARTICLE.........................................................53
   SECTION 1202. SATISFACTION OF SINKING FUND PAYMENTS WITH SECURITIES............................54
   SECTION 1203. REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES FOR SINKING FUND........................................54

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INDENTURE, dated as of August 24, 2001, between UTILICORP UNITED INC. , a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (herein called the "Company"), having its principal office at 20 West Ninth Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64105, and BANK ONE TRUST COMPANY, N.A., a national banking association duly organized and existing under the laws of the United States, as Trustee (herein called the "Trustee").

RECITALS OF THE COMPANY

WHEREAS, the Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of certain of its unsecured senior notes (herein called the "Securities"), to be issued in one or more series as in this Indenture provided.

WHEREAS, all things necessary to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done.

NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH: For and in consideration of the promises and the purchase of the Securities by the Holders thereof, the Company and the Trustee mutually covenant and agree, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Securities or of series thereof, as follows:

ARTICLE ONE

DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS
OF GENERAL APPLICATION

SECTION 101. DEFINITIONS.

For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) the terms defined in this Article have the meanings assigned to them in this Article and include the plural as well as the singular;

(2) all other terms used herein which are defined in the Trust Indenture Act, either directly or by reference therein, have the meanings assigned to them therein;

(3) all accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States and, except as otherwise herein expressly provided, the term "generally accepted accounting principles" with respect to any computation required or permitted hereunder shall mean such accounting principles as are generally accepted in the United States at the date of such computation; and

(4) the words "herein," "hereof," and "hereunder" and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.


Certain terms, used principally in Article Six, are defined in that Article.

"Act," when used with respect to any Holder, has the meaning specified in Section 104.

"Affiliate" of any specified Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, "control" when used with respect to any specified Person means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms "controlling" and "controlled" have meanings correlative to the foregoing.

"Authenticating Agent" means any Person authorized to authenticate and deliver Securities on behalf of the Trustee pursuant to Section 614.

"Board of Directors" means either the board of directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee of that Board.

"Board Resolution" means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered to the Trustee.

"Business Day," when used with respect to any Place of Payment, means each day which is not a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in that Place of Payment are authorized or obligated by law to remain closed.

"Commission" means the Securities and Exchange Commission, as from time to time constituted, created under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or, if at any time after the execution of this instrument such Commission is not existing and performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then the body performing such duties at such time.

"Company" means the Person named as the "Company" in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor corporation shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter "Company" shall mean such successor corporation.

"Company Request" or "Company Order" means a written request or order signed in the name of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, its President or a Vice President, or, if authorized by a power of attorney executed by any of such officers, by such other person as may be authorized in such power of attorney, and delivered to the Trustee.

"Corporate Trust Office" means the principal office of the Trustee at which at any particular time this Indenture shall be administered, which at the date hereof is Bank One Trust Company, N.A., 1 Bank One Plaza, Suite IL1-0823, Chicago, Illinois 60670-0823.

"corporation" includes corporations, associations, companies, limited liability companies and business trusts.

"Defaulted Interest" has the meaning specified in Section 307.

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"Depositary" means, with respect to the Securities of any series issuable or issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, the Person designated as Depositary by the Company pursuant to
Section 301, which must be a clearing agency registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and, if so provided pursuant to Section 301 with respect to the Securities of a series, any successor to such Person. If at any time there is more than one such Person designated as Depository, "Depositary" shall mean, with respect to any series of Securities, the qualifying entity which has been appointed with respect to the Securities of that series.

"Event of Default" has the meaning specified in Section 501.

"Global Security" means a Security evidencing all or part of a series of Securities, issued to the Depositary for such series or its nominee and registered in the name of such Depositary or nominee.

"Holder" means a Person in whose name a Security is registered in the Security Register.

"Indenture" means this instrument as originally executed or as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures supplemental hereto entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof and shall include the terms of particular series of Securities established as contemplated by Section 301.

"interest," when used with respect to an Original Issue Discount Security which by its terms bears interest only after Maturity, means interest payable after Maturity.

"Interest Payment Date," when used with respect to any Security, means the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on such Security.

"Maturity," when used with respect to any Security, means the date on which the principal of such Security or an installment of principal becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration herein of acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise.

"Officers' Certificate" means a certificate signed by any one of the President, a Vice President, the Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, of the Company, and delivered to the Trustee.

"Opinion of Counsel" means a written opinion of counsel, who may be an employee of or regular counsel for the Company, or may be other counsel satisfactory to the Trustee.

"Original Issue Discount Security" means any Security which provides for an amount less than the principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to
Section 502.

"Outstanding," when used with respect to Securities, means, as of the date of determination, all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered under this Indenture, EXCEPT:

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(i) Securities theretofore cancelled by the Trustee or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;

(ii) Securities, or portions thereof, for whose payment or redemption money in the necessary amount has been theretofore deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company) in trust or set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the company shall act as its own Paying Agent) for the Holders of such Securities; PROVIDED that, if such Securities are to be redeemed, notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or provision therefor satisfactory to the Trustee has been made; and

(iii) Securities which have been paid pursuant to
Section 306 or in exchange for or in lieu of which other Securities have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture, other than any such Securities in respect of which there shall have been presented to the Trustee proof satisfactory to it that such Securities are held by a bona fide purchaser in whose hands such Securities are valid obligations of the Company;

PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of the Outstanding Securities have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder, (a) the principal amount of an Original Issue Discount Security that shall be deemed to be Outstanding for such purposes shall be the amount of the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 502, and (b) Securities owned by the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such request demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, only Securities which the Trustee knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded. Securities so owned as described in (b) above which have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee's right so to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor.

"Paying Agent" means any Person authorized by the Company to pay the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on any Securities on behalf of the Company.

"Person" means any individual corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, association, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.

"Place of Payment," when used with respect to the Securities of any series, means the place or places where the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on the Securities of that series are payable as specified in or as contemplated by Section 301.

"Predecessor Security" of any particular Security means every previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Security; and,

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for the purposes of this definition, any Security authenticated and delivered under Section 306 in exchange for or in lieu of a mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security.

"Redemption Date," when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, means the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Indenture.

"Redemption Price," when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, means the price at which it is to be redeemed pursuant to this Indenture, exclusive of accrued and unpaid interest.

"Regular Record Date" for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date on the Securities of any series means the date specified for that purpose as contemplated by Section 301.

"Responsible Officer," when used with respect to the Trustee, means any officer assigned to administer corporate trust department matters, and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of his or her knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.

"Securities" has the meaning stated in the first recital of this Indenture and more particularly means any Securities authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.

"Security Register" and "Security Registrar" have the respective meanings specified in Section 305.

"Special Record Date" for the payment of any Defaulted interest means a date fixed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 307.

"Stated Maturity," when used with respect to any Security or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, means the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security or such installment of principal or interest is due and payable.

"Subsidiary" means a corporation more than 50% of the outstanding voting interests of which is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company or by one or more other Subsidiaries, or by the Company and one or more other Subsidiaries. For the purposes of this definition, "voting interests" means stock or similar equity interests which ordinarily has voting power for the election of directors or governing body of the corporation, whether at all times or only so long as no senior class of stock or similar equity interests have such voting power by reason of any contingency.

"Trustee" means the Person named as the "Trustee" in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter "Trustee" shall mean or include each Person who is then a Trustee hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such Person, "Trustee" as used with respect to the Securities of that series.

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"Trust Indenture Act" means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as in force at the date as of which this instrument was executed, except as provided in Section 905; provided, however, that in the event the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is amended, "Trust Indenture Act" shall mean, to the extent required by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as so amended.

"U.S. Government Obligations" means direct obligations of the United States for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged, or obligations of a person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States and the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed by the United States, and shall also include a depository receipt issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such U.S. Government Obligation or a specific payment of interest on or principal of any such U.S. Government Obligation held by such custodian for the account of a holder of a depository receipt; provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government Obligation or the specific payment of interest on or principal of the U.S. Government Obligation evidenced by such depository receipt.

"Vice President," when used with respect to the Company or the Trustee, means any vice president or assistant vice president, whether or not designated by a number or a word or words added before or after the title "vice president" or "assistant vice president."

SECTION 102. COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATES AND OPINIONS.

Except as otherwise expressly provided by this Indenture, upon any application or request by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any provision of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate stating that all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with and an Opinion of Counsel stating that in the opinion of such counsel all such conditions precedent, if any, have been complied with, except that in the case of any such application or request as to which the furnishing of such documents is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture relating to such particular application or request, no additional certificate or opinion need be furnished.

Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture shall include:

(1) a statement that each individual signing such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition and the definitions herein relating thereto;

(2) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;

(3) a statement that, in the opinion of each such individual, he or she has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him or her to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with;

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(4) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such individual, such condition or covenant has been complied with; and

(5) a statement that no Event of Default exists under this Agreement.

SECTION 103. FORM OF DOCUMENTS DELIVERED TO TRUSTEE.

In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.

Any certificate or opinion of an officer of the Company may be based, insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, counsel, unless such officer knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which such officer's certificate or opinion is based are erroneous. Any such certificate or Opinion of Counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an officer or officers of the Company stating that the information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of the Company, unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to such matters are erroneous.

Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.

SECTION 104. ACTS OF HOLDERS.

(a) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided or permitted by this Indenture to be given, made or taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by agent duly appointed in writing; and, except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby, expressly required, to the Company.

Such instrument or instruments (and the action embodied therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to, as the "Act" of the Holders signing such instrument or instruments. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and (subject to Section 601) conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the Company, if made in the manner provided in this Section.

Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, unless otherwise established in or pursuant to a Board Resolution or set forth or determined in an Officers' Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, pursuant to Section 301, a Holder, including a Depositary that is a Holder of a Global Security, may make, give or take, by a proxy

7

or proxies, duly appointed in writing, any request, demand, authorization direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided in this Indenture to be made, given or taken by Holders, and a Depositary that is a Holder of a Global Security may provide its proxy or proxies to the beneficial owners of interests in any such Global Security through such Depositary's standing instructions and customary practices.

(b) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument, writing or proxy may be proved by the affidavit of a witness of such execution or by a certificate of a notary public or other officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments of deeds, certifying that the individual signing such instrument, writing or proxy acknowledged to him or her the execution thereof. Where such execution is by a signer acting in a capacity other than his or her individual capacity, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of his or her authority. The fact and date of the execution of any such instrument, writing or proxy, or the authority of the Person executing the same, may also be proved in any other manner which the Trustee deems sufficient.

(c) The ownership of Securities shall be proved by the Security Register.

(d) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act of the Holder of any Security shall bind every future Holder of the same Security and the Holder of every Security issued upon the registration of transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof in respect of anything done, omitted or suffered to be done by the Trustee or the Company in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Security.

SECTION 105. NOTICES, ETC., TO TRUSTEE AND COMPANY.

Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or Act of Holders or other document provided or permitted by this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with,

(1) the Trustee by any Holder or by the Company shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder if made, given, furnished or filed in writing to or with the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office, Attention: Corporate Trust Administration, or

(2) the Company by the Trustee or by any Holder shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and mailed, first-class air mail postage prepaid, to the Company addressed to its Corporate Secretary at the address of its principal office specified in the first paragraph of this instrument or at any other address previously furnished in writing to the Trustee by the Company.

SECTION 106. NOTICE TO HOLDERS; WAIVER.

Where this Indenture provides for notice to Holders of any event, such notice shall be sufficiently given (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder affected by such event, at his address as it appears in the Security Register, not later than the latest date, and not earlier than the earliest date, prescribed for the giving of such notice. In any case where notice to Holders is given by mail,

8

neither the failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in any notice so mailed, to any particular Holder shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to other Holders. Where this Indenture provides for notice in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by Holders shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waiver.

In case by reason of the suspension of regular mail service or by reason of any other cause it shall be impracticable to give such notice by mail, then such notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient notification for every purpose hereunder.

SECTION 107. CONFLICT WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT.

If any provision hereof limits, qualifies or conflicts with any provision of the Trust Indenture Act or another provision hereof which is required or deemed to be included in this Indenture by any of the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act, such required provision or the requirement of the Trust Indenture Act shall control.

SECTION 108. EFFECT OF HEADINGS AND TABLE OF CONTENTS.

The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

SECTION 109. SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS.

All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the Company shall bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.

SECTION 110. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE.

In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

SECTION 111. BENEFITS OF INDENTURE.

Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, express or implied, shall give to any Person, other than the parties hereto and their successors hereunder and the Holders, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.

SECTION 112. GOVERNING LAW.

This Indenture and the Securities shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without regard to principles of conflicts of law.

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SECTION 113. LEGAL HOLIDAYS.

In any case where any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity of any Security shall not be a Business Day at any Place of Payment, then (notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or of the Securities) payment of interest, if any, or principal (and premium, if any) need not be made at such Place of Payment on such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day at such Place of Payment with the same force and effect as if made on the Interest Payment Date or Redemption Date, or at the Stated Maturity, provided that no interest shall accrue for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity, as the case may be.

ARTICLE TWO

SECURITY FORMS

SECTION 201. FORMS GENERALLY.

The Securities of each series shall be in such form as shall be established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in each case with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as are required or permitted by this Indenture, and may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification and such legends or endorsements placed thereon as may be required to comply with the rules of any securities exchange or Depositary therefor or as may, consistently herewith, be determined by the officer or officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by the officer's or officers' execution of the Securities.

The Trustee's certificates of authentication shall be in substantially the form set forth in this Article.

The definitive Securities shall be printed, lithographed or engraved on steel engraved borders or may be produced in any other manner, all as determined by the officer or officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by the officer's or officers' execution of such Securities.

SECTION 202. FORM OF TRUSTEE'S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION.

This is one of the Securities of the series designated herein and referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

Bank One Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee

By
Authorized Signatory

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ARTICLE THREE

THE SECURITIES

SECTION 301. AMOUNT UNLIMITED; ISSUABLE IN SERIES.

The aggregate principal amount of Securities which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited.

The Securities may be issued in one or more series and shall be direct, unsecured obligations of the Company and rank without preference or priority among themselves and PARI PASSU with all existing and future unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness of the Company. There shall be established in or pursuant to a Board Resolution, and, subject to Section 303, set forth or determined in the manner provided, in an Officers' Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, prior to the issuance of Securities of any series:

(1) the title of the Securities of the series (which shall distinguish the Securities of the series from all other Securities);

(2) any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the series pursuant to Sections 304, 305, 306, 906 or 1107 and except for any Securities which, pursuant to Section 303, are deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder);

(3) the Person to whom any interest on a Security of the series shall be payable, if other than the Person in whose name the Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest;

(4) the date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of the series is payable;

(5) the rate or rates at which the Securities of the series shall bear interest, if any, the date or dates from which such interest shall accrue, the interest Payment Dates on which such interest shall be payable and the Regular Record Date for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date;

(6) the place or places, if any, in addition to or in the place of the office of the Trustee in The City of New York where the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on Securities, of the series shall be payable and where such Securities may be registered or transferred;

(7) the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company;

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(8) the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase Securities of the series pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof, and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;

(9) if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which Securities of the series shall be issuable;

(10) if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of Securities of the series which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 502;

(11) if other than such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public or private debts, the coin or currency, including composite currencies such as the European Currency Unit, in which payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on the Securities of the series shall be payable;

(12) if the principal of and premium, if any, or interest, if any, on the Securities of the series are to be payable, at the election of the Company or a Holder thereof, in a coin or currency other than that in which the Securities are stated to be payable, the period or periods within which, and the terms and conditions upon which, such election may be made;

(13) if the amount of payments of principal of and premium, if any, or interest, if any, on the Securities of the series may be determined with reference to an index based on a coin or currency other than that in which the Securities are stated to be payable, the manner in which such amounts shall be determined;

(14) any provisions permitted by this Indenture relating to Events of Default or covenants of the Company with respect to such series of Securities;

(15) if the Securities of the series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, (i) whether beneficial owners of interests in any such Global Security may exchange such interests for Securities of such series of like tenor and of authorized form and denomination and the circumstances under which any such changes may occur, if other than in the manner provided in
Section 305 and (ii) the Depositary for such Global Security or Securities;

(16) if the principal of and premium, if any, or interest, if any, on the Securities of the series are to be payable, or are to be payable at the election of the Issuer or a Holder thereof, in securities or other property, the type and amount of such securities or other property, or the formulary or other method or other means by which such amount shall be determined, and the period or periods within which, and the terms and conditions upon which, any such selection may be made;

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(17) to the extent not established pursuant to subsection
(15) of this paragraph, any limitations on the rights of the Holders of the Securities of such series to transfer or exchange such Securities or to obtain the registration or transfer thereof, and if a service charge will be made for the registration of transfer or exchange of Securities of such series, the amount or terms thereof; and

(18) any other terms of the series (which terms shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture).

All Securities of any one series shall be substantially identical except as to denomination and except as may otherwise be provided in or pursuant to the Board Resolution referred to above and (subject to Section 303) set forth in the Officers' Certificate referred to above or in any such indenture supplemental hereto.

If any of the terms of the series, including the form of Security of such series, are established by action taken pursuant to a Board Resolution, a copy of an appropriate record of such action shall be certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary or other authorized officer of the Company, and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Company Order contemplated by Section 303 for the authentication and delivery of such series of Securities.

Unless otherwise provided, a series may be reopened, without the consent of the Holders, for increases in the aggregate principal amount of such series of Securities and issuances of additional Securities of such series; provided that such additional Securities will rank equally with the Securities of the series previously issued in all respect (except for the payment of interest accrued on or prior to the issue date of such additional Securities or except for the first payment of interest following the issue date of such additional Securities) so that such additional Securities will be consolidated and form a single series with the Securities of the series previously issued and will have the same terms as to status, redemption and otherwise. No additional Securities may be issued if an Event of Default under the Indenture has occurred and is continuing with respect to the Securities.

SECTION 302. DENOMINATIONS.

The Securities of each series shall be issuable in registered form without coupons, except as otherwise expressly provided in a supplemental indenture hereto, in such denominations as shall be specified as contemplated by
Section 301. In the absence of any such provisions with respect to the Securities of any series, the Securities of such series shall be issuable in denominations of $1,000 and in integral multiples thereof.

SECTION 303. EXECUTION, AUTHENTICATION, DELIVERY AND DATING.

The Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, its President or one of its Vice Presidents or other Person duly authorized by the Board of Directors of the Company, and which need not be attested or have its corporate seal reproduced thereon. The Securities of any series shall be executed by such additional officer, if any, as shall be specified pursuant to Section 301. The signature of any of these officers on the Securities may be manual or facsimile.

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Securities bearing the manual or facsimile signature of any individual who was at any time the proper officer of the Company shall bind the Company, notwithstanding that such individual has ceased to hold such office prior to the authentication and delivery of such Securities or did not hold such office at the date of authentication of such Securities.

At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities of any series executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication, together with a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of such Securities, and the Trustee in accordance with the Company Order shall authenticate and deliver such Securities. If the form or terms of the Securities of the series have been established in or pursuant to one or more Board Resolutions as permitted by Sections 201 and 301, in authenticating such Securities, and accepting the additional responsibilities under this Indenture in relation to such securities, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 601) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel stating,

(a) that the form of such Securities has been established in conformity with the provisions of Section 201 this Indenture;

(b) that the terms of such Securities have been established in conformity with the provisions of Section 301 of this Indenture; and

(c) that such Securities, when authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and issued by the Company in the manner and subject to any conditions specified in such Opinion of Counsel, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights and to general equity principles.

If such form or terms have been so established, the Trustee shall not be required to authenticate such Securities if the issue of such Securities pursuant to this Indenture will affect the Trustee's own rights, duties, protections or immunities under the Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner which is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.

Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 301 and of the preceding paragraph, if all Securities of a series are not to be originally issued at one time, it shall not be necessary to deliver the Officers' Certificate otherwise required pursuant to Section 301 or the Company Order and Opinion of Counsel otherwise required pursuant to such preceding paragraph at or prior to the time of authentication of each Security of such series if such documents are delivered at or prior to the time of authentication upon original issuance of the first Security of such series to be issued.

Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.

No Security shall be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose unless there appears on such Security a certificate of authentication substantially in the form provided for herein executed by the Trustee by manual signature, and such certificate upon any Security shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such

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Security has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder and is entitled to the benefits of this Indenture. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Security shall have been authenticated and delivered hereunder but never issued and sold by the Company, and the Company shall deliver such Security to the Trustee for cancellation as provided in Section 309 together with a written statement (which need not comply with Section 102 and need not be accompanied by an Opinion of Counsel) stating that such Security has never been issued and sold by the Company, for all purposes of this Indenture such Security shall be deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder and shall never be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.

SECTION 304. TEMPORARY SECURITIES.

Pending the preparation of definitive Securities of any series, the Company may execute, and upon Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, temporary Securities which are printed, lithographed, typewritten, mimeographed or otherwise produced, in any authorized denomination, substantially of the tenor of the definitive Securities in lieu of which they are issued and with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as the officer or officers executing such Securities may determine, as evidenced by their execution of such Securities.

If temporary Securities of any series are issued, the Company will cause definitive Securities of that series to be prepared without unreasonable delay. After the preparation of definitive Securities of such series, the temporary Securities of such series shall be exchangeable for definitive Securities of such series upon surrender of the temporary Securities of such Series at the office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment for that series, without charge to the Holder. Upon surrender for cancellation of any one or more temporary Securities of any series the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a like principal amount of definitive Securities of the same series and of like tenor of authorized denominations. Until so exchanged the temporary Securities of any series shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities of such series.

SECTION 305. REGISTRATION, REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE.

The Company shall cause to be kept at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee a register (the register maintained in such office and in any other office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment being herein sometimes collectively referred to as the "Security Register") in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration of Securities and of transfers of Securities. The Trustee is hereby appointed "Security Registrar" for the purpose of registering Securities and transfers of Securities as herein provided.

Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Security of any series at the office or agency in a Place of Payment for that series, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the designated transferee or transferees, one or more new Securities of the same series, of any authorized denominations and of a like aggregate principal amount and tenor.

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At the option of the Holder, any Security or Securities of any series, other than a Global Security may be exchanged for other Securities of the same series, of any authorized denominations and of a like aggregate principal amount and tenor, upon surrender of the Securities to be exchanged at such office or agency. Whenever any Securities are so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, the Securities which the Holder making the exchange is entitled to receive.

All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities shall be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Securities surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301, a Global Security of any series shall be exchangeable pursuant to this Section for Securities registered in the names of Persons other than the Depositary with respect to such series or its nominee only as provided in this paragraph. A Global Security shall be exchangeable pursuant to this Section if (x) such Depositary notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for such series or at any time ceases to be a clearing agency registered as such under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, (y) the Company executes and delivers to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate providing that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable or (z) there shall have occurred and be continuing an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such series. Securities so issued in exchange for a Global Security shall be of the same series, of like tenor, in authorized denominations and in the aggregate having the same principal amount as the Global Security to be exchanged, and shall be registered in such names as the Depositary for such Global Security shall direct.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, a Global Security may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary to a nominee of such Depositary or by a nominee of such Depositary to such Depositary or another nominee of such Depositary or by such Depositary or any nominee to a successor of such Depositary or a nominee of such successor.

Every Security presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange shall (if so required by the Company or the Trustee) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar duly executed, by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing.

No service charge shall be made to the Holder for any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, other than exchanges pursuant to Section 304, 906 or 1107 not involving any transfer.

The Company shall not be required (i) to issue, register the transfer of or exchange Securities of any series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of the mailing of a notice of redemption of Securities of that series selected for redemption under Section 1103 and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing, or

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(ii) to register the transfer of or exchange any Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Security being redeemed in part.

None of the Company, the Trustee or any Paying Agent will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests of a Global Security or for maintaining, supervising, or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial interests.

SECTION 306. MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST AND STOLEN SECURITIES.

If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a new Security of the same series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

If there shall be delivered to the Company and the Trustee (i) evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security and (ii) such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them and any agent of either of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and upon its request the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen security has become or is about to become due and payable, the company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.

Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.

Every new Security of any series issued pursuant to this
Section in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of that series duly issued hereunder.

The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.

SECTION 307. PAYMENT OF INTEREST; INTEREST RIGHTS PRESERVED.

Interest on any Security which is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the Person in whose name that Security (or one

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or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest.

Any interest on any Security of any series which is payable, but is not punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date (herein called "Defaulted Interest") shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on the relevant Regular Record Date by virtue of having been such Holder, and such Defaulted Interest may be paid by the Company, at its election in each case, as provided in clause (1) or (2) below:

(1) The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Interest to the Persons in whose names the Securities of such series (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in the following manner. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each Security of such series and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this clause provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall be not more than 15 days and not less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of such Special Record Date and, in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor to be mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder of Securities of such series at his address as it appears in the Security Register, not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor having been so mailed, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose names the Securities of such series (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on such Special Record Date and shall no longer be payable pursuant to the following clause (2).

(2) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on the Securities of any series in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which such Securities may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.

Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each Security delivered under this Indenture upon registration of transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Security shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Security.

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SECTION 308. PERSONS DEEMED OWNERS.

Prior to due presentment of a Security for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name such Security is registered as the owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of (and premium, if any) and (subject to Section 307) interest, if any, on such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary. All such payments so made to any such person, or upon such person's order, shall be valid, and to the extent of the sums so paid, effectual to satisfy and discharge the liability for moneys payable upon any such Security.

No holder of any beneficial interest in any Global Security held on its behalf by a Depositary shall have any rights under this Indenture with respect to such Global Security, and such Depositary may be treated by the Company, the Trustee, and any agent of the Corporation or the Trustee as the owner of such Global Security for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall impair, as between a Depositary and such holders of beneficial interests, the operation of customary practices governing the exercise of the rights of the Depositary as holder of any Security.

SECTION 309. CANCELLATION.

All Securities surrendered for payment, redemption, registration of transfer or exchange or for credit against any sinking fund payment shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee and shall be promptly cancelled by it. The Company may at any time deliver to Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and all Securities so delivered shall be promptly cancelled by the Trustee. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for Securities cancelled as provided in this Section, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. All cancelled Securities held by the Trustee shall be disposed of as directed by a Company Order.

SECTION 310. COMPUTATION OF INTEREST.

Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of any series, interest, if any, on the Securities of each series shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.

ARTICLE FOUR

SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE

SECTION 401. SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE.

This Indenture shall upon Company Request cease to be of further effect (except as to any surviving rights of registration of transfer or exchange of Securities herein expressly

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provided for), and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when

(1) either (A) all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than (i) Securities which have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which have been replaced or paid as provided in
Section 306 and (ii) Securities for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust, as provided in Section 1003) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or

(B) all such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation

(i) have become due and payable, or

(ii) will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year, or

(iii) are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company, or

(iv) are deemed paid and discharged pursuant to
Section 403, as applicable,

and the Company, in the case of (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) above, has deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose an amount of (a) money in the currency or units of currency in which such Securities are payable, or (b) in the case of
(ii) or (iii) above and (except as provided in an indenture supplemental hereto) if no Securities of any series Outstanding are subject to repurchase at the option of Holders (I) U.S. Government Obligations (denominated in the same currency or units of currency in which such Securities are payable) which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide not later than one day before the Stated Maturity or Redemption Date, as the case may be, money in an amount, or (II) a combination of money or U.S. Government Obligations as provided in (I) above, in each case, sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable) or to the Stated Maturity or Redemption Date, as the case may be;

(2) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company; and

(3) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have been complied with.

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Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 607, the obligations of the Trustee to any Authenticating Agent under Section 614 and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (B) of clause (1) of this Section or if money or U.S. Government Obligations shall have been deposited with or received by the Trustee pursuant to Section 403, the obligations of the Trustee under Section 402 and the last paragraph of Section 1003 shall survive.

SECTION 402. APPLICATION OF TRUST MONEY.

(a) Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of
Section 1003, all money or U.S. Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 401, 403 or 1008 and all money received by the Trustee in respect of U.S. Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 401, 403 or 1008, shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) to the persons entitled thereto, of the principal (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, for whose payment such money has been deposited with or received by the Trustee or to make mandatory sinking fund payments or analogous payments as contemplated by Section 401, 403 or 1008.

(b) The Company shall pay and shall indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against U.S. Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 401, 403 or 1008 or the interest and principal received in respect of such obligations other than any payable by or on behalf of Holders.

(c) The Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Request any U.S. Government Obligations or money held by it as provided in Section 401, 403 or 1008 which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are then in excess of the amount thereof which then would have been required to be deposited for the purpose for which such U.S. Government Obligations or money was deposited or received. This provision shall not authorize the sale by the Trustee of any U.S. Government Obligations held under this Indenture.

SECTION 403. SATISFACTION, DISCHARGE AND DEFEASANCE OF SECURITIES OF ANY SERIES.

The Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness on all the Outstanding Securities of any series on the 91st day after the date of the deposit referred to in subparagraph (e) hereof, and the provisions of this Indenture, as it relates to such Outstanding Securities of such series, shall no longer be in effect (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall at Company Request execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except as to:

(a) the rights of Holders of Securities of such series to receive, from the trust funds described in subparagraph (e) hereof, (i) payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and each installment of principal of (and premium, if any) or interest, if any, on the Outstanding Securities of such series on the Stated Maturity of such principal or

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installment of principal or interest or to and including the Redemption Date irrevocably designated by the Company pursuant to subparagraph (i) hereof and (ii) the benefit of any mandatory sinking fund payments applicable to the Securities of such series on the day of which such payments are due and payable in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and the Securities of such series;

(b) the Company's obligations with respect to such Securities of such series under Sections 305, 306, 1002 and 1003, if the Company shall have irrevocably designated a Redemption Date pursuant to subparagraph (i) hereof, Sections 1101, 1104 and 1106 as they apply to such Redemption Date;

(c) the Company's obligations with respect to the Trustee under Section 607; and

(d) the rights, powers, trust and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and the duties of the Trustee under Section 402 and, if the Company shall have irrevocably designated a Redemption Date pursuant to subparagraph (i) hereof, Article Eleven and the duty of the Trustee to authenticate Securities of such series on registration of transfer or exchange;

PROVIDED that, the following conditions shall have been satisfied:

(e) the Company has deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited (except as provided in Section 402(c) and the last paragraph of Section 1003) with the Trustee as trust funds in trust, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of the Securities of such series, (i) money, in the currency or units of currency in which such Securities are payable, in an amount, or (ii) (except as provided in a supplemental indenture with respect to such series) if Securities of such series are not subject to repurchase at the option of Holders, (A) U.S. Government Obligations (denominated in the same currency or units of currency in which such Securities are payable) which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide not later than one day before the due date of any payment referred to in clause (x) or (y) of this subparagraph (e) money in an amount or (B) a combination thereof, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge
(x) the principal of (and premium, if any) and each installment of principal (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on the Outstanding Securities of such series on the Stated Maturity of such principal or installment of principal or interest or to and including the Redemption Date irrevocably designated by the Company pursuant to subparagraph (i) hereof and (y) any mandatory sinking fund payments applicable to the Securities of such series on the day on which such payments are due and payable in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and of the Securities of such series;

(f) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that such provision would not cause any Outstanding Securities of such series then listed on any national securities exchange to be delisted as a result thereof;

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(g) no Event of Default or event which with notice or lapse of time would become an Event of Default (including by reason of such deposit) with respect to the Securities of such series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit or during the period ending on the 91st day after such date;

(h) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an unqualified opinion, in form and substance satisfactory to the Trustee, of independent counsel selected by the Company and satisfactory to the Trustee to the effect that (i) Holders of the securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if that deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred and (ii) the defeasance trust is not, or is registered as, an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940;

(i) if the Company has deposited or caused to be deposited money or U.S. Government Obligations to pay or discharge the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on the Outstanding Securities of a series to and including a Redemption Date on which all of the Outstanding Securities of such series are to be redeemed, such Redemption Date shall be irrevocably designated by a Board Resolution delivered to the Trustee on or prior to the date of deposit of such money or U.S. Government Obligations, and such Board Resolution shall be accompanied by an irrevocable Company Request that the Trustee give notice of such redemption in the name and at the expense of the Company not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to such Redemption Date in accordance with Section 1104; and

(j) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of the Securities have been complied with.

ARTICLE FIVE

REMEDIES

SECTION 501. EVENTS OF DEFAULT.

"Event of Default," wherever used herein with respect to Securities of any series, means any one of the following events (whatever the reason for such Event of Default and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be affected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body):

(1) default in the payment of any interest upon any Security of that series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days; or

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(2) default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any Security of that series at its Maturity; or

(3) default in the payment of any sinking fund installment, when and as due by the terms of a Security of that series; or

(4) default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant or warranty of the Company in this Indenture (other than a covenant or warranty a default in whose performance or whose breach is elsewhere in this Section specifically dealt with or which has expressly been included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of series of Securities other than that series), and continuance of such default or breach for a period of 60 days after there has been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a "Notice of Default" hereunder; or

(5) a default under any bond, debenture, note or other evidence of indebtedness for money borrowed by the Company (including a default with respect to Securities of any series other than that series) or under any mortgage, indenture or instrument under which there may be issued or by which there may be secured or evidenced any indebtedness for money borrowed by the Company (including this Indenture), whether such indebtedness now exists or shall hereafter be created which default shall have resulted in such indebtedness in an aggregate principal amount exceeding $10,000,000 becoming or being declared due and payable prior to the date on which it would otherwise have become due and payable, without such acceleration having been rescinded or annulled within a period of 30 days after there shall have been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of at least 10% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series a written notice specifying such default and requiring the Company to cause such acceleration to be rescinded or annulled and stating that such notice is a "Notice of Default" hereunder; or

(6) the entry by a court having jurisdiction in the premises of (A) a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or (B) a decree or order adjudging the Company a bankrupt or insolvent, or approving as properly filed a petition seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition of or in respect of the Company under applicable United States Federal or State law, appointing a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or other similar official of the Company or of any substantial part of its property, or ordering the winding up or liquidation of its affairs, and, the continuance of any such decree or order for relief or any such other decree or order unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive days; or

(7) the commencement by the Company of a voluntary case or proceeding under any applicable Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law or

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of any other case or proceeding to be adjudicated a bankrupt or insolvent, or the consent by it to the entry of a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or to the commencement of any bankruptcy or insolvency case or proceeding against it, or the filing by it of a petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief under any applicable Federal or State law, or the consent by it to the filing of such petition or to the appointment of or taking possession by a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or similar official of the Company or of any substantial part of its property, or the making by it of an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the admission by it in writing of its inability to pay its debts generally as they become due, or the taking of corporate action by the Company in furtherance of any such action; or

(8) any other Event of Default provided in the supplemental indenture or provided in or pursuant to the Board Resolution under which such series of Securities is issued or in the form of Security for such series.

SECTION 502. ACCELERATION OF MATURITY; RESCISSION AND ANNULMENT.

If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series at the time Outstanding occurs and is continuing, then in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series may declare the principal amount (or, if any of the Securities of that series are Original Issue Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount of such Securities as may be specified in the terms thereof) of all of the Securities of that series to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal amount (or specified amount) shall become immediately due and payable.

At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to Securities of any series has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article provided, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if

(1) the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay

(A) all overdue interest, if any, on all Securities of that series,

(B) the principal of and premium, if any, on any Securities of that series which have become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration and interest thereon at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities,

(C) to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest upon any overdue interest at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities, and

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(D) all sums paid or advanced by the Trustee hereunder and the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel; and

(2) all Events of Default with respect to Securities of that series, other than the non-payment of the principal of and accrued interest on Securities of that series which have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 513.

No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.

For all purposes under this Indenture, if a portion of the principal of any Original Issue Discount Securities shall have been accelerated and declared due and payable pursuant to the provisions hereof, then, from and after such declaration, unless such declaration has been rescinded and annulled, the principal amount of such Original Issue Discount Securities shall be deemed, for all purposes hereunder, to be such portion of the principal thereof as shall be due and payable as a result of such acceleration, and payment of such portion of the principal thereof as shall be due and payable as a result of such acceleration, together with interest, if any, thereon and all other amounts owing thereunder, shall constitute payment in full of such Original Issue Discount Securities.

SECTION 503. COLLECTION OF INDEBTEDNESS AND SUITS FOR ENFORCEMENT BY TRUSTEE.

The Company covenants that if

(1) default is made in the payment of any interest on any Security when such interest becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days, or

(2) default is made in the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, on any Security at the Maturity thereof,

the Company will, upon written demand of the Trustee, pay to it, for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, the whole amount then due and payable on such Securities for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, and, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, interest and on any overdue principal (and premium, if any) and on any overdue interest, at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities, and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.

If the Company fails to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree and may enforce the same against the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities and collect the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities, wherever situated.

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If any Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any such rights.

SECTION 504. TRUSTEE MAY FILE PROOFS OF CLAIM.

In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or the property of the Company or of such other obligor or their creditors, the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the Securities shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand on the Company for the payment of overdue principal or interest) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise,

(1) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of principal (and premium, if any) and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Securities and to file such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustees (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding, and

(2) to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same;

and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 607.

Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee, to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.

SECTION 505. TRUSTEE MAY ENFORCE CLAIMS WITHOUT POSSESSION OF SECURITIES.

All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Securities may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.

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SECTION 506. APPLICATION OF MONEY COLLECTED.

Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article shall be applied in the following order with respect to the Securities of any series, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and in case of the distribution of such money an account of principal (or premium, if any) or interest, upon presentation of the Securities and the notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:

FIRST: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee under
Section 607;

SECOND: In case the principal and premium, if any, of the Securities of such series in respect of which moneys have been collected shall not have become and be then due and payable, to the payment of interest, if any, on the Securities of such series in default in the order of the maturity of the installments of such interest, with interest (to the extent that such interest has been collected by the Trustee and to the extent permitted by law) upon the overdue installments of interest at the rate prescribed therefor in such Securities such payments to be made ratably to the Persons entitled thereto, without discrimination or preference;

THIRD: In case the principal or premium, if any, of the Securities of such series in respect of which moneys have been collected shall have become and shall be then due and payable, to the payment of the whole amount then owing and unpaid upon all the Securities of such series for principal and premium, if any, and interest, if any, with interest upon the overdue principal and premium, if any, and (to the extent that such interest has been collected by the Trustee and to the extent permitted by law) upon overdue installments of interest at the rate prescribed therefor in the Securities of such series; and in case such moneys shall be insufficient to pay in full the whole amount so due and unpaid upon the Securities of such series, then to the payment of such principal and any premium and interest, without preference or priority of principal over interest, or of interest over principal or premium, or of any installment of interest over any other installment of interest, or of any Security of such series over any other Security of such series, ratably to the aggregate of such principal and any premium and accrued and unpaid interest; and

FOURTH: To the payment of the remainder, if any, to the Company or any other Person lawfully entitled thereto.

SECTION 507. LIMITATION ON SUITS.

No Holder of any Security of any series shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless

(1) such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that series;

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(2) the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder;

(3) such Holder or Holders have offered, to the Trustee reasonable indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request;

(4) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding; and

(5) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series;

it being understood and intended that no one or more of such Holders shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other of such Holders, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other of such Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all such Holders.

SECTION 508. UNCONDITIONAL RIGHT OF HOLDERS TO RECEIVE PRINCIPAL, PREMIUM AND INTEREST.

Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and (subject to Section 307) interest, if any, on such Security on the Stated Maturity or Maturities expressed in such Security (or in the case of redemption, on the Redemption Date) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.

SECTION 509. RESTORATION OF RIGHTS AND REMEDIES.

If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the Company, the Trustee and the Holders shall be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.

SECTION 510. RIGHTS AND REMEDIES CUMULATIVE.

Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities in the last paragraph of Section 306, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or

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remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.

SECTION 511. DELAY OR OMISSION NOT WAIVER.

No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Securities to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this article or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.

SECTION 512. CONTROL BY HOLDERS.

The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee, with respect to the Securities of such series, provided that

(1) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture, and

(2) The Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction.

SECTION 513. WAIVER OF PAST DEFAULTS.

The Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series may on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities of such series waive any past default hereunder with respect to such series and its consequences except a default

(1) in the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on any Security of such series, or

(2) in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which under Article Nine cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security of such series affected.

Upon any such waiver, such default shall cease to exist and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or impair any right consequent thereon.

SECTION 514. UNDERTAKING FOR COSTS.

All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Security by his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in

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any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holder, or group of Holders, holding in the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, or to any suit instituted by any Holder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on any Security on or after the Stated maturity or Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date).

SECTION 515. WAIVER OF STAY OR EXTENSION LAWS.

The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay or extension law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law and covenants that it will not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law had been enacted.

ARTICLE SIX

THE TRUSTEE

SECTION 601. CERTAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

(a) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of any series,

(1) the Trustee undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and

(2) in the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; but in the case of any such certificates or opinions which by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture.

(b) In case an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person's own affairs.

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(c) No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve the Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct, except that:

(1) this Subsection shall not be construed to limit the effect of Subsection (a) of this Section;

(2) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts;

(3) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, determined as provided in
Section 512, relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such series; and

(4) no provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.

(d) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of this Section.

SECTION 602. NOTICE OF DEFAULTS.

Within 90 days after the occurrence of any default hereunder with respect to the Securities of any series, the Trustee shall transmit by mail to all Holders of Securities of such series, as their names and addresses appear in the Security Register, notice of such default hereunder known to the Trustee, unless such default shall have been cured or waived; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that, except in the case of a default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest, if any, on any security of such series or in the payment of any sinking fund installment with respect to Securities of such series, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice if and so long as the board of directors, the executive committee or a trust committee of directors or Responsible Officers of the Trustee in good faith determine that the withholding of such notice is in the interest of the Holders of Securities of such series; and PROVIDED, FURTHER, that in the case of any default of the character specified in Section 501(4) with respect to Securities of such series, no such notice to Holders shall be given until at least 30 days after the occurrence thereof. For the purpose of this Section, the term "default" means any event which is, or after notice or lapse of time or both would become, an Event of Default with respect to Securities of such series.

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SECTION 603. CERTAIN RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE.

Subject to the provisions of Section 601:

(a) the Trustee may rely and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;

(b) any request or direction of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or Company Order or as otherwise expressly provided herein and any resolution of the Board of Directors may be sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution;

(c) whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Trustee (unless other evidence be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith on its part, rely upon an Officers' Certificate;

(d) the Trustee may consult with counsel and the written advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon;

(e) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to expend or risk its own funds or to exercise, at the request or direction of any of the Holders, any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture pursuant to this Indenture, unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction;

(f) the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled upon reasonable request to examine the books, records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney; and

(g) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder.

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SECTION 604. NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR RECITALS OR ISSUANCE OF SECURITIES.

The recitals contained herein and in the Securities, except the Trustee's certificates of authentication, shall be taken as the statements of the Company, and neither the Trustee nor any Authenticating Agent assumes any responsibility for their correctness. The Trust makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities. Neither the Trustee nor any Authenticating Agent shall be accountable for the use or application by the Company of Securities or the proceeds thereof.

SECTION 605. MAY HOLD SECURITIES.

The Trustee, any Authenticating Agent, any paying Agent, any Security Registrar or any other agent of the Company, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and, subject to Sections 608 and 613, may otherwise deal with the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee, Authenticating Agent, Paying Agent, Security Registrar or such other agent.

SECTION 606. MONEY HELD IN TRUST.

Money held by the Trustee in trust hereunder need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. The Trustee shall be under no liability for interest on any money received by it hereunder except as otherwise agreed with the Company.

SECTION 607. COMPENSATION AND REIMBURSEMENT.

The Company agrees

(1) to pay to the Trustee from time to time such compensation as is agreed upon in writing, or, if no such agreement exists, reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder (which compensation shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust);

(2) except as otherwise expressly provided herein, to reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee in accordance with any provision of this Indenture (including the reasonable compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its agents and counsel, which compensation, expenses and disbursements shall be set forth in sufficient detail), except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may be attributable to its negligence or bad faith; and

(3) to indemnify the Trustee for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability or expense incurred without negligence or bad faith on its part, arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of the trust or trusts hereunder, including the costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of, any of its powers or duties hereunder.

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SECTION 608. DISQUALIFICATION; CONFLICTING INTERESTS.

The Trustee for the Securities of any series issued hereunder shall be subject to the provisions of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act during the period of time provided for therein. In determining whether the Trustee has a conflicting interest as defined in Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act with respect to the Securities of any series, there shall be excluded for purposes of the conflicting interest provisions of such Section 310(b) the Securities of every other series issued under this Indenture. Nothing herein shall prevent the Trustee from filing with the Commission the application referred to in the second to last paragraph of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.

SECTION 609. CORPORATE TRUSTEE REQUIRED; ELIGIBILITY.

There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder which shall be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America, any state thereof or the District of Columbia, authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, having a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 and subject to supervision or examination by Federal or State authority. If such corporation publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of said supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined capital and surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect hereinafter specified in this Article.

SECTION 610. RESIGNATION AND REMOVAL; APPOINTMENT OF SUCCESSOR.

(a) No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no appointment of a successor Trustee pursuant to this Article shall become effective until the acceptance of appointment by the successor Trustee in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 611.

(b) The Trustee may resign at any time with respect to the Securities of one or more series by giving written notice thereof to the Company, specifying the date upon which the resignation is to take effect. If the instrument of acceptance by a successor Trustee required by Section 611 shall not have been delivered to the Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of resignation, the resigning Trustee may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series.

(c) The Trustee may be removed at any time with respect to the Securities of any series by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series, delivered to the Trustee and to the Company.

(d) If at any time:

(1) the Trustee shall fail to comply with Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act pursuant to Section 608 with respect to any series of Securities after written request

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therefor by the Company or by any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months, or

(2) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section 609 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company or by any such Holder, or

(3) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation,

then, in any such case, (i) the Company by a Board Resolution may remove the Trustee with respect to all Securities, or (ii) subject to Section 514, any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months may, on behalf of himself or herself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee with respect to all Securities and the appointment of a successor Trustee or Trustees.

(e) If the Trustee shall resign, be removed or become incapable of acting, or if a vacancy shall occur in the office of Trustee for any cause, with respect to the Securities of one or more series, the Company, by a Board Resolution, shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee or Trustees with respect to the Securities of that or those series (it being understood that any such successor Trustee may be appointed with respect to the Securities of one or more or all of such series and that at any time there shall be only one Trustee with respect to the Securities of any particular series) and shall comply with the applicable requirements of Section 611. If, within one year after such resignation, removal or incapability, or the occurrence of such vacancy, a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series shall be appointed by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series delivered to the Company and the retiring Trustee, the successor Trustee so appointed shall, forthwith upon its acceptance of such appointment in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 611, become the successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series and to that extent supersede the successor Trustee appointed by the Company. If no successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series shall have been so appointed by the Company or the Holders and accepted appointment in the manner required by Section 611, any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security of such series for at least six months may, on behalf of himself or herself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series.

(f) The Company shall give notice of each resignation and each removal of the Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series and each appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series by mailing written notice of such event by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to all Holders of Securities of such series as their names and addresses appear in the Security Register. Each notice shall include the name of the successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series and the address of its Corporate Trust Office.

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SECTION 611. ACCEPTANCE OF APPOINTMENT BY SUCCESSOR.

(a) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Trustee with respect to all Securities, every such successor Trustee so appointed shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to the retiring Trustee an instrument accepting such appointment, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective and such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on the request of the company or the successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of its charges, execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor Trustee all the rights, powers and trusts of the retiring Trustee and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder.

(b) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more (but not all) series, the Company, the retiring Trustee and each successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series shall execute and deliver an indenture supplemental hereto wherein each successor Trustee shall accept such appointment and which (1) shall contain such provisions as shall be necessary or desirable to transfer and confirm to, and to vest in, each successor Trustee all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates, (2) if the retiring Trustee is not retiring with respect to all Securities, shall contain such provisions as shall be deemed necessary or desirable to confirm that all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series as to which the retiring Trustee is not retiring shall continue to be vested in the retiring Trustee, and (3) shall add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, it being understood that nothing herein or in such supplemental indenture shall constitute such Trustee's co-trustees of the same trust and that each such Trustee shall be trustee of a trust or trusts hereunder separate and apart from any trust or trusts hereunder administered by any other such Trustee; and upon the execution and delivery of such supplemental indenture the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective to the extent provided therein and each such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates; but, on request of the Company or any successor trustee, such retiring Trustee shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates.

(c) Upon request of any such successor Trustee, the Company shall execute any and all instruments for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor Trustee all such rights, powers and trusts referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section, as the case may be.

(d) No successor Trustee shall accept its appointment unless at the time of such acceptance such successor Trustee shall be qualified and eligible under this Article.

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SECTION 612. MERGER, CONVERSION, CONSOLIDATION OR SUCCESSION TO BUSINESS.

Any corporation into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, PROVIDED such corporation shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto. In case any Securities shall have been authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor by merger, conversion or consolidation to such authenticating Trustee may adopt such authentication and deliver the Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Securities.

SECTION 613. PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF CLAIMS AGAINST COMPANY.

If and when the Trustee shall be or become a creditor of the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities), the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act regarding the collection of claims against the Company (or any such other obligor).

SECTION 614. AUTHENTICATING AGENTS.

From time to time the Trustee, in its sole discretion, may appoint one or more Authenticating Agents with respect to one or more series of Securities with power to act on the Trustee's behalf and subject to its direction in the authentication and delivery of Securities of such series or in connection with transfers and exchanges under Sections 304, 305, 306 and 1107 as fully to all intents and purposes as though the Authenticating Agent had been expressly authorized by those Sections of this Indenture to authenticate and deliver Securities of such series. For all purposes of this Indenture, the authentication and delivery of Securities by an Authenticating Agent pursuant to this Section shall be deemed to be authentication and delivery of such Securities "by the Trustee." Each such Authenticating Agent shall be acceptable to the Company and shall at all times be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States, any State thereof or the District of Columbia, authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, having a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 and subject to supervision or examination by Federal, State or District of Columbia authority. If such corporation publishes reports of condition at least annually pursuant to law or the requirements of such authority, then for the purposes of this Section the combined capital and surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. If at any time an Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, such Authenticating Agent shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in this Section.

Any corporation into which any Authenticating Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation, or to which any Authenticating Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the corporate trust business of any Authenticating Agent, shall be the successor of the Authenticating Agent hereunder, if such successor corporation is otherwise eligible under this Section, without

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the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of the parties hereto or the Authenticating Agent or such successor corporation.

An Authenticating Agent may resign at any time by giving written notice of resignation to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time terminate the agency of any Authenticating Agent by giving written notice of termination to such Authenticating Agent and to the Company. Upon receiving such a notice of resignation or upon such a termination, or in case at any time any Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible under this Section, the Trustee may appoint a successor Authenticating Agent which shall be acceptable to the Company and shall mail notice of such appointment to all Holders of Securities of the series with respect to which such Authenticating Agent will serve, as the names and addresses of such Holders appear on the Security Register. Any successor Authenticating Agent, upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder, shall become vested with all the rights, powers and duties of its predecessor hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as an Authenticating Agent. No successor Authenticating Agent shall be appointed unless eligible under the provisions of this Section.

The Company agrees to pay to each Authenticating Agent from time to time reasonable compensation for its services under this Section.

The Trustee shall incur no liability for the appointment of any Authenticating Agent with respect to the Securities of one or more series or for any misconduct or negligence of such Authenticating Agent, including without limitation, its authentication of the Securities upon original issuance or pursuant to Section 306. In the event the Trustee does incur liability for any such misconduct or negligence of the Authenticating Agent, the Company agrees to indemnify the Trustee for, and hold it harmless against, any such liability, including the costs and expenses of defending itself against any liability in connection with such misconduct or negligence of the Authenticating Agent.

If an appointment with respect to one or more series of Securities is made pursuant to this Section, the Securities of such series may have endorsed thereon, in addition to the Trustee's certificate of authentication, an alternate certificate of authentication in the following form:

This is one of the Securities of the series designated herein referred to in the within-mentioned indenture.

By BANK ONE TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
As Trustee

By
As Authenticating Agent

By
Authorized Officer

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ARTICLE SEVEN

HOLDERS' LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY

SECTION 701. COMPANY TO FURNISH TRUSTEE NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF HOLDERS.

The Company will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee with respect to the Securities of each series

(a) semi-annually, not later than 15 days after each Regular Record Date, or, in the case of any series of Securities on which semi-annual interest is not payable, not more than 15 days after such semi-annual dates as may be specified by the Trustee, a list, in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of the Holders as of such Regular Record Date or semi-annual date, as the case may be, and

(b) at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, within 30 days after the receipt by the Company of any such request, a list of similar form and content as of a date not more than 15 days prior to the time such list is furnished; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that so long as the Trustee is Security Registrar for any series of Securities, no such list shall be required to be furnished with respect to any such series.

SECTION 702. PRESERVATION OF INFORMATION; COMMUNICATIONS TO HOLDERS.

(a) The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is reasonably practicable, the names and addresses of Holders contained in the most recent list furnished to the Trustee as provided in Section 701 and the names and addresses of Holders received by the Trustee in its capacity as Security Registrar. The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it as provided in Section 701 upon receipt of a new list so furnished.

(b) if three or more Holders (herein referred to as "applicants") apply in writing to the Trustee, and furnish to the Trustee reasonable proof that each such applicant has owned a Security for a period of at least six months preceding the date of such application, and such application states that the applicants desire to communicate with other Holders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or under the Securities and is accompanied by a copy of the form of proxy or other communication which such applicants propose to transmit, then the Trustee shall, within five business days after the receipt of such application, at its election, either

(i) afford such applicants access to the information preserved at the time by the Trustee in accordance with Section 702(a), or

(ii) inform such applicants as to the approximate number of Holders whose names and addresses appear in the information preserved at the time by the Trustee in accordance with Section 702(a), and as to the approximate cost of mailing to such Holders the form of proxy or other communication, if any, specified in such application.

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If the Trustee shall elect not to afford such applicants access to such information, the Trustee shall, upon the written request of such applicants, mail to each Holder whose name and address appear in the information preserved at the time by the Trustee in accordance with Section 702(a) a copy of the form of proxy or other communication which is specified in such request, with reasonable promptness after a tender to the Trustee of the material to be mailed and of payment, or provision for the payment of the reasonable expenses of mailing, unless within five days after such tender the Trustee shall mail to such applicants and file with the Commission, together with a copy of the material to be mailed, a written statement to the effect that, in the opinion of the Trustee, such mailing would be contrary to the best interest of the Holders or would be in violation of applicable law. Such written statement shall specify the basis of such opinion. If the Commission, after opportunity for a hearing upon the objections specified in the written statement so filed, shall enter an order refusing to sustain any of such objections or if, after the entry of an order sustaining one or more of such objections, the Commission shall find, after notice and opportunity for hearing, that all the objections so sustained have been met and shall enter an order so declaring, the Trustee shall mail copies of such material to all such Holders with reasonable promptness after the entry of such order and the renewal of such tender; otherwise the Trustee shall be relieved of any obligation or duty to such applicants respecting their application.

(c) Every Holder of Securities, by receiving and holding the same, agrees with the Company and the Trustee that neither the Company nor the Trustee nor any agent of either of them shall be held accountable by reason of the disclosure of any such information as to the names and addresses of the Holders in accordance with Section 702(b), regardless of the source from which such information was derived, and that the Trustee shall not be held accountable by reason of mailing any material pursuant to a request made under Section 702(b).

SECTION 703. REPORTS BY TRUSTEE.

(a) The Trustee shall transmit to Holders such reports concerning the Trustee and its actions under this Indenture as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act at the times and in the manner provided pursuant thereto.

(b) A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such transmission to Holders, be filed by the Trustee with each stock exchange upon which any Securities are listed, with the Commission and with the Company. The Company will notify the Trustee promptly when any Securities are listed on any national stock exchange or any delisting thereof.

SECTION 704. REPORTS BY COMPANY.

The Company shall:

(1) file with the Trustee, within 15 days after the Company is required to file the same with the Commission, copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents and other reports (or copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the Commission may from time to time by rules and regulations prescribe) which the Company may be required to file with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or
Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; or, if the Company is not required to file

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information, documents or reports pursuant to either of said Sections, then it shall file with the Trustee and the Commission, in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed from time to time by the Commission such of the supplementary and periodic information, documents and reports which may be required pursuant to Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 in respect of a security listed and registered on a national securities exchange as may be prescribed from tine to time in such rules and regulations;

(2) file with the Trustee and the Commission, in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed from time to time by the Commission, such additional information, documents and reports with respect to compliance by the Company with the conditions and covenants of this Indenture as may be required from time to time by such rules and regulations; and

(3) transmit by mail to all Holders, as their names and addresses appear in the Security Register, within 30 days after the filing thereof with the Trustee, such summaries of any information, documents and reports required to be filed by the Company pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) of this Section as may be required by rules and regulations prescribed from time to time by the Commission.

ARTICLE EIGHT

CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, SALE OR LEASE

SECTION 801. COMPANY MAY CONSOLIDATE, ETC., ONLY ON CERTAIN TERMS.

The Company shall not consolidate with or merge into any other Person or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person, and the Company shall not permit any Person to consolidate with or merge into the Company or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to the Company, unless:

(1) in case the Company shall consolidate with or merge into another corporation or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person, the corporation formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or the Person which acquires by conveyance or transfer, or which leases, the properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety shall be a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, any State thereof or the District of Columbia, and shall expressly assume, by an indenture supplemental hereto, executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, the due and punctual payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on all the Securities and the performance of every covenant of this Indenture on the part of the Company to be performed or observed;

(2) immediately after giving effect to such transaction and treating any indebtedness which becomes an obligation of the Company or a Subsidiary as a result of such transaction as having been incurred by the Company or such Subsidiary at the time of

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such transaction, no Event of Default, and no event which, after notice or lapse of time or both, would become an Event of Default shall have happened and be continuing;

(3) if, as a result of any such consolidation or merger or such conveyance, transfer or lease, properties or assets of the Company would become subject to a mortgage, pledge, lien, security interest or other encumbrance which would not be permitted by this Indenture, the Company or such successor corporation or Person, as the case may be, shall take such steps as shall be necessary effectively to secure the Securities equally and ratably with (or prior to) all indebtedness secured thereby; and

(4) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger, conveyance, transfer or lease and, if a supplemental indenture is required in connection with such transaction, such supplemental indenture comply with this Article and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction have been complied with.

SECTION 802. SUCCESSOR CORPORATION TO BE SUBSTITUTED.

Upon any consolidation by the Company with or merger by the Company into any other corporation or any conveyance, transfer or lease of the properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety in accordance with Section 801, the successor corporation formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or to which such conveyance, transfer or lease is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor corporation had been named as the Company herein, and thereafter, except in the case of a lease, the predecessor corporation shall be relieved of all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities.

ARTICLE NINE

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES

SECTION 901. SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES WITHOUT CONSENT OF HOLDERS.

Without the consent of any Holders, the Company and the Trustee, at any time and from time to time, may enter into one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, for any of the following purposes:

(1) to evidence the succession of another corporation to the Company and the assumption by any such successor of the covenants and obligations of the Company herein and pursuant to Article 8;

(2) to add to the covenants of the Company for the benefit of the Holders of all or any series of Securities (and if such covenants are to be for the benefit of less than all series of Securities, stating that such covenants are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such series) or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company;

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(3) to add any additional Events of Default;

(4) to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to permit or facilitate the issuance of Securities in bearer form, registrable or not registrable as to principal, and with or without interest coupons, or to permit or facilitate the issuance of Securities in uncertificated form, or to permit or facilitate the issuance of extendible or remarketed Securities;

(5) to change or eliminate any of the provisions of this Indenture, PROVIDED that any such change or elimination shall become effective only as to the Securities of any series created by such supplemental indenture and Securities of any series subsequently created to which such change or elimination is made applicable by the subsequent supplemental indenture creating such series;

(6) to secure the Securities;

(7) to establish the form or terms of Securities of any series as permitted by Sections 201 and 301;

(8) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, pursuant to the requirements of Section 611(b);

(9) to provide for any rights of the Holders of Securities of any series to require the repurchase of Securities of such series by the Company;

(10) to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision herein which may be inconsistent with any other provision herein, or to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Indenture, PROVIDED such action shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of Securities of any series in any material respect; or

(11) to modify, alter, amend or supplement this Indenture in any other respect which is not materially adverse to Holders, which does not involve a change described in clause (1), (2) or (3) of
Section 902 hereof and which, in the judgment of the Trustee, is not to the prejudice of the Trustee, including, without limitation, to provide for the duties, responsibilities and compensation of the Trustee as a transfer agent in the event one registered Security of any series is issued in the aggregate principal amount of all Outstanding Securities of such series in which Holders will hold an interest.

SECTION 902. SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES WITH CONSENT OF HOLDERS.

With the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all series affected by such supplemental indenture (voting as one class), by Act of said Holders delivered to the Company and the Trustee, the Company, when authorized by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may enter into

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an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series under this Indenture; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that no such supplemental indenture shall, without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby,

(1) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any installment of principal or interest, if any, on, any Security, or reduce the principal amount thereof or the rate of interest thereon or any premium payable upon the redemption thereof, or reduce the amount of the principal of an Original Issue Discount Security that would be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 502, or change any Place of Payment where, or the coin or currency in which, any Security or any premium or the interest thereon is payable, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after the Stated Maturity thereof (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date), or

(2) reduce the percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, the consent of whose Holders is required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of whose Holders is required for any waiver (of compliance with certain provisions of this indenture or certain defaults hereunder and their consequences) provided for in this Indenture, or

(3) modify any of the provisions of this Section, Section 513 or Section 1009, except to increase any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that this clause shall not be deemed to require the consent of any Holder with respect to changes in the references to "the Trustee" and concomitant changes in this Section, or the deletion of this proviso, in accordance with the requirements of Sections 611(b) and 901(8).

A supplemental indenture which changes or eliminates any covenant or other provision of this Indenture which has expressly been included solely for the benefit of one or more particular series of Securities, or which modifies the rights of the Holders of securities of such series with respect to such covenant or other provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under this Indenture of the Holders of Securities of any other series.

It shall not be necessary for any Act of Holders under this
Section to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such Act shall approve the substance thereof.

SECTION 903. EXECUTION OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES.

In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 601) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture. The Trustee may, but shall not be

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obligated to, enter into any such supplemental indenture which affects the Trustee's own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.

SECTION 904. EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES.

Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article, this Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith and such supplemental indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes; and every Holder of Securities theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered hereunder shall be bound thereby.

SECTION 905. CONFORMITY WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT.

Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article shall conform to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect.

SECTION 906. REFERENCE IN SECURITIES TO SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES.

Securities of any series authenticated and delivered after the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to this Article may, and shall if required by the Trustee, bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine, new Securities of any series so modified as to conform in the opinion of the Trustee and the Company, to any such supplemental indenture may be prepared and executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for outstanding Securities of such series.

ARTICLE TEN

COVENANTS

SECTION 1001. PAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL, PREMIUM AND INTEREST.

The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of each series of Securities that it will duly and punctually pay the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on the Securities of that series in accordance with the terms of the Securities and this Indenture.

SECTION 1002. MAINTENANCE OF OFFICE OR AGENCY.

The Company will maintain in each Place of Payment for any series of Securities an office or agency where Securities of that series may be presented or surrendered for payment, where Securities of that series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of that series and this Indenture may be served. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and, in such event, the Trustee shall act as the Company's agent to receive such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands.

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The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where the Securities of one or more series may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in each Place of Payment for Securities of any series for such purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.

SECTION 1003. MONEY FOR SECURITIES PAYMENTS TO BE HELD IN TRUST.

If the Company shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent with respect to any series of Securities, it will, on or before each due date of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest, if any, on any of the Securities of that series, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto a sum sufficient to pay the principal (and premium, if any) or interest, if any, so becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided and will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.

Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents for any series of Securities, it will, no later than 10:00 a.m., New York time, on, or, prior to, each due date of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest, if any, on any Securities of that series, deposit with a Paying Agent a sum in immediately available funds sufficient to pay the principal (and premium, if any) or interest so becoming due, such sum to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such principal, premium or interest, and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of its failure so to act.

The Company will cause each Paying Agent for any series of Securities other than the Trustee to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such Paying Agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section, that such Paying Agent will:

(1) hold all sums held by it for the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest, if any, on Securities of that series in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided;

(2) give the Trustee notice of any default by the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities of that series) in the making of any payment of principal (and premium, if any) or interest, if any, on the Securities of that series; and

(3) at any time during the continuance of any such default, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such Paying Agent.

The Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or for any other purpose, pay, or by Company Order direct any Paying Agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in trust by the Company or such Paying Agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the same trusts as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such Paying Agent; and, upon such payment by any Paying Agent to the

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Trustee, such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such money.

The Issuer initially authorizes the Trustee to act as Paying Agent for the Securities on its behalf and as agent of the Issuer where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities and this Indenture may be served. The Issuer may at any time and from time to time authorize one or more Persons to act as Paying Agent or as such agent in addition to or in place of the Trustee with respect to any series of Securities issued under this Indenture.

Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest, if any, on any Security of any series and remaining unclaimed for three years after such principal (and premium, if any) or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on Company Request, or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Security shall thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may at the expense of the Company cause to be published once, in a newspaper published in the English language, customarily published on each Business Day and of general circulation in the City, County and State of New York, notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from the date of such publication, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be repaid to the Company.

SECTION 1004. CORPORATE EXISTENCE.

Subject to Article Eight, the Company will do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence and will use its best efforts to do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its rights (charter and statutory) and franchises; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right or franchise if the Board of Directors shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and that the loss thereof is not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Holders.

SECTION 1005. MAINTENANCE OF PROPERTIES.

The Company will cause all properties used or useful in the conduct of its business or the business of any Subsidiary to be maintained and kept in good condition, repair and working order and supplied with all necessary equipment and will cause to be made all necessary repairs; renewals, replacements, betterments and improvements thereof, all as in the judgment of the company may be necessary so that the business carried on in connection therewith may be properly and advantageously conducted at all times; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that nothing in this Section shall prevent the Company from discontinuing the operation or maintenance of any of such properties if such discontinuance is, in the judgment of the Company, desirable in the conduct of its business or the business of any Subsidiary and not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Holders.

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SECTION 1006. PAYMENT OF TAXES AND OTHER CLAIMS.

The Company will pay or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged, before the same shall become delinquent, (1) all taxes, assessments and governmental charges levied or imposed upon the Company or any Subsidiary or upon the income, profits or property of the Company or any Subsidiary, and (2) all lawful claims for labor, materials and supplies which, if unpaid, might by law become a lien upon the property of the Company or any Subsidiary; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company shall not be required to pay or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged any such tax, assessment, charge or claim whose amount, applicability or validity is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings.

SECTION 1007. STATEMENT BY OFFICERS AS TO DEFAULT.

So long as any of the Securities remain outstanding, the Company will deliver to the Trustee on or before May 15, 2002, and on May 15 in each year thereafter, an Officers' Certificate stating that in the course of the performance by each signer of his or her duties as an officer of the Company he or she would normally have knowledge of any default by the Company in the performance and observance of any of the covenants or conditions contained in this Indenture, stating whether or not such signer has knowledge of any such default and, if so, specifying each such default of which such signer has knowledge and the nature thereof. Such certificate need not include a reference to any non-compliance that has been fully cured prior to the date as of which such certificate speaks.

SECTION 1008. DEFEASANCE OF CERTAIN OBLIGATIONS.

The Company may omit to comply with any term, provision or condition set forth in Sections 801, 1004, 1005 and 1006 with respect to the Securities of any series, provided that the following conditions shall have been satisfied:

(1) The Company has deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited (except as provided in Section 402(c) and the last paragraph of Section 1003) with the Trustee (specifying that each deposit is pursuant to this Section 1008) as trust funds in trust, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of the Securities of such series, (i) money in the currency or units of currency in which such Securities are payable in an amount, or
(ii) (except as provided in a supplemental indenture with respect to such series) if Securities of such series are not subject to repurchase at the option of Holders, (A) U.S. Government Obligations (denominated in the same currency or units of currency in which such Securities are payable) which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide not later than one day before the due date of any payment referred to in clause (x) or (y) of this subparagraph (1) money in an amount, or (B) a combination thereof, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge
(x) the principal of (and premium, if any) and each installment of principal (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on the Outstanding Securities of such series on the Stated Maturity of such principal or installment of principal or interest or to and including the Redemption Date irrevocably designated by the Company pursuant to

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subparagraph (4) of this Section and (y) any mandatory sinking fund payments applicable to the Securities of such series on the day on which payments are due and payable in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and of the Securities of such series;

(2) No Event of Default or event which with notice or lapse of time would become an Event of Default (including by reason of such deposit) with respect to the Securities of such series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit;

(3) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect (i) that Holders of the Securities of such series will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit and defeasance of certain obligations; (ii) that such provision would not cause any outstanding Securities of such series then listed on any national securities exchange to be delisted as a result thereof; and (iii) that the defeasance trust is not, or is registered as, an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940; and

(4) If the Company has deposited or caused to be deposited money or U.S. Government Obligations to pay or discharge the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on the Outstanding Securities of a series to and including a Redemption Date on which all of the Outstanding Securities of such series are to be redeemed, such Redemption Date shall be irrevocably designated by a Board Resolution delivered to the Trustee on or prior to the date of deposit of such money or U.S. Government obligations, and such Board Resolution shall be accompanied by an irrevocable Company Request that the Trustee give notice of such redemption in the name and at the expense of the Company not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to such Redemption Date in accordance with Section 1104.

SECTION 1009. WAIVER OF CERTAIN COVENANTS.

The Company may omit in any particular instance to comply with any term, provision or condition set forth in Section 1004 with respect to the Securities of any series if before the time for such compliance the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series shall, by Act of such Holders, either waive such compliance in such instance or generally waive compliance with such term, provision or condition but no such waiver shall extend to or affect such term, provision or condition except to the extent so expressly waived and until such waiver shall become effective, the obligations of the Company and the duties of the Trustee in respect of any such term, provision or condition shall remain in full force and effect.

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ARTICLE ELEVEN

REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES

SECTION 1101. APPLICABILITY OF ARTICLE.

Securities of any series which are redeemable before their Stated Maturity shall be redeemable in accordance with their terms and (except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of any series) in accordance with this Article.

SECTION 1102. ELECTION TO REDEEM; NOTICE TO TRUSTEE.

The election of the Company to redeem any Securities shall be evidenced by an Officers' Certificate. In case of any redemption at the election of the Company of less than all the Securities of any series, the Company shall, at least 60 days prior to the Redemption Date fixed by the Company (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), notify the Trustee of such Redemption Date and of the principal amount of Securities of such series to be redeemed, such notice to be accompanied by a written statement signed by an authorized officer of the Company stating that no defaults in the payment of interest or Events of Default with respect to the Securities of that series have occurred (which have not been waived or cured) in the case of any redemption of Securities prior to the expiration of any restriction on such redemption provided in the terms of such Securities or elsewhere in this Indenture, the Company shall furnish the Trustee with an Officers' Certificate evidencing compliance with such restriction.

SECTION 1103. SELECTION BY TRUSTEE OF SECURITIES TO BE REDEEMED.

If less than all the Securities of any series are to be redeemed, the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee, from the Outstanding Securities of such series not previously called for redemption, by such method as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate and which may provide for the selection for redemption of portions (equal to the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of that series or any integral multiple thereof) of the principal amount of Securities of such series of a denomination larger than the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of that series.

Securities shall be excluded from eligibility for selection for redemption if they are identified by registration and certificate number in a written statement signed by an authorized officer of the Company and delivered to the Security Registrar at least 60 days prior to the Redemption Date as being owned of record and beneficially by, and not pledged or hypothecated by either
(a) the Company or (b) an entity specifically identified in such written statement which is an Affiliate of the Company.

The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any securities selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.

51

For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to the redemption of Securities shall relate, in the case of any Securities redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the principal amount of such Securities which has been or is to be redeemed.

SECTION 1104. NOTICE OF REDEMPTION.

Notice of redemption shall be given by first-class mail, postage prepaid, mailed not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date, to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed, at his address appearing in the Security Register.

All notices of redemption shall state:

(1) the Redemption Date,

(2) the Redemption Price,

(3) if less than all the Outstanding Securities of any series are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in the case of partial redemption, the principal amounts) of the particular Security to be redeemed,

(4) that on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price will become due and payable, upon each such Security to be redeemed and, if applicable, that interest thereon will cease to accrue on and after said date,

(5) the place or places where such Securities are to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price, and

(6) that the redemption is for a sinking fund, if such is the case.

Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed at the election of the Company shall be given by the Company or, at the Company's request, by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company.

SECTION 1105. DEPOSIT OF REDEMPTION PRICE.

On, in the case of same day funds, or in all other cases at least one Business Day prior to any Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit or cause to be deposited with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent (or, if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 1003) an amount of money sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of, and (except if the Redemption Date shall be an Interest Payment Date) accrued interest on, all the Securities which are to be redeemed on that date (to the extent that such amounts are not already on deposit at such time in accordance with the provisions of Section 401, 403 or 1008).

52

SECTION 1106. SECURITIES PAYABLE ON REDEMPTION DATE.

Notice of redemption having been given as aforesaid, the Securities so to be redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the Redemption Price therein specified, and from and after such date (unless the Company shall default in the payment of the Redemption Price and accrued and unpaid interest) such Securities shall cease to bear interest upon surrender of any such Security for redemption in accordance with said notice, such Security shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price, together with accrued and unpaid interest to the Redemption Date; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that installments of interest whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date shall be payable to the Holders of such Securities or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such at the close of business on the relevant Record Dates according to their terms and the provisions of Section 307.

If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender thereof for redemption, the principal (and premium, if any) shall, until paid, bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate prescribed therefor in the Security.

SECTION 1107. SECURITIES REDEEMED IN PART.

Any Security (including any Global Security) which is to be redeemed only in part shall be surrendered at a Place of Payment therefor (with, if the Company or the Trustee so requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee duly executed by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing), and the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall deliver to the Holder of such Security without service charge, a new Security or Securities of the same series of any authorized denomination as requested by such Holder, in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so surrendered; PROVIDED, that if the Security to be redeemed is a Global Security, the new Security shall be in a denomination equal to the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Global Security so surrendered.

ARTICLE TWELVE

SINKING FUNDS

SECTION 1201. APPLICABILITY OF ARTICLE.

The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of Securities of a series except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of such series.

The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as a "mandatory sinking fund payment," and any payment in excess of such minimum amount provided for by the terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as an "optional sinking fund payment." If provided for by the terms of Securities of any series, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction, as provided in Section 1202. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of any series as provided for by the terms of Securities of such series.

53

SECTION 1202. SATISFACTION OF SINKING FUND PAYMENTS WITH SECURITIES.

In lieu of making all or any part of any mandatory sinking fund payment with respect to any series of Securities in cash, the Company may at its option (a) deliver to the Trustee Securities of such series theretofore purchased or otherwise acquired (except upon redemption pursuant to the mandatory sinking fund) by the Company or receive credit for Securities of such series (not previously so credited) theretofore purchased or otherwise acquired (except as aforesaid) by the Company and delivered to the Trustee for cancellation pursuant to Section 309, (b) receive credit for optional sinking fund payments (not previously so credited) made pursuant to this Section, or (c) receive credit for Securities of such series (not previously so credited) redeemed by the Company through any optional redemption provision contained in the terms of such series. Securities so delivered or credited shall be received or credited by the Trustee at the sinking fund Redemption Price specified in such Securities.

SECTION 1203. REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES FOR SINKING FUND.

Not less than 60 days prior to each sinking fund payment date for any series of Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate specifying (a) the amount of the next ensuing sinking fund payment for that series pursuant to the terms of that series, (b) whether or not the Company intends to exercise its right, if any, to make an optional sinking fund payment with respect to such series an the next ensuing sinking fund payment date and, if so, the amount of such optional sinking fund payment, and
(c) the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by payment of cash and the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting Securities of that series pursuant to Section 1202, and will also deliver to the Trustee any securities to be to delivered. Such written statement shall be irrevocable and upon its receipt by the Trustee the Company shall become unconditionally obligated to make all the cash payments or payments therein referred to, if any, on or before the next succeeding sinking fund payment date. Failure of the Company, on or before any such 60th day, to deliver such written statement and Securities specified in this paragraph, if any, shall not constitute a default but shall constitute, on and as of such date, the irrevocable election of the Company (i) that the mandatory sinking fund payment for such series due on the next succeeding sinking fund payment date shall be paid entirely in cash without the option to deliver or credit Securities of such series in respect therefor and (ii) that the Company will make no optional sinking fund payment with respect to such series as provided in this Section.

Not less than 30 days before each such sinking fund payment date the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date in the manner specified in Section 1103 and cause notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in Section 1104. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Sections 1105, 1106 and 1107.

The Trustee shall not redeem or cause to be redeemed any Security of a series with sinking fund moneys or mail any notice of redemption of Securities of such series by operation of the sinking fund during the continuance of a default in payment of interest with respect to Securities of that series at an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that series except that, where the mailing of notice of redemption of any Securities shall theretofore

54

have been made, the Trustee shall redeem or cause to be redeemed such Securities provided that it shall have received from the Company a sum sufficient for such redemption. Except as aforesaid, any moneys in the sinking fund for such series at the time when any such default or Event of Default shall occur, and any moneys thereafter paid into the sinking fund, shall, during the continuance of such default or Event of Default be deemed to have been collected under Article Five and held for the payment of all such Securities. In case such Event of Default shall have been waived as provided in Section 513 or the default or Event of Default cured on or before the 60th day preceding the sinking fund payment date, such moneys shall thereafter be applied on the next succeeding sinking fund payment date in accordance with this Section to the redemption of such securities.

* * * *

This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.

55

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.

UTILICORP UNITED INC.

By:  /s/ Dale. J Wolf
   ----------------------------
   Name:     Dale J. Wolf
   Title:    Vice President

BANK ONE TRUST COMPANY, N.A.,
as Trustee

By:  /s/ Joe Morand
   ----------------------------
   Name:     Joe Morand
   Title:    Director

56

EXHIBIT 5

LEGAL OPINION

Opinion of Leslie J. Parrette, Jr.

August 13, 2001

UtiliCorp United Inc.
20 West 9th Street
Kansas City, Missouri 64105

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I have acted as counsel to UtiliCorp United Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company") in connection with its filing of a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (the "Registration Statement") with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), for the purpose of registering the following securities to be offered from time to time by the Company on the terms to be determined at the time of the offering: (i) Common Stock, par value $1.00, of the Company (the "Common Stock"); and (ii) Senior Notes of the Company (the "Senior Notes").

I am familiar with the proceedings to date with respect to such proposed sale and have examined such records, documents and matters of law and satisfied myself as to such matters of fact as I have considered relevant for the purposes of this opinion.

On the basis of such examination, I am of the opinion that, when the Registration Statement, as it may be amended, has become effective under the Securities Act and any applicable state securities or Blue Sky laws has been complied with:

1. The Common Stock, which has been duly authorized, will be validly issued, fully paid, and nonassessable at such time as: (i) the terms of the issuance and sale of the Common Stock have been duly authorized by appropriate action of the Company; and (ii) the Common Stock has been duly issued and sold as contemplated by the Registration Statement and any prospectus supplement relating thereto.

2. The Senior Notes will be valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors' rights and to general equity principles at such time as:
(i) the terms of the Senior Notes and of their issuance and sale have been approved by appropriate action of the Company; (ii) the Senior Notes have been duly executed, authenticated and delivered in accordance with the applicable indenture or supplemental indenture; and (iii) the Senior Notes have been duly issued and sold as contemplated by the Registration Statement and any prospectus supplement relating thereto and the applicable indenture or supplemental indenture.

I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5 to the Registration Statement.

Very truly yours,

/s/ LESLIE J. PARRETTE, JR.
---------------------------
Leslie J. Parrette, Jr.
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
UtiliCorp United Inc.


RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
(DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS)

INTEREST COVERAGE RATIOS

                                12 MONTHS
                                  ENDED                                   YEARS ENDED DEC 31,
                                30-JUN-01        2000           1999           1998           1997           1996
                                ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Income from continuing
  operations before
  provision for income
  taxes ...................     $ 600,738      $ 325,003      $ 228,746      $ 218,882      $ 223,800      $ 186,460

Equity in Earnings of
  subsidiaries and
  partnerships ............     $(164,600)     $(159,500)     $ (69,500)     $(125,100)     $ (68,800)     $(108,700)

Dividends and fees from
  investments and
  partnerships ............     $  84,900      $  74,400      $  33,900      $  48,900      $  36,000      $  42,700

Minority Interests ........     $  11,700      $   1,400      $  11,400      $   5,600      $   6,500      $   8,000

Income from continuing
  operations before
  provision for income
  taxes ...................     $ 532,738      $ 241,303      $ 204,546      $ 148,282      $ 197,500      $ 128,460

Add:
     Interest on
       long-term debt .....     $ 209,182      $ 197,102        175,960        120,275        124,357        126,933

     Interest on
       short-term debt
       and other ..........     $  19,681      $  17,932          9,320         12,260         10,879         18,151

     Portion of rents
       representative of
       the interest factor      $  13,732      $  13,937         14,028         14,905         18,395         16,910
                                ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Income as adjusted ........     $ 775,333      $ 470,274      $ 403,854      $ 295,722      $ 351,131      $ 290,454
                                ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fixed Charges

     Interest on long-term
       debt ...............     $ 209,182      $ 197,102      $ 175,960      $ 120,275      $ 124,357      $ 126,933

     Interest on short-term
       debt ...............        19,681         17,932          9,320         12,260         10,879         18,151

     Portion of rents
       representative of
       the interest factor         13,732         13,937         14,028         14,905         18,395         16,910
                                ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Pre-tax Preference
       Stock Dividend
       Requirements .......             0              0              0              0            570          2,100
                                ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fixed Charges .............     $ 242,595      $ 228,971      $ 199,308      $ 147,440      $ 153,631      $ 161,994
                                ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                ====================================================================================
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO
  FIXED CHARGES ...........          3.20           2.05           2.03           2.01           2.29           1.79
                                ====================================================================================


EXHIBIT 23(a)

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS

Board of Directors
UtiliCorp United Inc.

As independent public accountants, we hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement (Form S-3) to register 15,000,000 UtiliCorp United Inc. common shares and $500,000,000 UtiliCorp United Inc. senior notes, of our report dated February 5, 2001, included in UtiliCorp United Inc.'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000, and to all references to our Firm included in this Registration Statement.

/s/ ARTHUR ANDERSEN LLP
-----------------------
Arthur Andersen LLP
Kansas City, Missouri
August 24, 2001


SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM T-1

STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY
UNDER THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939
OF A CORPORATION DESIGNATED TO ACT AS TRUSTEE

CHECK IF AN APPLICATION TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY
OF A TRUSTEE PURSUANT TO SECTION 305(B)(2)


BANK ONE TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
(EXACT NAME OF TRUSTEE AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)

A NATIONAL BANKING ASSOCIATION                                  31-0838515
                                                             (I.R.S. EMPLOYER
                                                          IDENTIFICATION NUMBER)

100 EAST BROAD STREET, COLUMBUS, OHIO                           43271-0181
(ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES)                        (ZIP CODE)

                          BANK ONE TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
                                1 BANK ONE PLAZA
                             CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60670

ATTN: SANDRA L. CARUBA, FIRST VICE PRESIDENT AND COUNSEL, (312) 336-9436
(NAME, ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE NUMBER OF AGENT FOR SERVICE)


UTILICORP UNITED INC.
(EXACT NAME OF OBLIGOR AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)

DELAWARE                                                        44-0541877
(STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF                              (I.R.S. EMPLOYER
INCORPORATION OR ORGANIZATION)                            IDENTIFICATION NUMBER)

20 WEST NINTH STREET                                            64105-1711
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI                                           (ZIP CODE)
(ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES)


                                  SENIOR NOTES
                         (TITLE OF INDENTURE SECURITIES)

ITEM 1. GENERAL INFORMATION. FURNISH THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION AS TO THE TRUSTEE:

(a) NAME AND ADDRESS OF EACH EXAMINING OR SUPERVISING AUTHORITY TO WHICH IT IS SUBJECT.

Comptroller of Currency, Washington, D.C.; Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation,


Washington, D.C.; The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Washington D.C.

(b) WHETHER IT IS AUTHORIZED TO EXERCISE CORPORATE TRUST POWERS.

The trustee is authorized to exercise corporate trust powers.

ITEM 2. AFFILIATIONS WITH THE OBLIGOR. IF THE OBLIGOR IS AN AFFILIATE OF THE TRUSTEE, DESCRIBE EACH

SUCH AFFILIATION.

No such affiliation exists with the trustee.

ITEM 16. LIST OF EXHIBITS. LIST BELOW ALL EXHIBITS FILED AS A PART
OF THIS STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY.

1. A copy of the articles of association of the trustee now in effect.*

2. A copy of the certificate of authority of the trustee to commence business.*

3. A copy of the authorization of the trustee to exercise corporate trust powers.*

4. A copy of the existing by-laws of the trustee.*

5. Not Applicable.

6. The consent of the trustee required by
Section 321(b) of the Act.


7. A copy of the latest report of condition of the trustee published pursuant to law or the requirements of its supervising or examining authority.

8. Not Applicable.

9. Not Applicable.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, the trustee, Bank One Trust Company, National Association, a national banking association organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, has duly caused this Statement of Eligibility to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, all in the City of Chicago and State of Illinois, on the 10th day of August, 2001.

BANK ONE TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
TRUSTEE

BY /s/ SANDRA L. CARUBA
   SANDRA L. CARUBA
   VICE PRESIDENT

* Exhibits 1, 2, 3, and 4 are herein incorporated by reference to Exhibits bearing identical numbers in Item 16 of the Form T-1 of Bank One Trust Company, National Association, filed as Exhibit 25 to the Registration Statement on Form S-3 of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 10, 2000 (Registration No. 333-36718).


EXHIBIT 6

THE CONSENT OF THE TRUSTEE REQUIRED
BY SECTION 321(b) OF THE ACT

August 10, 2001

Securities and Exchange Commission
Washington, D.C. 20549

Ladies and Gentlemen:

In connection with the qualification of an indenture between Utilicorp United Inc. and Bank One Trust Company, National Association, as Trustee, the undersigned, in accordance with Section 321(b) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, hereby consents that the reports of examinations of the undersigned, made by Federal or State authorities authorized to make such examinations, may be furnished by such authorities to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon its request therefor.

Very truly yours,

BANK ONE TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

BY: /s/ SANDRA L. CARUBA
        SANDRA L. CARUBA
        VICE PRESIDENT


EXHIBIT 7

Legal Title of Bank:     Bank One Trust Company, N.A.     Call Date: 3/31/01    State #: 391581     FFIEC 041
Address:                 100 Broad Street                 Vendor ID: D          Cert #: 21377       Page RC-1
City, State Zip:         Columbus, OH 43271               Transit #: 04400003

CONSOLIDATED REPORT OF CONDITION FOR INSURED COMMERCIAL AND STATE-CHARTERED SAVINGS BANKS FOR MARCH 31, 2001

All schedules are to be reported in thousands of dollars. Unless otherwise indicated, report the amount outstanding of the last business day of the quarter.

SCHEDULE RC--BALANCE SHEET

                                                                                DOLLAR AMOUNTS IN THOUSANDS      C300
                                                                                                                 ----
                                                                                RCON          BIL MIL THOU
                                                                                ----          ------------
ASSETS
1.  Cash and balances due from depository institutions (from Schedule
    RC-A):                                                                      RCON
                                                                                ----
    a. Noninterest-bearing balances and currency and coin(1)..............      0081              57,409          1.a
    b. Interest-bearing balances(2).......................................      0071                   0          1.b
2.  Securities
    a. Held-to-maturity securities(from Schedule RC-B, column A)..........      1754                   0          2.a
    b. Available-for-sale securities (from Schedule RC-B, column D).......      1773               1,922          2.b
3.  Federal funds sold and securities purchased under agreements to
    resell                                                                      1350             771,209          3.
4.  Loans and lease financing receivables:   (from Schedule RC-C):              RCON
                                                                                ----
    a. Loans and leases held for sale.....................................      5369                   0          4.a
    b. Loans and leases, net of unearned income...........................      B528              84,428          4.b
    c. LESS: Allowance for loan and lease losses..........................      3123                 387          4.c
    d. Loans and leases, net of unearned income and allowance
       (item 4.b minus 4.c)...............................................      B529              84,041          4.d
5.  Trading assets (from Schedule RC-D)...................................      3545                   0          5.
6.  Premises and fixed assets (including capitalized leases)..............      2145              21,125          6.
7.  Other real estate owned (from Schedule RC-M)..........................      2150                   0          7.
8.  Investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries and associated
    companies (from Schedule RC-M)........................................      2130                   0          8.
9.  Customers' liability to this bank on acceptances outstanding                2155                   0          9.
10. Intangible assets.....................................................
    a. Goodwill...........................................................      3163                   0         10.a
    b. Other intangible assets (from Schedule RC-M).......................      0426              12,971         10.b
11. Other assets (from Schedule RC-F).....................................      2160             317,034         11.
12. Total assets (sum of items 1 through 11)..............................      2170           1,265,711         12.


(1) Includes cash items in process of collection and unposted debits.
(2) Includes time certificates of deposit not held for trading.


Legal Title of Bank:     Bank One Trust Company, N.A.     Call Date: 3/31/01    State #: 391581     FFIEC 041
Address:                 100 Broad Street                 Vendor ID: D          Cert #: 21377       Page RC-2
City, State Zip:         Columbus, OH 43271               Transit #: 04400003

SCHEDULE RC-CONTINUED

                                                                                              DOLLAR AMOUNTS IN
                                                                                              THOUSANDS
                                                                                              -----------------
LIABILITIES
13. Deposits:
    a. In domestic offices (sum of totals of columns A and C                    RCON
                                                                                ----
       from Schedule RC-E) ...............................................      2200             995,556         13.a
       (1) Noninterest-bearing(1).........................................      6631             558,282         13.a1
       (2) Interest-bearing...............................................      6636             437,274         13.a2
    b. Not applicable
14. Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements
    to repurchase.........................................................      RCFD 2800              0         14.
15. Trading Liabilities(from Sechedule RC-D)..............................      RCFD 3548              0         15.
16. Other borrowed money (includes mortgage indebtedness and
    obligations under capitalized leases) (from Schedule RC-M)............      3190                   0         16.
17. Not applicable
18. Bank's liability on acceptances executed and outstanding..............      2920                   0         18.
19. Subordinated notes and debentures (2).................................      3200                   0         19.
20. Other liabilities (from Schedule RC-G)................................      2930             125,576         20.
21. Total liabilities (sum of items 13 through 20)........................      2948           1,121,132         21.
22. Minority interest in consolidated subsidiaries........................      3000                   0         22.
EQUITY CAPITAL
23. Perpetual preferred stock and related surplus.........................      3838                   0         23.
24. Common stock..........................................................      3230                 800         24.
25. Surplus (exclude all surplus related to preferred stock)..............      3839              45,157         25.
26. a. Retained earnings..................................................      3632              98,597         26.a
    b. Accumulated other comprehensive income (3).........................      B530                  25         26.b
27. Other equity capital components (4)...................................      A130                   0         27.
28. Total equity capital (sum of items 23 through 27)                           3210             144,579         28.
29. Total liabilities, minority interest, and equity
    capital (sum of items 21, 22, and 28).................................      3300           1,265,711         29.

Memorandum
To be reported only with the March Report of Condition.
1.  Indicate in the box at the right the number of the statement below
    that best describes the most comprehensive level of auditing work
    performed for the bank by independent external auditors as of any                                          Number
    date during 1996 ..................................RCFD 6724..........      N/A                            M.1.

1 =  Independent audit of the bank conducted in accordance         4 =  Directors' examination of the bank performed by other
     with generally accepted auditing standards by a certified          external auditors (may be required by state chartering
     public accounting firm which submits a report on the bank          authority)
2 =  Independent audit of the bank's parent holding company        5 =  Review of the bank's financial statements by external
     conducted in accordance with generally accepted auditing           auditors
     standards by a certified public accounting firm which         6 =  Compilation of the bank's financial statements by external
     submits a report on the consolidated holding company               auditors
     (but not on the bank separately)                              7 =  Other audit procedures (excluding tax preparation work)
3 =  Directors' examination of the bank conducted in               8 =  No external audit work
     accordance with generally accepted auditing standards
     by a certified public accounting firm (may be required
     by state chartering authority)


(1) Includes total demand deposits and noninterest-bearing time and savings deposits.