UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report:
February 26, 2008
(Date of earliest event reported)
PG&E CORPORATION
(Exact Name of Registrant as specified in Charter)
         
California   1-12609   94-3234914
         
(State or other
jurisdiction of
incorporation)
  (Commission File Number)   (IRS Employer
Identification No.)
     
One Market, Spear Tower, Suite 2400, San Francisco, CA   94105
     
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip code)
415-267-7000
 
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
N/A
 
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY
(Exact Name of Registrant as specified in Charter)
         
California   1-2348   94-0742640
         
(State or other
jurisdiction of
incorporation)
  (Commission File Number)   (IRS Employer
Identification No.)
     
77 Beale Street, P. O. Box 770000, San Francisco, California   94177
     
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip code)
(415) 973-7000
 
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
N/A
 
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
o   Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
o   Soliciting Material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
o   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
o   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
 
 

 


 

Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
     On February 26, 2008, Leslie S. Biller, a member of the Boards of Directors of PG&E Corporation and its subsidiary, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (Utility), provided notice that he will be retiring from his position as a director by not standing for re-election as a director at PG&E Corporation’s and the Utility’s joint annual meeting of shareholders to be held on May 14, 2008. In providing notice, Mr. Biller cited his desire to devote more time to other business and philanthropic activities.
     Mr. Biller has been a director of PG&E Corporation and the Utility since February 2004, and was an advisory director of both companies from January 2003 to February 2004. He is currently a member of the Finance Committee and the Public Policy Committee of the PG&E Corporation Board of Directors.
Item 8.01. Other Events.
     On March 3, 2008, Pacific Gas and Electric Company completed its sale of $200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 5.625% Senior Notes due November 30, 2017 and $400,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 6.35% Senior Notes due February 15, 2038. For further information concerning the notes, refer to the exhibits attached to this report.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits
Exhibits.
     
Exhibit No.   Description
 
   
1.1
  Underwriting Agreement, dated February 26, 2008 in connection with the Utility’s offering of $200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 5.625% Senior Notes due November 30, 2017 and $400,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 6.35% Senior Notes due February 15, 2038.
 
   
4.1
  Third Supplemental Indenture dated as of March 3, 2008 relating to the Utility’s issuance of $200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 5.625% Senior Notes due November 30, 2017 and $400,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 6.35% Senior Notes due February 15, 2038.
 
   
4.2
  Specimen of 5.625% Senior Note due November 30, 2017 (included as Exhibit A to Third Supplemental Indenture filed as Exhibit 4.1).
 
   
4.3
  Specimen of 6.35% Senior Note due February 15, 2038 (included as Exhibit B to Third Supplemental Indenture filed as Exhibit 4.1).
 
   
5.1
  Opinion of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP regarding the legality of the Senior Notes.

 


 

SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrants have duly caused this report to be signed on their behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
         
  PG&E CORPORATION
 
 
  By:   /s/ Linda Y.H. Cheng    
    Linda Y.H. Cheng   
Dated: March 3, 2008    Vice President, Corporate Governance and Corporate Secretary   
 
  PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY
 
 
  By:   /s/ Linda Y.H. Cheng    
    Linda Y.H. Cheng   
Dated: March 3, 2008    Vice President, Corporate Governance and Corporate Secretary   

 


 

Exhibit Index
     
Exhibit No.   Description
 
   
1.1
  Underwriting Agreement, dated February 26, 2008 in connection with the Utility’s offering of $200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 5.625% Senior Notes due November 30, 2017 and $400,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 6.35% Senior Notes due February 15, 2038.
 
   
4.1
  Third Supplemental Indenture dated as of March 3, 2008 relating to the Utility’s issuance of $200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 5.625% Senior Notes due November 30, 2017 and $400,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 6.35% Senior Notes due February 15, 2038.
 
   
4.2
  Specimen of 5.625% Senior Note due November 30, 2017 (included as Exhibit A to Third Supplemental Indenture filed as Exhibit 4.1).
 
   
4.3
  Specimen of 6.35% Senior Note due February 15, 2038 (included as Exhibit B to Third Supplemental Indenture filed as Exhibit 4.1).
 
   
5.1
  Opinion of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP regarding the legality of the Senior Notes.
 

         
Exhibit 1.1
Execution Copy
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
$200,000,000 Aggregate Principal Amount
5.625% Senior Notes due November 30, 2017
and
$400,000,000 Aggregate Principal Amount
of 6.35% Senior Notes Due February 15, 2038
Underwriting Agreement
New York, New York
February 26, 2008
To   the Representatives named in
Schedules I-A and I-B hereto of the several
Underwriters named in Schedule
II hereto
Ladies and Gentlemen:
          Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a corporation organized under the laws of California (the “Company”), proposes to sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule II hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you (the “Representatives”) are acting as representatives, $200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 5.625% Senior Notes due November 30, 2017 (the “2017 Senior Notes”) having the terms set forth in Schedule I-A hereto, and $400,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 6.35% senior notes due February 15, 2038 (the “2038 Senior Notes” and together with the 2017 Senior Notes, the “Securities”) having the terms set forth in Schedule I-B hereto, to be issued under an indenture, amended and restated as of April 22, 2005 (the “Base Indenture”) and, with respect to the 2017 Senior Notes, supplemented by a supplemental indenture, dated as of December 4, 2007 (the “Second Supplemental Indenture”) and, with respect to the 2038 Senior Notes, supplemented by a supplemental indenture, to be dated as of March 3, 2008 (the “Third Supplemental Indenture” and together with the Second Supplemental Indenture and the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”), between the Company and The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., as trustee (the “Trustee”). To the extent there are no additional Underwriters listed on Schedules I-A and I-B other than you, the term Representatives as used herein shall mean you, as Underwriters, and the terms Representatives and Underwriters shall mean either the singular or plural as the context requires. Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 which were filed under the Exchange Act on or before the Effective Date of the Registration Statement or the issue date of the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, as the case may be, and any reference herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the Effective Date of the Registration Statement or the issue date of the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or

 


 

the Final Prospectus, as the case may be, deemed to be incorporated therein by reference. Certain terms used herein are defined in Section 20 hereof.
          1.  Representations and Warranties . The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each Underwriter as set forth below in this Section 1.
     (a) The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Act and has prepared and filed with the Commission an automatic shelf registration statement, as defined in Rule 405 (the file number of which is set forth in Schedules I-A and I-B hereto) on Form S-3, including a related Base Prospectus, for registration under the Act of the offering and sale of the Securities. Such Registration Statement, including any amendments thereto filed prior to the Execution Time, became effective upon filing. The Company may have filed with the Commission, as part of an amendment to the Registration Statement or pursuant to Rule 424(b), one or more preliminary prospectus supplements relating to the Securities, each of which has previously been furnished to you. The Company will file with the Commission a final prospectus supplement relating to the Securities in accordance with Rule 424(b). As filed, such final prospectus supplement shall contain all information required by the Act and the rules thereunder, and, except to the extent the Representatives shall agree in writing to a modification, shall be in all substantive respects in the form furnished to you prior to the Execution Time or, to the extent not completed at the Execution Time, shall contain only such specific additional information and other changes (beyond that contained in the Base Prospectus and any Preliminary Prospectus) as the Company has advised you, prior to the Execution Time, will be included or made therein. The Registration Statement, at the Execution Time, meets the requirements set forth in Rule 415(a)(1)(x). The Company agrees to pay the fees required by the Commission relating to the Securities within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r).
     (b) On each Effective Date, the Registration Statement did, and when the Final Prospectus is first filed in accordance with Rule 424(b) and on the Closing Date (as defined herein), the Final Prospectus (and any supplement thereto) will, comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act, the Exchange Act and the Trust Indenture Act and the respective rules thereunder; on each Effective Date and at the Execution Time, the Registration Statement did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; on the Effective Date and on the Closing Date the Indenture did or will comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Trust Indenture Act and the rules thereunder; and on the date of any filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) and on the Closing Date, the Final Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto) will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided , however , that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to (i) that part of the Registration Statement which shall constitute the Statement of Eligibility and Qualification (Form T-1) under the Trust Indenture Act of the Trustee or (ii) the information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or the Final

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Prospectus (or any supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement or the Final Prospectus (or any supplement thereto), it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8 hereof.
     (c) As of the Execution Time and the Closing Date, (i) the Disclosure Package and (ii) each electronic road show, if any, when taken together as a whole with the Disclosure Package, did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Disclosure Package based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8 hereof.
     (d) (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, (ii) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Sections 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), (iii) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c)) made any offer relating to the Securities in reliance on the exemption in Rule 163, and (iv) at the Execution Time (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (iv)), the Company was or is (as the case may be) a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405.
     (e) (i) At the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2)) of the Securities and (ii) as of the Execution Time (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (ii)), the Company was not and is not an Ineligible Issuer (as defined in Rule 405), without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an Ineligible Issuer.
     (f) Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the final term sheets prepared and filed pursuant to Section 5(b) hereto did not, as of its issue date, and does not include any information that conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement, including any document incorporated therein by reference and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8 hereof.

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     (g) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of California, with full corporate power and authority to own or lease, as the case may be, and to operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction which requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”).
     (h) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
     (i) The Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company; and the Base Indenture has been, and at the Closing Date the Supplemental Indenture will have been, duly executed and delivered by the Company; and the Base Indenture constitutes and, at the Closing Date, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the Trustee, the Supplemental Indenture will constitute, a valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement thereof may be limited by laws and principles of equity affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights, including, without limitation, bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency arrangement, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium, receivership, assignment for the benefit of creditors laws; and the Base Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act.
     (j) The issuance and sale by the Company of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action; and, when issued, authenticated and delivered to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement against payment of the consideration therefor specified herein, the Securities will be valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as enforcement thereof may be limited by laws or principles of equity affecting creditors’ rights, including, without limitation, bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, arrangement, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium, receivership, assignment for the benefit of creditors laws, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
     (k) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, will not be an “investment company” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) or a company “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the 1940 Act.
     (l) No consent, approval, authorization, filing with or order of any court or governmental agency or body is required in connection with the transactions contemplated herein, except such as have been obtained from the California Public Utilities Commission (the “CPUC”), under the Act, under the Trust Indenture Act or

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otherwise and such as may be required under the blue sky laws of any jurisdiction in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters in the manner contemplated herein and in the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus.
     (m) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations which, individually or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would have a Material Adverse Effect, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement, Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).
     (n) None of the issue and sale of the Securities, the consummation of any other of the transactions herein contemplated or the performance by the Company of any of its obligations set forth herein will conflict with or result in, a breach or violation of: (i) the charter, bylaws or comparable constituent documents of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (ii) the terms of any indenture, contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan agreement or other agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or bound or to which its or their property is subject, or (iii) any statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of its or their properties, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for such conflicts, breaches or violations which could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
     (o) The consolidated historical financial statements and schedules of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Final Prospectus and the Registration Statement present fairly in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates and for the periods indicated, comply as to form with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved (except as otherwise noted therein).
     (p) No action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries or its or their property is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened that (i) would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the performance of this Agreement or the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated hereby or (ii) would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).

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     (q) Deloitte & Touche LLP, who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and delivered their report with respect to the audited consolidated financial statements and schedules included in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company within the meaning of the Act and the applicable published rules and regulations thereunder and of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
     (r) Except as set forth or contemplated in the Registration Statement, Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto), neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (i) in violation of any statute, any rule, regulation, decision or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic or foreign, relating to the use, disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or relating to the protection or restoration of the environment or human exposure to hazardous or toxic substances (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (ii) owns or operates any real property contaminated with any substance that is subject to any Environmental Laws, (iii) is liable for any off-site disposal or contamination pursuant to any Environmental Laws, or (iv) is subject to any claim relating to any Environmental Laws, which violation, contamination, liability or claim could, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and there is no investigation pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against it or its subsidiaries, that could reasonably be expected to lead to the making of such a claim.
     (s) The Company does not have any significant subsidiaries as defined by Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X.
     (t) The CPUC has authorized the issuance and sale by the Company of the Securities, and such authorization is in full force and effect and sufficient for the issuance and sale of the Securities to the Underwriters.
          Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.
          2.  Purchase and Sale . Subject to the terms and conditions and in reliance upon the representations and warranties herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at the purchase price set forth in Schedules I-A and I-B, as applicable, hereto the principal amount of the Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name in Schedule II hereto.
          3. Delivery and Payment . Delivery of and payment for the Securities shall be made on the date and at the time specified in Schedules I-A and I-B hereto or at such time on such later date not more than three Business Days after the foregoing date as the Representatives shall designate, which date and time may be postponed by agreement between the Representatives and the Company or as provided in Section 9 hereof (such date and time of delivery and payment for the Securities being herein called the “Closing Date”). Delivery of the

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Securities shall be made to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters against payment by the several Underwriters through the Representatives of the purchase price thereof to or upon the order of the Company by wire transfer payable in same-day funds to an account specified by the Company. Delivery of the Securities shall be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct.
          4.  Offering by Underwriters . It is understood that the several Underwriters propose to offer the Securities for sale to the public as set forth in the Final Prospectus.
          5.  Agreements . The Company agrees with the several Underwriters that:
     (a) Prior to the termination of the offering of the Securities, the Company will not file any amendment of the Registration Statement or supplement (including the Final Prospectus or any Preliminary Prospectus) to the Base Prospectus unless the Company has furnished you a copy for your review prior to filing and will not file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which you reasonably object. The Company will cause the Final Prospectus, properly completed, and any supplement thereto to be filed in a form approved by the Representatives with the Commission pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) within the time period prescribed and will provide evidence satisfactory to the Representatives of such timely filing. The Company will promptly advise the Representatives (i) when the Final Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, shall have been filed (if required) with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), (ii) when, prior to termination of the offering of the Securities, any amendment to the Registration Statement shall have been filed or become effective, (iii) of any request by the Commission or its staff for any amendment of the Registration Statement, or for any supplement to the Final Prospectus or for any additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any notice objecting to its use, any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for the purpose of suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, and (v) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for sale in any jurisdiction or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to prevent (i) the issuance of such stop order or other order referred to in the preceding sentence, or (ii) the occurrence of (A) any suspension of the effectiveness, or objection to the use, of the Registration Statement or (B) any prevention or suspension of the use of the preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Final Prospectus and, upon such issuance, occurrence or notice of objection, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal of such stop order or relief from such occurrence or objection, including, if necessary, by filing an amendment to the Registration Statement or a new registration statement and using its best efforts to have such amendment or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable.

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     (b) The Company shall prepare final term sheets, containing solely a description of final terms of the Securities and the offering thereof, in the form approved by you and attached as Schedules IV-A and IV-B hereto and to file such term sheets pursuant to Rule 433(d) within the time required by such Rule.
     (c) If, at any time prior to the filing of the Final Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b), any event occurs as a result of which the Disclosure Package would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made or the circumstances then prevailing not misleading, the Company will (i) notify promptly the Representatives so that any use of the Disclosure Package may cease until it is amended or supplemented; (ii) amend or supplement the Disclosure Package to correct such statement or omission; and (iii) supply any amendment or supplement to you in such quantities as you may reasonably request.
     (d) If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is required to be delivered under the Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172), any event occurs as a result of which the Final Prospectus as then supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made at such time not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend the Registration Statement, file a new registration statement or supplement the Final Prospectus to comply with the Act or the Exchange Act or the respective rules thereunder, including in connection with use or delivery of the Final Prospectus, the Company promptly will (i) notify the Representatives of any such event, (ii) prepare and file with the Commission, subject to the second sentence of paragraph (a) of this Section 5, an amendment or supplement or new registration statement which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance, (iii) use its best efforts to have any amendment to the Registration Statement or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable in order to avoid any disruption in use of the Final Prospectus and (iv) supply any supplemented Final Prospectus to you in such quantities as you may reasonably request.
     (e) As soon as practicable, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Representatives an earnings statement or statements of the Company and its subsidiaries which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158.
     (f) The Company will furnish to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and to each other Underwriter a copy of the Registration Statement (without exhibits thereto) and, so long as delivery of a prospectus by an Underwriter or dealer may be required by the Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172), as many copies of each Preliminary Prospectus, the Final Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and any supplement thereto as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will pay the expenses of printing or other production of all documents relating to the offering.

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     (g) The Company will arrange, if necessary, for the qualification of the Securities for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may designate and will maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Securities; 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 that 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.
     (a) The Company agrees that, unless it has or shall have obtained the prior written consent of the Representatives, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees with the Company that, unless it has or shall have obtained, as the case may be, the prior written consent of the Company, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433, other than a free writing prospectus containing the information contained in the final term sheets prepared and filed pursuant to Section 5(b) hereto, or one or more free writing prospectuses through customary Bloomberg distribution that do not contain substantive changes from or additions to the information contained in the final term sheets prepared and filed pursuant to Section 5(b) hereto; provided that the prior written consent of the parties hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Free Writing Prospectuses included in Schedule III hereto or a term sheet, substantially in the form of Schedules IV-A and IV-B hereto and any electronic road show. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Representatives or the Company is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company agrees that (x) it has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and (y) it has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping and that it will not take any action that would result in any Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) a Free Writing Prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that such Underwriter would not otherwise have been required to so file.
     (h) The Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction which is designed to, or might reasonably be expected to, result in the disposition (whether by actual disposition or effective economic disposition due to cash settlement or otherwise) by the Company or any affiliate of the Company or any person in privity with the Company or any affiliate of the Company), directly or indirectly, including the filing (or participation in the filing) of a registration statement with the Commission in respect of, or establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act, any debt securities issued or guaranteed by the Company (other than the Securities) or publicly announce an intention to effect any such transaction, until the Business Day set forth on Schedules I-A and I-B hereto.

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     (i) The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.
     (j) The Company agrees to pay the costs and expenses relating to the following matters: (i) the preparation, printing or reproduction and filing with the Commission of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits thereto), each Preliminary Prospectus, the Final Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and each amendment or supplement to any of them; (ii) the printing (or reproduction) and delivery (including postage, air freight charges and charges for counting and packaging) of such copies of the Registration Statement, each Preliminary Prospectus, the Final Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and all amendments or supplements to any of them, as may, in each case, be reasonably requested for use in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities; (iii) the preparation, printing, authentication, issuance and delivery of certificates for the Securities, including any stamp or transfer taxes in connection with the original issuance and sale of the Securities; (iv) the printing (or reproduction) and delivery of this Agreement, any blue sky memorandum and all other agreements or documents printed (or reproduced) and delivered in connection with the offering of the Securities; (v) any registration or qualification of the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of the several states (including filing fees and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters relating to such registration and qualification); (vi) any filings required to be made with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (including filing fees and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters relating to such filings); (vii) the transportation and other expenses incurred by or on behalf of Company representatives in connection with presentations to prospective purchasers of the Securities; (viii) the fees and expenses of the Company’s accountants and the fees and expenses of counsel (including local and special counsel) for the Company; and (ix) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder.
          6.  Conditions to the Obligations of the Underwriters . The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Securities shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company contained herein as of the Execution Time and the Closing Date, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company made in any certificates pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
     (a) The Final Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, shall have been filed in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b); the final term sheets contemplated by Section 5(b) hereto, and any other material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings by Rule 433; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any notice objecting to its use shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or threatened.

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     (b) The Company shall have requested and caused Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, counsel for the Company, to have furnished to the Representatives their opinion, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Representatives, substantially in the form set forth in Schedule V hereto.
     (c) The Representatives shall have received from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion or opinions, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Representatives, with respect to the issuance and sale of the Securities, the Indenture, the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Final Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto) and other related matters as the Representatives may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.
     (d) The Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a certificate of the Company, signed by the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President or any Senior Vice President and by the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated the Closing Date, to the effect that the signers of such certificate have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Final Prospectus and any supplements or amendments thereto, as well as each electronic road show used in connection with the offering of the Securities, and this Agreement and that:
     (i) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct on and as of the Closing Date with the same effect as if made on the Closing Date and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Date;
     (ii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any notice objecting to its use has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened; and
     (iii) since the date of the most recent financial statements included in the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto), there has been no Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).
     (e) The Company shall have requested and caused Deloitte & Touche LLP to have furnished to the Representatives, at the Execution Time and at the Closing Date, letters (which may refer to letters previously delivered to one or more of the Representatives), dated respectively as of the Execution Time and as of the Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, confirming that they are independent accountants within the meaning of the Act and the Exchange Act and the respective applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission thereunder and stating in effect that:

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     (i) in their opinion the audited financial statements and financial statement schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus and reported on by them comply as to form with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the Exchange Act and the related rules and regulations adopted by the Commission;
     (ii) carrying out certain specified procedures (but not an examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards) which would not necessarily reveal matters of significance with respect to the comments set forth in such letter; and inquiries of certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for financial and accounting matters of the Company and its subsidiaries as to transactions and events subsequent to December 31, 2007, nothing came to their attention which caused them to believe that, with respect to the period subsequent to December 31, 2007, there were any changes, at a specified date not more than five days prior to the date of the letter, in the long-term debt or short-term borrowings of the Company and its subsidiaries or the capital stock of the Company or decreases in current assets or the shareholders’ equity of the Company, as compared with the amounts shown on the December 31, 2007 consolidated balance sheet included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus, or for the period from January 1, 2008 to such specified date there were any decreases, as compared with the corresponding period in the preceding year in operating revenues, net revenues, income before income taxes or net income of the Company and its subsidiaries, except in all instances for changes or decreases set forth in such letter, in which case the letter shall be accompanied by an explanation by the Company as to the significance thereof unless said explanation is not deemed necessary by the Representatives; and
     (iii) they have performed certain other specified procedures as a result of which they determined that certain information of an accounting, financial or statistical nature (which is limited to accounting, financial or statistical information derived from the general accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries) set forth in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus and in Exhibit 12 to the Registration Statement, including the information set forth under the captions “Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges” and “Capitalization” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus, and the information included or incorporated by reference in Items 1, 1A, 6, 7 and 7A of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus, agrees with the accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries, excluding any questions of legal interpretation.
     References to the Final Prospectus in this paragraph (e) include any supplement thereto at the date of the letter.

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     (f) Subsequent to the Execution Time or, if earlier, the dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement (exclusive of any amendment thereof) and the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto), there shall not have been (i) any material change or decrease specified in the letter or letters referred to in paragraph (e) of this Section 6 or (ii) any change in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto) the effect of which, in any case referred to in clause (i) or (ii) above, is, in the judgment of the Representatives, so material and adverse as to make it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Securities as contemplated by the Registration Statement (exclusive of any amendment thereof), the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).
     (g) Subsequent to the Execution Time, there shall not have been any decrease in the rating of any of PG&E Corporation’s or the Company’s debt securities by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined for purposes of Rule 436(g) under the Act) or any notice given of any intended or potential decrease in any such rating or of a possible change in any such rating.
     (h) Prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives such further information, certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.
          If any of the conditions specified in this Section 6 shall not have been fulfilled when and as provided in this Agreement, or if any of the opinions and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall not be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, this Agreement and all obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be canceled at, or at any time prior to, the Closing Date by the Representatives. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing or by telephone or facsimile confirmed in writing.
          The documents required to be delivered by this Section 6 shall be delivered at the office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, at Four Times Square, New York, New York, on the Closing Date.
          7.  Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses . If the sale of the Securities provided for herein is not consummated because any condition to the obligations of the Underwriters set forth in Section 6 hereof is not satisfied, because of any termination pursuant to Section 10 hereof or because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or comply with any provision hereof other than by reason of a default by any of the Underwriters, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters severally through Lehman Brothers Inc. on demand for all expenses (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel) that shall have been incurred by them in connection with the proposed purchase and sale of the Securities.

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     8. Indemnification and Contribution . (a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, the directors, officers, employees and agents of each Underwriter and each person who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or other Federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or in any subsequent amendment thereof, or in the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or any other preliminary prospectus supplement relating to the Securities, the Final Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the information contained in the final term sheets required to be prepared and filed pursuant to Section 5(b) hereto, or in any amendment thereof 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 agrees to reimburse each such indemnified party, as incurred, for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action; provided , however , that the Company will 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 any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for inclusion therein. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have.
     (b) Each Underwriter severally and not jointly agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signs the Registration Statement, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to each Underwriter, but only with reference to written information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company by or on behalf of such Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for inclusion in the documents referred to in the foregoing indemnity. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which any Underwriter may otherwise have. The Company acknowledges that the statements set forth (i) in the last paragraph of the cover page regarding delivery of the Securities, (ii) under the heading “Underwriting”, (A) the sentences related to concessions and reallowances and (B) the paragraph related to stabilization, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids in any Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus constitute the only information furnished in writing by or on behalf of the several Underwriters for inclusion in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Final Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.
     (c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 8 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 8, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the failure so to

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notify the indemnifying party (i) will not relieve it from liability under paragraph (a) or (b) above unless and to the extent it did not otherwise learn of such action and such failure results in the forfeiture by the indemnifying party of substantial rights and defenses and (ii) will not, in any event, relieve the indemnifying party from any obligations to any indemnified party other than the indemnification obligation provided in paragraph (a) or (b) above. The indemnifying party shall be entitled to appoint counsel of the indemnifying party’s choice at the indemnifying party’s expense to represent the indemnified party in any action for which indemnification is sought (in which case the indemnifying party shall not thereafter be responsible for the fees and expenses of any separate counsel retained by the indemnified party or parties except as set forth below); provided , however , that such counsel shall be satisfactory to the indemnified party. Notwithstanding the indemnifying party’s election to appoint counsel to represent the indemnified party in an action, the indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel (including local counsel), and the indemnifying party shall bear the reasonable fees, costs and expenses of such separate counsel if (i) the use of counsel chosen by the indemnifying party to represent the indemnified party would present such counsel with a conflict of interest, (ii) the actual or potential defendants in, or targets of, any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, (iii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of the institution of such action or (iv) the indemnifying party shall authorize the indemnified party to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party. It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate counsel (in addition to one local counsel) for all such indemnified parties. An indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties to such claim or action) unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding. No indemnifying party will be liable for any settlement of any such action effected without its prior written consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld), but if settled with the consent of the indemnifying party or if there be a final judgment of the plaintiff in any such action, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify and hold harmless any indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment.
     (d) In the event that the indemnity provided in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of this Section 8 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party for any reason, the Company and the Underwriters severally agree to contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating or defending the same) (collectively “Losses”) to which the Company and one or more of the Underwriters may be subject in such

15


 

proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and by the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities; provided , however , that in no case shall any Underwriter (except as may be provided in any agreement among underwriters relating to the offering of the Securities) be responsible for any amount in excess of the underwriting discount or commission applicable to the Securities purchased by such Underwriter hereunder. If the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is unavailable for any reason, the Company and the Underwriters severally shall contribute 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 of the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. Benefits received by the Company shall be deemed to be equal to the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by it, and benefits received by the Underwriters shall be deemed to be equal to the total underwriting discounts and commissions, in each case as set forth on the cover page of the Final Prospectus. Relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any untrue or any alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information provided by the Company on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution were determined by pro rata allocation or any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph (d), 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. For purposes of this Section 8, each person who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act and each director, officer, employee and agent of an Underwriter shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, each officer of the Company who shall have signed the Registration Statement and each director of the Company shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the applicable terms and conditions of this paragraph (d).
          9.  Default by an Underwriter . If any one or more Underwriters shall fail to purchase and pay for any of the Securities agreed to be purchased by such Underwriter or Underwriters hereunder and such failure to purchase shall constitute a default in the performance of its or their obligations under this Agreement, the remaining Underwriters shall be obligated severally to take up and pay for (in the respective proportions which the principal amount of Securities set forth opposite their names in Schedule II hereto bears to the aggregate principal amount of Securities set forth opposite the names of all the remaining Underwriters) the Securities which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase; provided , however , that in the event that the aggregate principal amount of Securities which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase shall exceed 10% of the aggregate principal amount of Securities set forth in Schedule II hereto, the remaining Underwriters shall have the right to purchase all, but shall not be under any obligation to

16


 

purchase any, of the Securities, and if such nondefaulting Underwriters do not purchase all the Securities, this Agreement will terminate without liability to any nondefaulting Underwriter or the Company. In the event of a default by any Underwriter as set forth in this Section 9, the Closing Date shall be postponed for such period, not exceeding five Business Days, as the Representatives shall determine in order that the required changes in the Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter of its liability, if any, to the Company and any nondefaulting Underwriter for damages occasioned by its default hereunder.
          10. Termination . This Agreement shall be subject to termination in the absolute discretion of the Representatives, by notice given to the Company prior to delivery of and payment for the Securities, if at any time prior to such delivery and payment: (a) (i) trading in the common stock of PG&E Corporation shall have been suspended by the Commission or the New York Stock Exchange, (ii) trading in any series of the preferred stock of the Company shall have been suspended by the Commission or the American Stock Exchange, (iii) (A) trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange or the American Stock Exchange shall have been suspended or limited, (B) minimum prices shall have been established on either of such exchanges, or (C) there shall have been a material disruption in the clearance or settlement of securities generally on either of such exchanges which makes it, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Securities as contemplated by this Agreement, the Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto), (b) a banking moratorium shall have been declared either by Federal, California or New York State authorities , (c) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war, or other calamity or crisis which makes it, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Securities as contemplated by this Agreement, the Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto), or (d) there shall have been such a material adverse change in general economic, political or financial conditions or the financial markets in the United States which makes it, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Securities as contemplated by this Agreement, the Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).
          11. Representations and Indemnities to Survive . The respective agreements, representations, warranties, indemnities and other statements of the Company or its officers and of the Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or the Company or any of the officers, directors, employees, agents or controlling persons referred to in Section 8 hereof, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Securities. The provisions of Sections 7 and 8 hereof shall survive the termination or cancellation of this Agreement.
          12. Notices . All communications hereunder will be in writing and effective only on receipt, and, if sent to the Representatives, will be mailed, delivered or telefaxed to (i) Lehman Brothers Inc., Attention: Debt Capital Markets, Global Power Group (fax number (646) 834-8133) and confirmed to Lehman Brothers Inc., Attention: Debt Capital Markets, Global Power Group — at 745 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019, with a copy to the General

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Counsel at the same address, (ii) Goldman, Sachs & Co., Attention: Registration Department (fax no.: ((212) 902-3000) and confirmed to Goldman, Sachs & Co., at 85 Broad Street, New York, New York 10004, Attention: Registration Department — 20 th floor, and (iii) UBS Securities LLC, Attention: Fixed Income Syndicate (fax no.: (203) 719-0495 and confirmed to UBS Securities LLC, Attention: Fixed Income Syndicate at 677 Washington Boulevard, Stamford, CT 06901; or, if sent to the Company, will be mailed, delivered or telefaxed to the Company’s General Counsel (fax no.: (415) 267-7257) and confirmed to the Company’s General Counsel, PG&E Corporation, at One Market, Spear Tower, Suite 2400, San Francisco, California 94105, Attention: General Counsel.
          13. Successors . This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers, directors, employees, agents and controlling persons referred to in Section 8 hereof, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.
          14. No Fiduciary Duty . The Company hereby acknowledges that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters and any affiliate through which it may be acting, on the other, (b) the Underwriters are acting as principal and not as an agent or fiduciary of the Company and (c) the Company’s engagement of the Underwriters in connection with the offering and the process leading up to the offering is as independent contractors and not in any other capacity. Furthermore, the Company agrees that it is solely responsible for making its own judgments in connection with the offering (irrespective of whether any of the Underwriters has advised or is currently advising the Company on related or other matters). The Company agrees that it will not claim that the Underwriters have rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owe an agency, fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.
          15. Research Analyst Independence . The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters’ research analysts and research departments are required to be independent from their respective investment banking divisions and are subject to certain regulations and internal policies, and that such Underwriters’ research analysts may hold views and make statements or investment recommendations and/or publish research reports with respect to the Company and/or the offering of the Securities that differ from the views of their respective investment banking divisions. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against the Underwriters with respect to any conflict of interest that may arise from the fact that the views expressed by their independent research analysts and research departments may be different from or inconsistent with the views or advice communicated to the Company by such Underwriters’ investment banking divisions. The Company acknowledges that each of the Underwriters is a full service securities firm and as such from time to time, subject to applicable securities laws, may effect transactions for its own account or the account of its customers and hold long or short positions in debt or equity securities of the companies that may be the subject of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

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          16. Integration . This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.
          17. Applicable Law . This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts made and to be performed within the State of New York.
          18. Waiver of Jury Trial . The Company hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
          19. Counterparts . This Agreement may be signed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement.
          20. Headings . The section headings used herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
          21. Definitions . The terms that follow, when used in this Agreement, shall have the meanings indicated.
     “Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.
     “Base Prospectus” shall mean the base prospectus referred to in paragraph 1(a) above contained in the Registration Statement at the Execution Time.
     “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions or trust companies are authorized or obligated by law to close in New York City.
     “Closing Date” shall mean March 3, 2008.
     “Commission” shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.
     “Disclosure Package” shall mean (i) the Base Prospectus, (ii) the Preliminary Prospectus used most recently prior to the Execution Time, (iii) the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule III hereto, (iv) the final term sheets prepared and filed pursuant to Section 5(b) hereto, if any, and (v) any other Free Writing Prospectus that the parties hereto shall hereafter expressly agree in writing to treat as part of the Disclosure Package.
     “Effective Date” shall mean each date and time that the Registration Statement, any post-effective amendment or amendments thereto became or becomes effective.
     “Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

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     “Execution Time” shall mean 5:30 p.m. Eastern time on the date of this Agreement, which is the time of the first contract of sale of the Securities.
     “Final Prospectus” shall mean the prospectus supplement relating to the Securities that was first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) after the Execution Time, together with the Base Prospectus.
     “Free Writing Prospectus” shall mean a free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 405.
     “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” shall mean an issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433.
     “Preliminary Prospectus” shall mean any preliminary prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus referred to in paragraph 1(a) above which is used prior to the filing of the Final Prospectus, together with the Base Prospectus.
     “Registration Statement” shall mean the registration statement referred to in paragraph 1(a) above, including exhibits and financial statements and any prospectus supplement relating to the Securities that is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) and deemed part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B, as amended on each Effective Date and, in the event any post-effective amendment thereto becomes effective prior to the Closing Date, shall also mean such registration statement as so amended.
     “Rule 158”, “Rule 163”, “Rule 164”, “Rule 172”, “Rule 405”, “Rule 415”, “Rule 424”, “Rule 430B” and “Rule 433” refer to such rules under the Act.
     “Trust Indenture Act” shall mean the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.
     “Well-Known Seasoned Issuer” shall mean a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405.

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     If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicate hereof, whereupon this letter and your acceptance shall represent a binding agreement among the Company and the several Underwriters.
         
  Very truly yours,

Pacific Gas and Electric Company
 
 
  By:   /s/ Nicholas M. Bijur    
    Name:   Nicolas M. Bijur   
    Title:   Assistant Treasurer   
 
The foregoing Agreement is hereby confirmed and
accepted as of the date specified in Schedules I-A and I-B hereto.
Lehman Brothers Inc.
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
UBS Securities LLC
         
 
       
By:
  Lehman Brothers Inc.    
 
       
By:
  /s/ Monica Hanson    
 
       
 
  Name: Monica Hanson    
 
  Title: Managing Director    
 
       
By:
  Goldman, Sachs & Co.    
 
       
By:
  /s/ Goldman, Sachs & Co.    
 
       
 
       (Goldman, Sachs & Co.)    
 
       
By:
  UBS Securities LLC    
 
       
By:
  /s/ Scott Whitney    
 
       
 
  Name: Scott Whitney    
 
  Title: Executive Director    
 
       
By:
  /s/ Christopher Forshner    
 
       
 
  Name: Christopher Forshner    
 
  Title: Managing Director    
For themselves and the other several Underwriters, if any, named in Schedule II to the foregoing Agreement.

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SCHEDULE I-A
Underwriting Agreement dated February 26, 2008
Registration Statement No. 333-149361
     
Representative(s):
  Lehman Brothers Inc.
 
  Goldman, Sachs & Co.
 
  UBS Securities LLC
Title, Purchase Price and Description of Securities:
Title: 5.625% Senior Notes Due November 30, 2017
Principal amount: $200,000,000
Purchase price (include accrued interest or amortization, if any): 100.900%
Sinking fund provisions: Not applicable.
Redemption provisions: At the Company’s option, the 5.625% Senior Notes Due November 30, 2017 (in this Schedule, the “Securities”) may be redeemed in whole or in part at any time at a redemption price equal to the greater of: (1)100% of the principal amount of the Securities to be redeemed, plus accrued interest on those Securities to the redemption date, or (2) as determined by the Quotation Agent (as defined in the Preliminary Prospectus), the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest on the Securities to be redeemed (not including any portion of payments of interest accrued as of the redemption date) discounted to the redemption date on a semi-annual basis at the Adjusted Treasury Rate (as defined in the Preliminary Prospectus) plus 30 basis points, plus accrued interest, in either case, on those Securities to the redemption date. The redemption price will be calculated assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months.
Other provisions: Not applicable.
Closing Date, Time and Location: March 3, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Four Times Square, New York, NY 10036
Date referred to in Section 5(i) after which the Company may offer or sell debt securities issued or guaranteed by the Company without the consent of the Representative(s): 7 days
Modification of items to be covered by the letter from Deloitte & Touche LLP delivered pursuant to Section 6(e) at the Execution Time: None

 


 

SCHEDULE I-B
Underwriting Agreement dated February 26, 2008
Registration Statement No. 333-149361
     
Representative(s):
  Lehman Brothers Inc.
 
  Goldman, Sachs & Co.
 
  UBS Securities LLC
Title, Purchase Price and Description of Securities:
Title: 6.35% Senior Notes Due February 15, 2038
Principal amount: $400,000,000
Purchase price (include accrued interest or amortization, if any): 98.983%
Sinking fund provisions: Not applicable.
Redemption provisions: At the Company’s option, the 6.35% Senior Notes Due February 15, 2038 (in this Schedule, the “Securities”) may be redeemed in whole or in part at any time at a redemption price equal to the greater of: (1)100% of the principal amount of the Securities to be redeemed, plus accrued interest on those Securities to the redemption date, or (2) as determined by the Quotation Agent (as defined in the Preliminary Prospectus), the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest on the Securities to be redeemed (not including any portion of payments of interest accrued as of the redemption date) discounted to the redemption date on a semi-annual basis at the Adjusted Treasury Rate (as defined in the Preliminary Prospectus) plus 30 basis points, plus accrued interest, in either case, on those Securities to the redemption date. The redemption price will be calculated assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months.
Other provisions: Not applicable.
Closing Date, Time and Location: March 3, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Four Times Square, New York, NY 10036
Date referred to in Section 5(i) after which the Company may offer or sell debt securities issued or guaranteed by the Company without the consent of the Representative(s): 7 days
Modification of items to be covered by the letter from Deloitte & Touche LLP delivered pursuant to Section 6(e) at the Execution Time: None

 


 

SCHEDULE II
                 
    Principal Amount     Principal Amount  
    of 5.625% Senior     of 6.35% Senior  
    Notes due November     Notes Due February  
    30, 2017 to     15, 2038 to  
Underwriters   be Purchased     be Purchased  
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
  $ 58,000,000     $ 116,000,000  
Lehman Brothers Inc.
  $ 58,000,000     $ 116,000,000  
UBS Securities LLC
  $ 58,000,000     $ 116,000,000  
Mizuho Securities USA Inc.
  $ 15,000,000     $ 30,000,000  
Blaylock Robert Van, LLC
  $ 5,500,000     $ 11,000,000  
CastleOak Securities L.P.
  $ 5,500,000     $ 11,000,000  
 
           
Total
  $ 200,000,000     $ 400,000,000  
 
           

 


 

SCHEDULE III
Schedule of Free Writing Prospectuses included in the Disclosure Package
1.   Free Writing Prospectus, dated February 26, 2008, relating to the 5.625% Senior Notes due November 30, 2017.
2.   Free Writing Prospectus, dated February 26, 2008, relating to the 6.35% Senior Notes due February 15, 2038.

 


 

SCHEDULE IV-A
Filed Pursuant to Rule 433
Registration No. 333-149361
February 26, 2008
PRICING TERM SHEET
5.625% Senior Notes Due November 30, 2017
     
Issuer:
  Pacific Gas and Electric Company
 
   
Security:
  5.625% Senior Notes Due November 30, 2017 (the
 
  “2017 Notes”)
 
   
Size:
  $200,000,000
 
   
 
  The 2017 Notes will be part of the same series of
 
  notes as $500,000,000 principal amount of 5.625%
 
  Senior Notes due November 30, 2017 offered and
 
  sold by our prospectus supplement dated November
 
  28, 2007 and the accompanying prospectus.
 
   
Maturity Date:
  November 30, 2017
 
   
Coupon:
  5.625%
 
   
Interest Payment Dates:
  May 30 and November 30, commencing May 30, 2008
 
   
Price to Public:
  101.550%
 
   
 
  The above issue price does not include accrued
 
  interest from December 4, 2007 to Settlement Date
 
  totaling $2,781,250 in the aggregate for the 2017
 
  Notes.
 
   
Benchmark Treasury:
  3.50% due February 15, 2018
 
   
Benchmark Treasury Yield:
  3.867%
 
   
Spread to Benchmark Treasury:
  +155 basis points
 
   
Yield:
  5.417%
 
   
Optional Redemption:
  Make-Whole Call at Treasuries plus 30 basis points
 
   
Expected Settlement Date:
  March 3, 2008
 
   
CUSIP:
  694308 GL5
 
   
Anticipated Ratings:
  A3 by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.
 
  BBB+ by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services
 
   
Joint Book-Running Managers:
  Goldman, Sachs & Co.
 
  Lehman Brothers Inc.
 
  UBS Securities LLC
 
   
Co-Managers:
  Mizuho Securities USA Inc.
 
  Blaylock Robert Van, LLC
 
  CastleOak Securities L.P.
Note: A securities rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time.

 


 

The issuer has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the issuer and this offering.
You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC Web site at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the issuer, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus if you request it by calling Lehman Brothers Inc. toll free at 888-603-5487; Goldman, Sachs & Co. toll free at 1-866-471-2526; or UBS Securities LLC toll free at 877-827-6444 ext. 561-3884.

 


 

SCHEDULE IV-B
Filed Pursuant to Rule 433
Registration No. 333-149361
February 26, 2008
PRICING TERM SHEET
6.35% Senior Notes due February 15, 2038
     
Issuer:
  Pacific Gas and Electric Company
 
   
Security:
  6.35% Senior Notes due February 15, 2038
 
   
Size:
  $400,000,000
 
   
Maturity Date:
  February 15, 2038
 
   
Coupon:
  6.35%
 
   
Interest Payment Dates:
  February 15 and August 15, commencing August 15, 2008
 
   
Price to Public:
  99.858%
 
   
Benchmark Treasury:
  5.00% due May 15, 2037
 
   
Benchmark Treasury Yield:
  4.661%
 
   
Spread to Benchmark Treasury:
  +170 basis points
 
   
Yield:
  6.361%
 
   
Optional Redemption:
  Make-Whole Call at Treasuries plus 30 basis points
 
   
Expected Settlement Date:
  March 3, 2008
 
   
CUSIP:
  694308 GM3
 
   
Anticipated Ratings:
  A3 by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.
 
  BBB+ by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services
 
   
Joint Book-Running Managers:
  Goldman, Sachs & Co.
 
  Lehman Brothers Inc.
 
  UBS Securities LLC
 
   
Co-Managers:
  Mizuho Securities USA Inc.
 
  Blaylock Robert Van, LLC
 
  CastleOak Securities L.P.
Note: A securities rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time.
The issuer has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the issuer and this offering.
You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC Web site at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the issuer, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus if you request it by calling Lehman Brothers Inc. toll free at 888-603-5487; Goldman, Sachs & Co. toll free at 1-866-471-2526; or UBS Securities LLC toll free at 877-827-6444 ext. 561-3884.

 


 

SCHEDULE V
Form of Opinion of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
     (i) the Registration Statement has become effective under the Act; to the knowledge of such counsel, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been threatened or instituted by, or are pending before, the Commission, and the Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus (other than the financial statements and other financial and statistical information contained therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act, the Exchange Act and the Trust Indenture Act and the respective rules thereunder; the final term sheet has been filed pursuant to, and within the time frame contemplated by Rule 433;
     (ii) the Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of California, with the corporate power and authority to own or lease, as the case may be, and to operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus;
     (iii) the Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Trustee constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms (subject, to the effect of any bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, arrangement, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium, receivership, assignment for the benefit of creditors or other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally from time to time in effect and to general principles of equity, including, without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Securities have been duly authorized and, when executed and authenticated in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement, will have been validly issued and delivered, will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture and will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms;
     (iv) to the knowledge of such counsel, there is no pending or threatened action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries or its or their property, of a character required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement other than those disclosed in any Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus (in rendering such opinion, such counsel may note that it has not conducted searches of the dockets of any court or administrative agency whatsoever);

 


 

     (v) this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company;
     (vi) the Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, will not be an “investment company” as defined in the 1940 Act or a company “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the 1940 Act;
     (vii) none of the issue or sale of the Securities, the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder will (A) conflict with or result in any violation of (1) the Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Company, or (2) any Federal, California or, as to this Agreement, New York, statute or any rule or regulation issued pursuant to any Federal, California or, as to this Agreement, New York statute, including, without limitation, the California Public Utilities Code and California usury laws (“Applicable Laws”), or any order known to such counsel to have been issued pursuant to any Applicable Law by any Federal, California or, as to this Agreement, New York, court or governmental agency or body that such counsel has in the exercise of customary professional diligence recognized as having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its properties (“Applicable Governmental Authority”) or (B) result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any agreement, indenture or other instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party that has been filed pursuant to Section 601(b)(4) or Section 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K as exhibits to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, or to any report on Form 8-K filed by the Company between January 1, 2008 and the Closing Date; and
     (viii) no consent, approval, authorization, filing with or order of or with any Applicable Governmental Authority (a “Governmental Action”) is required for the valid authorization, execution, issuance, sale and delivery of the Securities by the Company except for any Governmental Actions that have been obtained, and such as may be required under the blue sky laws of any jurisdiction in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters in the manner contemplated in this Agreement, the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus.
     The letter from such counsel shall include a separate paragraph to the effect that in the course of its engagement as counsel to the Company in connection with the offering of the Securities, it has participated in conferences with the Underwriters and their representatives and representatives of the Company and its accountants concerning the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus and considered the matters required to be stated therein and the statements contained therein, and, although they were

 


 

not engaged to and did not independently verify the accuracy, completeness or fairness of such statements, and based upon and subject to the foregoing, such counsel will advise the Underwriters, as a matter of fact and not opinion, that nothing came to such counsel’s attention to cause them to believe that (A) the Registration Statement, as of each Effective Date 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, (B) the Final Prospectus, as of its date and as of the Closing Date contained or contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or (C) the Disclosure Package, as of the Execution Time, contained 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, not misleading; provided, however, that it is understood that such counsel is not requested to and will not express any belief in this paragraph with respect to the financial statements, schedules and other financial data contained in or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Final Prospectus or the Statement of Eligibility and Qualification of the Trustee.
     In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely (A) as to matters involving the application of laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of California, New York or the Federal laws of the United States, to the extent they deem proper and specified in such opinion, upon the opinion of other counsel of good standing whom they believe to be reliable and who are satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters and (B) as to matters of fact, to the extent they deem proper, on certificates of responsible officers of the Company and public officials. References to the Final Prospectus in this paragraph (b) shall also include any supplements thereto at the Closing Date.

 

 

Exhibit 4.1
 
Third Supplemental Indenture
Dated as of March 3, 2008
Supplement to the Amended and Restated Indenture
Dated as of April 22, 2005

 
PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY
Issuer
and
THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Trustee

 
 

 


 

TABLE OF CONTENTS
         
    Page  
ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS
    1  
 
       
ARTICLE II REOPENING OF 5.625% SENIOR NOTES
    3  
 
       
ARTICLE III ESTABLISHMENT OF THE 6.35% SENIOR NOTES
    3  
 
       
SECTION 301 Establishment and Designation of the 6.35% Senior Notes
    3  
SECTION 302 Form of the 6.35% Senior Notes
    4  
SECTION 303 Principal Amount of the 6.35% Senior Notes
    4  
SECTION 304 Interest Rates; Stated Maturity of the 6.35% Senior Notes
    4  
SECTION 305 No Sinking Fund
    4  
SECTION 306 Paying Agent and Bond Registrar
    4  
SECTION 307 Global Securities; Appointment of Depositary for Global Securities
    4  
SECTION 308 Other Terms of the 6.35% Senior Notes
    5  
 
ARTICLE IV OPTIONAL REDEMPTION BY COMPANY
    5  
 
       
SECTION 401 Optional Redemption
    5  
SECTION 402 Calculation of Redemption Price
    5  
SECTION 403 Notice of Redemption
    5  
 
ARTICLE V MISCELLANEOUS
    5  
 
       
SECTION 501 Application of Third Supplemental Indenture
    5  
SECTION 502 Effective Date of Third Supplemental Indenture
    6  
SECTION 503 Counterparts
    6  
 
EXHIBIT A
       
 
       
EXHIBIT B
       
i

 


 

     THIRD SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, dated as of March 3, 2008 (this “Third Supplemental Indenture”), by and between PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY , a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of California (the “Company” or the “Issuer”), and THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY , N.A., a national banking association organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, as Trustee under the Base Indenture (as hereinafter defined) (the “Trustee”).
RECITALS OF THE COMPANY
     A. The Company and the Trustee are parties to that certain Amended and Restated Indenture, dated as of April 22, 2005 (the “Base Indenture”), as supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March 13, 2007 (the “First Supplemental Indenture”), and as further supplemented by the Second Supplemental Indenture, dated as of December 4, 2007 (the “Second Supplemental Indenture”), and this Third Supplemental Indenture (this Third Supplemental Indenture, together with the Base Indenture and the First Supplemental Indenture and the Second Supplemental Indenture, the “Indenture”), which supplements, amends and restates that certain Indenture of Mortgage, dated as of March 11, 2004, as supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture thereto, dated as of March 23, 2004 and the Second Supplemental Indenture thereto, dated as of April 12, 2004, providing for the issuance by the Company of an unlimited number of series of Bonds (as defined in the Base Indenture) from time to time.
     B. Under the Base Indenture, the Company is authorized to establish one or more series of Bonds at any time in accordance with and subject to the provisions of the Base Indenture, and the terms of such series of Bonds may be described by a supplemental indenture executed by the Company and the Trustee.
     C. The execution and delivery of this Third Supplemental Indenture has been authorized by a Board Resolution (as defined in the Base Indenture).
     D. Concurrent with the execution hereof, the Company has caused its counsel to deliver to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel (as defined in the Base Indenture) pursuant to Section 13.03 of the Base Indenture.
     E. The Company has done all things necessary to make this Third Supplemental Indenture a valid agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms.
     NOW, THEREFORE, the Company and the Trustee agree, for the benefit of each other and for the equal and proportionate benefit of Holders of the 5.625% Senior Notes and the 6.35% Senior Notes (both as defined below) with respect to all provisions herein applicable to such series of notes, as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
     Unless the context otherwise requires, capitalized terms used but not defined herein have the meaning set forth in the Indenture. The following additional terms are hereby established for

 


 

purposes of this Third Supplemental Indenture and shall have the meanings set forth in this Third Supplemental Indenture only for purposes of this Third Supplemental Indenture:
     “ 5.625% Senior Notes ” has the meaning set forth in Article II hereto.
     “ 6.35% Senior Notes ” has the meaning set forth in Section 301 hereto.
     “ Adjusted Treasury Rate ” means, with respect to any Redemption Date, the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue, assuming a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for such Redemption Date.
     “ Comparable Treasury Issue ” means the United States Treasury security selected by the Quotation Agent as having a maturity comparable to the remaining term of the 6.35% Senior Notes that would be used, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of comparable maturity to the remaining term of the 6.35% Senior Notes.
     “ Comparable Treasury Price ” means, with respect to any Redemption Date, (1) the average of the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such Redemption Date, after excluding the highest and lowest of the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations or (2) if the Company obtains fewer than four Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations so received.
     “ Primary Treasury Dealer ” means a primary U.S. Government Securities dealer in the United States.
     “ Quotation Agent” means the Reference Treasury Dealer appointed by the Company.
     “ Redemption Price ” has the meaning set forth in Section 401 hereto.
     “ Reference Treasury Dealer ” means, with respect to the 6.35% Senior Notes, (1) each of Goldman, Sachs & Co., Lehman Brothers Inc. and UBS Securities LLC and their respective successors, unless any of them ceases to be a Primary Treasury Dealer, in which case the Company shall substitute another Primary Treasury Dealer; and (2) any other Primary Treasury Dealer selected by the Company.
     “ Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations ” means, with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any Redemption Date, the average, as determined by the Company, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in writing to the Company by that Reference Treasury Dealer at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the third Business Day preceding such Redemption Date. For purposes of this definition only, Business Day means any day that is not a day on which banking institutions in New York City are authorized or required by law or regulation to close.
     “ Remaining Scheduled Payments ” means, with respect to each of the 6.35% Senior Notes that the Company is redeeming pursuant to Section 401 hereto, the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest that would be due after the applicable Redemption Date if

2


 

such 6.35% Senior Notes were not redeemed. However, if the Redemption Date is not a scheduled Interest Payment Date with respect to such 6.35% Senior Notes, the amount of the next succeeding scheduled interest payment on such 6.35% Senior Notes will be reduced by the amount of interest accrued on such 6.35% Senior Notes to the Redemption Date.
     “ U.S. Government Securities ” means securities which are (a) direct obligations of the United States of America for the payment on which its full faith and credit is pledged or (b) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation of the United States of America, and which in the case of (a) and (b) are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof, and shall also include a depository receipt issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such U.S. Government Security or a specific payment of interest on or principal of any such U.S. Government Security held by such custodian for the account of the 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 Security evidenced by such depository receipt.
     The words “herein,” “hereof” and “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Third Supplemental Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.
ARTICLE II
REOPENING OF 5.625% SENIOR NOTES
     Pursuant to Section 201 of the Second Supplemental Indenture, the twenty-third series of Bonds established by said Section and designated as the “5.625% Senior Notes due November 30, 2017” (the “5.625% Senior Notes”) is reopened and additional Bonds comprising part of such series shall be issued in the aggregate principal amount of $200,000,000 and shall be issued in the form of one or more Global Bonds in substantially the form set forth in Exhibit A hereto. As a result of the further issuance of $200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Bonds of the twenty-third series on March 3, 2008, the issued amount of Bonds of such series now totals $700,000,000.
ARTICLE III
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE 6.35% SENIOR NOTES
     SECTION 301 Establishment and Designation of the 6.35% Senior Notes.
     Pursuant to the terms hereof and Section 3.01 of the Indenture, the Company hereby establishes a twenty-fourth series of Bonds designated as the “6.35% Senior Notes due February 15, 2038” (the “6.35% Senior Notes”). The 6.35% Senior Notes may be reopened, from time to time, for issuances of additional Bonds of such series, and any additional Bonds issued and

3


 

comprising 6.35% Senior Notes shall have identical terms as the 6.35% Senior Notes, except that the issue price, issue date and, in some cases, the first Interest Payment Date may differ.
     SECTION 302 Form of the 6.35% Senior Notes.
     The 6.35% Senior Notes shall be issued in the form of one or more Global Bonds in substantially the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto.
     SECTION 303 Principal Amount of the 6.35% Senior Notes.
     The 6.35% Senior Notes shall be issued in an initial aggregate principal amount of $400,000,000.
     SECTION 304 Interest Rates; Stated Maturity of the 6.35% Senior Notes.
     The 6.35% Senior Notes shall bear interest at the rate of 6.35% per annum and shall have a Stated Maturity of February 15, 2038.
     SECTION 305 No Sinking Fund.
     No sinking fund is provided for the 6.35% Senior Notes.
     SECTION 306 Paying Agent and Bond Registrar.
     The Trustee is hereby appointed as initial Paying Agent and initial Bond Registrar for the 6.35% Senior Notes. The Place of Payment of the 6.35% Senior Notes shall be the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee.
     SECTION 307 Global Securities; Appointment of Depositary for Global Securities.
     The 6.35% Senior Notes shall be issued in the form of one or more permanent Global Bonds as provided in Section 3.13 of the Indenture and deposited with, or on behalf of, the Depositary, or with the Trustee, as custodian for the Depositary, duly executed by the Company and authenticated by the Trustee.
     The Company hereby initially appoints The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) to act as the Depositary with respect to all 6.35% Senior Notes, and the 6.35% Senior Notes shall initially be registered in the name of Cede & Co., as the nominee of DTC.
     The Trustee is hereby authorized and requested to execute and deliver a Letter of Representations to DTC relating to the 6.35% Senior Notes and, in connection with any successor nominee for DTC or any successor Depositary, enter into comparable arrangements, and shall have the same rights with respect to its actions thereunder as it has with respect to its actions under the Indenture.
     None of the Company, the Trustee, any Paying Agent or any Bond Registrar will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of Depositary records relating to, or payments made on account of, beneficial ownership interests in a Global Bond or for maintaining, supervising or

4


 

reviewing any Depositary records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for transfers of beneficial interests in the Bonds or any transactions between the Depositary and beneficial owners.
     SECTION 308 Other Terms of the 6.35% Senior Notes.
     The other terms of the 6.35% Senior Notes shall be as expressly set forth herein and in
Exhibit B .
ARTICLE IV
OPTIONAL REDEMPTION BY COMPANY
     SECTION 401 Optional Redemption.
      Optional Redemption of 6.35% Senior Notes . Subject to the terms and conditions of the Indenture, the 6.35% Senior Notes are redeemable at the option of the Company in whole or in part at any time at a redemption price equal to the greater of:
          (a) 100% of the principal amount of the 6.35% Senior Notes to be redeemed; or
          (b) as determined by the Quotation Agent, the sum of the present values of the Remaining Scheduled Payments of principal and interest on the 6.35% Senior Notes to be redeemed (not including any portion of payments of interest accrued as of the Redemption Date) discounted to the Redemption Date on a semi-annual basis at the Adjusted Treasury Rate, plus 30 basis points;
plus, in either of the above cases, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to but not including the Redemption Date (the “Redemption Price”). The Redemption Price shall be calculated assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months.
     SECTION 402 Calculation of Redemption Price. The Company shall calculate the Redemption Price for any redemption of Senior Notes pursuant to Section 401 and notify the Trustee of such Redemption Price before it sends the amount of the Redemption Price to the Trustee or any Paying Agent.
     SECTION 403 Notice of Redemption . Notice of any redemption pursuant to Section 401 shall be given in the manner and at the time set forth in Section 6.04 of the Indenture; provided, however, that such notice need not state the dollar amount of the Redemption Price if such dollar amount has not been determined as of the date such notice is being given to the Holders of the 6.35% Senior Notes being redeemed.

5


 

ARTICLE V
MISCELLANEOUS
     SECTION 501 Application of Third Supplemental Indenture.
     Except as provided herein, each and every term and condition contained in this Third Supplemental Indenture that modifies, amends or supplements the terms and conditions of the Indenture shall apply only to 6.35% Senior Notes established hereby or the 5.625% Senior Notes, as applicable, and not to any other series of Bonds established under the Indenture. Except as specifically amended and supplemented by, or to the extent inconsistent with, this Third Supplemental Indenture, the Indenture shall remain in full force and effect and is hereby ratified and confirmed.
     SECTION 502 Effective Date of Third Supplemental Indenture.
     This Third Supplemental Indenture shall be effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by each of the parties hereto.
     SECTION 503 Counterparts.
     This Third Supplemental Indenture 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.

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     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Third Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed by their respective officers hereunto duly authorized, all as of the day and year first above written.
             
    PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY ,    
 
      as Issuer    
 
           
 
  By:   /s/ Christopher P. Johns    
 
           
 
  Name:   Christopher P. Johns    
 
  Title:   Senior Vice President and Treasurer    
 
           
    THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY , N.A.    
 
      as Trustee    
 
           
 
  By:   /s/ Josephine Libunao    
 
           
 
  Name:
Title:
  Josephine Libunao
Vice President
   
Signature page to Third Supplemental Indenture

 


 

EXHIBIT A
FORM OF ADDITIONAL BONDS ISSUED AS PART OF THE 5.625% SENIOR
NOTES DUE NOVEMBER 30, 2017
     THIS SENIOR NOTE IS A BOND AND A GLOBAL BOND WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE THEREOF. UNLESS AND UNTIL IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR SENIOR NOTES IN DEFINITIVE FORM, THIS SENIOR NOTE MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY.
     UNLESS THIS SENIOR NOTE CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“DTC”), TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY SENIOR NOTE CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.
     THE FOLLOWING SUMMARY OF TERMS IS SUBJECT TO THE INFORMATION SET FORTH ON THE REVERSE HEREOF:
         
PRINCIPAL AMOUNT :
$200,000,000
  ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE:
December 4, 2007
  INTEREST RATE: 5.625% per annum
 
MATURITY DATE:
  INTEREST PAYMENT DATES:   THIS SENIOR NOTE IS A:
 
November 30, 2017
  May 30 and November 30, commencing May 30, 2008   þ Global Book-Entry Bond
o Certificated Bond
REGISTERED OWNER: Cede & Co., as
nominee of The Depository Trust Company
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PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY
5.625% SENIOR NOTES DUE NOVEMBER 30, 2017
(Fixed Rate)
No. R-2
CUSIP No: 694308 GL5
ISIN: US694308 GL57
  Principal Amount: $200,000,000
     PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY, a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of California (herein called the “Company,” which term includes any successor Person pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to Cede & Co., as nominee for The Depository Trust Company, or registered assigns, the Principal Amount stated above on the Maturity Date stated above, and to pay interest thereon from and including the Original Issue Date stated above or, in the case of a 5.625% Senior Note Due November 30, 2017 issued upon the registration of transfer or exchange, from and including the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, semi-annually in arrears on the Interest Payment Dates set forth above and on the Maturity Date stated above, commencing May 30 , 2008 at the rate of 5.625% per annum until the principal hereof is paid or made available for payment. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, as provided in such Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this 5.625% Senior Note Due November 30, 2017 (this “Senior Note,” and together with all other 5.625% Senior Notes Due November 30, 2017 the “Senior Notes”) (or one or more Predecessor Bonds) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest, which shall be the 15th day preceding such Interest Payment Date; provided, however, that interest payable at the Maturity Date or on a Redemption Date will be paid to the Person to whom principal is payable. Any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person in whose name this Senior Note (or one or more Predecessor Bonds) is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Senior Notes not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of the Indenture and any securities exchange, if any, on which the Senior Notes may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by any such exchange, all as more fully provided in said Indenture.
     Payments of interest on this Senior Note will include interest accrued to but excluding the respective Interest Payment Dates. Interest payments for this Senior Note shall be computed and paid on the basis of the 360-day year of twelve 30-day months and will accrue from December 4, 2007 or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for. In the event that any date on which interest is payable on this Senior Note (other than the Maturity Date) is not a Business Day then payment of the interest payable on such date will be made on the next succeeding day that is a Business Day (and without any interest or payment in respect of any such delay) with the same force and effect as if made on the date the
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payment was originally payable. If the Maturity Date falls on a day that is not a Business Day, the payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest may be made on the next succeeding Business Day, and no interest on such payment shall accrue for the period from and after maturity.
     Payment of principal of, premium, if any, and interest on Senior Notes shall be made in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts. Payments of principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Senior Notes represented by a Global Bond shall be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the Holder of such Global Bond, provided that, in the case of payments of principal and premium, if any, such Global Bond is first surrendered to the Paying Agent. If any of the Senior Notes are no longer represented by a Global Bond, (i) payments of principal, premium, if any, and interest due on the Maturity Date or earlier redemption of such Senior Notes shall be made at the office of the Paying Agent upon surrender of such Senior Notes to the Paying Agent, and (ii) payments of interest shall be made, at the option of the Company, subject to such surrender where applicable, (A) by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Bond Register or (B) by wire transfer to registered Holders of at least $10,000,000 in principal amount of Senior Notes at such place and to such account at a banking institution in the United States as such Holders may designate in writing to the Trustee at least sixteen (16) days prior to the date for payment.
     REFERENCE IS HEREBY MADE TO THE FURTHER PROVISIONS OF THIS SENIOR NOTE SET FORTH ON THE REVERSE HEREOF, WHICH FURTHER PROVISIONS SHALL FOR ALL PURPOSES HAVE THE SAME EFFECT AS IF SET FORTH AT THIS PLACE.
     Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee referred to on the reverse hereof by manual signature, this Senior Note shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.

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      In Witness Whereof , the Company has caused this instrument to be duly executed.
     Dated: March 3, 2008
         
  PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY
 
 
  By:      
    Name:   Christopher P. Johns   
    Title:   Senior Vice President and Treasurer   
 
     
  By:      
    Name:   Nicholas M. Bijur   
    Title:   Assistant Treasurer   

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TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
     This Senior Note is one of the Bonds of the series designated as Bonds of the Twenty-Third Series referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
     Dated: March 3, 2008
         
  THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A.,
As Trustee
 
 
  By:      
    Authorized Signatory    
       

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Reverse of Senior Note
     This 5.625% Senior Note Due November 30, 2017 is one of a duly authorized issue of Bonds of the Company, issued and issuable in one or more series under an Amended and Restated Indenture, dated as of April 22, 2005 (the “Base Indenture”), as supplemented by a First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March 13 , 2007 (the “First Supplemental Indenture”), as further supplemented by a Second Supplemental Indenture, dated as of December 4, 2007 (the “Second Supplemental Indenture”) and by a Third Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March 3, 2008 (the “Third Supplemental Indenture” and together with the Base Indenture, the First Supplemental Indenture, the Second Supplemental Indenture and with all additional indentures supplemental thereto, and any constituent instruments establishing the terms of particular Bonds, being herein called the “Indenture”), between the Company and The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee (herein called the “Trustee,” which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), and reference is hereby made to the Indenture for a description of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and immunities of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of Bonds thereunder and of the terms and conditions upon which Bonds are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. This Senior Note is a Bond within the meaning of the Indenture and is one of the Bonds of the twenty-third series designated as the 5.625% Senior Note Due November 30, 2017 established by the Company under the Indenture and initially issued in an aggregate principal amount of $500,000,000 on December 4, 2007. As a result of the further issuance of $200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Bonds of the twenty-third series on March 3, 2008, the issued amount of Bonds of such series now totals $700,000,000. The acceptance of this Senior Note shall be deemed to constitute the consent and agreement by the Holder hereof to all of the terms and provisions of the Indenture.
     Subject to the terms and conditions of the Indenture, the Senior Notes are redeemable at the option of the Company (“Optional Redemption”), in whole or in part, prior to Maturity, at a Redemption Price equal to the greater of:
     (a) 100% of the principal amount of the Senior Notes to be redeemed; or
     (b) as determined by the Quotation Agent, the sum of the present values of the Remaining Scheduled Payments of principal and interest on the Senior Notes to be redeemed (not including any portion of payments of interest accrued as of the Redemption Date) discounted to the Redemption Date on a semi-annual basis at the Adjusted Treasury Rate, plus 30 basis points,
plus, in either of the above cases, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to but not including the Redemption Date.
     Interest installments whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to such Redemption Date will be payable to Holders of such Senior Notes, or one or more Predecessor Bonds, of record at the close of business on the relevant Record Dates referred to on the face hereof, all as provided in the Indenture.
     In the case of an Optional Redemption, notice of redemption will be in writing and mailed first-class postage-prepaid not less than 30 days nor more than 60 days prior to the

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Redemption Date to each Holder of Senior Notes to be redeemed at the Holder’s registered address; provided, however, that such notice need not state the dollar amount of the Redemption Price if such dollar amount has not been determined as of the date such notice is being given to the Holders of the Senior Notes being redeemed. If money sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of all Senior Notes (or portions thereof) to be redeemed on the Redemption Date is deposited with the Paying Agent or the Trustee on or prior to the Redemption Date, from and after such Redemption Date such Senior Notes or portions thereof shall cease to bear interest. Senior Notes in denominations larger than $1,000 in principal amount may be redeemed in part but only in integral multiples of $1,000.
     In the event of redemption of this Senior Note in part only, a new Senior Note or Senior Notes of like tenor for the unredeemed portion hereof will be issued in the name of the Holder hereof upon the surrender hereof.
     As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, this Senior Note or any portion of the principal amount hereof will be deemed to have been paid for all purposes of the Indenture and to be no longer Outstanding thereunder, and the Company’s entire indebtedness in respect thereof will be satisfied and discharged, if there has been irrevocably deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company), in trust, money in an amount which will be sufficient and/or Eligible Obligations, the principal of and interest on which when due, without regard to any reinvestment thereof, will provide moneys which, together with money, if any, deposited with or held by the Trustee or such Paying Agent, will be sufficient to pay when due the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on this Senior Note when due.
     If an Event of Default shall occur and be continuing, the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 33% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Bonds, considered as one class, may declare the principal amount of all Bonds then Outstanding to be due and payable immediately by notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders); provided, however, that with respect to certain Events of Default relating to bankruptcy, insolvency and similar events, the principal amount of all Bonds then Outstanding shall be due and payable immediately without further action by the Trustee or the Holders.
     The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the Company and the Trustee to enter into one or more supplemental indentures for the purpose of adding any provisions to, or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of, the Indenture with the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Bonds at the time Outstanding, considered as one class; provided, however, that if there shall be Bonds of more than one series Outstanding under the Indenture and if a proposed supplemental indenture shall directly affect the rights of the Holders of Bonds of one or more, but less than all, of such series, then the consent only of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Bonds of all series so directly affected, considered as one class, shall be required; and provided, further, that if the Bonds of any series shall have been issued in more than one Tranche and if a proposed supplemental indenture shall directly affect the rights of the Holders of Bonds of one or more, but less than all, of such Tranches, then the consent only of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Bonds of all Tranches so directly affected, considered as one class, shall be required; and provided, further, that the

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Indenture permits the Company and the Trustee to enter into one or more supplemental indentures for certain purposes without the consent of any Holders of Bonds. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of Bonds, on behalf of the Holders of all such Bonds, to waive certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Senior Note shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Senior Note and of any Senior Note issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Senior Note.
     As provided in and subject to the provisions of the Indenture, the Holder of this Senior Note shall not have the right to institute any proceeding with respect to the Indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee or for any other remedy thereunder, unless such Holder shall have previously given the Trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default, the Holders of at least 33% in aggregate principal amount of the Bonds at the time Outstanding shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default as Trustee and offered the Trustee reasonable indemnity, and the Trustee shall not have received from the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of Bonds at the time Outstanding a direction inconsistent with such written request, and shall have failed to institute any such proceeding for 60 days after receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity. The foregoing shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Holder of this Senior Note for the enforcement of any payment of principal hereof or any premium or interest hereon on or after the respective due dates expressed herein.
     No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Senior Note or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and any premium and interest on this Senior Note at the times, place and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.
     As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the transfer of this Senior Note is registrable in the Bond Register, upon surrender of this Senior Note for registration of transfer at the office or agency of the Company in any place where the principal of and any premium and interest on this Senior Note are payable, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company, the Trustee or the Bond Registrar, as the case may be, duly executed by the Holder hereof or such Holder’s attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Senior Notes of like tenor, of authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees.
     The Senior Notes are issuable only in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, Senior Notes are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Senior Notes and of like tenor of a different authorized denomination, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same.
     No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.

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     The Company shall not be required to execute or to provide for the registration of the transfer of or the exchange of (A) any Senior Note of this series during a period of 15 days immediately preceding the date notice is to be given identifying the serial numbers of the Senior Notes called for redemption, or (B) any Senior Note selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Senior Note being redeemed in part.
     Prior to due presentment of this Senior Note for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Senior Note is registered as the owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Senior Note is overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
     This Senior Note shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of California without regard to the principles of conflicts of laws thereunder, except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act shall be applicable.
     As provided in the Indenture, no recourse shall be had for the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest with respect to this Senior Note, or any part thereof, or for any claim based hereon or otherwise in respect hereof, or of the indebtedness represented hereby, or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement under the Indenture, against any incorporator, shareholder, officer or director, as such, past, present or future, of the Company or of any predecessor or successor corporation (either directly or through the Company or a predecessor or successor corporation), whether by virtue of any constitutional provision, statute or rule of law or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being expressly agreed and understood that the Indenture and all the Bonds are solely corporate obligations and that any such personal liability is hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as part of the consideration for, the execution of the Indenture and the issuance of this Senior Note.
     All terms used in this Senior Note which are not defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.

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ASSIGNMENT FORM
To assign this Senior Note, fill in the form below: (I) or (we) assign and transfer this Senior Note to
     
 
(Insert assignee’s soc. sec. or tax I.D. no.)  
     
 
      
     
 
      
     
 
      
     
 
 
     
 
(Print or type assignee’s name, address and zip code)
     
and irrevocably appoint
   
 
   
to transfer this Senior Note on the books of the Company. The agent may substitute another to act for him.
     
 
Date:                     
     
Your signature:
   
 
   
(Sign exactly as your name appears on the face of this Senior Note)
     
Tax Identification No.:
   
 
   
 
   
SIGNATURE GUARANTEE:
 
 
   
Signatures must be guaranteed by an “eligible guarantor institution” meeting the requirements of the Bond Registrar, which requirements include membership or participation in the Securities Transfer Agent Medallion Program (“ STAMP ”) or such other “signature guarantee program” as may be determined by the Bond Registrar in addition to, or in substitution for, STAMP, all in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

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EXHIBIT B
FORM OF 6.35% SENIOR NOTES DUE FEBRUARY 15, 2038
     THIS SENIOR NOTE IS A BOND AND A GLOBAL BOND WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE THEREOF. UNLESS AND UNTIL IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR SENIOR NOTES IN DEFINITIVE FORM, THIS SENIOR NOTE MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY.
     UNLESS THIS SENIOR NOTE CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“DTC”), TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY SENIOR NOTE CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.
     THE FOLLOWING SUMMARY OF TERMS IS SUBJECT TO THE INFORMATION SET FORTH ON THE REVERSE HEREOF:
         
PRINCIPAL AMOUNT :
  ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE:   INTEREST RATE: 6.35% per annum
$400,000,000
       
 
  March 3, 2008    
 
       
MATURITY DATE:
  INTEREST PAYMENT DATES:   THIS SENIOR NOTE IS A:
 
      þ Global Book-Entry Bond
February 15, 2038
  February 15 and August 15, commencing   o Certificated Bond
 
  August 15, 2008    
REGISTERED OWNER: Cede & Co., as
nominee of The Depository Trust Company

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PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY
6.35% SENIOR NOTES DUE FEBRUARY 15, 2038
(Fixed Rate)
No. R-1
CUSIP No: 694308 GM3
ISIN: US694308 GM31
  Principal Amount: $400,000,000
     PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY, a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of California (herein called the “Company,” which term includes any successor Person pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to Cede & Co., as nominee for The Depository Trust Company, or registered assigns, the Principal Amount stated above on the Maturity Date stated above, and to pay interest thereon from and including the Original Issue Date stated above or, in the case of a 6.35% Senior Note Due February 15, 2038 issued upon the registration of transfer or exchange, from and including the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, semi-annually in arrears on the Interest Payment Dates set forth above and on the Maturity Date stated above, commencing August 15, 2008 at the rate of 6.35% per annum until the principal hereof is paid or made available for payment. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, as provided in such Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this 6.35% Senior Note Due February 15, 2038 (this “Senior Note,” and together with all other 6.35% Senior Notes Due February 15, 2038 the “Senior Notes”) (or one or more Predecessor Bonds) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest, which shall be the 15th day preceding such Interest Payment Date; provided, however, that interest payable at the Maturity Date or on a Redemption Date will be paid to the Person to whom principal is payable. Any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person in whose name this Senior Note (or one or more Predecessor Bonds) is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Senior Notes not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of the Indenture and any securities exchange, if any, on which the Senior Notes may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by any such exchange, all as more fully provided in said Indenture.
     Payments of interest on this Senior Note will include interest accrued to but excluding the respective Interest Payment Dates. Interest payments for this Senior Note shall be computed and paid on the basis of the 360-day year of twelve 30-day months and will accrue from March 3, 2008 or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for. In the event that any date on which interest is payable on this Senior Note (other than the Maturity Date) is not a Business Day then payment of the interest payable on such date will be made on the next succeeding day that is a Business Day (and without any interest or payment in respect of any such delay) with the same force and effect as if made on the date the

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payment was originally payable. If the Maturity Date falls on a day that is not a Business Day, the payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest may be made on the next succeeding Business Day, and no interest on such payment shall accrue for the period from and after maturity.
     Payment of principal of, premium, if any, and interest on Senior Notes shall be made in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts. Payments of principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Senior Notes represented by a Global Bond shall be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the Holder of such Global Bond, provided that, in the case of payments of principal and premium, if any, such Global Bond is first surrendered to the Paying Agent. If any of the Senior Notes are no longer represented by a Global Bond, (i) payments of principal, premium, if any, and interest due on the Maturity Date or earlier redemption of such Senior Notes shall be made at the office of the Paying Agent upon surrender of such Senior Notes to the Paying Agent, and (ii) payments of interest shall be made, at the option of the Company, subject to such surrender where applicable, (A) by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Bond Register or (B) by wire transfer to registered Holders of at least $10,000,000 in principal amount of Senior Notes at such place and to such account at a banking institution in the United States as such Holders may designate in writing to the Trustee at least sixteen (16) days prior to the date for payment.
     REFERENCE IS HEREBY MADE TO THE FURTHER PROVISIONS OF THIS SENIOR NOTE SET FORTH ON THE REVERSE HEREOF, WHICH FURTHER PROVISIONS SHALL FOR ALL PURPOSES HAVE THE SAME EFFECT AS IF SET FORTH AT THIS PLACE.
     Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee referred to on the reverse hereof by manual signature, this Senior Note shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.

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In Witness Whereof , the Company has caused this instrument to be duly executed.
Dated: March 3, 2008
             
    PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY    
 
           
 
  By:        
 
           
 
      Name: Christopher P. Johns
Title: Senior Vice President and Treasurer
   
 
           
 
  By:        
 
           
 
      Name: Nicholas M. Bijur
Title: Assistant Treasurer
   

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TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
     This Senior Note is one of the Bonds of the series designated as Bonds of the Twenty-Fourth Series referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
     Dated: March 3, 2008
             
    THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A.,
As Trustee
   
 
           
 
  By:        
 
           
 
      Authorized Signatory    

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Reverse of Senior Note
     This 6.35% Senior Note Due February 15, 2038 is one of a duly authorized issue of Bonds of the Company, issued and issuable in one or more series under an Amended and Restated Indenture, dated as of April 22, 2005 (the “Base Indenture”), as supplemented by a First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March 13 , 2007 (the “First Supplemental Indenture”), as further supplemented by a Second Supplemental Indenture, dated as of December 4, 2007 (the “Second Supplemental Indenture”), and a Third Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March 3, 2008 (the “Third Supplemental Indenture” and together with the Base Indenture, the First Supplemental Indenture, the Second Supplemental Indenture and with all additional indentures supplemental thereto, and any constituent instruments establishing the terms of particular Bonds, being herein called the “Indenture”), between the Company and The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee (herein called the “Trustee,” which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), and reference is hereby made to the Indenture for a description of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and immunities of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of Bonds thereunder and of the terms and conditions upon which Bonds are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. This Senior Note is a Bond within the meaning of the Indenture and is one of the Bonds of the twenty-fourth series designated as the 6.35% Senior Note Due February 15, 2038 established by the Company under the Indenture. The acceptance of this Senior Note shall be deemed to constitute the consent and agreement by the Holder hereof to all of the terms and provisions of the Indenture.
     Subject to the terms and conditions of the Indenture, the Senior Notes are redeemable at the option of the Company (“Optional Redemption”), in whole or in part, prior to Maturity, at a Redemption Price equal to the greater of:
     (a) 100% of the principal amount of the Senior Notes to be redeemed; or
     (b) as determined by the Quotation Agent, the sum of the present values of the Remaining Scheduled Payments of principal and interest on the Senior Notes to be redeemed (not including any portion of payments of interest accrued as of the Redemption Date) discounted to the Redemption Date on a semi-annual basis at the Adjusted Treasury Rate, plus 30 basis points,
plus, in either of the above cases, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to but not including the Redemption Date.
     Interest installments whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to such Redemption Date will be payable to Holders of such Senior Notes, or one or more Predecessor Bonds, of record at the close of business on the relevant Record Dates referred to on the face hereof, all as provided in the Indenture.
     In the case of an Optional Redemption, notice of redemption will be in writing and mailed first-class postage-prepaid not less than 30 days nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date to each Holder of Senior Notes to be redeemed at the Holder’s registered address; provided, however, that such notice need not state the dollar amount of the Redemption Price if such dollar amount has not been determined as of the date such notice is being given to

B-6


 

the Holders of the Senior Notes being redeemed. If money sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of all Senior Notes (or portions thereof) to be redeemed on the Redemption Date is deposited with the Paying Agent or the Trustee on or prior to the Redemption Date, from and after such Redemption Date such Senior Notes or portions thereof shall cease to bear interest. Senior Notes in denominations larger than $1,000 in principal amount may be redeemed in part but only in integral multiples of $1,000.
     In the event of redemption of this Senior Note in part only, a new Senior Note or Senior Notes of like tenor for the unredeemed portion hereof will be issued in the name of the Holder hereof upon the surrender hereof.
     As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, this Senior Note or any portion of the principal amount hereof will be deemed to have been paid for all purposes of the Indenture and to be no longer Outstanding thereunder, and the Company’s entire indebtedness in respect thereof will be satisfied and discharged, if there has been irrevocably deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company), in trust, money in an amount which will be sufficient and/or Eligible Obligations, the principal of and interest on which when due, without regard to any reinvestment thereof, will provide moneys which, together with money, if any, deposited with or held by the Trustee or such Paying Agent, will be sufficient to pay when due the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on this Senior Note when due.
     If an Event of Default shall occur and be continuing, the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 33% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Bonds, considered as one class, may declare the principal amount of all Bonds then Outstanding to be due and payable immediately by notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders); provided, however, that with respect to certain Events of Default relating to bankruptcy, insolvency and similar events, the principal amount of all Bonds then Outstanding shall be due and payable immediately without further action by the Trustee or the Holders.
     The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the Company and the Trustee to enter into one or more supplemental indentures for the purpose of adding any provisions to, or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of, the Indenture with the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Bonds at the time Outstanding, considered as one class; provided, however, that if there shall be Bonds of more than one series Outstanding under the Indenture and if a proposed supplemental indenture shall directly affect the rights of the Holders of Bonds of one or more, but less than all, of such series, then the consent only of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Bonds of all series so directly affected, considered as one class, shall be required; and provided, further, that if the Bonds of any series shall have been issued in more than one Tranche and if a proposed supplemental indenture shall directly affect the rights of the Holders of Bonds of one or more, but less than all, of such Tranches, then the consent only of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Bonds of all Tranches so directly affected, considered as one class, shall be required; and provided, further, that the Indenture permits the Company and the Trustee to enter into one or more supplemental indentures for certain purposes without the consent of any Holders of Bonds. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of Bonds,

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on behalf of the Holders of all such Bonds, to waive certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Senior Note shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Senior Note and of any Senior Note issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Senior Note.
     As provided in and subject to the provisions of the Indenture, the Holder of this Senior Note shall not have the right to institute any proceeding with respect to the Indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee or for any other remedy thereunder, unless such Holder shall have previously given the Trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default, the Holders of at least 33% in aggregate principal amount of the Bonds at the time Outstanding shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default as Trustee and offered the Trustee reasonable indemnity, and the Trustee shall not have received from the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of Bonds at the time Outstanding a direction inconsistent with such written request, and shall have failed to institute any such proceeding for 60 days after receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity. The foregoing shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Holder of this Senior Note for the enforcement of any payment of principal hereof or any premium or interest hereon on or after the respective due dates expressed herein.
     No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Senior Note or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and any premium and interest on this Senior Note at the times, place and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.
     As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the transfer of this Senior Note is registrable in the Bond Register, upon surrender of this Senior Note for registration of transfer at the office or agency of the Company in any place where the principal of and any premium and interest on this Senior Note are payable, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company, the Trustee or the Bond Registrar, as the case may be, duly executed by the Holder hereof or such Holder’s attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Senior Notes of like tenor, of authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees.
     The Senior Notes are issuable only in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, Senior Notes are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Senior Notes and of like tenor of a different authorized denomination, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same.
     No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.
     The Company shall not be required to execute or to provide for the registration of the transfer of or the exchange of (A) any Senior Note of this series during a period of 15 days

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immediately preceding the date notice is to be given identifying the serial numbers of the Senior Notes called for redemption, or (B) any Senior Note selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Senior Note being redeemed in part.
     Prior to due presentment of this Senior Note for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Senior Note is registered as the owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Senior Note is overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
     This Senior Note shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of California without regard to the principles of conflicts of laws thereunder, except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act shall be applicable.
     As provided in the Indenture, no recourse shall be had for the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest with respect to this Senior Note, or any part thereof, or for any claim based hereon or otherwise in respect hereof, or of the indebtedness represented hereby, or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement under the Indenture, against any incorporator, shareholder, officer or director, as such, past, present or future, of the Company or of any predecessor or successor corporation (either directly or through the Company or a predecessor or successor corporation), whether by virtue of any constitutional provision, statute or rule of law or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being expressly agreed and understood that the Indenture and all the Bonds are solely corporate obligations and that any such personal liability is hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as part of the consideration for, the execution of the Indenture and the issuance of this Senior Note.
     All terms used in this Senior Note which are not defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.

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ASSIGNMENT FORM
     To assign this Senior Note, fill in the form below: (I) or (we) assign and transfer this Senior Note to
     
 
(Insert assignee’s soc. sec. or tax I.D. no.)
     
 
     
 
     
 
     
 
(Print or type assignee’s name, address and zip code)
and irrevocably appoint                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          to transfer this Senior Note on the books of the Company. The agent may substitute another to act for him.
     
 
Date:                                          
     
 
  Your signature: ______________________________________
 
  (Sign exactly as your name appears on the face of this Senior Note)
 
   
 
  Tax Identification No.:
 
   
 
  SIGNATURE GUARANTEE:
 
   
 
                                                                
 
   
 
  Signatures must be guaranteed by an “eligible guarantor institution” meeting the requirements of the Bond Registrar, which requirements include membership or participation in the Securities Transfer Agent Medallion Program (“ STAMP ”) or such other “signature guarantee program” as may be determined by the Bond Registrar in addition to, or in substitution for, STAMP, all in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

B-10

 

Exhibit 5.1
March 3, 2008
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
77 Beale Street
San Francisco, CA 94177
     
Re:
  Pacific Gas and Electric Company
 
  Registration Statement (File No. 333-149361)
Ladies and Gentlemen:
With respect to $400,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 5.625% Senior Notes due November 30, 2017 and $200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 6.35% Senior Notes due February 15, 2038 (together, the “ Notes ”) to be issued and sold by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (the “Company”) under the Registration Statement on Form S-3, File No. 333-149361, filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”) on February 22, 2008 (the “ Registration Statement ”), and the related prospectus contained in the Registration Statement, as supplemented by the final Prospectus Supplement, dated February 26, 2008, filed with the Commission under its Rule 424(b) (together, the “ Prospectus ”), we have examined the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Amended and Restated Indenture (the “Indenture”) between the Company and The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., as trustee (the “ Trustee ”), dated as of April 22, 2005, as supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March 13, 2007, as further supplemented by the Second Supplemental Indenture, dated as of December 4, 2007, and as further supplement by the Third Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March 3, 2008 (the “ Supplement ”) pursuant to which the Notes will be issued. The Company is filing the Supplement and this opinion letter with the Commission on a Current Report on Form 8-K (the “ Current Report ”).
We also have examined the originals, or copies identified to our satisfaction, of such corporate records of the Company, certificates of public officials, officers of the Company and other persons, and such other documents, agreements and instruments as we have deemed relevant and necessary for the basis of the opinions hereinafter expressed. In such examination, we have assumed the following: (a) the authenticity of original documents and the genuineness of all signatures; (b) the conformity to the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies; and (c) the truth, accuracy and completeness of the information, representations and warranties contained in the records, documents, instruments and certificates we have reviewed.
Based on and subject to the foregoing, assuming that the Notes are issued and sold as contemplated by the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, we are of the opinion that the Notes will be legal and binding obligations of the Company.

 


 

Pacific Gas and Electric Company
March 3, 2008
Page 2
The opinion set forth above is subject to (a) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, arrangement, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers or conveyances, preferences and equitable subordination); and (b) general principles of equity, including, without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing and the possible unavailability of specific performance or injunctive relief (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
The opinion expressed herein is limited to the laws of the State of California and the federal laws of the United States of America.
We hereby consent to the reference to our firm under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus and to the filing of this opinion letter as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement which incorporates the Current Report by reference. By giving this consent, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
ORRICK, HERRINGTON & SUTCLIFFE LLP