UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

 


FORM 8-K

 


CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported) October 13, 2006

 


VECTREN UTILITY HOLDINGS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 


 

Indiana   001-16739   35-2104850

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

  (Commission File Number)  

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

 

One Vectren Square, Evansville, Indiana   47741
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

(812) 491-4000

(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:

 

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 



Item 8.01. Other Events.

Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc. hereby files an Underwriting Agreement, dated October 13, 2006, attached hereto as Exhibit 1.1 and incorporated herein by reference, in connection with the Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc. issuance of $100,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 5.95% Insured Quarterly Notes due 2036 (the “Securities”).

Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc. hereby files a Terms Agreement, dated October 13, 2006, attached hereto as Exhibit 1.2 and incorporated herein by reference, in connection with the issuance by Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc. of the Securities.

Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc. hereby files the form of Fifth Supplemental Indenture (including the Form of Note), attached hereto as Exhibit 4.1 and incorporated herein by reference, in connection with the issuance by Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc. of the Securities.

Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc. hereby files the form of Insurance Agreement with Financial Guaranty Insurance Company, attached hereto as Exhibit 4.2 and incorporated herein by reference, in connection with the issuance by Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc. of the Securities.

Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc. hereby files the final Legal Opinion of Barnes & Thornburg LLP, attached hereto as Exhibit 5.1 and incorporated herein by reference, in connection with the issuance of the Securities.

Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc. hereby files the final Legal Opinion of Kegler, Brown, Hill & Ritter Co., L.P.A., attached hereto as Exhibit 5.2 and incorporated herein by reference, in connection with the issuance of the Securities.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

 

Exhibit No.  

Description

1.1   Underwriting Agreement, dated October 13, 2006, among Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc., Indiana Gas Company, Inc., Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company, Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio, Inc., and Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P.
1.2   Terms Agreement, dated October 13, 2006, among Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc., Indiana Gas Company, Inc., Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company, Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio, Inc., and Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P.
4.1   Form of Fifth Supplemental Indenture, among Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc., Indiana Gas Company, Inc., Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company, Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio, Inc., and U.S. Bank National Association.
4.2   Form of Insurance Agreement among, Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc., Indiana Gas Company, Inc., Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company, Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio, Inc., and Financial Guaranty Insurance Company.
5.1   Opinion of Barnes & Thornburg LLP.
5.2   Opinion of Kegler, Brown, Hill & Ritter Co., L.P.A.


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

    VECTREN UTILITY HOLDINGS, INC.
  (Registrant)
Dated: October 16, 2006   By:  

/s/ M. Susan Hardwick

    M. Susan Hardwick
    Vice President and Controller

Exhibit 1.1

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

VECTREN UTILITY HOLDINGS, INC.

(An Indiana corporation)

AND THE GUARANTORS NAMED HEREIN

Debt Securities

Dated October 13, 2006


Table of Contents

 

     Page
SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties.    3
            (a)    Representations and Warranties by the Company and the Guarantors    3
            (b)    Officers’ Certificates    13
SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing.    13
            (a)    Underwritten Securities    13
            (b)    Payment    14
            (c)    Denominations; Registration    14
SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company and the Guarantors    14
            (a)    Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests    14
            (b)    Filing of Amendments    15
            (c)    Delivery of Registration Statement    15
            (d)    Delivery of Prospectuses    15
            (e)    Continued Compliance with Securities Laws    15
            (f)    Final Term Sheet    16
            (g)    Permitted Free Writing Prospectus    16
            (h)    Registration Statement Renewal Deadline    17
            (i)    Blue Sky Qualifications    17
            (j)    Earnings Statement    17
            (k)    Use of Proceeds    18
            (l)    Listing    18
            (m)    Restriction on Sale of Securities    18
            (n)    Reporting Requirements    18
            (o)    Additional Guarantors    18
SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses.    18
            (a)    Expenses    18
            (b)    Termination of Agreement    19
SECTION 5. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations    19
            (a)    Effectiveness of Registration Statement and Commission Filings    19
            (b)    Opinion of General Counsel of the Company    20
            (c)    Opinion of Counsel for Company and the Guarantors    20
            (d)    Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters    20
            (e)    Officers’ Certificate    20
            (f)    Accountant’s Comfort Letter    21
            (g)    Bring-down Comfort Letter    21
            (h)    Ratings    21

 

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            (i)    Approval of Listing    21
            (j)    No Objection    21
            (k)    Additional Documents    21
            (l)    Termination of Terms Agreement    22
SECTION 6. Indemnification.    22
            (a)    Indemnification of Underwriters    22
            (b)    Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers    23
            (c)    Actions against Parties; Notification    23
            (d)    Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse    23
SECTION 7. Contribution    24
SECTION 8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery    25
SECTION 9. Termination.    25
            (a)    Underwriting Agreement    25
            (b)    Terms Agreement    25
            (c)    Liabilities    26
SECTION 10. Default by One or More of the Underwriters    26
SECTION 11. Notices    27
SECTION 12. Parties    27
SECTION 13. No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility    27
SECTION 14. GOVERNING LAW AND TIME    28
SECTION 15. Effect of Headings    28
SECTION 16. Counterparts    28
SECTION 17. Tax Disclosure    28

EXHIBITS

 

  Exhibit A – Terms Agreement    A-1
  Exhibit B – Form of Opinion of General Counsel of the Company    B-1
  Exhibit C – Form of Opinion of Company’s Counsel    C-1

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VECTREN UTILITY HOLDINGS, INC.

(an Indiana corporation)

AND THE GUARANTORS NAMED HEREIN

Debt Securities

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

October 13, 2006

Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P.

12555 Manchester Road

St. Louis, Missouri 63131

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc., an Indiana corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell an aggregate principal amount of senior debt securities not to exceed $100,000,000 (the “Debt Securities”), from time to time, in or pursuant to one or more offerings on terms to be determined at the time of sale. The Debt Securities will be issued in one or more series as senior indebtedness under an indenture, dated as of October 19, 2001 (as modified, supplemented or amended from time to time, the “Indenture”), among the Company, as issuer, the Initial Guarantors (as defined below), as guarantors, and U.S. Bank Trust National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), and, subject to the terms of the Indenture, will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed as to payment of principal, premium (if any) and interest (the “Guarantees”, and together with the Debt Securities, the “Securities”) by Indiana Gas Company, Inc., an Indiana and Ohio corporation, Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company, an Indiana corporation, and Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio, Inc., an Ohio corporation (collectively, the “Initial Guarantors”, and together with each other subsidiary of the Company that pursuant to the terms of the Indenture guarantees the Company’s obligations under the Debt Securities, the “Guarantors”).

Each series of Debt Securities may vary, as applicable, as to title, aggregate principal amount, rank, interest rate or formula and timing of payments thereof, stated maturity date, redemption and/or repayment provisions, sinking fund requirements and any other variable terms established by or pursuant to the Indenture.

Whenever the Company determines to make an offering of Securities through Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. (the “Representative”), or through an underwriting syndicate managed by the Representative, the Company and, if applicable, the Guarantors will enter into an agreement (each, a “Terms Agreement”) providing for the sale of such Securities to, and the purchase and offering thereof by, Representative and such other underwriters, if any, selected by the Representative (the “Underwriters”, which term shall include the Representative, as well as any Underwriter substituted pursuant to Section 10 hereof). The Terms Agreement relating to the offering of Securities shall specify the aggregate principal amount of Debt Securities to be

 

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initially issued (the “Underwritten Securities”), the name of each Underwriter participating in such offering (subject to substitution as provided in Section 10 hereof) and the name of any Underwriter other than the Representative acting as co-manager in connection with such offering, the aggregate principal amount of Underwritten Securities which each such Underwriter severally agrees to purchase, whether such offering is on a fixed or variable price basis and, if on a fixed price basis, the initial offering price, the price at which the Underwritten Securities are to be purchased by the Underwriters, the Applicable Time (as defined in such Terms Agreement) (the “Applicable Time”), a list of each free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act), if any, delivered or made available to investors in connection with the offering of the Underwritten Securities, the form, time, date and place of delivery and payment of the Underwritten Securities and any other material variable terms of the Underwritten Securities. The Terms Agreement, which shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, may take the form of an exchange of any standard form of written telecommunication between the Company and the Representative acting for itself and, if applicable, for any other Underwriters. Each offering of Underwritten Securities through the Representative will be governed by this Underwriting Agreement, as supplemented by the applicable Terms Agreement.

The Company and the Initial Guarantors have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-128286) for the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and the offering thereof from time to time in accordance with Rule 415 of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act (the “1933 Act Regulations”). Such registration statement has been declared effective by the Commission and the Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “1939 Act”), and the Company and the Initial Guarantors have or will have filed such post-effective amendments thereto as may be required prior to the execution of the applicable Terms Agreement, and each such post-effective amendment has been declared effective by the Commission. Promptly after execution and delivery of any Terms Agreement, the Company and the Initial Guarantors will prepare and file a prospectus supplement relating to the Underwritten Securities in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430B (“Rule 430B”) of the 1933 Act Regulations and Rule 424(b) (“Rule 424(b)”) of the 1933 Act Regulations. Such registration statement, at each time of effectiveness under the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations, including post-effective amendments thereto to such time, the exhibits and any schedules thereto at such time, the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act at such time and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, excepting therefrom, for purposes of clarity, any free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act), is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement”; provided , however , that all references to the “Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include information contained in a prospectus supplement (whether in preliminary or final form) relating to the Underwritten Securities that is deemed to be a part of such registration statement as of the time specified in Rule 430B, excepting therefrom, for purposes of clarity, any free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act); provided , further , that if the Company and the Guarantors file a registration statement with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations (the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement”), then, after such filing, all references to the “Registration Statement” shall also be deemed to include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. Any information relating to the offering of the Underwritten Securities that was omitted from such registration statement at the time it became effective but that is deemed to be a part of and included in such

 

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registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B is referred to as “Rule 430B Information.” Each prospectus and prospectus supplement used in connection with the offering of the Underwritten Securities that omitted Rule 430B Information is, including the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, excepting therefrom, for purposes of clarity, any free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act), are collectively referred to herein as the “preliminary prospectus.” The final prospectus and the final prospectus supplement, in the form first furnished or made available to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Underwritten Securities, including the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act at the time of the execution of the applicable Terms Agreement, excepting therefrom, for purposes of clarity, any free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act), is herein called the “Prospectus.” For purposes of this Underwriting Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary prospectus or to any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include any copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“EDGAR”).

All references in this Underwriting Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included,” “disclosed” or “stated” (or other references of like import) in the Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary prospectus shall be deemed to include all such financial statements and notes and schedules thereto and other information which is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus, as the case may be, at the relevant time of effectiveness, the date of the applicable Terms Agreement or the date of issuance, as the case may be, and all references in this Underwriting Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary prospectus shall be deemed to include the information which is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary prospectus, as the case may be, at or after such time.

SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties .

(a) Representations and Warranties by the Company and the Guarantors . Each of the Company and the Guarantors, jointly and severally, represents and warrants to the Representative, as of the date hereof, and to each Underwriter named in the applicable Terms Agreement, as of the date thereof, as of the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Time referred to in Section 2(c) hereof, as follows:

(1) Compliance with Registration Requirements . Each of the Company and the Guarantors meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act. The Registration Statement (including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement) has become effective under the 1933 Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement (including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement) has been issued under the 1933 Act and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company and the Guarantors, are contemplated by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information has been complied with. In addition, the Indenture has been duly qualified under the 1939 Act.

 

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At the respective times the Registration Statement (including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement) and any post-effective amendment thereto (including the filing of the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K with the Commission (the “Annual Report on Form 10-K”)) became effective, at each “new effective date” within the meaning of Rule 430B(f)(2) and at each Representation Date, the Registration Statement (including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement) and any post-effective amendment thereto complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and the 1939 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1939 Act (the “1939 Act Regulations”) and did not, does not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. At the date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and at the Closing Time, neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will 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.

Each preliminary prospectus and prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the 1933 Act, complied when so filed in all material respects with the 1933 Act Regulations and each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered or made available to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of Underwritten Securities will, at the time of such delivery, be identical to any electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

As of the Applicable Time, the Statutory Prospectus (as defined below) and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) at or prior to the Applicable Time, all considered together (collectively, the “Disclosure Package”), did not include an 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.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to the Statement of Eligibility of the Trustee on Form T-1 or statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company or a Guarantor in writing by any Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package.

As used in this subsection and elsewhere in this Underwriting Agreement:

“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), relating to the Underwritten Securities that (i) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) is a “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of

 

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Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission or (iii) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Underwritten Securities or of the offering thereof that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).

“Statutory Prospectus” as of any time means the prospectus relating to the Securities that is included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to that time, including the documents incorporated by reference therein, and any preliminary prospectus relating to the Underwritten Securities that is deemed to be a part of and included in the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430B immediately prior to such time.

(2) Ineligible Issuer . (i) At the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement relating to the Underwritten Securities that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations) of the Underwritten Securities and (ii) as of each Representation Date (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 (“Rule 405”) of the 1933 Act Regulations) (an “Ineligible Issuer”) 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.

(3) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus . No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, if any, listed in the applicable Terms Agreement, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the offering and sale of the Underwritten Securities or until any earlier date that the Company notifies the Underwriters as described in Section 3(e), included, includes or will include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein that has not been superseded or modified. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company or a Guarantor in writing by any Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use therein.

(4) Distribution of Offering Material By the Company . The Company has not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of the Closing Time and the completion of the Underwriters’ distribution of the Underwritten Securities, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Underwritten Securities other than (A) the Registration Statement, (B) any preliminary prospectus, (C) the Prospectus, (D) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Representative pursuant to Section 3(g) and attached as an exhibit to the applicable Terms Agreement or (F) any free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 433 under the 1933 Act) that the Company and the Underwriters agree in the applicable Terms Agreement to treat as part of the Disclosure Package.

 

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(5) Incorporated Documents . The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus, at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (the “1934 Act Regulations”) and, when read together with the other information in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus, at each Representation Date, did not, do not and will not include an 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.

(6) Independent Accountants . The accountants that audited the Company’s financial statements and supporting schedules thereto included in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package, as specified therein, are an independent registered public accounting firm within the meaning of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.

(7) Financial Statements . The consolidated financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the statement of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified. Such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved. The supporting schedules, if any, included in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package present fairly in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. The selected financial data and the summary financial information, if any, included in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package present fairly the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package. The Company is not required to include any pro forma financial statements in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations or any document required to be filed with the Commission under the 1934 Act or the 1934 Act Regulations. The financial statement presentation of the Company and the Guarantors in the Prospectus satisfies the conditions of Rule 3-10(f) of Regulation S-X promulgated under the 1933 Act.

(8) No Material Adverse Change in Business . Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package, except as otherwise stated therein, (A) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”), (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than those arising in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise and (C) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock.

 

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(9) Good Standing of the Company . The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation under the laws of the State of Indiana and has power and authority (corporate and other) to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package and to enter into and perform its obligations under, or as contemplated under, this Underwriting Agreement, the applicable Terms Agreement, the Indenture and the Underwritten Securities. The Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or be in good standing could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(10) Good Standing of Guarantors . Each Guarantor has been duly organized, is validly existing and is in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization (to the extent applicable), has power and authority (corporate and other) to own, lease and operate its properties, to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package and to enter into and perform its obligations under, or as contemplated under, this Underwriting Agreement, the applicable Terms Agreement and its Guarantee and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation or limited liability company, as applicable, to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or be in good standing could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. All of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other equity interests of each Guarantor have been duly authorized and are validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of any Guarantor were issued in violation of preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of such Guarantor. The only subsidiaries of the Company are (a) the Guarantors and (b) certain other subsidiaries which, individually or in the aggregate, are “minor” within the meaning of Rule 3-10 of Regulation S-X promulgated under the 1933 Act.

(11) Capitalization . All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued by the Company and are fully paid and non-assessable, and none of such shares of capital stock were issued in violation of preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.

(12) Authorization of this Underwriting Agreement and Terms Agreement . This Underwriting Agreement has been, and the applicable Terms Agreement as of the date thereof will have been, duly authorized, executed and delivered by each of the Company and the Guarantors.

 

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(13) Authorization of the Underwritten Securities . The Underwritten Securities have been, or as of the date of the applicable Terms Agreement will have been, duly authorized by the Company for issuance and sale pursuant to this Underwriting Agreement and such Terms Agreement. Such Underwritten Securities, when issued and authenticated in the manner provided for in the Indenture and delivered against payment of the consideration therefor specified in such Terms Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by general equitable principles (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), and except further as enforcement thereof may be limited by requirements that a claim with respect to any Underwritten Securities payable in a foreign currency (or a foreign currency judgment in respect of such claim) be converted into U.S. dollars at a rate of exchange prevailing on a date determined pursuant to applicable law or by governmental authority to limit, delay or prohibit the making of payments outside the United States. Such Underwritten Securities will be in the form contemplated by, and each registered holder thereof is entitled to the benefits of, the Indenture and the Guarantees.

(14) Authorization of Guarantees . The Guarantees have been, or as of the date of the applicable Terms Agreement will have been, duly authorized by the respective Guarantors. The Guarantees, when the Underwritten Securities are issued and authenticated in the manner provided for in the Indenture and delivered against payment of the consideration therefor specified in such Terms Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the respective Guarantors, enforceable against the related Guarantor in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by general equitable principles (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), and except further as enforcement thereof may be limited by requirements that a claim with respect to any Guarantee payable in a foreign currency (or a foreign currency judgment in respect of such claim) be converted into U.S. dollars at a rate of exchange prevailing on a date determined pursuant to applicable law or by governmental authority to limit, delay or prohibit the making of payments outside the United States.

(15) Authorization of the Indenture . The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and each Guarantor and constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Company and each Guarantor, enforceable against the Company and each Guarantor in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by general equitable principles (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), and except further as enforcement thereof may be limited by requirements that a claim with respect to any Debt Securities payable in a foreign currency (or a foreign currency

 

8


judgment in respect of such claim) be converted into U.S. dollars at a rate of exchange prevailing on a date determined pursuant to applicable law or by governmental authority to limit, delay or prohibit the making of payments outside the United States. The Indenture has been duly qualified under the 1939 Act.

(16) Description of the Underwritten Securities and Guarantees . The Underwritten Securities and the Guarantees, when issued and delivered in accordance with their terms, will conform in all material respects to the statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package and will be in substantially the form filed or incorporated by reference, as the case may be, as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.

(17) Description of the Indenture . The Indenture, as of the Representation Date, will conform in all material respects to the statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package and will be in substantially the form filed or incorporated by reference, as the case may be, as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.

(18) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts . Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its charter or by-laws (or other organizational documents) or in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of the assets, properties or operations of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”), except for such violations or defaults that could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The execution, delivery and performance of this Underwriting Agreement, the applicable Terms Agreement and the Indenture and any other agreement or instrument entered into or issued or to be entered into or issued by the Company and each Guarantor in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby or in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package (including the issuance and sale of the Underwritten Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Underwritten Securities as described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package relating to such Underwritten Securities) and compliance by the Company and each Guarantor with their respective obligations hereunder and thereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any assets, properties or operations of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, any Agreements and Instruments, nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws (or other organizational documents) of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or

 

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any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective assets, properties or operations. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

(19) Absence of Labor Dispute . No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or any of its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, which, in either case, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(20) Absence of Proceedings . Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package, there is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending, or to the knowledge of the Company threatened, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries which (A) is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (other than as stated therein), (B) could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or (C) could reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated under the Prospectus, this Underwriting Agreement, the applicable Terms Agreement or the Indenture or the performance by the Company and the Guarantors of their respective obligations hereunder and thereunder. The aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any of their respective assets, properties or operations is the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(21) Accuracy of Exhibits . There are no franchises, contracts or other documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or any report filed with the Commission under the 1934 Act which have not been so described and filed as required.

(22) Absence of Further Requirements . No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency, domestic or foreign, is necessary or required for the due authorization, execution and delivery by the Company or the Guarantors of this Underwriting Agreement, the applicable Terms Agreement, the Indenture, the Underwritten Securities or the Guarantees or for the performance by the Company or the Guarantors of their obligations under this Underwriting Agreement, such Terms Agreement, the Indenture, the Underwritten Securities or the Guarantees, except such as have been already made, obtained or rendered, as applicable or as may be required under state securities or blue sky laws.

 

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(23) Possession of Intellectual Property . The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on the business now operated by them, except where the failure to own, possess or acquire, singly or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice or is otherwise aware of any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property or of any facts or circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property invalid or inadequate to protect the interest of the Company or any of its subsidiaries therein, and which infringement or conflict (if the subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity or inadequacy, singly or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(24) Possession of Licenses and Permits . Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package, (i) the Company and its subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by the appropriate regulatory agencies or bodies, domestic or foreign, necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, except where the non-possession of any such Governmental Licenses could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply could not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (iii) all of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except where the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect and (iv) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Governmental Licenses which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(25) Title to Property . The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all material real property owned by the Company and its subsidiaries and good title to all other material properties owned by them, in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any kind, except (A) as otherwise stated in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package or (B) those which do not, singly or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries. All of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries holds properties described in Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the

 

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rights of the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or such subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease.

(26) Investment Company Act . Neither the Company nor any Guarantor is, or upon the issuance and sale of the Underwritten Securities as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package will be, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

(27) Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005 . The Company is not required under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005 or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder to seek approval to enter into or perform its obligations under this Underwriting Agreement, the applicable Terms Agreement, the Indenture and the Underwritten Securities.

(28) Environmental Laws . Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package and except as could not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) the Company and its subsidiaries possess all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, (C) there are no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries and (D) to the Company’s knowledge, there are no events or circumstances that might reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or governmental body or agency, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.

(29) Maintenance of Controls and Procedures . The Company has established and maintains “disclosure controls and procedures” (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the 1934 Act) that (A) are designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer by

 

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others within those entities, particularly during the periods in which the filings made by the Company with the Commission which it may make under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act are being prepared, (B) have been evaluated for effectiveness as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing of the Company’s most recent annual report filed with the Commission and (C) are effective to perform the functions for which they were established. The Company’s accountants and the audit committee of the board of directors of the Company have been advised of (x) any significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial data and (y) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a role in the Company’s internal controls. Any material weaknesses in internal controls have been identified for the Company’s accountants. Since the date of the most recent evaluation of such disclosure controls and procedures, there have been no significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses. Since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (I) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (II) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

(30) Other Controls . The Company and its consolidated subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting and other controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain accountability for assets, (C) acquisition, disposition or other use of assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, (D) the recorded accounting for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences, and (E) the principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the Company have made all certifications required by Sections 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) and any related rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission.

(b) Officers’ Certificates . Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company, any Guarantor or any of their respective subsidiaries and delivered to any Underwriter or to counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Underwritten Securities shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company or such Guarantor to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby on the date of such certificate.

SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing .

(a) Underwritten Securities . The several commitments of the Underwriters to purchase the Underwritten Securities pursuant to the applicable Terms Agreement shall be deemed to have been made on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained and shall be subject to the terms and conditions herein and, if applicable, therein set forth.

 

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(b) Payment . Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of, the Underwritten Securities shall be made at the offices of Sidley Austin LLP, 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company, at 10:00 A.M. (Eastern time) on the third business day after the date of the applicable Terms Agreement (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10 hereof), or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called the “Closing Time”).

Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account designated by the Company, against delivery to the Representative for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of the Underwritten Securities to be purchased by them. It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized the Representative, for its account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Underwritten Securities which it has severally agreed to purchase. The Representative, for itself and not as representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the purchase price for the Underwritten Securities to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been received by the Closing Time but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.

(c) Denominations; Registration . The Underwritten Securities or certificates for the Underwritten Securities, as applicable, shall be in such denominations and registered in such names as the Representative may request in writing at least two full business days prior to the Closing Time. The Underwritten Securities or certificates for the Underwritten Securities, as applicable, will be made available for examination and packaging by the Representative in The City of New York, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company, not later than 10:00 A.M. (Eastern time) on the business day prior to the Closing Time.

SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company and the Guarantors . Each of the Company and the Guarantors covenants with the Representative and with each Underwriter named in the applicable Terms Agreement, as follows:

(a) Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests . The Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B and will notify the Representative promptly, and confirm the notice in writing, of (i) the effectiveness of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or the filing of any supplement or amendment to the Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus, (ii) the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus or for additional information, and (iv) the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any order preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Underwritten Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the

 

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initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes. The Company will promptly effect the filings necessary pursuant to Rule 424 and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424 was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file the Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus, as the case may be. The Company and the Guarantors will use their best efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order and, if any stop order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof as soon as practicable.

(b) Filing of Amendments . The Company will give the Representative notice of its intention to file or prepare any new registration statement containing the Prospectus or any amendment to the Registration Statement (including any filing under Rule 462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations) or any amendment or supplement to the prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time it became effective, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, whether pursuant to the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or otherwise, will furnish the Representative with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object.

(c) Delivery of Registration Statement . The Company has furnished or will deliver to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed or conformed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and any new registration statement containing the Prospectus and, in each case, any amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and signed or conformed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Representative, without charge, a conformed copy thereof (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters. Copies of the Registration Statement and any new registration statement containing the Prospectus and, in each case, any amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

(d) Delivery of Prospectuses . The Company will deliver to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto as such Underwriter may reasonably request, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act. The Company will furnish or make available to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when the Prospectus is required under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act to be delivered (or but for the exemption afforded by Rule 172 (“Rule 172”) of the 1933 Act Regulations would be required to be delivered) to investors in connection with sales of the Underwritten Securities, such number of copies of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto as such Underwriter may reasonably request. Each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus and, in each case, any amendment or supplement thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

(e) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws . Each of the Company and the Guarantors will comply with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and the 1934 Act and

 

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the 1934 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Underwritten Securities as contemplated in this Underwriting Agreement and the applicable Terms Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package. If at any time when the Prospectus is required under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act to be delivered (or but for the exemption afforded by Rule 172 would be required to be delivered) to investors in connection with sales of the Underwritten Securities any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the reasonable opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company and the Guarantors, to amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or to amend or supplement the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package in order that the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package, as the case may be, will not include an 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 or the circumstances then prevailing, not misleading, or if it shall be necessary, in the opinion of such counsel, at any such time to amend the Registration Statement, amend or supplement the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package or file a new registration statement containing the Prospectus in order to comply with law, including the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company and the Guarantors will promptly notify the Representative of any such event or condition and prepare and file with the Commission (and use their best efforts to have any amendment to the Registration Statement or any new registration statement containing the Prospectus to be declared effective immediately), subject to Section 3(b) and Section 3(g), such new registration statement or amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package comply with law. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or condition as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement (or any other registration statement relating to the Underwritten Securities), the Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus, including the documents incorporated by reference therein, the Company and the Guarantors will promptly notify the Representative and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict.

(f) Final Term Sheet . The Company and the Guarantors will prepare a final term sheet containing only a description of the Underwritten Securities, in a form approved by the Representative and attached as an exhibit to the applicable Terms Agreement, and will file such term sheet pursuant to Rule 433(d) within the time required by such rule (the “Final Term Sheet”). Any such Final Term Sheet is an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus for purposes of this Underwriting Agreement and the applicable Terms Agreement.

(g) Permitted Free Writing Prospectus. The Company represents that neither it nor anyone acting on its behalf, including the Guarantors, has made, and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Representative, neither it nor anyone acting on its behalf, including the Guarantors, will make, any offer relating to the Underwritten 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; provided that the prior written consent of the

 

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Representative shall be deemed to have been given in respect of each free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act), if any, that is attached as an exhibit to the applicable Terms Agreement. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Representative is referred to herein as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”. The Company agrees that (i) it has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and (ii) has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping. The Company consents to the use by any Underwriter of a free writing prospectus that (a) is not an “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 433), and (b) contains only (i) information describing the preliminary terms of the Underwritten Securities or their offering, (ii) information permitted by Rule 134 of the 1933 Act Regulations or (iii) information that describes the final terms of the Underwritten Securities or their offering and other customary information relating thereto. The Underwriters agree that, unless they obtain the prior written consent of the Company and, in the case of the Underwriters other than the Representative, the Representative, they will not make any offer relating to the Underwritten Securities that constitutes or would constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act) required to be filed with the Commission under Rule 433 under the 1933 Act.

(h) Registration Statement Renewal Deadline . If immediately prior to the third anniversary (the “Renewal Deadline”) of December 1, 2005 any of the Underwritten Securities remain unsold by the Underwriters, the Company and the Guarantors, will prior to the Renewal Deadline, file, if they have not already done so, a new shelf registration statement relating to the Underwritten Securities and related Guaranties, in a form satisfactory to the Representative, and will use their best efforts to cause such registration statement to the declared effective within 60 days after the Renewal Deadline. The Company and the Guarantors will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of such Underwritten Securities and related Guaranties to continue as contemplated in the expired registration statement relating thereto. References herein to the “Registration Statement” shall include such new shelf registration statement.

(i) Blue Sky Qualifications . Each of the Company and the Guarantors will use its best efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Underwritten Securities and related Guarantees for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Representative may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect as long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of the Underwritten Securities; provided , however , that neither the Company nor any Guarantor shall be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject. In each jurisdiction in which the Underwritten Securities and related Guarantees have been so qualified, each of the Company and the Guarantors will file such statements and reports as may be required by the laws of such jurisdiction.

(j) Earnings Statement . The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as

 

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practicable, but in no event later than 16 months after the date of each applicable Terms Agreement, an earnings statement covering a period of at least 12 months beginning after the date of such Terms Agreement and otherwise satisfying Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.

(k) Use of Proceeds . The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Underwritten Securities in the manner specified in the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package under “Use of Proceeds.”

(l) Listing . The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to effect the listing of the Underwritten Securities, prior to the Closing Time, on any national securities exchange or quotation system if and as specified in the applicable Terms Agreement.

(m) Restriction on Sale of Securities . Between the date of the applicable Terms Agreement and the Closing Time or such other date specified in such Terms Agreement, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representative, directly or indirectly, issue, sell, offer or contract to sell, grant any option for the sale of, or otherwise dispose of, any debt securities with a maturity in excess of nine months other than borrowings under the Company’s revolving credit facility.

(n) Reporting Requirements . The Company and the Guarantors, during the period when the Prospectus is required under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act to be delivered (or but for the exemption afforded by Rule 172 would be required to be delivered) to investors in connection with sales of the Underwritten Securities, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act within the time periods required by the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations.

(o) Additional Guarantors . In the event that a subsidiary of the Company becomes a Guarantor under the Indenture after the date of this Underwriting Agreement, the Company will cause such subsidiary to execute each subsequent Terms Agreement acknowledging the representations, warranties and agreements of such subsidiary as Guarantor under this Underwriting Agreement.

SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses .

(a) Expenses . The Company and the Guarantors will pay all expenses incident to the performance of their obligations under this Underwriting Agreement and each applicable Terms Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and any new registration statement containing the Prospectus and, in each case, any amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of this Underwriting Agreement, any Terms Agreement, any Agreement among Underwriters, the Indenture and such other documents as may be required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the Underwritten Securities, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the Underwritten Securities or any certificates for the Underwritten Securities, as applicable, to the Underwriters, including any transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Underwritten Securities to the Underwriters, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants and other advisors or agents (including transfer agents and

 

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registrars), as well as the fees and disbursements of the Trustee and its counsel, (v) the qualification of the Underwritten Securities and related Guarantees under state securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(i) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation, printing and delivery of the Blue Sky and Legal Investment Surveys, and any amendment thereto, (vi) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus and each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and, in each case, any amendment or supplement thereto, (vii) the fees charged by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations for the rating of the Underwritten Securities, (viii) the fees and expenses incurred with respect to the listing of the Underwritten Securities, if applicable, (ix) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection with, the review, if any, by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the “NASD”) of the terms of the sale of the Underwritten Securities, (x) the fees and expenses of any Underwriter acting in the capacity of a “qualified independent underwriter” (as defined in Rule 2720 of the Conduct Rules of the NASD), if applicable, and (xi) the costs and expenses (including without limitation any damages or amounts payable in connection with legal or contractual liability) associated with the reforming of any contracts for sale of the Underwritten Securities made by the Underwriters caused by a breach of representation contained in the fourth paragraph of Section 1(a)(1). It is understood, however, that except as provided in this Section 4, and in Sections 5(l), 6 or 7 hereof, the Underwriters will be responsible for all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel, any transfer taxes on the Underwritten Securities upon resale by them and all other expenses incurred by them in connection with any offering of the Underwritten Securities made by the Underwriters.

(b) Termination of Agreement . If the applicable Terms Agreement is terminated by the Representative in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 or Section 9(b)(i) or (solely with respect to trading in the securities of Vectren Corporation, the Company or any Guarantor) (iii) hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of their out-of-pocket expenses reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in connection with preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Underwritten Securities pursuant to the applicable Terms Agreement, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.

SECTION 5. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations . The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Underwritten Securities pursuant to the applicable Terms Agreement are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company and the Guarantors contained herein and in the applicable Terms Agreement and in certificates of any officer of the Company, any of the Guarantors or any of their respective subsidiaries delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof or the applicable Terms Agreement, to the performance by the Company and the Guarantors of its covenants and other obligations hereunder or under the applicable Terms Agreement, and to the following further conditions:

(a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement and Commission Filings . The Registration Statement, including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, has become effective under the 1933 Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the 1933 Act and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or be pending or threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the

 

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Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of counsel to the Underwriters. The Company shall have filed each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus with the Commission (including the information required by Rule 430B) in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (or any required amendment to the Registration Statement providing the information required by Rule 430B shall have been filed and become effective under the 1933 Act). The Final Term Sheet and any other material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings under Rule 433.

(b) Opinion of General Counsel of the Company . At the Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have received the favorable opinion, dated the Closing Time, of, Robert E. Heidorn, General Counsel of the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters, substantially to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto and to such further effect as counsel to the Underwriters may reasonably request.

(c) Opinion of Counsel for Company and the Guarantors . At the Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have received the favorable opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Barnes & Thornburg LLP, counsel for the Company and the Guarantors, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters, substantially to the effect set forth in Exhibit C hereto and to such further effect as counsel to the Underwriters may reasonably request (including opinions of local counsel with respect to Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio, Inc. and Indiana Gas Company, Inc. and McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC with respect to Ohio regulatory matters).

(d) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters . At the Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have received an opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Sidley Austin LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters. In addition, Sidley Austin LLP may rely, without independent investigation or verification, as to all matters of Indiana and Ohio law, upon the opinions of Barnes & Thornburg LLP and McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC, respectively.

(e) Officers’ Certificate . At the Closing Time, there shall not have been, since the date of the applicable Terms Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and the Underwriters shall have received a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer, President or Executive Vice President of the Company and of each Guarantor and of the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer or Treasurer of the Company and of each Guarantor, dated as of the Closing Time, to the effect that (i) there has been no such material adverse change, (ii) the representations and warranties in Section 1(a) of this Underwriting Agreement and in the applicable Terms Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Time, (iii) the Company or such Guarantor, as the case may be, has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Time, and (iv) no

 

20


stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted, are pending or, to the best of such officer’s knowledge, are threatened by the Commission.

(f) Accountant’s Comfort Letter . At the time of the execution of the applicable Terms Agreement, the Underwriters shall have received from Deloitte & Touche LLP a letter, dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package.

(g) Bring-down Comfort Letter . At the Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have received from Deloitte & Touche LLP a letter, dated as of the Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (f) of this Section 5, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to the Closing Time.

(h) Ratings . At the Closing Time, the Underwritten Securities shall have the ratings accorded by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization”, as defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations, if and as specified in the applicable Terms Agreement, and the Company shall have delivered to the Underwriters a letter, dated as of such date, from each such rating organization, or other evidence satisfactory to the Underwriters, confirming that the Underwritten Securities have such ratings. Since the time of execution of such Terms Agreement, there shall not have occurred a downgrading in, or withdrawal of, the rating assigned to the Underwritten Securities or any other securities of the Company or any Guarantor by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization, and no such rating organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review its rating of the Underwritten Securities or any other securities of the Company or any Guarantor.

(i) Approval of Listing . At the Closing Time, the Underwritten Securities and related Guarantees shall have been approved for listing, subject only to official notice of issuance, if and as specified in the applicable Terms Agreement.

(j) No Objection . If the Registration Statement or an offering of Underwritten Securities has been filed with the NASD for review, the NASD shall not have raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.

(k) Additional Documents . At the Closing Time, counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Underwritten Securities as contemplated herein and in the applicable Terms Agreement, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, contained herein and in the applicable Terms Agreement; and all proceedings taken by the Company or the Guarantors in connection with the issuance and sale of the Underwritten Securities as contemplated herein and in the applicable Terms Agreement shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Underwriters and counsel for the Underwriters.

 

21


(l) Termination of Terms Agreement . If any condition specified in this Section 5 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, the applicable Terms Agreement may be terminated by the Representative by notice to the Company at any time at or prior to the Closing Time, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8 and 14 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 6. Indemnification .

(a) Indemnification of Underwriters . Each of the Company and the Guarantors, jointly and severally, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:

(1) against any and all losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430B Information, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

(2) against any and all losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 6(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company; and

(3) against any and all expenses whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of outside counsel chosen by the Representative), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (1) or (2) above;

provided , however , that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission, made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information

 

22


furnished to the Company or a Guarantor by any Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430B Information, or any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto).

(b) Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers . Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each Guarantor, their respective directors, each of their officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company or any Guarantor within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act against any and all losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses described in the indemnity contained in Section 6(a), as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430B Information, or any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430B Information, such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto).

(c) Actions against Parties; Notification . Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Representative, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

(d) Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse . If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and

 

23


expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 6(a)(2) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

SECTION 7. Contribution . If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Underwritten Securities pursuant to the applicable Terms Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company and the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.

The relative benefits received by the Company and the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Underwritten Securities pursuant to the applicable Terms Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of such Underwritten Securities (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Guarantors and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of such Underwritten Securities as set forth on such cover.

The relative fault of the Company and the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company, the Guarantors or the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

The Company, the Guarantors and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

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Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Underwritten Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company or any Guarantor, each officer of the Company or any Guarantor who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company or any Guarantor within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.

The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the aggregate principal amount of Underwritten Securities set forth opposite their respective names in the applicable Terms Agreement, and not joint.

SECTION 8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery . All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Underwriting Agreement or the applicable Terms Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company, any Guarantor or any of their respective subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto or thereto shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or controlling person, or by or on behalf of the Company or any Guarantor, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Underwritten Securities.

SECTION 9. Termination .

(a) Underwriting Agreement . This Underwriting Agreement (excluding the applicable Terms Agreement) may be terminated for any reason at any time by the Company or by the Representative upon the giving of prior written notice of such termination to the other party hereto.

(b) Terms Agreement . The Representative may terminate the applicable Terms Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to the Closing Time, if (i) there has been, since the time of execution of such Terms Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or in the international

 

25


financial markets, or any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representative, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Underwritten Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Underwritten Securities, or (iii) trading in any securities of Vectren Corporation, the Company or any Guarantor has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission, the New York Stock Exchange or the American Stock Exchange, or if trading generally on the New York Stock Exchange or the American Stock Exchange or in the Nasdaq National Market has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by either of said exchanges or by such system or by order of the Commission, the NASD or any other governmental authority, or (iv) there has occurred a material disruption in securities settlement or clearance services in the United States, or (v) a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York authorities.

(c) Liabilities . If this Underwriting Agreement or the applicable Terms Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section 9, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided further that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8 and 14 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 10. Default by One or More of the Underwriters . If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at the Closing Time to purchase the Underwritten Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase under the applicable Terms Agreement (the “Defaulted Securities”), then the Representative shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Representative shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:

(a) if the aggregate principal amount of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the aggregate principal amount of Underwritten Securities to be purchased on such date pursuant to such Terms Agreement, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations under such Terms Agreement bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or

(b) if the aggregate principal amount of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the aggregate principal amount of Underwritten Securities to be purchased on such date pursuant to such Terms Agreement, such Terms Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.

No action taken pursuant to this Section 10 shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.

In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of the applicable Terms Agreement either the Representative or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Time for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements.

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SECTION 11. Notices . All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to the Representatives at Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P., 12555 Manchester Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63131 and notices to the Company shall be directed to it at One Vectren Square, Evansville, Indiana 47708, attention of Ronald E. Christian.

SECTION 12. Parties . This Underwriting Agreement and the applicable Terms Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Company, the Guarantors, the Representative and, upon execution of such Terms Agreement, any other Underwriters and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Underwriting Agreement or such Terms Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the parties hereto and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representative, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Underwriting Agreement or such Terms Agreement or any provision herein or therein contained. This Underwriting Agreement and such Terms Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof and thereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and thereto and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representative, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Underwritten Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

SECTION 13. No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility . Each of the Company and the Guarantors acknowledges and agrees that: (i) the purchase and sale of the Underwritten Securities pursuant to the applicable Terms Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of such Underwritten Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company and the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, and the Company and the Guarantors are capable of evaluating and understanding and understand and accept the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by such Terms Agreement; (ii) in connection with each transaction contemplated by this Underwriting Agreement and the applicable Terms Agreement and the process leading to such transaction, each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as principal and is not the financial advisor, agent or fiduciary of the Company or any Guarantor or any of their respective affiliates, stockholders, creditors or employees or any other party; (iii) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory, agency or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company or any Guarantor or any of their respective affiliates with respect to any of the transactions contemplated by this Underwriting Agreement and the applicable Terms Agreement or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company or any Guarantor or any of their respective affiliates on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company or any Guarantor or any of their respective affiliates with respect to the offering contemplated by this Underwriting Agreement and the applicable Terms Agreement except the obligations expressly set forth in such Terms Agreement; (iv) the several Underwriters and their respective

 

27


affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, the Guarantors and their respective affiliates and that the several Underwriters have no obligation to disclose any of such interests by virtue of any advisory, agency or fiduciary relationship; and (v) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advise with respect to the offering contemplated by this Underwriting Agreement and the applicable Terms Agreement and the Company and the Guarantors have consulted their own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent they deemed appropriate.

This Underwriting Agreement and the applicable Terms Agreement supersede all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) among the Company, the Guarantors and the several Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof. Each of the Company and the Guarantors hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that it may have against the several Underwriters with respect to any breach or alleged breach of agency or fiduciary duty.

SECTION 14. GOVERNING LAW AND TIME . THIS UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT AND ANY APPLICABLE TERMS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.

SECTION 15. Effect of Headings . The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

SECTION 16. Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts and, if executed in more than one counterpart, the executed counterparts hereof shall constitute a single instrument.

SECTION 17. Tax Disclosure . The Company is authorized, subject to applicable law, to disclose any and all aspects of this potential transaction that are necessary to support any U.S. federal income tax benefits expected to be claimed with respect to such transaction, and all materials of any kind (including tax opinions and other tax analyses) related to those benefits, without the Underwriters imposing any limitation of any kind.

 

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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this Underwriting Agreement, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the Representative, the Company and the Initial Guarantors in accordance with its terms.

 

Very truly yours,

VECTREN UTILITY HOLDINGS, INC.,

    as Issuer

By:  

/s/ Robert L. Goocher

Name:   Robert L. Goocher
Title:   Vice President and Treasurer

INDIANA GAS COMPANY, INC.,

    as Guarantor

By:  

/s/ Robert L. Goocher

Name:   Robert L. Goocher
Title:   Vice President and Treasurer

SOUTHERN INDIANA GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY,

    as Guarantor

By:  

/s/ Robert L. Goocher

Name:   Robert L. Goocher
Title:   Vice President and Treasurer

VECTREN ENERGY DELIVERY OF OHIO, INC.,

    as Guarantor

By:  

/s/ Robert L. Goocher

Name:   Robert L. Goocher
Title:   Vice President and Treasurer

 

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CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,
    as of the date first above written:
EDWARD D. JONES & CO., L.P.
By:  

/s/ T. William Hizar, Jr.

  Authorized Signatory

 

30


EXHIBIT A

VECTREN UTILITY HOLDINGS, INC.

(an Indiana corporation)

AND THE GUARANTORS NAMED HEREIN

Senior Debt Securities

TERMS AGREEMENT

[•], 2006

 

To:    Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc.
   One Vectren Square
   Evansville, Indiana 47708

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We understand that Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc., an Indiana corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell $[•] aggregate principal amount of [•]% Insured Quarterly Notes due [•] (the “[•] Notes”). Subject to the terms of the Indenture, the [•] Notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed as to payment of principal and interest (the “Guarantees”) by Indiana Gas Company, Inc., Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company and Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio, Inc. (the “Initial Guarantors”). Subject to the terms and conditions set forth or incorporated by reference herein, we offer to purchase from the Company, and the Company agrees to us, the entire principal amount of the [•] Notes at the purchase price set forth below.

 

Ex-A-1


    

Principal Amount

Of 2015 Notes

  

Principal Amount

Of 2035 Notes

Underwriter

     

Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P.

[•]

[•].

   $            [•]    $            [•]
         

Total

   $            [•]    $            [•]
         

 

The [•] Notes shall have the following terms:

 

Title:

 

[•]% Senior Notes due [•]

Rank:

 

Unsecured senior indebtedness

Guarantees:

 

Guaranteed by the Initial Guarantors

Ratings:

 

“[•]” by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.

“[•]” by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services

Aggregate principal amount:

 

$[•]

Denominations:

 

$1,000 and integral multiples thereof

Currency of payment:

 

U.S. Dollars

Interest rate or formula:

 

[•]

Interest payment dates:

 

[•]

Regular record dates:

  The [•] calendar day of the month immediately preceding the month in which each Interest Payment Date falls

Stated maturity date:

 

[•]

Redemption provisions:

 

[•]

Sinking fund requirements:

 

The Notes will not have the benefit of, or be subject to, any sinking fund.

Defeasance provisions:

  The Notes are subject to defeasance and covenant defeasance as provided in Article 8 of the Indenture.

 

Ex-A-2


Fixed or Variable Price Offering:   [•]
Form:   Book-entry
Listing:   [•]
Other terms and conditions:   [•]
Closing date and location:   [•] at Sidley Austin LLP, 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019.

All of the provisions contained in the document attached as Annex I hereto entitled “Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc.— Debt Securities.— Underwriting Agreement” are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety herein and shall be deemed to be a part of this Terms Agreement to the same extent as if such provisions had been set forth in full herein. Terms defined in such document are used herein as therein defined.

 

Ex-A-3


Please accept this offer on [•] by signing a copy of this Terms Agreement in the space set forth below and returning the signed copy to us.

 

Very truly yours,
EDWARD D. JONES & CO., L.P.
By:  

 

  Authorized Signatory
For itself and as Representative of the other named Underwriters.

 

Ex-A-4


Accepted:

VECTREN UTILITY HOLDINGS, INC.,

    as Issuer

By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

INDIANA GAS COMPANY, INC.,

    as Guarantor

By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

SOUTHERN INDIANA GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY,

    as Guarantor

By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

VECTREN ENERGY DELIVERY OF OHIO, INC.,

    as Guarantor

By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

 

Ex-A-5


EXHIBIT B

FORM OF OPINION OF GENERAL COUNSEL

OF THE COMPANY

TO BE DELIVERED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 5(b)

1. The information in the Company’s [list all relevant 1934 Act reports and text in the Prospectus] under the caption “Legal Proceedings”, to the extent that it constitutes matters of law, summaries of legal matters or the Company’s charter, bylaws or legal proceedings, or legal conclusions, has been reviewed by me and is correct in all material respects.

2. To the best of my knowledge, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its charter or by-laws and no default by the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists in the due performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument that is described or referred to in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package or filed or incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or any document filed with the Commission under the 1934 Act, except for defaults which individually or in the aggregate would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

3. To the best of my knowledge, there are no franchises, contracts, indentures, mortgages, loan agreements, notes, leases or other instruments required to be described or referred to in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed and incorporated by reference therein as exhibits to the Registration Statement or any documents filed with the Commission under the 1934 Act other than those described or referred to therein or filed or incorporated by reference as exhibits thereto, and the descriptions thereof or references thereto are correct in all material respects.

4. To the best of my knowledge, there are no statutes or regulations that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus that are not described as required.

 

Ex-B-1


EXHIBIT C

FORM OF OPINION OF COMPANY’S COUNSEL

TO BE DELIVERED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 5(c)

1. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation under the laws of the State of Indiana.

2. The Company has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package and to enter into and perform its obligations under, or as contemplated under, the Underwriting Agreement, the applicable Terms Agreement, the Indenture and the Underwritten Securities.

3. The Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

4. The authorized, issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are as set forth in the column entitled “Actual” under the caption “Capitalization” in the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package (except for subsequent issuances thereof, if any, contemplated under the Underwriting Agreement). All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued by the Company and are fully paid and non-assessable, and none of such shares were issued in violation of preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.

5. Each Guarantor has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation, and where applicable, in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package and to enter into and perform its obligations under, or as contemplated under, this Underwriting Agreement, the applicable Terms Agreement and its Guarantee and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. All of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each Guarantor has been duly authorized and is validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and, to the best of our knowledge, is owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any Guarantor was issued in violation of preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of such Guarantor.

6. The Underwritten Securities have been duly authorized by the Company for issuance and sale pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement and the applicable Terms Agreement.

 

Ex-C-1


The Underwritten Securities, when issued and authenticated in the manner provided for in the Indenture and delivered against payment of the consideration therefor specified in such Terms Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by general equitable principles (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), and except further as enforcement thereof may be limited by requirements that a claim with respect to any Underwritten Securities payable in a foreign currency (or a foreign currency judgment in respect of such claim) be converted into U.S. dollars at a rate of exchange prevailing on a date determined pursuant to applicable law or by governmental authority to limit, delay or prohibit the making of payments outside the United States. The Underwritten Securities are in the form contemplated by, and each registered holder thereof is entitled to the benefits of, the Indenture and the Guarantees.

7. The Guarantees have been duly authorized by the Guarantors and, when the Underwritten Securities are issued and authenticated in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and delivered against payment of the consideration therefor specified in the applicable Terms Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the respective Guarantors, enforceable against the related Guarantor in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by general equitable principles (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), and except further as enforcement thereof may be limited by requirements that a claim with respect to any Guarantee payable in a foreign currency (or a foreign currency judgment in respect of such claim) be converted into U.S. dollars at a rate of exchange prevailing on a date determined pursuant to applicable law or by governmental authority to limit, delay or prohibit the making of payments outside the United States.

8. The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and each Guarantor and (assuming due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Trustee) constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Company and each Guarantor, enforceable against the Company and each Guarantor in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by general equitable principles (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), and except further as enforcement thereof may be limited by requirements that a claim with respect to any Debt Securities payable in a foreign currency (or a foreign currency judgment in respect of such claim) be converted into U.S. dollars at a rate of exchange prevailing on a date determined pursuant to applicable law or by governmental authority to limit, delay or prohibit the making of payments outside the United States. The Indenture has been duly qualified under the 1939 Act.

9. Each of the Underwriting Agreement and the applicable Terms Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by each of the Company and the Guarantors.

 

Ex-C-2


10. The Underwritten Securities and the Guarantees, when issued and delivered in accordance with their terms, will conform in all material respects to the statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package and are in substantially the form filed or incorporated by reference, as the case may be, as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.

11. The Indenture conforms in all material respects to the statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package and is in substantially the form filed or incorporated by reference, as the case may be, as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.

12. The Registration Statement (including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement) has been declared effective under the 1933 Act. To the best of our knowledge, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement (including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement) has been issued under the 1933 Act and no proceedings for that purpose have been initiated or are pending or threatened by the Commission. Each preliminary prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus has been filed in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424 or Rule 433, as the case may be.

13. The Registration Statement (including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement) and the Prospectus, excluding the documents incorporated by reference therein, and each amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement (including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement) and Prospectus, excluding the documents incorporated by reference therein, as of their respective effective or issue dates (other than the financial statements, notes and supporting schedules included therein or omitted therefrom and the Trustee’s Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 (the “Form T-1”), as to which we express no opinion), complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations and the 1939 Act.

14. The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package (other than the financial statements, notes and supporting schedules therein or omitted therefrom, as to which we express no opinion), when they were filed with the Commission, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations.

15. To the best of our knowledge, except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package, there is not pending or threatened any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries thereof is a party or to which the assets, properties or operations of the Company or any of its subsidiaries thereof is subject, before or by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect or which could reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the assets, properties or operations thereof or the consummation of the transactions contemplated under the Underwriting Agreement, the applicable Terms Agreement or the Indenture or the performance by the Company or any Guarantor of its obligations thereunder.

 

Ex-C-3


16. The information in the Prospectus under “Description of the Debt Securities” and “Description of Notes,” and in the Registration Statement under Item 15, to the extent that it constitutes matters of law, summaries of legal matters or the Company’s charter, bylaws or legal proceedings, or legal conclusions, has been reviewed by us and is correct in all material respects.

17. All descriptions in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package of contracts and other documents to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries are a party are accurate in all material respects.

18. To the best of our knowledge, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its charter or by-laws. Based solely on inquiries we have made of the Company’s Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President/Secretary, General Counsel/Assistant Secretary, Vice President/Treasurer and Vice President/Controller, and on an officer’s certificate no default by the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists in the due performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument that is described or referred to in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package or filed or incorporated by reference therein as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or any document filed with the Commission under the 1934 Act, except for defaults which individually or in the aggregate would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

19. The execution, delivery and performance of the Underwriting Agreement, the applicable Terms Agreement and the Indenture and any other agreement or instrument entered into or issued or to be entered into or issued by the Company and the Guarantors in connection with the transactions contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package and the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Underwriting Agreement and such Terms Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package (including the issuance and sale of the Underwritten Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Underwritten Securities as described under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company and the Guarantors with their respective obligations thereunder do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any assets, properties or operations of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or any other agreement or instrument, known to us, to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of the assets, properties or operations of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree, known to us, of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their assets, properties or operations.

20. No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency, domestic or foreign, is necessary or required for the due authorization, execution or delivery by the Company or the Guarantors of the Underwriting Agreement, the applicable Terms Agreement, the Indenture, the

 

Ex-C-4


Underwritten Securities or the Guarantees or for the performance by the Company or the Guarantors of their obligations under the Underwriting Agreement, such Terms Agreement, the Indenture, the Underwritten Securities or the Guarantees, other than under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1939 Act and the 1939 Act Regulations, which have already been made, obtained or rendered, as applicable.

21. The Indenture has been duly qualified under the 1939 Act.

22. Neither the Company nor any Guarantor is, or upon the issuance and sale of the Underwritten Securities as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package will be, an “investment company” within the meaning of the 1940 Act.

23. The Company is not required under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005 or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder to seek approval to enter into or perform its obligations under this Underwriting Agreement, the applicable Terms Agreement, the Indenture and the Underwritten Securities.

Further, although we are not passing upon and do not assume any responsibility for, the accuracy and completeness of the statements (except as covered by (4), (10), (11), (16), and (17)) contained in the Registration Statement, Prospectus or the Disclosure Package or any amendment or supplement thereto, we advise you, on the basis of the discussions and inquiries concerning various legal and related subjects and reviews of and reports on certain corporate records, documents and proceedings and conferences with representatives of the Company at which certain portions of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and the Disclosure Package were discussed, no fact has come to our attention that has caused us to believe that: (1) the Registration Statement (including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement) or any post-effective amendment thereto (except for financial statements and supporting schedules and other financial data included therein or omitted therefrom and for the Form T-1, as to which we make no statement), at the time the Registration Statement (including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement) or any post-effective amendment thereto (including the filing of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K with the Commission) became effective, at each “new effective date” within the meaning of Rule 430B(f)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations or at the date of the applicable Terms Agreement, 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; (2) the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (except for financial statements and supporting schedules and other financial data included therein or omitted therefrom, as to which we make no statement), as of the time the Prospectus was issued, as of the time any such amended or supplemented prospectus was issued or at the Closing Time, included or includes 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 (3) the Disclosure Package (except for financial statements and supporting schedules and other financial data included therein or omitted therefrom, as to which we make no statement), at the Applicable Time, included 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.

 

Ex-C-5


In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely, as to matters of fact (but not as to legal conclusions), to the extent they deem proper, on certificates of responsible officers of the Company, the Guarantors and public officials. Such opinion shall not state that it is to be governed or qualified by, or that it is otherwise subject to, any treatise, written policy or other document relating to legal opinions, including, without limitation, the Legal Opinion Accord of the ABA Section of Business Law (1991).

 

Ex-C-6

EXHIBIT 1.2

VECTREN UTILITY HOLDINGS, INC.

(an Indiana corporation)

AND THE GUARANTORS NAMED HEREIN

Debt Securities

TERMS AGREEMENT

October 13, 2006

 

To: Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc.

One Vectren Square

Evansville, Indiana 47708

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We understand that Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc., an Indiana corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell $100,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 5.95% Insured Quarterly Notes due 2036 (the “2036 Notes”). Subject to the terms of the Indenture, the 2036 Notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed as to payment of principal and interest (the “Guarantees”) by Indiana Gas Company, Inc., Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company and Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio, Inc. (the “Initial Guarantors”). Subject to the terms and conditions set forth or incorporated by reference herein, we offer to purchase from the Company, and the Company agrees to us, the entire principal amount of the 2036 Notes at the purchase price set forth below.

 

1


The 2036 Notes shall have the terms specified in the preliminary prospectus supplement dated October 10, 2006 relating to the 2036 Notes (the “preliminary prospectus supplement”), as well as the following terms:

 

Title:   5.95% Senior Insured Quarterly Notes due 2036
Rank:   Unsecured senior indebtedness
Guarantees:   Guaranteed by the Guarantors (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement)
Ratings:  

“Aaa” by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.

“AAA” by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services

Aggregate principal amount:   $100,000,000
Denominations:   $1,000 and integral multiples thereof
Currency of payment:   U.S. Dollars
Interest rate or formula:   5.95% per annum
Interest Payment Dates:   January 1, April 1, July 1, October 1 of each year, commencing January 1, 2007
Regular record dates:   The 15th calendar day (whether or not a business day) immediately preceding the applicable Interest Payment Date falls
Stated maturity date:   October 1, 2036
Optional Redemption provisions:   The optional redemption price shall be applicable upon the circumstances and at the times specified in the preliminary prospectus supplement equal to 100% of the principal amount to be redeemed plus unpaid interest accrued to but excluding the redemption date.
Estate feature:   To the extent exercised in accordance with the preliminary prospectus supplement, the redemption price shall be 100% of the principal amount to be redeemed plus unpaid interest accrued to but excluding the redemption date.

 

2


Sinking fund requirements:    None
Defeasance provisions:    The 2036 Notes will be subject to defeasance and covenant defeasance as provided in Article 8 of the Indenture.
Fixed or variable price offering:    Variable
Purchase price:    96.85% of the principal amount of the 2036 Notes
Form:    Book-entry only
Other terms and conditions:    Timely payment of regularly scheduled payments of the principal of and interest on the 2036 Notes when due and payments in connection with the redemption of 2036 Notes at the option of the Representatives of deceased Beneficial Owners thereof will be insured by Financial Guaranty Insurance Corporation (the “Insurer”) pursuant to a financial guaranty insurance policy (the “Policy”) issued by the Insurer at the Closing Time. See Annex A for additional terms and conditions.
Closing time and location:    October 18, 2006 at Sidley Austin LLP, 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019.

All of the provisions contained in the document attached as Annex I hereto entitled “Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc.— Debt Securities — Underwriting Agreement” (the “Underwriting Agreement”) are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety herein and shall be deemed to be a part of this Terms Agreement to the same extent as if such provisions had been set forth in full herein. Terms defined in such document are used herein as therein defined.

 

3


Please accept this offer on October 13, 2006 by signing a copy of this Terms Agreement in the space set forth below and returning the signed copy to us.

 

Very truly yours,
EDWARD D. JONES & CO., L.P.
By:  

/s/ T. William Hizar, Jr.

  Authorized Signatory

 

4


Accepted:

VECTREN UTILITY HOLDINGS, INC.,

    as Issuer

By:  

/s/ Robert L. Goocher

Name:   Robert L. Goocher
Title:   Vice President and Treasurer

INDIANA GAS COMPANY, INC.,

    as Guarantor

By:  

/s/ Robert L. Goocher

Name:   Robert L. Goocher
Title:   Vice President and Treasurer

SOUTHERN INDIANA GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY,

    as Guarantor

By:  

/s/ Robert L. Goocher

Name:   Robert L. Goocher
Title:   Vice President and Treasurer

VECTREN ENERGY DELIVERY OF OHIO, INC.,

    as Guarantor

By:  

/s/ Robert L. Goocher

Name:   Robert L. Goocher
Title:   Vice President and Treasurer

 

5


ANNEX A

1. In addition to the representations and warranties of the Company in Section 1 of the Underwriting Agreement, the Company represents and warrants as of the date of this Terms Agreement that it has duly authorized all necessary action to be taken by it, and at the Closing Time has taken all necessary action, for the procurement of the Policy to be issued by the Insurer with the terms specified in the preliminary prospectus supplement, including the Company’s authorization, execution and delivery of the Insurance Agreement with the Insurer (the “Insurance Agreement”).

2. In addition to the expenses specified in Section 4(a) of the Underwriting Agreement, the Company agrees to pay all fees and expenses payable to the Insurer in connection with the issuance of the Policy.

3. In addition to the conditions of the Underwriters’ obligations specified in Section 5 of the Underwriting Agreement, the following conditions shall be applicable to the 2036 Notes:

 

  i. At the Closing Time, the Underwriter shall have received the favorable opinion, dated the Closing Time, of the General Counsel of the Insurer to the effect set forth in Exhibit A hereto and to such further effect as counsel to the Underwriter may reasonably request.

 

  ii. Prior to the Applicable Time, Ernst & Young LLP, accountants for the Insurer, shall have filed a consent with the Commission in a Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company relating to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus of its report on the Insurer’s audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2005 and acknowledging its identification as an expert with respect to such financial statements in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

 

  iii. At the Closing Time, the Underwriter shall have received evidence that the Policy was issued by the Insurer with the terms specified in the preliminary prospectus supplement.

 

  iv. At the Closing Time, all of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company and the Insurer in the Insurance Agreement shall be true and correct or complied with, as the case may be.

 

  v. At or prior to the Closing Time, there shall not have occurred any downgrading in, or withdrawal of, the rating assigned to any securities of, or financial guaranty insurance policies or similar instruments of, the Insurer by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization, and no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review any such rating.

 

  vi. At or prior to the Closing Time, there shall not have come to the attention of the Underwriter any facts that would cause it to reasonably believe that the Disclosure Package, at the time of sale to any purchasers of the 2036 Notes, included an

 

Ex-A-1


       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 existing at such time, not misleading.

 

A-2


EXHIBIT A

FORM OF OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE INSURER

 

  i. The opinion of counsel for the insurer pursuant to Annex A of the Terms Agreement shall be to the effect that:

 

  ii. Financial Guaranty is a stock insurance corporation validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of New York and qualified to do business therein and is licensed and authorized to issue its financial guaranty insurance policies under the laws of the States of Ohio and Indiana.

 

  iii. The Policy is valid and binding upon Financial Guaranty and enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable laws affecting creditors’ rights generally.

 

  iv. The execution and delivery by Financial Guaranty of the Policy, and the performance by Financial Guaranty of the terms thereof, will not: (i) conflict with any of the terms, conditions or provisions of (A) the Certificate of Incorporation of Financial Guaranty, including any amendments thereto, (B) the amended By-laws of Financial Guaranty as in effect on the date hereof, or (C) to my actual knowledge, any covenant contained in any contract, agreement or instrument to which Financial Guaranty is bound, which contract, agreement or instrument is material to the financial condition of Financial Guaranty; (ii) to my actual knowledge, constitute a default under any such contract, agreement or instrument or (iii) contravene any law or governmental regulation or order presently binding on Financial Guaranty the contravention of which would affect the validity and enforcement of the Policy.

 

  v. The Insurance Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by Financial Guaranty and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Company, constitutes a valid and legally binding instrument of Financial Guaranty, enforceable against Financial Guaranty in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, liquidation, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally as such laws would apply in the event of the liquidation, conservation or rehabilitation of, or other similar occurrence with respect to, Financial Guaranty.

 

  vi. Financial Guaranty, as an insurance company, is not eligible for relief under the Federal Bankruptcy Laws. Any proceedings for the liquidation, conservation or rehabilitation of Financial Guaranty would be governed by the provisions of the Insurance Law of the State of New York.

 

  vii. The statements described above in the Prospectus Supplement relating to Financial Guaranty and the Policy accurately and fairly present the summary information set forth therein and do not omit any material fact with respect to the description of Financial Guaranty relative to the material terms of the Policy or the ability of Financial Guaranty to meet its obligations under the Policy, except

 

Ex-A-1


       that no opinion is expressed as to any financial statements or other financial information included or referred to in, or incorporated by reference into, the Prospectus Supplement relating to Financial Guaranty, and no opinion is expressed as to the omission of Financial Guaranty’s financial statements from the Prospectus Supplement. The form of Policy contained in the Prospectus Supplement is a true and complete form of the Policy.

 

  viii. The Policy constitutes an “insurance policy” within the meaning of Section 3(a)(8) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”) and is not required to be registered under the Act.

 

A-2

Exhibit 4.1

FIFTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

among

VECTREN UTILITY HOLDINGS, INC., AS ISSUER

INDIANA GAS COMPANY, INC., AS GUARANTOR

SOUTHERN INDIANA GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY, AS GUARANTOR

VECTREN ENERGY DELIVERY OF OHIO, INC., AS GUARANTOR

and

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE

Dated October 18, 2006

 

1


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page

ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS

   3

SECTION 1.1. DEFINITION OF TERMS.

   3

ARTICLE II GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE NOTES

   5

SECTION 2.1. DESIGNATION AND PRINCIPAL AMOUNT; GUARANTEES.

   5

SECTION 2.2. MATURITY.

   6

SECTION 2.3. FORM AND PAYMENT.

   6

SECTION 2.4. GLOBAL NOTE.

   6

SECTION 2.5. PAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST.

   7

ARTICLE III REDEMPTION OF THE NOTES; DEFEASANCE

   8

SECTION 3.1. REDEMPTION AT THE COMPANY’S OPTION.

   8

SECTION 3.2. NO SINKING FUND.

   9

SECTION 3.3. DEFEASANCE.

   9

SECTION 3.4. REDEMPTION UPON DEATH OF A BENEFICIAL OWNER.

   9

ARTICLE IV SPECIAL INSURANCE PROVISIONS

   12

SECTION 4.1. SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES.

   12

SECTION 4.2. EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES.

   12

SECTION 4.3. INSURANCE POLICY PAYMENT PROCEDURES.

   13

SECTION 4.4. APPLICATION OF TERM “OUTSTANDING” TO IQ NOTES.

   15

SECTION 4.5. INSURER AS THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARY.

   15

SECTION 4.6. DEFEASANCE PROVISIONS.

   15

SECTION 4.7. NOTICE ADDRESSES.

   15

SECTION 4.8. CONCERNING THE SPECIAL INSURANCE PROVISIONS.

   15

ARTICLE V MISCELLANEOUS

   16

SECTION 5.1. RATIFICATION OF INDENTURE.

   16

SECTION 5.2. TRUSTEE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR RECITALS.

   16

SECTION 5.3. GOVERNING LAW.

   16

SECTION 5.4. SEPARABILITY.

   16

SECTION 5.5. COUNTERPARTS.

   16

SECTION 5.6. AMENDMENTS.

   16

 

EXHIBIT A - FORM OF NOTE
ANNEX A - FORM OF REDEMPTION REQUEST
EXHIBIT B - TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

 

2


FIFTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, dated as of October 18, 2006 (the “Fifth Supplemental Indenture”), among Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc., an Indiana corporation (the “Company”), Indiana Gas Company, Inc., an Indiana corporation and an Ohio corporation (“Indiana Gas”), Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company, an Indiana corporation (“SIGECO”) and Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio, Inc., an Ohio corporation (“VEDO”, and together with Indiana Gas and SIGECO, the “Initial Guarantors”) and U.S. Bank National Association (the “Trustee”).

WHEREAS, the Company and the Initial Guarantors executed and delivered the Indenture dated as of October 19, 2001 (the “Base Indenture”) to the Trustee to provide for the Company’s unsecured notes, debentures or other evidence of indebtedness of the Company (collectively, the “Securities”), and the Guarantees (as hereinafter defined), to be issued from time to time in one or more series, as might be determined by the Company under the Base Indenture;

WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms of the Base Indenture, the Company desires to provide for the establishment of a new series of Debt Securities, the 5.95% Insured Quarterly Notes due 2036 (the “IQ Notes”), and the unconditional guarantees by the Guarantors (as defined herein) of the payment of the amounts owed with respect to the IQ Notes (the “Guarantees”), the form and terms of such IQ Notes and the terms, provisions and conditions of the IQ Notes and the Guarantees to be set forth as provided in the Base Indenture and this Fifth Supplemental Indenture (together, the “Indenture”);

WHEREAS, the Company and the Initial Guarantors requested that the Trustee execute and deliver this Fifth Supplemental Indenture and all requirements necessary to make this Fifth Supplemental Indenture a valid, binding and enforceable instrument in accordance with its terms, and to make the IQ Notes, when executed, authenticated and delivered by the Company and with the Guarantees endorsed thereon and executed by the Guarantors, the valid, binding and enforceable obligations of the Company and the Guarantors, as applicable, have been made:

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the purchase and acceptance of the IQ Notes by the Holders thereof, and for the purpose of setting forth, as provided in the Base Indenture, the form and terms of the IQ Notes, each of the Company and the Initial Guarantors, as applicable, covenants and agrees with the Trustee as follows:

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

SECTION 1.1. Definition of Terms.

(a) Unless the context otherwise requires:

(b) a term defined in the Base Indenture has the same meaning when used in this Fifth Supplemental Indenture;

 

3


(c) a term defined anywhere in this Fifth Supplemental Indenture has the same meaning throughout;

(d) the singular includes the plural and vice versa;

(e) headings are for convenience of reference only and do not affect interpretation;

(f) the following terms have the meanings given to them in this Section 1.1(f):

“Beneficial Owner” has the meaning specified in Section 3.4.

“Fiscal Agent” means U.S. Bank Trust National Association, New York, New York, or its successor.

“Global Note” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.4.

“Guarantors” shall have the meaning specified in Section 2.1.

“Initial Period” has the meaning specified in Section 3.4.

“Insurance Agreement” means that certain Insurance Agreement, dated as of October 18, 2006, by and between the Company and the Insurer.

“Insurer” means Financial Guaranty Insurance Company, a New York stock insurance corporation, or any successor thereto.

“Interest Payment Date” means January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1 of each year, beginning January 1, 2007.

“Maturity Date” shall have the meaning specified in Section 2.2.

“Original Issue Date” means October 18, 2006.

“Participants” shall have the meaning specified in Section 3.4.

“Policy” shall mean the surety bond for the benefit of the Holders of the IQ Notes issued by the Insurer with respect to payments due for principal of and interest on the IQ Notes as provided in such surety bond.

“Redemption Price” shall have the meaning specified in Section 3.1.

“Redemption Request” shall have the meaning specified in Section 3.4.

“Regular Record Date” means, with respect to any Interest Payment Date for the IQ Notes, the close of business on the fifteenth day (whether or not a Business Day) prior to such Interest Payment Date.

 

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“Representatives” shall have the meaning specified in Section 3.4.

“Subsequent Period” shall have the meaning specified in Section 3.4.

The following terms shall have the respective meanings set forth in the recitals to this Fifth Supplemental Indenture:

“Base Indenture”

“Company”

“Guarantees”

“Indenture”

“Indiana Gas”

“Initial Guarantors”

“IQ Notes”

“Fifth Supplemental Indenture”

“Securities”

“SIGECO”

“Trustee”

“VEDO”

ARTICLE II

GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE NOTES

SECTION 2.1. Designation and Principal Amount; Guarantees.

There is hereby authorized a new series of Securities, designated the 5.95% Insured Quarterly Notes due 2036, limited (except as otherwise provided in Article 2 of the Base Indenture) in aggregate principal amount to $100,000,000. The IQ Notes may be issued from time to time upon written order of the Company for the authentication and delivery of IQ Notes pursuant to Section 2.03 of the Base Indenture. Each of the Initial Guarantors (together with each other subsidiary of the Company that pursuant to the terms of the Indenture guarantees the Company’s obligations under the IQ Notes and the Indenture, the “Guarantors”) fully and unconditionally and jointly and severally guarantees to the Holders of the IQ Notes upon which the Guarantees are endorsed, upon authentication and delivery by the Trustee, the due and punctual payment of the principal of, and interest on, and any Redemption Price with respect to, the IQ Notes, when and as the same shall become due and payable, whether at the Maturity Date, upon acceleration or redemption or otherwise, in accordance with the terms of the IQ Notes and of the Indenture.

 

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SECTION 2.2. Maturity.

The date upon which the principal on the IQ Notes shall become due and payable at final maturity is October 1, 2036 (the “Maturity Date”) if not redeemed in full previously in accordance with Article III of this Fifth Supplemental Indenture.

SECTION 2.3. Form and Payment.

The IQ Notes shall be issued in fully registered certificated form without interest coupons, bearing identical terms (except as otherwise provided in Article 2 of the Base Indenture). Principal of, and interest on, and any Redemption Price with respect to, the IQ Notes will be payable, the transfer of such IQ Notes will be registrable and such IQ Notes will be exchangeable for IQ Notes bearing identical terms at the office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose as described below.

The Company hereby designates the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York as a place of payment (“Place of Payment”) for the IQ Notes, and the office or agency maintained by the Company in such Place of Payment for the purposes contemplated by this Section 2.3 shall initially be the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee at 100 Wall Street, Suite 2000, New York, New York 10005, Attention: Richard Prokosch.

The IQ Notes shall be issuable in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof.

The IQ Notes may be issued, in whole or in part, in permanent global form and, if issued in permanent global form, the Depository shall be The Depository Trust Company or such other depositary as any officer of the Company may from time to time designate.

The Registrar, the Paying Agent and the transfer agent for the IQ Notes shall initially be the Trustee.

The IQ Notes shall be in substantially the form set forth in Exhibit A hereto.

SECTION 2.4. Global Note.

(a) Unless and until it is exchanged for IQ Notes in registered certificated form, a global note in principal amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of the IQ Notes (the “Global Note”) may be transferred, in whole but not in part, only to the Depository or a nominee of the Depository, or to a successor Depository or to a nominee of such successor Depository.

(b) If at any time (i) the Depository notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as a Depository for the Global Note and no successor Depository shall have been appointed within 90 days after such notification, (ii) the Depository ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or any other applicable rule or regulation and no successor Depository shall have been appointed within 90 days after the Company becoming aware of the Depository’s ceasing to be so registered, (iii) the Company, in its sole discretion, determines

 

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that the Global Note shall be so exchangeable or (iv) there shall have occurred and be continuing an Event of Default, the Company will execute, and, subject to Article 2 of the Base Indenture, the Trustee, upon written notice from the Company, will authenticate and deliver IQ Notes, with the Guarantees endorsed thereon and executed by the Guarantors, in registered certificated form without coupons, in authorized denominations, and in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Note in exchange for such Global Note. Upon the exchange of the Global Note for such IQ Notes in registered certificated form without coupons, in authorized denominations, the Global Note shall be cancelled by the Trustee. Such IQ Notes in registered certificated form issued in exchange for the Global Note shall be registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depository, pursuant to instructions from its direct or indirect participants or otherwise, shall instruct the Trustee. The Trustee shall deliver such IQ Notes to the Depository for delivery to the Persons in whose names such IQ Notes are so registered.

SECTION 2.5. Payment of Principal and Interest.

The IQ Notes shall bear interest at the per annum rate of 5.95%.

Interest shall be paid quarterly in arrears on each Interest Payment Date commencing on January 1, 2007. Payments of interest on the IQ Notes will include interest accrued from, and including, the immediately preceding Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for (or from, and including, the Original Issue Date if no interest has been paid or duly provided for) to, but excluding, the applicable Interest Payment Date or date of earlier redemption, as the case may be. Interest payments for the IQ Notes shall be computed and paid on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months.

The interest so payable and punctually paid or duly provided for on any Interest Payment Date will be paid to the Holder(s) of the IQ Notes as of the Regular Record Date for such Interest Payment Date. Any such interest that is not so punctually paid or duly provided for on any Interest Payment Date will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holders of the IQ Notes as of the close of business on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person or Persons in whose name such IQ Notes are 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 the IQ Notes by the Trustee not less than fifteen (15) days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner, all as more fully provided in the Base Indenture.

Payment of the principal of, and any interest (other than interest due on an Interest Payment Date) on, the IQ Notes due on the Maturity Date or date of earlier redemption, as the case may be, shall be made in immediately available funds, upon presentation and surrender of the applicable IQ Notes at the office or agency maintained by the Company for that purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, currently the office of the Trustee located at 100 Wall Street, Suite 2000, New York, New York 10005, or at such other paying agency in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, as the Company may determine. Payment of interest due on any Interest Payment Date will be made by wire transfer to the Holders entitled thereto of immediately

 

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available funds at such place and to such account at a banking institution in the United States as may be designated in wire transfer instructions received in writing by the Trustee at least sixteen (16) days prior to such Interest Payment Date or, if not so received, by check mailed to the address of the applicable Holders in the Security Register. Any such wire transfer instructions received by the Trustee shall remain in effect until revoked by such Holder.

Any payments on the IQ Notes will 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.

In the event that any Interest Payment Date or the Maturity Date or date of earlier redemption falls on a day that is not a Business Day, the required payment of principal and/or interest payable on such date shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on the date such payment was due, and no interest shall accrue with respect to such payment for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date or the Maturity Date or date of earlier redemption, as the case may be, to the date of such payment on the next succeeding Business Day.

SECTION 2.6. Events of Default

An “Event of Default” with respect to the IQ Notes means, in addition to those Events of Default set forth at Section 6.01 of the Base Indenture, the following:

(a) the occurrence of a declaration of acceleration with regard to the Securities of any other Series issued under the Base Indenture; or

(b) the occurrence of an event of default under the Insurance Agreement that is not waived or consented to by the Insurer.

ARTICLE III

REDEMPTION OF THE NOTES; DEFEASANCE

SECTION 3.1. Redemption at the Company’s Option.

The IQ Notes shall be subject to redemption at the option of the Company, in whole or in part, without premium or penalty, at any time in whole, and from time to time in part, on or after October 1, 2011. The IQ Notes shall also be subject to redemption at the option of the Company, (i) in whole or in part, in the event of a Transfer of a Guarantor under Section 10.02 of the Base Indenture, in an amount equal to the intercompany debt representing that portion of the IQ Notes previously loaned by the Company to such Guarantor that is repaid by such Guarantor to the Company pursuant to Section 10.02(1) of the Base Indenture minus any amount of such repayment that the Company loans to another Guarantor that is a signatory hereto, or (ii) in whole, if we have agreed to enter into a transaction that, upon the consummation thereof, would result in there no longer being at least one Guarantor which, as of the date hereof, is a public utility regulated by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.

 

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The Company shall exercise such optional redemption upon not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ notice by mail, at a redemption price (the “Redemption Price”) equal to 100% of the principal amount to be redeemed plus any unpaid interest accrued thereon to but excluding the applicable redemption date; provided, however, that interest payable on an IQ Note with respect to an Interest Payment Date that falls on or before such redemption date shall be made to the Holder thereof on the Regular Record Date related to such Interest Payment Date.

In the event of redemption of the IQ Notes in part only, a new IQ Note or IQ Notes for the unredeemed portion will be issued in the name or names of the Holders thereof upon the presentation and surrender thereof, as set forth in Section 3A.08 of the Base Indenture.

Notice of redemption shall be given as provided in Section 3A.05 of the Base Indenture.

Any redemption of less than all of the IQ Notes shall, with respect to the principal thereof, be divisible by $1,000.

SECTION 3.2. No Sinking Fund.

The IQ Notes are not subject to, or entitled to the benefit of, any sinking fund.

SECTION 3.3. Defeasance.

Article 8 of the Base Indenture describing Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance shall apply to the IQ Notes.

SECTION 3.4. Redemption upon Death of a Beneficial Owner.

Unless the IQ Notes have been declared due and payable prior to the Maturity Date by reason of an Event of Default, or have been previously redeemed or otherwise repaid in accordance with their terms, the Representative (as hereinafter defined) of a deceased Beneficial Owner (as hereinafter defined) of the IQ Notes has the right to request redemption prior to the Maturity Date of all or part of his or her IQ Notes, and the Company will redeem the same, subject to the limitations that the Company will not be obligated to redeem, during the period from the Original Issue Date through and including October 1, 2007 (the “Initial Period”), and, during any twelve-month period that ends on and includes each October 1 thereafter (each such twelve-month period being hereinafter referred to as a “Subsequent Period”), on behalf of a deceased Beneficial Owner, (i) IQ Notes with an aggregate principal amount in excess of $25,000 or (ii) IQ Notes exceeding $2,000,000 in aggregate principal amount from all deceased Beneficial Owners.

The Company may, at its option, redeem any deceased Beneficial Owner’s IQ Notes in the Initial Period or any Subsequent Period in excess of the $25,000 limitation. Any such redemption by the Company, to the extent that it exceeds the $25,000 limitation for any deceased Beneficial Owner, shall not be included in the computation of the $2,000,000 aggregate limitation for the IQ Notes for such Initial Period or such Subsequent Period, as the case may be, or for any succeeding Subsequent

 

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Period. The Company may, at its option, redeem deceased Beneficial Owners’ IQ Notes in the Initial Period or in any Subsequent Period in an aggregate principal amount exceeding the $2,000,000 aggregate limitation. Any such redemption by the Company, to the extent it exceeds the $2,000,000 aggregate limitation, shall not reduce the $2,000,000 aggregate limitation for any succeeding Subsequent Period. On any determination by the Company to redeem IQ Notes in excess of the $25,000 limitation or the $2,000,000 aggregate limitation, such IQ Notes shall be redeemed in the order of the receipt of Redemption Requests (as hereinafter defined) by the Trustee.

A request for redemption of an IQ Note may be initiated by the personal representative or other person authorized to represent the estate of the deceased Beneficial Owner or from a surviving joint tenant(s) or tenant(s) by the entirety or the trustee of a trust (each, a “Representative”). A Representative may initiate a request for redemption at any time and in any principal amount, provided that the principal amount is in integral multiples of $1,000. The Representative shall deliver its request to the Participant (as hereinafter defined) through whom the deceased Beneficial Owner owned the Note to be redeemed, in form satisfactory to the Participant, together with evidence of the death of such Beneficial Owner, evidence of the authority of the Representative satisfactory to the Participant, any waivers, notices or certificates as may be required under applicable state or federal law and any other evidence of the right to such redemption as the Participant requires. The request must specify the principal amount of the IQ Notes to be redeemed. Subject to the rules and arrangements applicable to the Depository, the Participant will then deliver to the Depository a request for redemption substantially in the form attached to the IQ Notes as Annex A (a “Redemption Request”). The Depository will, upon receipt of a Redemption Request, forward the same to the Trustee. The Trustee is required to maintain records with respect to Redemption Requests received by it, including the date of receipt, the name of the Participant filing the Redemption Request and the status of each Redemption Request with respect to the $25,000 limitation and the $2,000,000 aggregate limitation. The Trustee will immediately file with the Company each Redemption Request it receives, together with the information regarding the eligibility of the Redemption Request with respect to the $25,000 limitation and the $2,000,000 aggregate limitation. The Company, the Depository and the Trustee may conclusively assume, without independent investigation, that the statements contained in each Redemption Request are true and correct and shall have no responsibility (a) for reviewing any documents submitted to the Participant by the Representative or (b) for determining whether the applicable decedent is in fact the Beneficial Owner of the interest in the IQ Notes to be redeemed or is in fact deceased and whether the Representative is duly authorized to request redemption on behalf of the applicable Beneficial Owner.

Subject to the $25,000 limitation and the $2,000,000 aggregate limitation, the Company will, after the death of any Beneficial Owner, redeem such Beneficial Owner’s IQ Note on the next Interest Payment Date occurring not less than 30 days following receipt by the Company of a Redemption Request from the Trustee. If Redemption Requests exceed the $2,000,000 aggregate limitation during the Initial Period or any Subsequent Period, then such excess Redemption Requests will be applied, in the order received by the Trustee to successive Subsequent Periods, regardless of the number of Subsequent Periods required to redeem such interests. The Company may, at any time,

 

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notify the Trustee that it will redeem, on the next Interest Payment Date not less than 30 days thereafter, all or any lesser amount of IQ Notes for which Redemption Requests have been received but which are not then eligible for redemption by reason of the $25,000 limitation or the $2,000,000 aggregate limitation. Any IQ Notes so redeemed shall be redeemed in the order of receipt of Redemption Requests by the Trustee.

The price to be paid by the Company for the IQ Notes to be redeemed pursuant to a Redemption Request is 100% of the principal amount thereof plus any unpaid interest accrued thereon to but excluding the applicable redemption date; provided, however, that interest payable on an IQ Note with respect to an Interest Payment Date that falls on or before such redemption date shall be made to the Holder thereof on the Regular Record Date related to such Interest Payment Date. Subject to arrangements with the Depository, payment for IQ Notes to be redeemed shall be made to the Depository upon presentation of the IQ Notes to the Trustee for redemption in the aggregate principal amount specified in the Redemption Requests submitted to the Trustee by the Depository which are to be fulfilled in connection with such redemption. The principal amount of any IQ Notes acquired or redeemed by the Company other than by redemption at the option of any Representative of a deceased Beneficial Owner pursuant to this Section 3.4 shall not be included in the computation of either the $25,000 limitation or the $2,000,000 aggregate limitation for the Initial Period or any Subsequent Period.

For purposes of this section, a “Beneficial Owner” means the person who has the right to sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of an IQ Note and the right to receive the proceeds therefrom, as well as the interest and principal payable to the Holder thereof. In general, a determination of beneficial ownership in the IQ Notes will be subject to the rules, regulations and procedures governing the Depository and institutions (“Participants”) that have accounts with the Depository or a nominee thereof.

For purposes of this section, an IQ Note held in tenancy by the entirety, by joint tenancy or by tenants in common will be deemed to be held by a single Beneficial Owner, and the death of a tenant by the entirety, joint tenant or tenant in common will be deemed the death of a Beneficial Owner. The death of a person who, during his or her lifetime, was entitled to substantially all of the rights of a Beneficial Owner of an interest in the IQ Notes will be deemed the death of the Beneficial Owner, regardless of the recordation of such ownership on the records of the Participant, if such rights can be established to the satisfaction of the Participant and the Company.

In the case of a Redemption Request that is presented on behalf of a deceased Beneficial Owner and that has not been fulfilled at the time the Company gives notice of its election to redeem the IQ Notes pursuant to Section 3.1 hereof, the IQ Notes that are the subject of such pending Redemption Request shall be redeemed pursuant to Section 3.1 hereof prior to any other IQ Notes.

Any Redemption Request may be withdrawn by the person(s) presenting such request upon delivery of a written request for such withdrawal given by the Participant on behalf of such person(s) to the Depository and by the Depository to the Trustee not less than 60 days prior to the Interest Payment Date on which such IQ Notes are first eligible for redemption.

 

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The Company may, at its option, purchase any IQ Notes for which Redemption Requests have been received in lieu of redeeming such IQ Notes. Any IQ Notes so purchased by the Company shall be presented to the Trustee for redemption and cancellation.

During such time or times as the IQ Notes are not represented by a Global Security and are issued in certificated form, all references to Participants and the Depository, including the Depository’s governing rules, regulations and procedures, shall be deemed deleted, all determinations which under this Section the Participants are required to make shall be made by the Company (including, without limitation, determining whether the applicable decedent is in fact the Beneficial Owner of the interest in the IQ Notes to be redeemed or is in fact deceased and whether the Representative is duly authorized to request redemption on behalf of the applicable Beneficial Owner), and all Redemption Requests, to be effective, shall be delivered by the Representative to the Trustee, with a copy to the Company, and shall be in the form of a Redemption Request (with appropriate changes mutually agreed to by the Trustee and the Company to reflect the fact that such Redemption Request is being executed by a Representative (including provision for signature guarantees)) and, in addition to all documents that are otherwise required to accompany a Redemption Request, shall be accompanied by the IQ Note that is the subject of such request and, if applicable, a properly executed assignment or endorsement. If the Holder of the IQ Note is held by a nominee of the deceased Beneficial Owner, a certificate or letter from such nominee attesting to the deceased’s ownership of a beneficial interest in the IQ Note must also be delivered.

ARTICLE IV

SPECIAL INSURANCE PROVISIONS

SECTION 4.1. Supplemental Indentures.

For so long as the Policy is in effect (and the Insurer is not in default thereunder) or any obligation by the Company or a Guarantor to reimburse the Insurer for any payment made by the Insurer under the Policy remains unpaid, the consent of the Insurer shall be required with respect to any amendment or supplement to the Indenture or Guarantees, except that the Insurer’s consent shall not be required for any supplemental indenture entered into pursuant to Section 9.01(1), (2), (3), (6) or (7) of the Base Indenture. The Company shall deliver to any rating agency rating the IQ Notes notice of each such amendment or supplement and a copy thereof at least 15 days in advance of its execution or adoption and provide the Insurer with a full transcript of all proceedings relating to the execution of any such amendment or supplement.

SECTION 4.2. Events of Default and Remedies.

Subject to Section 11.01 of the Base Indenture and to the Trust Indenture Act, including, without limitation, Sections 317(a) thereof, if an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Insurer shall be entitled to control and direct the enforcement of all rights and remedies granted to the

 

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Holders of the IQ Notes or the Trustee for the benefit of the Holders of the IQ Notes under the Indenture, including, without limitation, (i) the right to accelerate the principal of the IQ Notes as provided in Section 6.02 of the Base Indenture, and (ii) the right to annul any such declaration of acceleration, and the Insurer shall also be entitled to approve any waiver of an Event of Default with respect to the IQ Notes, the obligation of the Trustee to comply with any such direction to be subject to compliance with the conditions set forth in Section 7.02(f) of the Base Indenture (as if references in such Section to Holders were references to the Insurer) and the protections provided to the Trustee by Section 7.01(c)(3) of the Base Indenture shall be applicable with respect to any direction from the Insurer given pursuant hereto (as if references in said Section to Holders were references to the Insurer). The Insurer shall be entitled to notify the Trustee and the Company of a default referred to in Section 6.01(3) of the Base Indenture relating to the IQ Notes or Section 2.6 hereof as if it were the Holder of at least 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding IQ Notes, provided that such notice shall otherwise conform to the requirements of said Section 6.01(3). For purposes of the provisions of this Indenture governing events of default and remedies, except the giving of notice of default to Holders, the Insurer shall be deemed to be the sole holder of the IQ Notes for so long as the Insurer has not failed to comply with its payment obligations under the Policy.

The Trustee shall give the Insurer immediate notice of any default in the payment of the principal of or interest on the IQ Notes (the obligation of the Trustee to give such notice to be deemed satisfied if the Trustee shall have provided the notice required by Section 4.3(a) hereof). The Trustee or the Company shall give the Insurer notice of any event which with the giving of notice or the passage of time would constitute an Event of Default with respect to the IQ Notes within 30 days of the Trustee’s or the Company’s actual knowledge thereof, provided that the Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge thereof unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee assigned to its Corporate Trust Office shall have actual knowledge thereof or unless the Trustee shall have received written notice thereof from the Company, the Insurer or the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the IQ Notes then Outstanding.

No effect shall be given to payments made under the Policy in determining whether an Event of Default with respect to the IQ Notes has occurred or is continuing.

SECTION 4.3. Insurance Policy Payment Procedures.

(a) If, on any Interest Payment Date, any redemption date on which the Issuer is required (as opposed to merely agreeing at its option) to redeem the IQ Notes pursuant to Section 3.4 or the Maturity Date for the IQ Notes, there is not on deposit with the Trustee sufficient moneys available to pay all principal of and interest on the IQ Notes due on such date, the Trustee shall immediately provide the Insurer and the Fiscal Agent notice of such nonpayment and of the amount of such deficiency. In addition, the Trustee shall simultaneously make available to the Insurer and to the Fiscal Agent the Security Register for the IQ Notes maintained by the Trustee and:

(i) The Trustee shall provide the Insurer with a list of the Holders entitled to receive principal or interest payments from the Insurer under the terms of the Policy and shall

 

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make arrangements for the Insurer and its Fiscal Agent (1) to mail checks or drafts to Holders entitled to receive full or partial interest payments from the Insurer and (2) to pay principal of the IQ Notes surrendered to the Fiscal Agent by the Holders entitled to receive full or partial principal payments from the Insurer; and

(ii) The Trustee shall, at the time it makes the Security Register available to the Insurer as prescribed above, notify Holders entitled to receive the payment of principal of or interest on the IQ Notes from the Insurer (1) as to the fact of such entitlement, (2) that the Insurer will remit to them all or part of the interest payments coming due subject to the terms of the Policy, upon proof of a Holder’s entitlement thereto and delivery to the Insurer, in form satisfactory to the Insurer, of an appropriate assignment of the Holder’s right to payment, (3) that, except as provided in paragraph (b) below, in the event that any Holder is entitled to receive full payment of principal from the Insurer, such Holder must tender his or her IQ Note with the instrument of transfer in the form provided on the IQ Note executed in the name of the Insurer, and (4) that, except as provided in paragraph (b) below, in the event that such Holder is entitled to receive partial payment of principal from the Insurer, such Holder must tender his or her IQ Note for payment first to the Trustee, which shall note on such Note the portion of principal paid by the Trustee, and then, with an acceptable form of assignment executed in the name of the Insurer, to the Fiscal Agent, which will then pay the unpaid portion of principal to the Holder subject to the terms of the Policy.

(b) In the event that the Trustee has notice that any payment of principal of or interest on an IQ Note has been recovered from a Holder pursuant to the United States Bankruptcy Code by a trustee in bankruptcy in accordance with the final, nonappealable order of a court having competent jurisdiction, the Trustee shall, at the time it provides notice to the Insurer, notify all Holders that in the event that any Holder’s payment is so recovered, such Holder will be entitled to payment from the Insurer to the extent of such recovery if sufficient funds are not otherwise available, and the Trustee shall furnish to the Insurer its records evidencing the payments of principal of and interest on the IQ Notes which have been made by the Trustee and subsequently recovered from Holders, and the dates on which such payments were made.

(c) The Insurer shall, to the extent it makes payment of principal of or interest on the IQ Notes, become subrogated to the rights of the recipients of such payments in accordance with the terms of the Policy and, to evidence such subrogation, (i) in the case of subrogation as to claims for past due interest, the Trustee shall note the Insurer’s rights as subrogee in the Security Register maintained by the Trustee upon receipt from the Insurer of proof of the payment of interest thereon to the Holders of such IQ Notes and (ii) in the case of subrogation as to claims for past due principal, the Trustee shall note the Insurer’s rights as subrogee in the Security Register for the IQ Notes maintained by the Trustee upon surrender of the IQ Notes by the Holders thereof, together with proof of the payment of principal thereof to the Holders of such IQ Notes. Notwithstanding anything in the Officers’ Certificate, the Indenture, the IQ Notes or any Company Order to the contrary, the Trustee shall make payment of such past due interest and past due principal directly to the Insurer to the extent that the Insurer is a subrogee with respect thereto.

 

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SECTION 4.4. Application of Term “Outstanding” to IQ Notes.

In the event that the principal and/or interest due on the IQ Notes shall be paid by the Insurer pursuant to the Policy, the IQ Notes shall remain Outstanding for all purposes of the Indenture, not be considered defeased or otherwise satisfied and not be considered paid by the Company, and the assignment and pledge, if any, of the Indenture and all covenants, agreements and other obligations of the Company to the Holders of the IQ Notes shall continue to exist and shall run to the benefit of the Insurer, and the Insurer shall be subrogated to the rights of such Holders to the extent of each such payment.

SECTION 4.5. Insurer as Third Party Beneficiary.

The Insurer is hereby explicitly recognized as being a third-party beneficiary hereunder and under the Indenture and may enforce any right, remedy or claim conferred, given or granted hereunder for the benefit of the Holders, the Trustee or the Insurer.

SECTION 4.6. Defeasance Provisions.

Only cash, direct non-callable obligations of the United States of America and securities fully and unconditionally guaranteed as to the timely payment of principal and interest by the United States of America, to which direct obligation or guarantee of the full faith and credit of the United States of America has been pledged, Refcorp interest strips, CATS, TIGRS, STRPS, or defeased municipal bonds rated AAA by S&P or Aaa by Moody’s (or any combination of the foregoing) shall be used to effect defeasance of the IQ Notes unless the Insurer otherwise approves. In the event of an advance refunding, the Issuer shall cause to be delivered a verification report of an independent nationally recognized certified public accountant. If a forward supply contract is employed in connection with the refunding, (i) such verification report shall expressly state that the adequacy of the escrow to accomplish the refunding relies solely on the initial escrowed investments and the maturing principal thereof and interest income thereon and does not assume performance under or compliance with the forward supply contract, and (ii) the applicable escrow agreement shall provide that in the event of any discrepancy or difference between the terms of the forward supply contract and the escrow agreement (or the authorizing document, if no separate escrow agreement is utilized), the terms of the escrow agreement or authorizing document, if applicable, shall be controlling.

SECTION 4.7. Notice Addresses.

The notice addresses for the Insurer and the Fiscal Agent are as follows: Financial Guaranty Insurance Company, 125 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10017, Attention: Risk Management; and U.S. Bank Trust National Association, 100 Wall Street, 19 th Floor, New York, New York 10005, Attention: Corporate Trust Department.

SECTION 4.8. Concerning the Special Insurance Provisions.

The provisions of this Article 4 shall apply and control notwithstanding anything in the Indenture to the contrary, but only so long as the Policy shall be in full force and effect and the Insurer is not in default thereunder.

 

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ARTICLE V

MISCELLANEOUS

SECTION 5.1. Ratification of Indenture.

The Base Indenture, as supplemented by this Fifth Supplemental Indenture, is in all respects ratified and confirmed, and this Fifth Supplemental Indenture shall be deemed part of the Indenture in the manner and to the extent herein and therein provided.

SECTION 5.2. Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals.

The recitals herein contained are made by the Company and not by the Trustee, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for the correctness thereof. The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or sufficiency of this Fifth Supplemental Indenture.

SECTION 5.3. Governing Law.

This Fifth Supplemental Indenture and each IQ Note issued hereunder shall be deemed to be contracts made under the internal laws of the State of Indiana and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of said State without regard to principles of conflicts of law.

SECTION 5.4. Separability.

In case any one or more of the provisions contained in this Fifth Supplemental Indenture or in the IQ Notes shall for any reason be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, then, to the extent permitted by law, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other provisions of this Fifth Supplemental Indenture or of the IQ Notes, but this Fifth Supplemental Indenture and the IQ Notes shall be construed as if such invalid or illegal or unenforceable provision had never been contained herein or therein.

SECTION 5.5. Counterparts.

This Fifth Supplemental Indenture may be simultaneously executed in any number of counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.

SECTION 5.6. Amendments.

Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, all amendments to the Base Indenture made hereby shall have effect only with respect to the IQ Notes, and not with respect to the Securities of any other series created prior to or subsequent to the date hereof.

[signature page follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Fifth Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized, on the date or dates indicated in the acknowledgments and as of the day and year first above written.

 

VECTREN UTILITY HOLDINGS, INC.
as Issuer
By:  

 

  Jerome A. Benkert, Jr.
  Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Attest:

 

By:  

 

  Ronald E. Christian
  Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and Secretary

 

INDIANA GAS COMPANY, INC.
as Initial Guarantor
By:  

 

  Jerome A. Benkert, Jr.
  Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Attest:

 

By:  

 

  Ronald E. Christian
  Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and Secretary

 

SOUTHERN INDIANA GAS AND ELECTRIC

COMPANY

as Initial Guarantor

By:  

 

  Jerome A. Benkert, Jr.
  Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Fifth Supplemental Indenture

 

17


Attest:

 

By:  

 

  Ronald E. Christian
  Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and Secretary

 

VECTREN ENERGY DELIVERY OF OHIO, INC.,
as Initial Guarantor
By:  

 

  Jerome A. Benkert, Jr.
  Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Attest:

 

By:  

 

  Ronald E. Christian
  Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and Secretary

 

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,

as Trustee

By:  

 

Name:  

 

Title:  

 

Attest:

 

By:  

 

Name:  

 

Title:  

 

Fifth Supplemental Indenture

 

18


Exhibit A

[Form of Face of Note]

UNLESS THIS SECURITY IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY (“DTC”), 55 WATER STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK, TO THE ISSUER OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND SUCH SECURITY ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO., OR SUCH OTHER NAME AS 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, SINCE THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.

UNLESS IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR SECURITIES IN DEFINITIVE REGISTERED FORM, THIS SECURITY MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY DTC TO A NOMINEE OF DTC OR BY A NOMINEE OF DTC TO DTC OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF DTC OR BY DTC OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR OF DTC OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR.

VECTREN UTILITY HOLDINGS, INC.

5.95% Insured Quarterly Note due 2036

 

RATE OF INTEREST

 

STATED MATURITY DATE

 

ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE

5.95%

  October 1, 2036   October 18, 2006
Registered No. 1     CUSIP No. 92239M AH 4

Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc., a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Indiana (herein called the “Company”), for value received, hereby promises to pay, without relief from valuation or appraisement laws, to Cede & Co. or registered assigns, the principal sum of $100,000,000 on the Stated Maturity Date shown above or any earlier date of redemption in accordance with the provisions on the reverse hereof (each such date shall be referred to herein as the “Stated Maturity Date” with respect to the principal payable on such date), and to pay interest on the outstanding principal of this Note, at the annual Rate of Interest shown above, from the Original Issue Date shown above or from the most recent Interest Payment Date (as hereinafter defined) to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, payable quarterly in arrears on January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1 of each year, commencing on January 1, 2007 (an “Interest Payment Date”), and on any earlier date of redemption, as the case may be.

The interest so payable and punctually paid or duly provided for on any Interest Payment Date will be paid to the Holder of this Note as of the Regular Record Date for such Interest Payment Date. Any such interest that is not so punctually paid or duly provided for on any Interest Payment Date will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holders of this Note as of the close of business on such

 

19


Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person or Persons in whose name this Note 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 referred to on the reverse hereof, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of the IQ Notes by the Trustee not less than fifteen (15) calendar days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner, all as more fully provided in the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof.

Interest payable on this Note on any Interest Payment Date and on any earlier date of redemption, as the case may be, will be the amount of interest accrued during the applicable Interest Period (as defined below) computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.

An “Interest Period” is each period from and including the immediately preceding Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for (or from and including the Original Issue Date in the case of the initial Interest Period) to but excluding the applicable Interest Payment Date or the Stated Maturity Date, as the case may be. If any Interest Payment Date or Stated Maturity Date falls on a day that is not a Business Day, principal and/or interest payable on such date will be paid on the succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if it were paid on the date such payment was due, and no interest will accrue on the amount so payable for the period from and after such date to such succeeding Business Day. “Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, or other day on which commercial banks are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close in The City of New York.

Payment of the principal of, and any interest (other than interest due on an Interest Payment Date) on, this Note due on the Stated Maturity Date shall be made in immediately available funds, upon presentation and surrender of this Note at the office or agency maintained by the Company for that purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, currently the office of the Trustee located at 100 Wall Street, Suite 2000, New York, New York 10005, or at such other paying agency in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, as the Company may determine. Notwithstanding the foregoing, payment of interest due on this Note on any Interest Payment Date will be made by wire transfer to the Holders entitled thereto of immediately available funds at such place and to such account at a banking institution in the United States as may be designated in wire transfer instructions received in writing by the Trustee at least sixteen (16) days prior to such Interest Payment Date. Any such wire transfer instructions received by the Trustee shall remain in effect until revoked by such Holder.

Any payments on this Note will 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.

Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this 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.

The form of the Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication for the IQ Notes shall be in substantially the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto.

 

20


Unless the Certificate of Authentication has been executed by the Trustee by manual signature, this Note shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or the Guarantees (as defined on the reverse hereof) or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc. has caused this note to be executed by two of its duly authorized officers.

 

VECTREN UTILITY HOLDINGS, INC.
By:  

 

Title:   Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
By:  

 

Title:   Executive Vice President and Secretary

DATED: October 18, 2006

TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

This is one of the Notes referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,

As Trustee

 

By:  

 

Authorized Signatory

 

21


[Form of Reverse of Note]

VECTREN UTILITY HOLDINGS, INC.

5.95% Insured Quarterly Notes due 2036

This Note is one of a duly authorized series of Securities (as defined below) of the Company (which term includes any successor corporation under the Indenture) designated as its “5.95% Insured Quarterly Notes due 2036” (the “IQ Notes”), issued or to be issued pursuant to an Indenture, dated as of October 19, 2001, as amended by the Fifth Supplemental Indenture dated October 18, 2006 (the “Indenture”), delivered by the Company and Indiana Gas Company, Inc., Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company, and Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio, Inc. (the “Initial Guarantors” and, together with each other subsidiary of the Company that pursuant to the terms of the Indenture guarantees the Company’s obligations under the Indenture, the “Guarantors”), to U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee (the “Trustee,” which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture). The terms of this Note include those stated in the Indenture and those made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as in effect on the date of the Indenture. Reference is hereby made to the Indenture and all further supplemental indentures thereto for a statement of the respective rights, limitation of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Guarantors, the Insurer (as defined below), the Trustee and the Holders and of the terms upon which the IQ Notes are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. All capitalized terms not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Indenture.

Payments of principal and interest in respect of the IQ Notes will be fully and unconditionally and jointly and severally guaranteed by the Guarantors, subject to the termination of any Guarantee of any Guarantor pursuant to the terms of Article Ten of the Indenture.

The IQ Notes are a series of debt securities issued or to be issued by the Company under the Indenture that is limited in aggregate principal amount to $100,000,000, subject to the reopening provisions of the Indenture. The Indenture provides that the debt securities of the Company issuable or issued thereunder (the “Securities”), including the IQ Notes, may be issued in one or more series, which different series may be issued in such aggregate principal amounts and on such terms (including, but not limited to, terms relating to interest rate or rates, provisions for determining such interest rate or rates and adjustments thereto, maturity, redemption (optional and mandatory), sinking fund, covenants and Events of Default) as may be provided in or pursuant to the resolutions of the Company’s Board of Directors providing for the issuance of such series and/or supplemental indenture (if any) relating to such series.

 

22


The IQ Notes shall be subject to redemption at the option of the Company, in whole or in part, without premium or penalty, at any time in whole, and from time to time in part, on or after October 1, 2011. The IQ Notes shall also be subject to redemption at the option of the Company, (i) in whole or in part, in the event of a Transfer of a Guarantor under Section 10.02 of the Base Indenture, in an amount equal to the intercompany debt representing that portion of the IQ Notes previously loaned by the Company to such Guarantor that is repaid by such Guarantor to the Company pursuant to Section 10.02(1) of the Base Indenture minus any amount of such repayment that the Company loans to another Guarantor that is a signatory hereto, or (ii) in whole, if we have agreed to enter into a transaction that, upon the consummation thereof, would result in there no longer being at least one Guarantor which, as of the date hereof, is a public utility regulated by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.

The Company shall exercise such optional redemption upon not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ notice by mail, at a redemption price (the “Redemption Price”) equal to 100% of the principal amount to be redeemed plus any unpaid interest accrued thereon to but excluding the applicable redemption date; provided, however, that interest payable on an IQ Note with respect to an Interest Payment Date that falls on or before such redemption date shall be made to the Holder thereof on the Regular Record Date related to such Interest Payment Date.

Subject to the conditions and restrictions contained in the Indenture, this Note may be redeemed, in whole or in part at the Redemption Price, at the request of the Representative of a deceased Beneficial Owner of this Note pursuant to a Redemption Request attached hereto as Annex A.

In the event of redemption of this Note in part only, a new Note or Notes of this series for the unredeemed portion hereof will be issued in the name of the Holder hereof upon the presentation and surrender hereof as set forth in Section 3A.08 of the Base Indenture. This Note will not have a sinking fund.

The Indenture contains provisions for defeasance at any time of (a) the entire indebtedness of this Note and (b) certain restrictive covenants, in each case upon compliance by the Company with certain conditions set forth therein, which provisions apply to this Note.

If an Event of Default, as defined in the Indenture, shall occur and be continuing, the principal of all the IQ Notes may be (and, in certain cases, shall be) declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.

The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and, if applicable, the Guarantors, and the rights of the Holders of the IQ Notes at any time by the Company, the Guarantors, if applicable, and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities affected thereby, voting as a single class (which may include the IQ Notes), at the time outstanding. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Securities affected thereby, voting as a single class (which may include the IQ Notes) to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions

 

23


of the Indenture and certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Note shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Note and of any Note issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Note.

The Indenture provides that no Holder may pursue any remedy under the Indenture unless the Trustee shall have failed to act after notice of an Event of Default and written request by Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the IQ Notes and the offer to the Trustee of indemnity satisfactory to it; provided however, such provision does not affect the right of a Holder to sue for enforcement of any overdue payment on this Note.

No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this 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 interest on this Note at the times, places and rates, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.

As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations herein and therein set forth, the transfer of this Note is registrable in the Security Register upon surrender of this Note for registration of transfer at the agency of the Company provided for that purpose duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in substantially the form accompanying this Note duly executed by, the Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new IQ Notes, of authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees.

The IQ 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 herein and therein set forth, the IQ Notes are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of IQ Notes 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 transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable in connection therewith (other than any such transfer taxes or similar governmental charge payable upon exchanges pursuant to Section 2.11, 3A.08 or 9.05, in which case such transfer taxes or similar governmental charges shall be paid by the Company).

Prior to due presentment of this Note for registration of transfer, the Company, the Guarantors, the Trustee and any agent of the Company, the Guarantors or the Trustee may treat the Holder of this Note as the owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Note be overdue, and none of the Company, the Guarantors, the Trustee or any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

This Note shall be governed by the laws of the State of Indiana without regard to principles of conflicts of law.

 

24


STATEMENT OF INSURANCE

Financial Guaranty Insurance Company (the “Insurer”) has issued a surety bond containing the following provisions with respect to this Note, such policy being on file at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, as paying agent (the “Paying Agent”):

The Insurer hereby unconditionally and irrevocably agrees to pay for disbursement to the Holders that portion of the principal of and interest on this Note which is then Due for Payment and which the Company and the Guarantors shall have failed to provide. Due for Payment means, with respect to principal of this Note, the Stated Maturity Date of this Note or the date on which the Issuer is required (as opposed to merely agreeing at its option) to redeem this Note pursuant to Section 3.4 of the Indenture at the option of the representative of any deceased Beneficial Owner of this Note, and does not refer to any other earlier date on which the payment of principal of this Note is due by reason of call for redemption (other than described above), acceleration or other advancement of maturity, and with respect to interest on this Note, the stated date for payment of such interest.

Upon receipt of telephonic or telegraphic notice, subsequently confirmed in writing, or written notice by registered or certified mail, from a Holder or the Paying Agent to the Insurer that the required payment of principal or interest (as applicable) has not been made by the Company or the Guarantors to the Paying Agent, the Insurer on the due date of such payment or, within one business day after receipt of notice of such nonpayment, whichever is later, will make a deposit of funds in an account with U.S. Bank Trust National Association, or its successor as its agent (the “Fiscal Agent”), sufficient to make the portion of such payment not paid by the Company and the Guarantors. Upon presentation to the Fiscal Agent of evidence satisfactory to it of any Holder’s right to receive such payment and any appropriate instruments of assignment required to vest all of such Holder’s right to such payment in the Insurer, the Fiscal Agent will disburse such amount to each such Holder.

As used in this section, the term “Holder” means the person other than the Company and/or the Guarantors who at the time of nonpayment of this Note is entitled under the terms of this Note to payment thereof.

The policy is non-cancellable for any reason.

FINANCIAL GUARANTY INSURANCE COMPANY

 

25


ASSIGNMENT FORM

If you the Holder want to assign this Note, fill in the form below and have your signature guaranteed:

I or we assign and transfer this Note to:

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(PRINT OR TYPE NAME, ADDRESS AND ZIP CODE AND SOCIAL SECURITY OR TAX ID NUMBER OF ASSIGNEES)

and irrevocably appoint,                      agent to transfer this Note on the books of the Company. The agent may substitute another to act for him.

 

Dated:  

 

    Signed:  

 

 

 

     

 

        (SIGN EXACTLY AS NAME APPEARS ON THE OTHER SIDEOF THIS NOTE.)

 

SIGNATURE GUARANTEE:  

 

   
Notice: Signature(s) must be guaranteed by a member firm of the New York Stock Exchange or a commercial bank or trust company.  

 

26


[Form of Guarantee of Note]

For good and valuable consideration receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, and intending to be legally bound hereby, each of Indiana Gas Company, Inc., Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company, and Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio, Inc. (together with each other subsidiary of the Company that pursuant to the terms of the Indenture guarantees the Company’s obligations under the IQ Notes (as defined below) and the Indenture, the “Guarantors”) hereby unconditionally and jointly and severally guarantees to the Holder of the note (the “Note”), authenticated and delivered by the Trustee, upon which this guarantee (the “Guarantee”) is endorsed, the due and punctual payment of the principal of and interest on, and any Redemption Price with respect to, the Note, when and as the same shall become due and payable, whether at the Stated Maturity Date, upon acceleration or redemption or otherwise, in accordance with the terms of this Note and of the Indenture.

The Guarantors agree to determine, at least one Business Day prior to the date upon which a payment of principal of and/or interest on, and any Redemption Price with respect to, the Note, is due and payable, whether the Company has available the funds to make such payment as the same shall become due and payable. In case of the failure of the Company to punctually pay any such principal of or interest on, and any Redemption Price with respect to, the Note, each Guarantor hereby agrees to cause any such payment to be made punctually when and as the same shall become due and payable, whether at the Stated Maturity Date, upon acceleration or redemption or otherwise, and as if such payment were made by the Company.

The Guarantors hereby agree that their obligations hereunder shall be as principal and not merely as surety, and shall be unconditional, irrevocable, and absolute, irrespective of, and shall be unaffected by, any invalidity, irregularity, or unenforceability of the Note or such Indenture, any failure to enforce the provisions of the Note or the Indenture, or any waiver, modification, consent or indulgence granted to the Company with respect thereto (unless the same shall also be provided to the Guarantors) by the Holder of the Note or the Trustee with respect to any provisions thereof, the recovery of any judgment against the Company or any action to enforce the same, or any other circumstance which might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a surety or of a guarantor. The Guarantors hereby waive diligence, presentment, demand of payment, filing of claims with a court in the event of merger, insolvency or bankruptcy of the Company, any right to require a proceeding first against the Company, protest or notice with respect to any the Note or the indebtedness evidenced thereby, and all demands whatsoever and covenants that this Guarantee will not be discharged except by payment in full of the principal of and interest on, and any Redemption Price with respect to, the Note and the complete performance of the obligations contained in the Note, this Guarantee and the Indenture.

Subject to the subrogation rights of the Insurer in respect of any amounts paid by the Insurer to the Holders under the Policy, which shall take priority over the subrogation rights of the Guarantors set forth herein, the Guarantors shall be subrogated to all rights of the Holder of the Note against the Company in respect of all amounts paid to such Holder by the Guarantors pursuant to the provisions of this Guarantee; provided, however, that the Guarantors shall not, without the consent of the Holders of all of the outstanding IQ Notes (the “IQ Notes”) of the series of which the Note is a part, be entitled to enforce or to receive any payments arising out of or based upon such right of

 

27


subrogation until the principal of and interest on, and any Redemption Price with respect to, all IQ Notes shall have been paid in full or payment thereof shall have been provided for and all other obligations contained in the IQ Notes, the related Guarantees and the Indenture shall have been performed, and provided further, that the Guarantors shall not be entitled to enforce or receive any such payments until the Insurer receives payment of any past due interest and past due principal to the extent the Insurer is a subrogee with respect thereto. If any amount shall be paid to any Guarantor in violation of the preceding sentence and all amounts payable in respect of the IQ Notes shall not have been paid in full, such amount shall be deemed to have been paid to such Guarantor for the benefit of, and held in trust for the benefit of, the Holders or the Insurer, as the case may be, and shall forthwith be paid to the Trustee for the benefit of the Holders or Insurer, respectively, to be credited and applied upon such amounts. Each Guarantor acknowledges that it will receive direct and indirect benefits from the issuance of the IQ Notes pursuant to this Indenture.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if following any payment of the principal, Redemption Price or interest by the Company in respect of the IQ Notes to the Holders of the IQ Notes it is determined by a final decision of a court of competent jurisdiction that such payment shall be avoided by a trustee in bankruptcy (including any debtor-in-possession) as a preference under 11 U.S.C. Section 547 and such payment is returned by such Holder to such trustee in bankruptcy, then the obligations of the Guarantors hereunder shall remain in full force and effect to the extent of such repayment.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, this Guarantee shall be, and hereby is, limited to the maximum amount that may be guaranteed by the applicable Guarantor without rendering this Guarantee, as it relates to such Guarantor, voidable under any applicable law relating to fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer or similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally.

This Guarantee is intended for the benefit of the Insurer, the Trustee and each of the Holders of the IQ Notes and shall be enforceable by such Insurer, Trustee and such Holders.

This Guarantee is subject to termination in accordance with the provisions of Article 10 of the Indenture.

This Guarantee shall be governed by the laws of the State of Indiana without regard to principles of conflicts of law.

 

28


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Indiana Gas Company, Inc. has caused this Guarantee to be executed by two of its duly authorized officers.

 

By:  

 

Name:   Jerome A. Benkert, Jr.
Title:   Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
By:  

 

Name:   Ronald E. Christian
Title:  

Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative

Officer and Secretary

DATED: October 18, 2006

 

29


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company has caused this Guarantee to be executed by two of its duly authorized officers.

 

By:  

 

Name:   Jerome A. Benkert, Jr.
Title:   Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
By:  

 

Name:   Ronald E. Christian
Title:  

Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative

Officer and Secretary

DATED: October 18, 2006

 

30


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio, Inc. has caused this Guarantee to be executed by two of its duly authorized officers.

 

By:  

 

Name:   Jerome A. Benkert, Jr.
Title:   Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
By:  

 

Name:   Ronald E. Christian
Title:  

Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative

Officer and Secretary

DATED: October 18, 2006

 

31


Annex A

FORM OF REDEMPTION REQUEST

VECTREN UTILITY HOLDING, INC.

5.95% INSURED QUARTERLY NOTES DUE 2006

(THE “NOTES”)

CUSIP NO. 92239M AH4

The undersigned,                      (the “Participant”), does hereby certify, pursuant to the provisions of that certain Indenture, dated as of October 19, 2001, as supplemented and amended (the “Indenture”), made by and among Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”), Indiana Gas Company, Inc., Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company and Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio, Inc. and U.S. Bank Trust National Association, as Trustee (the “Trustee”), to The Depository Trust Company (the “Depositary”), the Company and the Trustee that:

1. [Name of deceased Beneficial Owner] is deceased.

2. [Name of deceased Beneficial Owner] had a $             interest in the above referenced Notes.

3. [Name of Representative] is [Beneficial Owner’s personal representative/other person authorized to represent the estate of the Beneficial Owner/surviving joint tenant/surviving tenant by the entirety/trustee of a trust] of [Name of deceased Beneficial Owner] and has delivered to the undersigned a request for redemption in form satisfactory to the undersigned, requesting that $ principal amount of said Notes be redeemed pursuant to said Indenture. The documents accompanying such request, all of which are in proper form, are in all respects satisfactory to the undersigned and [Name of Representative] is entitled to have the Notes to which this Request relates redeemed.

4. The Participant holds the interest in the Notes with respect to which this Request is being made on behalf of [Name of deceased Beneficial Owner].

5. The Participant hereby certifies that it will indemnify and hold harmless the Depositary, the Trustee and the Company (including their respective officers, directors, agents, attorneys and employees) against all damages, loss, cost, expense (including reasonable attorneys’ and accountants’ fees), obligations, claims or liability (collectively, the “Damages”) incurred by the indemnified party or parties as a result of or in connection with the redemption of Notes to which this Request relates. The Participant will, at the request of the Company, forward to the Company a copy of the documents submitted by [Name of Representative] in support of this Request.

 

32


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Request as of                      ,                      .

 

[PARTICIPANT NAME]
By:  

 

Name:  

 

Title:  

 

 

33


Exhibit B

TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

This is one of the IQ Notes referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

 

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
As Trustee
By:  

 

  Authorized Signatory

 

34

Exhibit 4.2

INSURANCE AGREEMENT

INSURANCE AGREEMENT dated October 18, 2006 by and among Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc., an Indiana corporation, as Issuer (the “Issuer”), Indiana Gas Company, Inc., an Indiana corporation and an Ohio corporation (“Indiana Gas”), Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company, an Indiana corporation (“SIGECO”), Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio, Inc., an Ohio corporation (“VEDO”, and together with Indiana Gas and SIGECO, each a “Company” and collectively, the “Companies”), and Financial Guaranty Insurance Company, a New York stock insurance company (“Financial Guaranty”).

WHEREAS, pursuant to an Indenture, dated as of October 19, 2001 (the “Base Indenture”), by and among the Issuer, each of the Companies and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”) and the Fifth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of October 18, 2006, by and among the Issuer, the Companies and the Trustee (the “Supplemental Indenture,” together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”), the Issuer has issued $100,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of its Insured Quarterly Notes due 2036 (the “IQ Notes”); and

WHEREAS , pursuant to the Guarantees included in the Indenture and endorsed upon the IQ Notes, the Companies fully and unconditionally guarantee, jointly and severally, among other things, the due and punctual payment of all payments to be made by the Issuer under the IQ Notes;

WHEREAS, Financial Guaranty has issued its surety bond relating to the IQ Notes (the “Policy”) which insures the scheduled payments of principal of and interest on the IQ Notes and the mandatory redemption of the IQ Notes at the option of a representative of any deceased beneficial owner of the IQ Notes on the terms specified in the Policy;

WHEREAS, each Company will derive substantial direct and indirect benefits from the issuance of the Policy; and

WHEREAS, the Issuer and the Companies understand that Financial Guaranty expressly requires the delivery of this Insurance Agreement as part of the consideration for the delivery by Financial Guaranty of the Policy;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and of the agreements herein contained and of the execution and delivery of the Policy, the Issuer, the Companies and Financial Guaranty agree as follows:


ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS; PREMIUM; EXPENSES

Section 1.01. Definitions. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein or unless the context otherwise requires, the terms which are capitalized herein shall have the meanings specified in the Indenture unless otherwise defined in Annex A hereto.

Section 1.02. Premium. In consideration of Financial Guaranty agreeing to issue the Policy hereunder, the Issuer and the Companies hereby jointly and severally agree to pay Financial Guaranty the premiums, at the times and in the amounts specified in the Commitment. Once paid, no premium is refundable in whole or in part for any reason.

To the extent that any Future Premium Payment is not paid when due, interest shall accrue on such unpaid amounts at a rate equal to the Effective Interest Rate.

ARTICLE II

REIMBURSEMENT OBLIGATIONS OF THE ISSUER AND THE COMPANIES AND

SECURITY THEREFOR

Section 2.01. Reimbursement Obligation. The Issuer and the Companies jointly and severally agree to reimburse Financial Guaranty, from any available funds, immediately and unconditionally upon demand, for any Policy Payment. To the extent that any such payment due hereunder is not paid when due, interest shall accrue on such unpaid amounts at a rate equal to the Effective Interest Rate. Following any such Policy Payment, the payment by the Issuer or any Company of the amount of principal of and/or interest on the obligations in respect of which such Policy Payment shall have been made shall satisfy and discharge, to the extent thereof, the corresponding obligations of the Issuer and the Companies under this Section 2.01.

Section 2.02. Unconditional Obligation. The obligations of the Issuer and the Companies hereunder are absolute and unconditional and will be paid or performed strictly in accordance with this Insurance Agreement, irrespective of:

(a) any lack of validity or enforceability of, or any amendment or other modification of, or waiver with respect to this Insurance Agreement, the Indenture, the Guarantees, the IQ Notes or any other financing document relating to the IQ Notes (collectively, the “Transaction Documents”);

(b) any exchange, release or nonperfection of any security interest in property securing the Transaction Documents;

(c) any circumstances which might otherwise constitute a defense available to, or discharge of, the Issuer or the Companies with respect to the Transaction Documents;

 

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(d) whether or not obligations under the Transaction Documents are contingent or matured, disputed or undisputed, liquidated or unliquidated; or

(e) the bankruptcy or insolvency of any other obligor under this Insurance Agreement.

ARTICLE III

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

The Issuer and each Company makes the following representations as the basis for its undertakings herein contained:

(a) Neither the execution and delivery of any Transaction Document, the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, nor the fulfillment of or compliance with the terms and conditions hereof and thereof, conflicts with or results in a breach of any of the terms, conditions or provisions of any of its organizational documents or of any material agreement or instrument to which it is now a party or by which it is bound, or constitutes a default (with due notice or the passage of time or both) under any of the foregoing, or, except as contemplated by the Transaction Documents, results in the creation or imposition of any prohibited lien, charge or encumbrance whatsoever upon any of its property or assets under the terms of any material instrument or agreement to which it is now a party or by which it is each bound.

(b) All certificates, approvals, permits and authorizations of applicable local governmental agencies, state and the federal government that are necessary (i) for the due execution and delivery by it of, and the performance of its obligations under, each Transaction Document and (ii) for the operations and business of the Issuer and each Company, have been obtained and continue in force, except, in the case of clause (ii), for such certificates, approvals, permits and authorizations the failure of which to obtain or to maintain in full force would not, individually or in the aggregate, materially and adversely affect the financial condition, assets, properties or operation of the Issuer or any Company.

(c) No event has occurred and no condition exists that would constitute an Event of Default (as defined in the Indenture or hereunder) or that, with the passing of time or with the giving of notice or both would become such an Event of Default.

(d) Each Transaction Document has been executed and delivered by it and is a legal, valid and binding obligation, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, subject to the qualification that the enforceability of the obligations may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles relating to enforceability.

(e) Except as disclosed in the Prospectus Supplement, dated October 13, 2006, delivered in connection with the issuance of the IQ Notes, (i) there is no action, suit, proceeding or investigation at law or in equity before or by any court or governmental agency or body pending or

 

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to its knowledge threatened against or affecting the Issuer or any Company that seeks to restrain or enjoin the issuance or delivery of the IQ Notes, or the collection of the payments to be made pursuant to the Transaction Documents or in any way contests or materially adversely affects the validity of the Transaction Documents or the resolutions of the Issuer or any Company relating to the IQ Notes, or contests or affects its powers to enter into or perform its obligations or consummate the transactions contemplated under any of the foregoing; and (ii) neither the Issuer nor any Company is in default with respect to any order or decree of any court or any order, regulation or demand of any federal, state, municipal or other governmental authority which could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, assets, properties or operations of the Issuer or any of the Companies.

(f) The consolidated financial statements of the Issuer contained in (i) the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005 and (ii) Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006 (the “Interim Financial Statements”), respectively, present fairly in all material respects the consolidated financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Issuer and the Companies 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), except in the case of the Interim Financial Statements for normal year end adjustments. Since June 30, 2006, there has been no material adverse change in the financial condition, assets, properties or operation of the Issuer and the Companies, taken as a whole.

ARTICLE IV

COVENANTS

Section 4.01. Merger, Consolidation, Etc. (a) Other than a Transfer (as defined in Section 10.02 of the Base Indenture) permitted by Section 10.02 of the Base Indenture, the Issuer and each Company hereby agrees that, in the event of a Reorganization of any Company, unless otherwise consented to by Financial Guaranty, the obligations of such Company under, and in respect of, this Insurance Agreement and the other Transaction Documents shall be assumed by, and shall become direct and primary obligations of, a Regulated Utility Company that holds substantially all of the assets that were held by such Company prior to such Reorganization.

(b) Notwithstanding anything in the Transaction Documents to the contrary, the Issuer and each Company hereby agree that, unless otherwise consented to by Financial Guaranty, at least one of the direct and primary obligors under this Insurance Agreement and at least one of the direct and primary obligors or guarantors under the other Transaction Documents shall at all times be one of the Guarantors that on the date hereof is a Regulated Utility Company regulated by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, unless the Issuer shall (i) pay all amounts due and payable to Financial Guaranty hereunder and (ii) redeem or cause to be redeemed, in full, the IQ Notes pursuant to the terms of the Indenture.

(c) In the event of a Transfer under Section 10.02 of the Base Indenture of a

 

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Guarantor, the Issuer shall within 18 months after the date of the consummation of the Transfer apply the amount required to be paid to the Issuer pursuant to Section 10.02(1) of the Base Indenture relating to the repayment of amounts loaned to such Company from the proceeds of the IQ Notes (the “Repayment Amount”) for any of the following purposes or any combination thereof (but for no other purpose): (i) to make a loan to another Company, (ii) to redeem the IQ Notes in an amount equal to the Repayment Amount (less any amount applied pursuant to the foregoing clause (i)) in accordance with the terms of the Indenture or (iii) with the prior written consent of Financial Guaranty, to make a loan to a subsidiary of the Issuer that is not a Company or to acquire the stock or assets of another Regulated Utility Company.

(d) Prior to or concurrently with any Reorganization or Transfer, the Issuer shall deliver to Financial Guaranty a certificate of the president or any vice president and an opinion of counsel in each case reasonably acceptable to Financial Guaranty, addressed to Financial Guaranty, each stating that such Reorganization or Transfer, as the case may be, complies with this Section 4.01.

(e) The Issuer hereby agrees that it shall provide only those financial services described in the Financial Services Agreement to Regulated Utility Companies.

(f) Upon the consummation of a Transfer of a Company that is permitted by Section 10.02 of the Base Indenture and Section 4.01 of this Insurance Agreement, such Company shall be released from its obligations hereunder.

Section 4.02. Transaction Documents. (a) The Issuer and each Company shall perform or observe each covenant, agreement and undertaking required to be performed or observed by it pursuant to the Transaction Documents.

(b) For so long as the Policy remains in effect (and Financial Guaranty is not in default thereunder) or any Reimbursement Obligation remains unpaid, neither the Issuer nor any Company will enter into, authorize, approve or consent to any amendment, supplement, waiver or other modification to or under any Transaction Document without the prior written consent of Financial Guaranty except that Financial Guaranty’s consent shall not be required for any supplemental indenture entered into pursuant to Section 9.01(1), (2), (3), (4), (6), or (7) of the Base Indenture.

 

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ARTICLE V

EVENTS OF DEFAULT; REMEDIES

Section 5.01. Events of Default. The following events shall constitute Events of Default hereunder:

(a) The Issuer or any of the Companies shall fail to pay to Financial Guaranty any amount payable (i) under Sections 1.02 or 2.01 hereof and such failure shall have continued for a period in excess of ten (10) days after receipt by the Issuer or any of the Companies of written notice thereof from Financial Guaranty or (ii) under Section 7.02 hereof and such failure shall have continued for a period in excess of thirty (30) days after receipt by the Issuer or any of the Companies of written notice thereof;

(b) Any representation or warranty made by the Issuer or any of the Companies hereunder or under any of the Transaction Documents or any statement in the application for the Policy or any report, certificate, financial statement or other instrument provided in connection with the Commitment, the Policy or any Transaction Document shall have been materially false at the time when made;

(c) Except as otherwise provided in this Section 5.01, the Issuer or any of the Companies shall fail to perform any of its other obligations under any Transaction Documents, provided that such failure continues for more than thirty (30) days after receipt by the Issuer or the Companies of written notice from Financial Guaranty of such failure to perform;

(d) The Issuer or any of the Companies shall (i) voluntarily commence any proceeding or file any petition seeking relief under the United States Bankruptcy Code or any other Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency or similar law, (ii) consent to the institution of, or fail to controvert in a timely and appropriate manner, any such proceeding or the filing of any such petition, (iii) apply for or consent to the appointment of a receiver, paying agent, custodian, sequestrator or similar official for it or for a substantial part of its property, (iv) file an answer admitting the material allegations of a petition filed against it in any such proceeding, (v) make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors, (vi) become unable, admit in writing its inability or fail generally to pay its debts as they become due or (vii) take action for the purpose of effecting any of the foregoing;

(e) An involuntary proceeding shall be commenced or an involuntary petition shall be filed in a court of competent jurisdiction seeking (i) relief in respect of the Issuer or any of the Companies, or of a substantial part of the property of the Issuer or any of the Companies, under the United States Bankruptcy Code or any other Federal, state or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency or similar law or (ii) the appointment of a receiver, paying agent, custodian, sequestrator or similar official for the Issuer or any of the Companies or for a substantial part of the property of the Issuer or any of the Companies; and such proceeding or petition shall continue undismissed for sixty (60) days or an order or decree approving or ordering any of the foregoing shall continue unstayed and in effect for sixty (60) days; or

 

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(f) An “Event of Default” under the Indenture shall occur.

Section 5.02. Remedies. If an Event of Default shall occur and be continuing, then Financial Guaranty may take whatever action at law or in equity may appear necessary or desirable, including, without limitation, legal action for the specific performance of any covenant made by the Issuer or any of the Companies herein and any financing document and, to the extent applicable and permissible under the Transaction Documents, the pursuit of remedies available under the Transaction Documents to collect the amounts then due and thereafter to become due under this Insurance Agreement, or to enforce performance and observance of any obligation, agreement or covenant of the Issuer or the Companies under this Insurance Agreement or under the Transaction Documents. All rights and remedies of Financial Guaranty under this Section 5.02 are cumulative and the exercise of any one remedy does not preclude the exercise of one or more of the other available remedies under this Insurance Agreement or under the Transaction Documents or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity. No delay or omission to exercise any right or power accruing under this Insurance Agreement, the Transaction Documents or any other financing document, or otherwise, upon the happening of any event set forth in Section 5.01, shall impair any such right or power or shall be construed to be a waiver thereof, but any such right and power may be exercised from time to time and as often as may be deemed expedient. In order to entitle Financial Guaranty to exercise any remedy reserved to Financial Guaranty in this Article, it shall not be necessary to give any notice, other than such notice as may be required by this Article.

Section 5.03. Default Related Provisions Under the Indenture or Agreement.

(a) In determining whether a payment default has occurred under the Indenture or whether a payment on the IQ Notes has been made under the authorizing document(s), no effect shall be given to payments made under the Policy.

(b) Financial Guaranty shall receive notice from the Issuer or any Company of any Event of Default within 30 days of the Issuer’s or any of the Companies’ actual knowledge thereof.

ARTICLE VI

SETTLEMENT

Financial Guaranty shall have the exclusive right to decide and determine whether any claim, liability, suit or judgment made or brought against Financial Guaranty on the Policy (a “Policy Claim”), shall or shall not be paid, compromised, resisted, defended, tried or appealed, and Financial Guaranty’s decision thereon, if made in good faith, shall be final and binding upon the

 

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Issuer and the Companies. An itemized statement of payments made by Financial Guaranty, certified by an officer of Financial Guaranty, or the voucher or vouchers for such payments, shall be prima facie evidence of the liability of the Issuer and the Companies, absent manifest error.

ARTICLE VII

MISCELLANEOUS

Section 7.01. Waiver of Subrogation, Etc.

Each Company and the Issuer hereby agrees that (i) the subrogation rights of Financial Guaranty in respect of any amounts paid by Financial Guaranty to the Holders under the Policy shall take priority over the subrogation rights of the Companies set forth in the Guarantees or as a party that is jointly and severally obligated hereunder, and (ii) neither the Issuer nor any Company shall, without the written consent of Financial Guaranty, be entitled to enforce or to receive any payments arising out of or based upon its right of subrogation set forth in the Guarantee or as a party hereunder until the principal of and interest on, and any Redemption Price with respect to, all IQ Notes and any Reimbursement Obligations shall have been paid in full or payment thereof shall have been provided for to the satisfaction of Financial Guaranty and all other obligations (including, without limitation, any other payment obligations) contained in the IQ Notes, the Guarantees, the Indenture and this Insurance Agreement shall have been performed. If any amount shall be paid to the Issuer or any Company in violation of the preceding sentence and all amounts payable under this Insurance Agreement and in respect of the IQ Notes shall not have been paid in full, such amount shall be deemed to have been paid to the Issuer or such Guarantor for the benefit of, and held in trust for the benefit of, the Holders or the Insurer, as the case may be, and shall forthwith be paid to the Trustee for the benefit of the Holders or Insurer, respectively, to be credited and applied upon such amounts. The Issuer and each Company acknowledges that it will receive direct and indirect benefits from the issuance of the Policy and IQ Notes.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Transaction Documents, if following any payment by the Issuer or any Company to the Holders of the IQ Notes of the principal, Redemption Price or interest in respect of the IQ Notes or to Financial Guaranty of any amounts due hereunder or in respect of the Policy, it is determined by a final decision of a court of competent jurisdiction that such payment shall be avoided by a trustee in bankruptcy (including any debtor-in-possession) as a preference under 11 U.S.C. Section 547 and such payment is returned by such Holder or Financial Guaranty to such trustee in bankruptcy, then the obligations of the Issuer and the Companies under the Indenture, the IQ Notes and this Insurance Agreement shall remain in full force and effect to the extent of such repayment.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the obligations of the Issuer and each Company hereunder, shall be, and hereby are, limited to the maximum amount that may be payable by the Issuer or the applicable Company without rendering this Insurance Agreement, as it relates to Issuer or such Company, voidable under any applicable law relating to fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer or similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally.

 

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Section 7.02. Reimbursement of Costs and Expenses; Payments Generally.

(a) The Issuer and the Companies jointly and severally agree to pay or reimburse Financial Guaranty for any and all charges, fees, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorney’s fees) that Financial Guaranty may reasonably pay or incur in connection with the following: (i) the administration, enforcement, defense, or preservation of any rights or security hereunder or under any Transaction Document; (ii) the pursuit of any remedies hereunder, under any other Transaction Document, or otherwise afforded by law or equity, (iii) any amendment, waiver, or other action hereunder or with respect to or related to any Transaction Document whether or not executed or completed; (iv) the violation by the Issuer or any of the Companies of any law, rule, or regulation or any judgment, order or decree applicable to it; (v) any advances or payments made by Financial Guaranty to cure defaults of the Issuer or any of the Companies hereunder or under the Transaction Documents; or (vi) any litigation or other dispute in connection with the Insurance Agreement, or any other Transaction Document, or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, other than amounts resulting from the failure of Financial Guaranty to honor its payment obligations under the Policy or from the negligence or willful misconduct of Financial Guaranty. Financial Guaranty reserves the right to charge a reasonable fee as a condition to executing any amendment, waiver, or consent proposed in respect of the Insurance Agreement or any other Transaction Document. The obligations of the Issuer and the Companies to Financial Guaranty shall survive discharge and termination of the Transaction Documents. The Issuer’s and the Companies’ obligations under this Section 7.02 shall be unconditional and shall be paid promptly upon receipt by the Issuer or any of the Companies of demand therefore.

(b) If any payment hereunder is specified to be made on a date that is not a Business Day, then such payment shall be made on the Business Day next succeeding the date originally specified for such payment.

Section 7.03. Indemnification; Limitation of Liability. (a) In addition to any and all rights of indemnification or any other rights of Financial Guaranty pursuant hereto or under law or equity or under any financing document, the Issuer and the Companies jointly and severally agree to pay, and to protect, indemnify and save harmless, Financial Guaranty and its officers, directors, shareholders, employees, and agents, from and against any and all claims, losses, liabilities (including penalties), actions, suits, judgments, demands, damages, costs or reasonable expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable fees and expenses of attorneys, consultants and auditors and reasonable costs of investigations) or obligations whatsoever paid by Financial Guaranty (herein collectively referred to as “Liabilities”) of any nature arising out of or relating to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents by reason of:

 

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(i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the offering document or in any amendment or supplement thereto or arising out of or based upon any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as such Liabilities arise out of or are based upon any such untrue statement or omission or allegation thereof based upon information which describes Financial Guaranty in the offering document set forth under the caption “The Policy and the Insurer,” or in the financial statements of Financial Guaranty, including any information in any amendment or supplement to the offering document furnished by Financial Guaranty in writing expressly for use therein that amends or supplements such information;

(ii) to the extent not covered by clause (i) above, any act or omission of the Issuer or any of the Companies in connection with the offering, issuance, sale or delivery of the IQ Notes other than by reason of false or misleading information provided by Financial Guaranty in writing for inclusion in the offering document as specified in clause (i) above or the allegation thereof;

(iii) the misfeasance or malfeasance of, or negligence or theft committed by, any director, officer, employee or agent of the Issuer or any of the Companies;

(iv) the breach by the Issuer or any of the Companies of its obligations under any Transaction Documents; and

(v) the breach by the Issuer or any of the Companies of any representation or warranty on the part of the Issuer or any of the Companies contained in the Transaction Documents or in any certificate or report furnished or delivered to Financial Guaranty thereunder.

(vi) any claim by any party other than the parties to be indemnified under this Section 7.03 arising out of any Event of Default under the Transaction Documents.

This indemnity provision shall survive the termination of this Insurance Agreement and shall survive until the statute of limitations has run on any causes of action which arise from one of these reasons and until all suits filed as a result thereof have been finally concluded. Any party which proposes to assert the right to be indemnified under this Section 7.03 will promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action, suit or proceeding against such party in respect of which a claim is to be made against the Issuer or the Companies under this Section 7.03, shall notify the Issuer or any of the Companies of the commencement of such action, suit or proceeding, enclosing a copy of all papers served. In case any action, suit or proceeding, other than a policy claim, shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the Issuer or the Companies of the commencement thereof, the Issuer and the Companies shall be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall wish, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party, and after notice from the Issuer and the Companies to

 

10


such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the Issuer and the Companies shall not be liable to such indemnified party for any legal expenses other than reasonable costs of investigation subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof. The indemnified party shall have the right to employ its counsel in any such action the defense of which is assumed by the Issuer and the Companies in accordance with the terms of this subsection (b), but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless the employment of counsel by such indemnified party has been authorized by the Issuer and the Companies, or unless there is a conflict of interest. The Issuer and the Companies shall not under any circumstances be liable for any settlement of any action or claim effected without its prior written consent, other than a Policy Claim.

Section 7.04. Computations. All computations of premium, interest and fees hereunder shall be made on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed over a year of 365 or 366 days, as applicable.

Section 7.05. Exercise of Rights. No failure or delay on the part of Financial Guaranty to exercise any right, power or privilege under this Insurance Agreement and no course of dealing between Financial Guaranty and the Issuer or the Companies or any other party shall operate as a waiver of any such right, power or privilege, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right, power or privilege preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege. The rights and remedies herein expressly provided are cumulative and not exclusive of any rights or remedies which Financial Guaranty would otherwise have pursuant to law or equity. No notice to or demand on any party in any case shall entitle such party to any other or further notice or demand in similar or other circumstances, or constitute a waiver of the right of the other party to any other or further action in any circumstances without notice or demand.

Section 7.06. Amendment and Waiver. Any provision of this Insurance Agreement may be amended, waived, supplemented, discharged or terminated only with the prior written consent of the Issuer, the Companies and Financial Guaranty. The Issuer and the Companies hereby agree that upon the written request of the Trustee, Financial Guaranty may make or consent to issue any substitute for the Policy to cure any ambiguity or formal defect or omission in such Policy which does not materially change the terms of such Policy or adversely affect the rights of the Holders or the Issuer or the Companies, and this Insurance Agreement shall apply to such substituted Policy. Financial Guaranty agrees to deliver to the Issuer and the Companies, and the rating agencies if any, rating the IQ Notes, a copy of such substituted Policy.

Section 7.07. Amendments and Supplements to the Transaction Documents. Any rating agency rating the IQ Notes must receive notice of each amendment to the Transaction Documents relating to the IQ Notes and a copy thereof at least 15 days in advance of its execution or adoption. Financial Guaranty shall be provided with a full transcript of all proceedings relating to the execution of any such amendment or supplement.

 

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Section 7.08. Successors and Assigns; Descriptive Headings.

(a) This Insurance Agreement shall bind, and the benefits thereof shall inure to, the Issuer, the Companies and Financial Guaranty and their respective successors and assigns, so long as the IQ Notes or any portion thereof are outstanding or any amounts are due and payable to Financial Guaranty hereunder or Financial Guaranty has any obligations or liabilities under the Policy; provided, that neither the Issuer, any of the Companies nor Financial Guaranty may transfer or assign any or all of its rights and obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the other party hereto.

(b) The descriptive headings of the various provisions of this Insurance Agreement are inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed to affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.

Section 7.09. Waiver. The Issuer and the Companies waive any defense that this Insurance Agreement was executed subsequent to the date of the Policy, admitting and covenanting that such Policy was executed pursuant to the Issuer’s and Companies’ request and in reliance on the Issuer’s and Companies’ promise to execute this Insurance Agreement.

Section 7.10. Entire Agreement. This Insurance Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes any and all prior agreements and understandings of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof, including but not limited to the Commitment (except as expressly set forth herein with respect to Premium).

Section 7.11. Reporting Requirements. Financial Guaranty shall be provided with the following:

(a) Notice of the redemption, other than mandatory sinking fund redemption, of any of the IQ Notes, or of any advance refunding of the IQ Notes, including the principal amount and maturities thereof provided however that the Issuer shall only be required to notify Financial Guaranty of redemptions under Section 3.4 of the Supplemental Indenture one time each year, but no later than January 31 of the year following the year to which the notice relates.

(b) Notice of the downgrading by any rating agency of the Issuer’s or any of Companies’ underlying rating, or the underlying rating on the IQ Notes or any parity obligations, to “non-investment grade”;

(c) Such additional information as Financial Guaranty may reasonably request from time to time.

Section 7.12. Notices, Requests, Demands. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all written notices, requests, demands or other communications to or upon the respective

 

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parties hereto shall be deemed to have been given or made when actually received, or in the case of telecopier notice sent over a telecopier machine owned or operated by a party hereto, when sent, with confirmation of receipt, addressed as specified below or at such other address as either of the parties hereto may hereafter specify in writing to the other:

 

If to the Issuer:    Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc.
   One Vectren Square
   Evansville, IN 47708-125
   Attention: Ronald E. Christian,
   Executive Vice President,
   Chief Administrative Officer and Secretary
   Fax No. (812) 491-4169
If to the Companies:    Indiana Gas Company, Inc.
   One Vectren Square
   Evansville, IN 47708-125
   Attention: Ronald E. Christian,
   Executive Vice President,
  

Chief Administrative Officer and Secretary

Fax No. (812) 491-4169

   Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company
   One Vectren Square
   Evansville, IN 47708-125
   Attention: Ronald E. Christian,
   Executive Vice President,
   Chief Administrative Officer and Secretary
   Fax No. (812) 491-4169
   Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio, Inc.
   One Vectren Square
   Evansville, IN 47708-125
   Attention: Ronald E. Christian,
   Executive Vice President,
   Chief Administrative Officer and Secretary
   Fax No. (812) 491-4169
If to Financial Guaranty:    Financial Guaranty Insurance Company
   125 Park Avenue
   New York, New York 10017
   Attention: Managing Director, Global Utilities
   Fax No.: 212-312-3093

 

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Section 7.13. Survival of Representations and Warranties. All representations, warranties and obligations contained herein shall survive the execution and delivery of this Insurance Agreement and the Policy.

Section 7.14. Governing Law. This Insurance Agreement and the rights and obligations of the parties under this Insurance Agreement shall be governed by and construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Indiana.

Section 7.15. Counterparts. This Insurance Agreement may be executed in any number of copies and by the different parties hereto on the same or separate counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original instrument. Complete counterparts of this Insurance Agreement shall be lodged with the Issuer, the Companies and Financial Guaranty.

Section 7.16. Severability. In the event any provision of this Insurance Agreement shall be held invalid or unenforceable by any court of competent jurisdiction, such holding shall not invalidate or render unenforceable any other provision hereof.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has caused a counterpart of this Insurance Agreement to be duly executed and delivered as of the date first above written.

 

Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc.
By  

 

Name:   Robert L. Goocher
Title:   Vice President and Treasurer
Indiana Gas Company, Inc.
By  

 

Name:   Robert L. Goocher
Title:   Vice President and Treasurer
Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company
By  

 

Name:   Robert L. Goocher
Title:   Vice President and Treasurer
Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio, Inc.
By  

 

Name:   Robert L. Goocher
Title:   Vice President and Treasurer
Financial Guaranty Insurance Company
By  

 

  Paul R. Morrison
  Managing Director, International and Global Utilities

 

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ANNEX A

DEFINITIONS

For all purposes of this Insurance Agreement, except as otherwise expressly provided herein or unless the context otherwise requires, all capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the same meaning as in the Indenture, and all other capitalized terms shall have the meaning as set out below.

“Base Indenture” has the meaning set forth in the first recital of this Insurance Agreement.

“Business Day” has the meaning set forth in the Indenture.

“Commitment” means that certain letter, dated October 9, 2006 between the Issuer, the Companies and Financial Guaranty.

“Company” or “Companies” has the meaning set forth in the first paragraph of this Insurance Agreement.

“Effective Interest Rate” means the lesser of (i) the prime rate announced from time to time by Citibank, N.A., in effect from time to time plus 2% per annum and (ii) the maximum rate of interest permitted by then applicable law.

“Event of Default” shall mean those events of default set forth in Section 5.01 of this Insurance Agreement.

Financial Services Agreement means the Financial Services Agreement dated as of January 5, 2001 among the Companies and the Issuer as amended from time to time.

“Future Premium Payment” has the meaning set forth in the Commitment.

Guarantees ” has the meaning set forth in the Base Indenture.

“Holder” or “Holders” means the Person in whose name an IQ Notes is registered on the books kept and maintained by the Trustee for registration and transfer of the IQ Notes.

“Indenture” has the meaning set forth in the first recital of this Insurance Agreement.

Insurance Agreement ” means this Insurance Agreement.

“IQ Notes” has the same meaning as set forth in the first recital of this Insurance Agreement.

 

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“Issuer” has the same meaning set forth in the first paragraph of this Insurance Agreement.

“Payment Obligations” means amounts payable by the each of the Issuer and the Companies to Financial Guaranty pursuant to the provisions of Sections 1.02 and 7.02 hereof.

“Policy Claim” has the meaning set forth in Article VI.

“Policy Payment” means any payment by Financial Guaranty pursuant to the terms of the Policy.

“Regulated Utility Company” means a corporation, partnership, limited partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, limited liability partnership or other entity engaged in the transmission and distribution of electricity and/or natural gas, and which is regulated by the applicable public service commissions in all of the states which comprise its service area in which it has retail customers.

“Reimbursement Obligations” means the amounts payable by the Issuer and the Companies to Financial Guaranty pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.01 hereof.

“Reorganization” means any reorganization of any of the Companies or its affiliates, or any transfer of a substantial portion of the assets of any of the Companies, in each case as a result of which any of the Companies ceases to be a Regulated Utility Company.

“Transaction Documents” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.02(a).

 

A-2

Exhibit 5.1

 

BARNES & THORNBURG LLP    11 South Meridian Street
   Indianapolis, IN 46204-3535 U.S.A.
   (317) 236-1313
   Fax (317) 231-7433
   www.btlaw.com

October 13, 2006

Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc.

Indiana Gas Company, Inc.

Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company

One Vectren Square

Evansville, IN 47708

Ladies and Gentlemen:

You have requested our opinion in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-3, as amended (the “Registration Statement”) of Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc. (“VUHI”) and Indiana Gas Company, Inc. (“Indiana Gas”) and Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company (each an “Indiana Guarantor”) and Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio, Inc. (the “Ohio Guarantor” and, together with the Indiana Guarantors, the “Guarantors”), filed pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), relating to the offer and sale by VUHI of $100,000,000 5.95% Insured Quarterly Notes due October 1, 2036 (the “Debt Securities”) and related joint and several guarantees by the Guarantors of the Debt Securities (the “Guarantees”) to be issued and sold under the provisions of the Indenture dated October 19, 2001, between VUHI and the Guarantors and U.S. Bank Trust National Association, as Trustee (the “Indenture”), the Prospectus Supplement dated October 13, 2006 relating to the Registration Statement (the “Prospectus Supplement”), the Underwriting Agreement, dated October 13, 2006 among VUHI and the Guarantors and Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. (the “Underwriting Agreement”) and the related Terms Agreement dated October 13, 2006 (the “Terms Agreement”). We have examined such records, certificates and other documents and have made such investigation of law as we have deemed necessary in the circumstances.

Based on that examination and investigation, it is our opinion that:

1. When (a) the Debt Securities and the Guarantees shall have been duly executed, authenticated and delivered in accordance with the Indenture, Prospectus, Prospectus Supplement, Underwriting Agreement, and Terms Agreement and delivered against payment therefore and (b) applicable state blue sky laws have been complied with in connection with the offer and sale of the Debt Securities, the Debt Securities will be legal,


valid and binding obligations of VUHI and the Guarantees by the Indiana Guarantors will be legal valid and binding obligations of the respective Indiana Guarantors enforceable against each of them in accordance with their respective terms subject to (i) the United States Bankruptcy Code, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws now or hereafter in effect relating to or affecting creditors’ rights or remedies generally and (ii) general equitable principles (regardless of whether such enforcement is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity) and to judicial discretion.

This opinion letter is limited to the current federal laws of the United States and the current internal laws of the State of Indiana (without giving effect to any conflict of law principles thereof) and we have not considered, and express no opinion on, the laws of any other jurisdiction.

We consent to the use of our name under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus Supplement and to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the Form 8-K of Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc. filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Barnes & Thornburg LLP

Barnes & Thornburg LLP

Exhibit 5.2

Kegler Brown

Hill & Ritter

A Legal Professional Association

October 13, 2006

Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio, Inc.

Indiana Gas Company, Inc.

One Vectren Square

Evansville, IN 47708

Ladies and Gentlemen:

You have requested our opinion in connection with Registration Statement No. 333-128286 on Form S-3 (the “ Registration Statement ”) of Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc. (“ VUHI ”), Indiana Gas Company, Inc. (“ Indiana Gas ”), and Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio, Inc. (together with Indiana Gas, the “ Ohio Guarantors ”), and Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company (the “ Indiana Guarantor ” and, together with the Ohio Guarantors, the “ Guarantors ”), filed pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”), relating to the offer and sale by VUHI of $100,000,000 5.95% Insured Quarterly Notes due October 1, 2036 (the “ Debt Securities ”) and related joint and several guarantees by the Guarantors of the Debt Securities (the “ Guarantees ”) to be issued and sold under the provisions of the Indenture, dated October 19, 2001 (the “ Indenture ”), among VUHI, the Guarantors, and U.S. Bank Trust National Association, as Trustee (the “ Trustee ”), the Prospectus (the “ Prospectus ”), dated November 16, 2005, and the Prospectus Supplement (the “ Prospectus Supplement ”), dated October 13, 2006, relating to the Registration Statement, the Underwriting Agreement, dated October 13, 2006, among VUHI, the Guarantors, and Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. (the “ Underwriting Agreement ”), and the related Terms Agreement dated October 13, 2006 (the “ Terms Agreement ”). We have examined such records, certificates, and other documents and have made such investigation of law as we have deemed necessary in the circumstances.

Based on that examination and investigation, it is our opinion that, when (i) the Debt Securities, the Guarantees, and any supplemental Indenture to be entered into in connection with the issuance of the Debt Securities shall have been duly executed, authenticated, and delivered in accordance with the Indenture, the Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Underwriting Agreement, and the Terms Agreement, as applicable, (ii) the Debt Securities and the Guarantees shall have been issued, sold, and delivered, and the purchase price for the Debt Securities and the Guarantees shall have been paid, in accordance with the transactions proposed in the Registration Statement, as the same may be amended, (iii) VUHI and the Guarantors each shall have received all necessary governmental approvals required for the issuance and sale of the Debt Securities and the Guarantees, and (iv) applicable state blue sky laws, the Securities Act, and the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, shall have been complied with in connection with the offer and sale of the Debt Securities, the Guarantees by the Ohio Guarantors will be legal, valid, and binding obligations of the respective Ohio Guarantors, enforceable against each of them in accordance with their respective terms, subject to (a) the United States Bankruptcy Code, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium, and other similar laws now or hereafter in effect relating to our affecting creditors’ rights or remedies generally and (b) general equitable principles (regardless of whether such enforcement is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity) and to judicial discretion.

This opinion letter is limited to the current Federal laws of the United States and the current internal laws of the State of Ohio (without giving effect to any conflict of law principles thereof); and we have not considered, and express no opinion on, the laws of any other jurisdiction.


We consent to the use of our name under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus included in the Registration Statement and to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.2 to the Form 8-K of VUHI filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Kegler, Brown, Hill & Ritter Co., L.P.A.

KEGLER, BROWN, HILL & RITTER CO., L.P.A.