SYSTEM ENERGY RESOURCES, INC false 0000202584 0000202584 2023-03-14 2023-03-14

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d)

of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) March 14, 2023

 

 

System Energy Resources, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Arkansas   1-09067   72-0752777
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)
  (Commission
File Number)
  (IRS Employer
Identification No.)

 

1340 Echelon Parkway, Jackson, Mississippi   39213
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (601) 368-5000

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of Class

 

Trading
Symbol

 

Name of Each Exchange

on Which Registered

N/A    

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

 

 

 


Item 8.01 Other Events.

On March 14, 2023, System Energy Resources, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into an Underwriting Agreement for the sale of $325,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its First Mortgage Bonds, 6.00% Series due April 15, 2028 (the “Bonds”). In addition to the lien of the Company’s Mortgage and Deed of Trust dated as of June 15, 1977 (as amended, restated and supplemented by the Twenty-Fourth Supplemental Indenture thereto dated as of September 1, 2012, and as further supplemented), the Bonds have as additional security the sole and exclusive benefit of the Forty-first Assignment of Availability Agreement, Consent and Agreement, dated as of March 14, 2023, among System Energy Resources, Inc., Entergy Arkansas, LLC, Entergy Louisiana, LLC, Entergy Mississippi, LLC, Entergy New Orleans, LLC, and The Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee. The sale of the Bonds closed on March 14, 2023. The Bonds were registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, by means of the Company’s automatic shelf Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-266624-01), which Registration Statement became effective upon such filing.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.

 

Exhibit No.

  

Description of Exhibit

4.75    Series Officer’s Certificate establishing the terms of the Bonds.
4.77    Forty-first Assignment of Availability Agreement, Consent and Agreement, dated as of March 14, 2023, among System Energy Resources, Inc., Entergy Arkansas, LLC, Entergy Louisiana, LLC, Entergy Mississippi, LLC, Entergy New Orleans, LLC, and The Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee.
5.12    Opinion of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP with respect to the Bonds.
5.13    Opinion of Wise Carter Child & Caraway, Professional Association with respect to the Bonds.
5.14    Opinion of Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP with respect to the Bonds.
23.13    Consent of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP with respect to its Opinion relating to the Bonds (included in Exhibit 5.12).
23.14    Consent of Wise Carter Child & Caraway, Professional Association with respect to its Opinion relating to the Bonds (included in Exhibit 5.13).
23.15    Consent of Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP with respect to its Opinion relating to the Bonds (included in Exhibit 5.14).
104    Cover Page Interactive Data File - the cover page XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document.


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.

 

     

System Energy Resources, Inc.

      (Registrant)
Date: March 14, 2023    
     

/s/ Barrett E. Green

      (Signature)
      Barrett E. Green
      Vice President and Treasurer

Exhibit 4.75

SYSTEM ENERGY RESOURCES, INC.

OFFICER’S CERTIFICATE

4-B-4

Establishing the Form and Certain Terms of the

First Mortgage Bonds, 6.00% Series due April 15, 2028

The undersigned, Barrett E. Green, Vice President and Treasurer and an Authorized Officer of System Energy Resources, Inc., an Arkansas corporation (the “Company”) (all capitalized terms used herein that are not defined herein but are defined in the Mortgage referred to below shall have the meanings specified in such Mortgage), pursuant to Board Resolutions effective as of March 3, 2023, and Sections 201 and 301 of such Mortgage, does hereby certify to THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, as trustee (the “Trustee”) under the Mortgage and Deed of Trust, dated as of June 15, 1977 (as amended, restated and supplemented by the Twenty-Fourth Supplemental Indenture thereto dated as of September 1, 2012, and as further supplemented and as to be further supplemented by this Officer’s Certificate, the “Mortgage”) as of March 8, 2023, that:

1. The Securities of the Twenty-sixth series to be issued under the Mortgage (the “Bonds”) shall be issued in a series designated “First Mortgage Bonds, 6.00% Series due April 15, 2028;” the Bonds shall be in substantially the form set forth in Exhibit A hereto; the Bonds shall initially be issued in the aggregate principal amount of $325,000,000; however, the aggregate principal amount of Bonds which may be authenticated and delivered under the Mortgage is unlimited; and the Bonds issued on the original issue date and any additional Bonds issued thereafter shall be considered one and the same series of Securities under the Mortgage; additional Bonds, without limitation as to amount, having substantially the same terms as the then Outstanding Bonds (except for the issue date, the price to public and, if applicable, the initial interest payment date) may be issued by the Company without notice to or the consent of the existing Holders of the Bonds.

2. The Bonds shall mature and the principal shall be due and payable together with all accrued and unpaid interest thereon on April 15, 2028, and the Company shall not have any right to extend the Maturity of the Bonds as contemplated in Section 301(d) of the Mortgage.

3. The Bonds shall bear interest as provided in the form thereof set forth in Exhibit A hereto; the Interest Payment Dates for the Bonds shall be April 15 and October 15 of each year, commencing October 15, 2023.

4. Each installment of interest on the Bonds shall be payable as provided in the form thereof set forth in Exhibit A hereto; the Company shall not have any right to extend any interest payment periods for the Bonds as contemplated in Section 301(e) of the Mortgage.

5. The principal of, premium, if any, and each installment of interest on the Bonds shall be payable, and registration of transfers and exchanges in respect of the Bonds may be effected, at the office or agency of the Company in The City of New York and as otherwise provided in the form of Bond set forth in Exhibit A hereto; and notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Bonds or in respect of the Mortgage may be served at the office or agency of the Company in The City of New York; the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee will initially be the agency of the Company for such payment, registration of transfers and exchanges and service of notices and demands, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent for all such purposes; and the Trustee will initially be the Security Registrar and the Paying Agent for the Bonds; provided, however, that the Company reserves the right to change, by one or more Officer’s Certificates, any such office or agency and such agent.


6. The Regular Record Dates for the interest payable on any given Interest Payment Date with respect to the Bonds shall be the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding such Interest Payment Date.

7. The Bonds are subject to redemption as provided in the form thereof set forth in Exhibit A hereto.

8. No service charge shall be made for the registration of transfer or exchange of the Bonds; provided, however, that the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with the exchange or transfer.

9. The Bonds shall be issued initially in global form registered in the name of Cede & Co. (as nominee for The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”)); provided, that the Company reserves the right to provide for another depository, registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act, to act as depository for the global Bonds (DTC and any such successor depository, the “Depository”); beneficial interests in Bonds issued in global form may not be exchanged in whole or in part for individual certificated Bonds in definitive form, and no transfer of a global Bond in whole or in part may be registered in the name of any Person other than the Depository or its nominee except that (i) if the Depository (A) has notified the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as depository for the global Bonds or (B) has ceased to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act and, in either case, a successor depository for such global Bonds has not been appointed by the Company within ninety (90) days after the Company receives such notice or becomes aware of such condition, as the case may be or (ii) the Company executes and delivers to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate providing that the global Bonds shall be so exchangeable, in each case, the Company will execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of definitive Bonds, will authenticate and deliver Bonds in definitive certificated form in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the global Bonds representing such Bonds in exchange for such global Bonds, such definitive Bonds to be registered in the names provided by the Depository; each global Bond (i) shall represent and shall be denominated in an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Bonds to be represented by such global Bond, (ii) shall be registered in the name of the Depository or its nominee, (iii) shall be delivered by the Trustee to the Depository, its nominee, any custodian for the Depository or otherwise pursuant to the Depository’s instruction and (iv) shall bear a legend restricting the transfer of such global Bond to any person other than the Depository or its nominee; none of the Company, the Trustee, any Paying Agent or any Authenticating Agent will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to, or payments made on account of, beneficial ownership interests in a global Bond or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests; the Bonds in global form will contain restrictions on transfer, substantially as described in the form set forth in Exhibit A hereto.

10. None of the Trustee, the Security Registrar or the Company shall have any liability for any acts or omissions of the Depository, for any transfers of beneficial interests in the Bonds, for any Depository records of beneficial interests, for any transactions between the Depository and beneficial owners or in respect of any transfers effected by the Depository or by any participant members of the Depository or any beneficial owner of any interest in any Bonds held through any such participant member of the Depository.

 

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11. If the Company shall make any deposit of money and/or Eligible Obligations with respect to any Bonds, or any portion of the principal amount thereof, as contemplated by Section 801 of the Mortgage, the Company shall not deliver an Officer’s Certificate described in clause (z) in the first paragraph of said Section 801 unless the Company shall also deliver to the Trustee, together with such Officer’s Certificate, either:

(i) an instrument wherein the Company, notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of its indebtedness in respect of such Bonds, shall assume the obligation (which shall be absolute and unconditional) to irrevocably deposit with the Trustee or Paying Agent such additional sums of money, if any, or additional Eligible Obligations (meeting the requirements of Section 801), if any, or any combination thereof, at such time or times, as shall be necessary, together with the money and/or Eligible Obligations theretofore so deposited, to pay when due the principal of and premium, if any, and interest due and to become due on such Bonds or portions thereof, all in accordance with and subject to the provisions of said Section 801; provided, however, that such instrument may state that the obligation of the Company to make additional deposits as aforesaid shall be subject to the delivery to the Company by the Trustee of a notice asserting the deficiency accompanied by an opinion of an independent public accountant of nationally recognized standing, selected by the Trustee, showing the calculation thereof; or

(ii) an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that, as a result of a change in law occurring after the date of this certificate, the Holders of such Bonds, or portions of the principal amount thereof, will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the satisfaction and discharge of the Company’s indebtedness in respect thereof and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts, at the same times and in the same manner as if such satisfaction and discharge had not been effected.

12. The Eligible Obligations with respect to the Bonds shall be Government Obligations.

13. For purposes of the provisions contained in paragraphs 14 – 18, the following terms shall be defined as follows:

Availability Agreement” shall mean the Availability Agreement, dated as of June 21, 1974, as amended and as may be further amended from time to time, among the Company, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi and Entergy New Orleans.

Basic Agreements shall mean the Availability Agreement and the Forty-first Assignment of Availability Agreement.

Business Day shall mean any day other than a Saturday or a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in The City of New York, New York, are authorized or required by law or executive order to remain closed or a day on which the corporate trust office of the Trustee is closed for business.

Entergy Arkansas shall mean Entergy Arkansas, LLC, a Texas limited liability company and successor in interest to Arkansas Power & Light Company, an Arkansas corporation, and Arkansas-Missouri Power Company, an Arkansas corporation.

Entergy Louisiana shall mean Entergy Louisiana, LLC, a Texas limited liability company and successor in interest to Louisiana Power & Light Company, a Louisiana corporation.

Entergy Mississippi shall mean Entergy Mississippi, LLC, a Texas limited liability company and successor in interest to Mississippi Power & Light Company, a Mississippi corporation.

Entergy New Orleans shall mean Entergy New Orleans, LLC, a Texas limited liability company and successor in interest to New Orleans Public Service Inc., a Louisiana corporation.

Forty-first Assignment of Availability Agreement shall mean the Forty-first Assignment of Availability Agreement, Consent and Agreement, dated as of March 14, 2023, among the Company, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans and the Trustee.

Grand Gulf Projectshall mean the two-unit steam electric generating station of the Company located in Mississippi along the east bank of the Mississippi River near Port Gibson, Mississippi, contemplated under the Availability Agreement to consist of two nominally-rated 1,250,000 kw steam nuclear-fueled electric generating units.

 

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System Companies” shall mean Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi and Entergy New Orleans. 14. So long as any Bonds remain Outstanding, the Company will comply with the following covenants in addition to those specified in Article Seven and Section 1201 of the Mortgage:

Security Interests in Certain Agreements.

The Company will not transfer, pledge, assign or grant a security interest in any of its right, title and interest in, to or under (including its right to any moneys due or to become due under) any of the Basic Agreements, except to the extent expressly permitted pursuant to or recognized by the terms of the Forty-first Assignment of Availability Agreement.

Availability Agreement.

The Company will (i) duly perform all obligations to be performed by it under the Availability Agreement and the Forty-first Assignment of Availability Agreement, (ii) promptly take any and all action (including, without limitation, obtaining all orders, consents, permits, licenses and approvals, and making all registrations, declarations and filings) as may be necessary to enforce its rights under the Availability Agreement or the Forty-first Assignment of Availability Agreement and to enforce or secure the performance by the other parties thereto of their respective obligations thereunder, and (iii) use its best efforts to obtain all orders, consents, permits, licenses and approvals, and make all registrations, declarations and filings, necessary to keep the Availability Agreement and the Forty-first Assignment of Availability Agreement in full force and effect. In the event of any material nonperformance by any party under the Availability Agreement or the Forty-first Assignment of Availability Agreement, the Company agrees that it will (i) duly perform all obligations to be performed by it under any other agreement for the sale of capacity and/or energy from the Grand Gulf Project, (ii) promptly take any and all action (including, without limitation, obtaining all orders, consents, permits, licenses and approvals, and making all registrations, declarations and filings) as may be necessary to enforce its rights under any other agreement for the sale of capacity and/or energy from the Grand Gulf Project and to enforce or secure the performance by the other parties thereto of their respective obligations thereunder, and (iii) use its best efforts to obtain all orders, consents, permits, licenses and approvals, and make all registrations, declarations and filings necessary to maintain any other agreement for the sale of capacity and/or energy from the Grand Gulf Project in full force and effect.

15. The following events shall be additional Events of Default (in addition to those set forth in Section 901 of the Mortgage) so long as any Bonds remain Outstanding:

(a) Any System Company shall fail to pay or advance to the Company or the Trustee, as the case may be, any amount which such System Company shall be obligated to pay or advance to the Company pursuant to the Availability Agreement and the Forty-first Assignment of Availability Agreement (or would be obligated to pay or advance under such agreements but for (i) the provisions of Section 7 of the Availability Agreement or the equivalent provision of any agreement substituted therefor, (ii) the bankruptcy or reorganization of any System Company or the pendency of proceedings therefor, (iii) the condemnation or seizure of control of all or substantially all of the properties of any System Company by a governmental authority or (iv) the occurrence of an event described in clause (i) or (ii) of paragraph (c) hereof) within thirty (30) days after the date when such System Company shall be obligated to pay or advance such amount (or would be obligated to pay but for the events described in (i) through (iv) of this subsection) or any of the parties thereto

 

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shall default in the performance of its obligations contained in the first sentence of Section 4 of the Availability Agreement (it being understood that if the entire amount of such obligatory payment is deposited with the Trustee before the expiration of such period of thirty (30) days, such Event of Default shall no longer be considered to be continuing under the Mortgage);

(b) Default by any System Company or the Company in the observance or performance of any other covenant or agreement contained in the Availability Agreement or the Forty-first Assignment of Availability Agreement, and the continuance of the same unremedied for a period of thirty (30) days after written notice thereof, stating it is a “Notice of Default” under the Mortgage, shall have been given to the Company by the Trustee or the Holders of at least fifteen per centum (15%) in principal amount of the Bonds then Outstanding;

(c) The Availability Agreement or the Forty-first Assignment of Availability Agreement shall, pursuant to a final binding judgment or order as to which no further appeals are available, at any time for any reason (i) cease to be in full force and effect or (ii) shall be declared to be null and void, or the validity or enforceability thereof shall be contested by any System Company or the Company or any System Company or the Company shall deny that it has any or further liability thereunder; unless (A) within forty-five (45) days after the occurrence of any such event any System Company or the Company, as the case may be, shall have entered into a substitute Agreement and furnished the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate, confirmed by an opinion of an investment banking firm appointed by the Board of Directors of the Company, to the effect that in the opinion of the signers, the substitute Agreement offers (subject to obtaining necessary regulatory approval, if any) equivalent security to the Bonds, and (B) within one hundred and eighty (180) days after the occurrence of such event any System Company or the Company, as the case may be, shall have obtained all necessary regulatory approvals for the performance of such substitute agreement and shall have provided to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to such effect and to the effect that such substitute agreement is valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or other laws affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights; or

(d) Failure of the Company to fully comply with its obligations under paragraph 19 hereof, including the repurchase of the Bonds required thereunder.

16. In addition to the security provided under the Mortgage, the Forty-first Assignment of Availability Agreement and all proceeds therefrom, shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Holders of the Bonds then Outstanding, and any enforcement thereof or remedy related thereto shall be for the benefit of and subject to the direction and control of such Holders in the same manner as any remedy or means of enforcement relating to the Mortgaged and Pledged Property are within the direction and control of the Holders of the Bonds, and any proceeds therefrom shall be applied for the exclusive benefit of the Holders of the Bonds in the same manner as set forth in Section 906 (Second) of the Mortgage.

17. Upon the termination of the Availability Agreement as contemplated by paragraph 18 hereof, this Officer’s Certificate and the terms of the Bonds shall be automatically amended, without any further action by the Company, the Trustee or the Holders of the Bonds, to delete paragraphs 15 and 16 hereof. The Company shall provide the Trustee with prompt written notice of any such termination, and the Trustee shall, at the request of the Company, and upon receipt of an Officer’s Certificate and Opinion of Counsel pursuant to Sections 104 and 1303 of the Mortgage, execute such instruments as may be reasonably required or desirable to evidence such amendments.

 

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18. The Company reserves the right to terminate the Availability Agreement and the Forty-first Assignment of Availability Agreement, and each Holder the Bonds, by its acquisition of an interest in such Securities, irrevocably consents to such termination without any other further action by any Holder of the Bonds, upon delivery to the Trustee of an Officer’s Certificate stating the following: The Availability Agreement and the Assignments thereof are similarly terminated as they relate to all other outstanding series of Securities and all other indebtedness of the Company or no longer apply or do not apply to any other such series of Securities or indebtedness.

19. (a) Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control (as defined below), unless the Company has previously fully redeemed the Bonds pursuant to the terms of the Bonds, each Holder of the Bonds will have the right to require that the Company purchase all or a portion of such Holder’s Bonds pursuant to an offer described below in paragraph 19(b) (a “Change of Control Offer”), at a purchase price equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but not including, the date of repurchase (collectively, a “Change of Control Payment”) subject to the rights of Holders of the Bonds on a Regular Record Date to receive interest due on the related Interest Payment Date.

(b) The Company will, within 30 days following the date of the occurrence of a Change of Control, or at the Company’s option, prior to the occurrence of any Change of Control, but after the public announcement of the Change of Control, send written notice of such Change of Control to each Holder (determined as of the date of such notice), with a copy to the Trustee. Such notice shall contain and constitute a Change of Control Offer.

(c) The notice contemplated by paragraphs 19(a) and (b) hereof shall state, among other things, the repurchase date, which shall be not less than 30 days nor more than 60 days after the date of such notice, other than as may be required by law (the “Change of Control Payment Date”). The notice, if mailed prior to the date of the occurrence of the Change of Control, shall state that the Change of Control Offer is conditioned on the Change of Control occurring on or prior to the Change of Control Payment Date.

(d) A Holder may accept or reject a Change of Control Offer by causing a notice of such acceptance or rejection to be delivered to the Company at least five Business Days prior to the Change of Control Payment Date. A failure by a Holder to so respond to a Change of Control Offer shall be deemed to constitute a rejection of such offer by such Holder. A Holder electing to have its Bonds repurchased pursuant to a Change of Control Offer will be required to surrender its Bonds, with such customary documents of surrender and transfer as the Company may reasonably request duly completed or transfer its Bonds by book-entry transfer, to the Paying Agent at the address specified in the notice prior to the close of business on the third Business Day prior to the Change of Control Payment Date. If a Holder elects to have less than all of its Bonds purchased pursuant to a Change of Control Offer, Bonds in denominations of $1,000 or less may not be repurchased in part.

(e) On the Change of Control Payment Date, the Company will, to the extent lawful:

 

  (i)

accept for payment all Bonds properly tendered by the Holders thereof pursuant to the Change of Control Offer;

 

  (ii)

deposit with the Paying Agent an amount equal to the Change of Control Payment in respect of all Bonds properly tendered by the Holders thereof; and

 

  (iii)

deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee the Bonds properly accepted by the Company, together with an Officers’ Certificate stating the aggregate principal amount of Bonds being repurchased.

 

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(f) The Paying Agent will promptly transmit to each Holder of properly tendered Bonds (or, if all of the Bonds are then in global form, make such payment through the facilities of DTC) the Change of Control Payment for the Bonds being repurchased, and the Trustee will promptly authenticate a new bond equal in principal amount to any unrepurchased portion of any Bonds surrendered, provided that each new bond will be in a principal amount of $1,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof.

(g) The Company will not be required to make a Change of Control Offer if a third party makes such an offer in the manner, at the times and otherwise in compliance with the requirements for such an offer made by the Company and such third party purchases all Bonds properly tendered and not withdrawn under its offer. In addition, the Company will not repurchase any Bonds if there has occurred and is continuing on the Change of Control Payment Date an Event of Default under the Mortgage, other than a default in the payment of the Change of Control Payment upon the occurrence of a Change of Control.

(h) If Holders of not less than 90% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Bonds validly tender and do not withdraw such Bonds in a Change of Control Offer and the Company, or any third party making such offer in lieu of the Company, repurchases all of the Bonds validly tendered and not withdrawn by such Holders, the Company or such third party will have the right, upon not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days’ prior written notice, provided that such notice is given not more than 60 days following such repurchase pursuant to the Change of Control Offer described above, to redeem all of the Bonds that remain outstanding following such purchase on a date specified in such notice (the “Second Change of Control Payment Date”) and at a price in cash equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount of Bonds repurchased plus any accrued and unpaid interest on the Bonds repurchased to, but not including, the Second Change of Control Payment Date.

(i) The Company will comply with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder to the extent such laws and regulations are applicable in connection with the repurchase of the Bonds pursuant to a Change of Control Offer. To the extent that any securities laws or regulations conflict with the “Change of Control” provisions of the Bonds, the Company shall comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and shall be deemed not to have breached the Company’s obligations under the “Change of Control” provisions of the Bonds as set forth in this paragraph 19 by virtue thereof.

(j) Change of Control means the occurrence of any of the following events: (i) Entergy (as defined below) ceases to own, directly or indirectly, all of the Company’s outstanding Voting Stock (as defined below) (or the Voting Stock of any successor to the Company); or (ii) the direct or indirect sale, transfer, conveyance or other disposition, in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets to any “person” or “group” (as those terms are used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) other than to Entergy or one of its subsidiaries.

(k) For purposes of the provisions contained in this paragraph 19, the following terms shall be defined as follows:

Entergy” means Entergy Corporation, a Delaware corporation (or its successors or assigns).

Voting Stock” means, with respect to any specified Person as of any date, the equity interests of such Person that are at the time entitled to vote generally in the election of directors to the board of directors (or members of a comparable body) of such Person.

20. The Bonds shall have such other terms and provisions as are provided in the form set forth in Exhibit A hereto.

21. No Event of Default under the Mortgage has occurred or is occurring.

 

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22. The undersigned has read all of the covenants and conditions contained in the Mortgage, and the definitions in the Mortgage relating thereto, relating to the issuance and authentication and delivery of the Bonds and in respect of compliance with which this certificate is made.

23. The statements contained in this certificate are based upon the familiarity of the undersigned with the Mortgage, the documents accompanying this certificate, and upon discussions by the undersigned with officers and employees of the Company familiar with the matters set forth herein.

24. In the opinion of the undersigned, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenants and conditions have been complied with.

25. In the opinion of the undersigned, such conditions and covenants, and all conditions precedent provided for in the Mortgage (including any covenants compliance with which constitutes a condition precedent) relating to the authentication and delivery of the Bonds requested in the accompanying Company Order have been complied with.

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have executed this Officer’s Certificate as of the date set forth above.

 

By:  

/s/ Barrett E. Green

  Name:   Barrett E. Green
  Title:   Vice President and Treasurer

 

STATE OF NEW YORK    §
   §
COUNTY OF NEW YORK    §

On the 8th day of March, 2023, before me appeared Barrett E. Green, to me personally known, who, being by me duly sworn, did say that he is Vice President and Treasurer of SYSTEM ENERGY RESOURCES, INC., and that the above instrument was signed on behalf of said corporation by authority of its Board of Directors, and said Barrett E. Green acknowledged said instrument to be the free act and deed of said corporation.

 

/s/ Kimberly Marla Reisler

Kimberly Marla Reisler
Notary Public - State of New York
Qualified in New York County
License #02RE6402105
Commission Expires 12/23/2023


Exhibit A

[FORM OF REGISTERED BOND]

[Unless this certificate is presented by an authorized representative of The Depository Trust Company, a New York corporation (“DTC”), to System Energy Resources, Inc., or its agent for registration of transfer, exchange, or payment, and any certificate issued is registered in the name of Cede & Co. or in such other name as is requested by an authorized representative of DTC (and any payment is made to Cede & Co. or to such other entity as is requested by an authorized representative of DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE, OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL inasmuch as the registered owner hereof, Cede & Co., has an interest herein.]

 

No. R-        CUSIP No. 871911 AU7
STATED MATURITY: April 15, 2028    PRINCIPAL AMOUNT: $                    

SYSTEM ENERGY RESOURCES, INC.

FIRST MORTGAGE BONDS, 6.00% SERIES DUE APRIL 15, 2028

SYSTEM ENERGY RESOURCES, INC., a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Arkansas (herein referred to as the “Company,” which term includes any successor Person under the Mortgage referred to below), for value received, hereby promises to pay to

or registered assigns, the principal amount specified above on the Stated Maturity set forth above and to pay interest on the unpaid principal hereof and on any overdue interest from and including March 14, 2023, or from and including the most recent interest payment date to which interest has been paid on Securities of this series or duly provided for, semiannually on April 15 and October 15 of each year, commencing October 15, 2023, and on the Stated Maturity (each, an “Interest Payment Date”), at the rate of 6.00% per annum (the “Interest Rate”) to but excluding the date on which the principal hereof is paid or made available for payment. In the event that any Interest Payment Date is not a Business Day (as defined below), then payment of interest payable on such date will be made on the next succeeding day which is a Business Day (and without any interest or other payment in respect of such delay) with the same force and effect as if made on the Interest Payment Date. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, as provided in such Mortgage, be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding such Interest Payment Date (each a “Regular Record Date”), except that interest payable at Maturity will be payable to the Person to whom principal shall be paid. Any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Securities of this series not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which the Securities of this series may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, all as more fully provided in the Mortgage referred to herein.

 

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The Company shall pay interest on such Defaulted Interest (to the extent that payment thereof is enforceable under the applicable law) at the Interest Rate.

Payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest at Maturity on this Security shall be made upon presentation of this Security at the office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose in The City of New York, in the State of New York, in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts; provided, however, that, at the option of the Company, interest on this Security (other than interest payable at Maturity) may be paid by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto, as such address shall appear on the Security Register, and provided, further, that if such Person is a securities depositary, such payment may be made by such other means in lieu of check as shall be agreed upon by the Company, the Trustee and such Person.

All terms used in this Security not otherwise defined herein which are defined in the Mortgage shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Mortgage and in the Officer’s Certificate establishing the terms of the Securities of this series (the “Series Officer’s Certificate”).

This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of securities of the Company (herein called the “Securities”), issued and to be issued in one or more series under a Mortgage and Deed of Trust dated as of June 15, 1977 (as amended, restated and supplemented by the Twenty-Fourth Supplemental Indenture thereto dated as of September 1, 2012, and as heretofore further supplemented, including by the Officer’s Certificate establishing the Securities of this series, herein called the “Mortgage,” which term shall have the meaning assigned to it in such instrument), between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee (herein called the “Trustee,” which term includes any successor trustee under the Mortgage), and reference is hereby made to the Mortgage, for a statement of the property mortgaged, pledged and held in trust, the nature and extent of the security, the conditions upon which the Lien of the Mortgage may be released and to the Mortgage, Board Resolutions and Series Officer’s Certificate creating the series designated on the face hereof, for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities and of the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. The acceptance of this Security shall be deemed to constitute the consent and agreement by the Holder thereof to all of the terms and provisions of the Mortgage. This Security is one of the series designated on the face hereof.

Prior to March 15, 2028 (the “Par Call Date”), the Securities of this series will be redeemable at the option of the Company, in whole or in part, on not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ notice prior to the date fixed for redemption (each, a “Redemption Date”), at any time and from time to time, at a redemption price (expressed as a percentage of principal amount and rounded to three decimal places) (a “Redemption Price”) equal to the greater of:

 

  (1)

(a) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal of the Securities of this series to be redeemed and interest thereon discounted to the Redemption Date (assuming the Securities of this series matured on the Par Call Date) on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 40 basis points less (b) interest accrued to the Redemption Date, and

 

  (2)

100% of the principal amount of the Securities of this series to be redeemed,

plus, in either case, accrued and unpaid interest on the Securities of this series being redeemed to, but not including, the Redemption Date.

On or after the Par Call Date, Securities of this series will be redeemable at the option of the Company, in whole or in part, on not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ notice prior to the Redemption Date, at any time and from time to time, at a Redemption Price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Securities of this series being redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but not including, the Redemption Date.

 

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Treasury Rate” means, with respect to any Redemption Date, the yield determined by the Company in accordance with the following two paragraphs.

The Treasury Rate shall be determined by the Company after 4:15 p.m., New York City time (or after such time as yields on U.S. government securities are posted daily by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System), on the third Business Day preceding the Redemption Date based upon the yield or yields for the most recent day that appear after such time on such day in the most recent statistical release published by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System designated as “Selected Interest Rates (Daily)—H.15” (or any successor designation or publication) (“H.15”) under the caption “U.S. government securities—Treasury constant maturities—Nominal” (or any successor caption or heading) (“H.15 TCM”). In determining the Treasury Rate, the Company shall select, as applicable:

(1) the yield for the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 exactly equal to the period from the Redemption Date to the Par Call Date (the “Remaining Life”); or

(2) if there is no such Treasury constant maturity on H.15 exactly equal to the Remaining Life, the two yields—one yield corresponding to the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 immediately shorter than and one yield corresponding to the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 immediately longer than the Remaining Life—and shall interpolate to the Par Call Date on a straight-line basis (using the actual number of days) using such yields and rounding the result to three decimal places; or

(3) if there is no such Treasury constant maturity on H.15 shorter than or longer than the Remaining Life, the yield for the single Treasury constant maturity on H.15 closest to the Remaining Life.

For purposes of this paragraph, the applicable Treasury constant maturity or maturities on H.15 shall be deemed to have a maturity date equal to the relevant number of months or years, as applicable, of such Treasury constant maturity from the Redemption Date.

If on the third Business Day preceding the Redemption Date H.15 TCM is no longer published, or, if published, no longer contains the yields for nominal Treasury constant maturities, the Company shall calculate the Treasury Rate based on the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity at 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the second Business Day preceding such Redemption Date as follows:

(1) the Company shall select (a) the United States Treasury security maturing on the Par Call Date, subject to clause (3) below, or (b) if there is no United States Treasury security maturing on the Par Call Date, then the United States Treasury security with the maturity date that is closest to the Par Call Date, subject to clauses (2) and (3) below, as applicable; or

(2) if there is no United States Treasury security described in clause (1), but there are two or more United States Treasury securities with maturity dates equally distant from the Par Call Date, one or more with maturity dates preceding the Par Call Date and one or more with maturity dates following the Par Call Date, the Company shall select the United States Treasury security with a maturity date preceding and closest to the Par Call Date, subject to clause (3) below; or

(3) if there are two or more United States Treasury securities meeting the criteria of the preceding clauses (1) or (2), the Company shall select from among these two or more United States Treasury securities the United States Treasury security that is trading closest to par based upon the average of the bid and asked prices for such United States Treasury securities at 11:00 a.m., New York City time.

 

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In determining the Treasury Rate in accordance with the terms of this paragraph, the semi-annual yield to maturity of the applicable United States Treasury security shall be based upon the average of the bid and asked prices of such United States Treasury security (expressed as a percentage of principal amount and rounded to three decimal places) at 11:00 a.m., New York City time.

The Company’s actions and determinations in determining the Redemption Price shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.

Notice of redemption (other than at the option of the Holder) shall be given by mail to Holders of Securities all as provided in the Mortgage. As provided in the Mortgage, notice of redemption at the election of the Company as aforesaid may state that such redemption shall be conditional upon the receipt by the applicable Paying Agent or Agents of money sufficient to pay the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on this Security on or prior to the date fixed for such redemption; a notice of redemption so conditioned shall be of no force or effect if such money is not so received and, in such event, the Company shall not be required to redeem this Security.

In the event of redemption of this Security in part only, a new Security or Securities of this series of like tenor representing the unredeemed portion hereof shall be issued in the name of the Holder hereof upon the cancellation hereof.

Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, each Holder of the Securities of this series will have the right to require that the Company purchase all or a portion of such Holder’s Securities of this series pursuant to paragraph 19 of the Series Officer’s Certificate.

The Mortgage contains provisions for defeasance at any time of the entire indebtedness of this Security upon compliance with certain conditions set forth in the Mortgage and the Series Officer’s Certificate.

If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of this series shall occur and be continuing, the principal of the Securities of this series may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Mortgage.

The Mortgage permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders of the Securities of this series at any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of all series at the time Outstanding to be directly affected thereby. The Mortgage also contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in principal amount of the Securities of each series at the time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all Securities of such series, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Mortgage and certain past defaults under the Mortgage and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Security and of any Security issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Security.

As provided in and subject to the provisions of the Mortgage, the Holder of this Security shall not have the right to institute any proceeding with respect to the Mortgage or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee or for any other remedy thereunder, unless such Holder shall have previously given the Trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of this series, the Holders of a

 

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majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of all series at the time Outstanding in respect of which an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as the Trustee and offered the Trustee reasonable indemnity, and the Trustee shall not have received from the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of Securities of all series at the time Outstanding in respect of which an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing a direction inconsistent with such request, and shall have failed to institute any such proceeding for 60 days after receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity. The foregoing shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Holder of this Security for the enforcement of any payment of principal hereof or any premium or interest hereon on or after the respective due dates expressed herein.

No reference herein to the Mortgage and no provision of this Security or of the Mortgage shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and any premium and interest on this Security at the times, place and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.

The Securities of this series are issuable only in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. As provided in the Mortgage and subject to certain limitations therein and herein set forth, Securities of this series are exchangeable for Securities of this series, of authorized denominations and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same.

No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.

The Company shall not be required to execute, and the Security Registrar shall not be required to register, the transfer of or exchange of (a) Securities of this series during a period of 15 days immediately preceding the date notice is to be given identifying the serial numbers of the Securities of this series called for redemption, (b) any Security during the 15 days before an Interest Payment Date, or (c) any Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Security being redeemed in part.

The Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Security is registered as the absolute owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

This Security shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York (including without limitation Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations Law or any successor to such statute), except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act shall be applicable.

As provided in the Mortgage, no recourse shall be had for the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any Securities, or any part thereof, or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof, or of the indebtedness represented thereby, or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement under the Mortgage, against, and no personal liability whatsoever shall attach to, or be incurred by, any incorporator, shareholder, member, limited partner, officer, manager or director, as such, past, present or future of the Company or of any predecessor or successor of the Company (either directly or through the Company or a predecessor or successor of the Company), whether by virtue of any constitutional provision, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being expressly agreed and understood that the Mortgage and all the Securities are solely corporate obligations and that any such personal liability is hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as part of the consideration for, the execution of the Mortgage and the issuance of the Securities.

 

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Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee referred to herein by manual signature, this Security shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Mortgage or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly executed.

 

SYSTEM ENERGY RESOURCES, INC.
By:  

                          

  Name:
  Title:

[FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION]

CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Mortgage.

Dated:

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, as Trustee
By:  

                 

 

Authorized Signatory

 

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Exhibit 4.77

FORTY-FIRST ASSIGNMENT OF AVAILABILITY AGREEMENT, CONSENT AND AGREEMENT

This Forty-first Assignment of Availability Agreement, Consent and Agreement (hereinafter referred to as this “Assignment”), dated March 14, 2023, is made by and among System Energy Resources, Inc. (the “Company”), Entergy Arkansas, LLC, (“Entergy Arkansas”) (successor in interest to Arkansas Power & Light Company and Arkansas-Missouri Power Company), Entergy Louisiana, LLC (“Entergy Louisiana”) (successor in interest to Louisiana Power & Light Company), Entergy Mississippi, LLC (“Entergy Mississippi”) (successor in interest to Mississippi Power & Light Company), and Entergy New Orleans, LLC (“Entergy New Orleans”) (successor in interest to New Orleans Public Service Inc.) (hereinafter Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi and Entergy New Orleans are called individually a “System Operating Company” and collectively, the “System Operating Companies”) and The Bank of New York Mellon (successor to United States Trust Company of New York), as trustee (the “Trustee”).

WHEREAS:

A. Entergy Corporation (successor to Middle South Utilities, Inc.) (“Entergy”) owns, either directly or indirectly, all of the outstanding common securities of the Company and each of the System Operating Companies, and the Company has a 90% undivided ownership and leasehold interest in Unit No. 1 of the Grand Gulf Steam Electric Generating Station (nuclear) project (the “Project”) (more fully described in the “Restated Mortgage” hereinafter referred to).

B. Prior hereto, (i) the Company, the System Operating Companies and the Trustee, as trustee for the holders of $250,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s First Mortgage Bonds, 4.10% Series due 2023 (the “Twenty-second Series Bonds”) issued under a Mortgage and Deed of Trust dated as of June 15, 1977, between the Company and the Trustee, as amended, restated and supplemented by a Twenty-fourth Supplemental Indenture dated as of September 1, 2012 (the “Twenty-fourth Supplemental Indenture”) (said Mortgage and Deed of Trust as so amended, restated and supplemented by the Twenty-fourth Supplemental Indenture, the “Original Restated Mortgage”), entered into a Thirty-seventh Assignment of Availability Agreement, Consent and Agreement dated as of September 1, 2012, which was subsequently amended by the Amendment to the Thirty-seventh Assignment of Availability Agreement, Consent and Agreement, dated as of September 18, 2015 (as so amended, “Thirty-seventh Assignment of Availability Agreement”) (substantially in the form of this Agreement), to secure the Twenty-second Series Bonds; (ii) the Company, the System Operating Companies and the Trustee, as trustee for the holders of $200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s First Mortgage Bonds, 2.14% Series due December 9, 2025 (the “Twenty-third Series Bonds”) issued under the Original Restated Mortgage as supplemented by Officer’s Certificate No. 1-B-1 dated as of December 7, 2020 (“Officer’s Certificate No. 1-B-1”), entered into a Thirty-eighth Assignment of Availability Agreement, Consent and Agreement dated as of December 9, 2020 (“Thirty-eighth Assignment of Availability Agreement”) (also substantially in the form of this Agreement), to secure the Twenty-third Series Bonds; (iii) the Company, the System Operating Companies and the Trustee, as trustee for the holders of $85,103,000 aggregate principal amount


of the Company’s First Mortgage Bonds, MBFC Series due 2044 (the “Twenty-fourth Series Bonds”) issued under the Original Restated Mortgage as supplemented, including by Officer’s Certificate No. 2-B-2 dated as of June 8, 2021 (“Officer’s Certificate No. 2-B-2”), entered into a Thirty-ninth Assignment of Availability Agreement, Consent and Agreement dated as of June 15, 2021 (“Thirty-ninth Assignment of Availability Agreement”) (also substantially in the form of this Agreement), to secure the Twenty-fourth Series Bonds; and (iv) the Company, the System Operating Companies, the Trustee, as trustee for the holders of $52,500,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s First Mortgage Bonds, 2022 Credit Agreement Collateral Series due November 6, 2023 (the “Twenty-fifth Series Bonds”) issued under the Original Restated Mortgage as supplemented, including by Officer’s Certificate No. 3-B-3 dated as of June 8, 2021 (“Officer’s Certificate No. 3-B-3”), and the Administrative Agent under that certain $50,000,000 Term Loan Credit Agreement, dated as of May 6, 2022 (the “Term Loan Credit Agreement”), among the Company, as borrower, the lenders party from time to time thereto and Royal Bank of Canada, as Administrative Agent, entered into a Fortieth Assignment of Availability Agreement, Consent and Agreement dated as of May 6, 2022 (“Fortieth Assignment of Availability Agreement”) (also substantially in the form of this Agreement), to secure the Twenty-fifth Series Bonds.

C. The Original Availability Agreement has been amended by the First Amendment thereto dated as of June 30, 1977, the Second Amendment thereto dated June 15, 1981, the Third Amendment thereto dated June 28, 1984, and the Fourth Amendment thereto dated as of June 1, 1989 (the Original Availability Agreement, as so amended and as it may be further amended and supplemented, is hereinafter referred to as the “Availability Agreement”).

D. Unit No. 1 and Unit No. 2 of the Project have been designated by the Company and the System Operating Companies as being subject to the Availability Agreement and as being System Energy Generating Units (as defined in the Availability Agreement) thereunder.

E. The Company seeks to refinance that part of the capital costs related to the Project heretofore financed, and, to that end, the Company has entered into an Underwriting Agreement, dated March 8, 2023, between the Company and the several underwriters set forth in Schedule I thereto, for whom Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and RBC Capital Markets, LLC are acting as representatives, providing, among other things, for the issue and sale by the Company of $325,000,000 aggregate principal amount of First Mortgage Bonds, 6.00% Series due April 15, 2028 (the “Twenty-sixth Series Bonds”), to be issued under and secured pursuant to the Original Restated Mortgage as supplemented by Officer’s Certificate No. 4-B-4 dated as of March 8, 2023 (“Officer’s Certificate No. 4-B-4”) (the Original Restated Mortgage, as supplemented by Officer’s Certificate No. 1-B-1, Officer’s Certificate No. 2-B-2, Officer’s Certificate No. 3-B-3 and Officer’s Certificate No. 4-B-4, and as the same may from time to time hereafter be amended and supplemented in accordance with its terms, hereinafter referred to as the “Restated Mortgage”).

F. The Company, by this instrument, wishes to (i) provide for the assignment by the Company to the Trustee, for the benefit of the holders of the Twenty-sixth Series Bonds, of certain of the Company’s rights under the Availability Agreement, and (ii) create enforceable rights hereunder in the Trustee, all as hereunder set forth.

 

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G. The System Operating Companies are willing to, and by this instrument do, supplement their undertakings under the Availability Agreement in the same manner as in the Assignments of Availability Agreement.

H. All things necessary to make this Assignment the valid, legally binding and enforceable obligation of each of the parties hereto have been done and performed and the execution and performance hereof in all respects have been authorized and approved by all corporate and shareholder or limited liability company and member, as applicable, action necessary on the part of each thereof.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the terms and agreements hereinafter set forth, the parties agree with each other as follows:

ARTICLE I.

Security Assignment and Agreement

1.1 Assignment and Creation of Security Interest. As security for (i) the due and punctual payment of the interest (including, if and to the extent permitted by law, interest on overdue principal, premium and interest) and premium, if any, on, and the principal of, the Twenty-sixth Series Bonds (whether at maturity, pursuant to mandatory or optional prepayment, by acceleration or otherwise), (ii) the due and punctual payment of all fees and costs, expenses and other amounts that may become payable by the Company under the Restated Mortgage and that are a charge on the trust estate thereunder, which is superior to the charge thereon for the benefit of the Twenty-sixth Series Bonds, together in each case, with all costs of collection thereof (all such amounts referred to in the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii) being hereinafter collectively referred to as “Obligations Secured Hereby”), the Company hereby assigns to the Trustee, and creates a security interest in favor of the Trustee, for the benefit of the holders of the Twenty-sixth Series Bonds, in all of the Company’s rights to receive all moneys paid or to be paid to the Company pursuant to Section 4 of the Availability Agreement or advances pursuant to Section 2.2(b) hereof, but only to the extent that such payments or advances are attributable to payments or advances with respect to Unit No. 1 or Unit No. 2, and all other claims, rights (but not obligations or duties), powers, privileges, interests and remedies of the Company, whether arising under the Availability Agreement or this Assignment or by statute or in law or in equity or otherwise, resulting from any failure by any System Operating Company to perform its obligations under the Availability Agreement or this Assignment, but only to the extent that such claims, rights, powers, privileges, interests and remedies relate to Unit No. 1 and Unit No. 2, all to the extent, but only to the extent, required for the payment when due and payable of Obligations Secured Hereby, together in each case with full power and authority, in the name of the Trustee, or the Company as assignor, or otherwise, to demand payment of, enforce, collect, receive and accept receipt for any and all of the foregoing (the rights, claims, powers, privileges, interests and remedies referred to above being hereinafter sometimes called the “Collateral”).

 

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1.2 Other Agreements.

(a) The Company has not and will not assign the rights assigned in Section 1.1 as security for any indebtedness other than the Obligations Secured Hereby, except as recited and provided in paragraph (b) of this Section 1.2.

(b) The Company has secured its Indebtedness for Borrowed Money (as defined below) represented by the Twenty-second Series Bonds, the Twenty-third Series Bonds, the Twenty-fourth Series Bonds and the Twenty-fifth Series Bonds as referred to in Whereas Clause B hereof by the Thirty-seventh Assignment of Availability Agreement, the Thirty-eighth Assignment of Availability Agreement, the Thirty-ninth Assignment of Availability Agreement, and the Fortieth Assignment of Availability Agreement, respectively, and shall be entitled to secure the interest and premium, if any, on, and the principal of, other Indebtedness for Borrowed Money of the Company issued by the Company to any person (except Entergy or any affiliate of Entergy) to finance the cost of the Project (including, without limitation, Indebtedness for Borrowed Money outstanding under the Restated Mortgage) or to refund (including any successive refundings) any such Indebtedness for Borrowed Money (including such Indebtedness for Borrowed Money now outstanding) issued for such purpose, the incurrence of which Indebtedness for Borrowed Money is at the time permitted by the Restated Mortgage (herein, together with such Indebtedness for Borrowed Money now outstanding, called “Additional Indebtedness”), by entering into an assignment of availability agreement, consent and agreement including, without limitation, the Thirty-seventh Assignment of Availability Agreement, the Thirty-eighth Assignment of Availability Agreement, the Thirty-ninth Assignment of Availability Agreement, and the Fortieth Assignment of Availability Agreement (each being hereinafter called an “Additional Assignment”) with the holders of such Additional Indebtedness or representatives of or trustees for such holders, or both, as the case may be (herein called an “Additional Assignee”). Each Additional Assignment hereafter entered into shall be substantially in the form of this Assignment, except that there shall be substituted in such Additional Assignment appropriate references to the Additional Indebtedness secured thereby, the applicable Additional Assignee and the agreement or instrument under which such Additional Indebtedness is issued in lieu of the references herein to the Twenty-sixth Series Bonds, the Trustee and the Restated Mortgage, respectively, and such Additional Assignment may contain such other provisions as are not inconsistent with this Assignment and do not adversely affect the rights hereunder of the holders of the Twenty-sixth Series Bonds or the Trustee.

(c) Notwithstanding any provision of this Assignment to the contrary, or any priority in time of creation, attachment or perfection of a security interest, pledge or lien by the Trustee, or any provision of or filing or recording under the Uniform Commercial Code or any other applicable law of any jurisdiction, the Trustee agrees that the claims of the Trustee hereunder with respect to the Trustee and any security interest, pledge or lien in favor of the Trustee now or hereafter existing in and to the Collateral shall rank pari passu with the claims of each Additional Assignee under the corresponding provisions of the Additional Assignment to which it is a party with respect to the Availability Agreement and any security interest, pledge or lien in favor of such Additional Assignee under such Additional Assignment now or hereafter existing in and to the Collateral, irrespective of the time or times at which prior, concurrent or subsequent Additional Assignments are entered into in accordance with Section 1.2(b) hereof.

 

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1.3 Payments to the Trustee. The Company agrees that, if and whenever it shall make a demand to a System Operating Company for any payment pursuant to Section 4 of the Availability Agreement or advances pursuant to Section 2.2(b) hereof with respect to Unit No. 1 or Unit No. 2, it will separately identify the respective portions of such payment or advance, if any, required for (i) the payment of Obligations Secured Hereby and (ii) the payment of any other amounts then due and payable in respect of Additional Indebtedness and instruct such System Operating Company (subject to the provisions of Section 1.4 hereof) to pay or cause to be paid the amount so identified as required for the payment of Obligations Secured Hereby directly to the Trustee. Any payments made by any System Operating Company pursuant to Section 4 of the Availability Agreement or advances pursuant to Section 2.2(b) hereof with respect to Unit No. 1 or Unit No. 2 shall, to the extent necessary to satisfy in full the assignment set forth in Section 1.1 of this Assignment and the corresponding assignments set forth in the Additional Assignments, be made pro rata in proportion to the respective amounts secured by, and then due and owing under, such assignments.

1.4 Payments to the Company. Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 1.1 and 1.3, unless and until the Trustee shall have given written notice to the System Operating Companies of the occurrence and continuance of any Event of Default (as defined in the Restated Mortgage), all moneys paid or to be paid to the Company pursuant to Section 4 of the Availability Agreement or advanced pursuant to Section 2.2(b) hereof with respect to Unit No. 1 and Unit No. 2 shall be paid or advanced directly to the Company and the Company need not separately identify the respective portions of payments or advances as provided in Section 1.3 hereof, provided that notice as to the amount of any such payments or advances shall be given by the Company to the Trustee simultaneously with the demand by the Company for any such payments or advances. If the Trustee shall have duly notified the System Operating Companies of the occurrence of any such Event of Default, such payments or advances shall be made in the manner and in the amounts specified in Section 1.3 hereof until the Trustee shall by further notice to the System Operating Companies give permission that all such payments or advances may be made again to the Company, such permission being subject to revocation by a subsequent notice pursuant to the first sentence of this Section 1.4. The Trustee shall give such permission if no such Event of Default continues to exist.

1.5 Definitions. For the purposes of this Assignment, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(a) the term “Indebtedness for Borrowed Money” shall mean the principal amount of all indebtedness for borrowed money, secured or unsecured, of the Company then outstanding and shall include, without limitation, the principal amount of all bonds issued by a governmental or industrial development agency or authority in connection with an industrial development revenue bond financing of pollution control facilities constituting part of the Project; and

(b) the term “Subordinated Indebtedness of the Company” shall mean indebtedness marked on the books of the Company as subordinated and junior in right of payment to the Obligations Secured Hereby (as defined in Section 1.1 hereof) to the extent and in the manner set forth below:

 

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(i) if there shall occur an Event of Default (as defined in the Restated Mortgage), then so long as such Event of Default shall be continuing and shall not have been cured or waived, or unless and until all the Obligations Secured Hereby shall have been paid in full in money or money’s worth at the time of receipt, no payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest shall be made upon Subordinated Indebtedness of the Company; and

(ii) in the event of any insolvency, bankruptcy, liquidation, reorganization or other similar proceedings, or any receivership proceedings in connection therewith, relative to the Company or its creditors or its property, and in the event of any proceedings for voluntary liquidation, dissolution or other winding up of the Company, whether or not involving insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings, then the Obligations Secured Hereby shall first be paid in full in money or money’s worth at the time of receipt, or payment thereof shall have been provided for, before any payment on account of principal, premium, if any, or interest is made upon Subordinated Indebtedness of the Company.

ARTICLE II.

Consent to Assignment by the System Operating

Companies and Other Agreements

2.1 Consent to Assignment by the System Operating Companies.

(a) Each System Operating Company hereby consents to the assignment under Article I and agrees with the Trustee to make payments or advances to the Trustee in the amounts and in the manner specified in Section 1.3 at the Trustee’s address as set forth in Section 6.1 hereof.

(b) Subject to the provisions of Section 4 of the Availability Agreement and Section 2.2(g) hereof, each System Operating Company agrees that all payments or advances made to the Trustee or to the Company as contemplated by Sections 1.3 and 1.4 hereof shall be final as between such System Operating Company and the Trustee or the Company, as the case may be, and that it will not seek to recover from the Trustee for any reason whatsoever any moneys paid or advanced to the Trustee by virtue of this Assignment, but the finality of any such payment or advance shall not prevent the recovery of any overpayments or mistaken payments or excess advances or mistaken advances that may be made by such System Operating Company unless an Event of Default (as defined in the Restated Mortgage) has occurred and is continuing, in which case any such overpayment or mistaken payment or excess advances or mistaken advances shall not be recoverable but shall constitute Subordinated Indebtedness of the Company to such System Operating Company.

2.2 Other Agreements. Anything in the Availability Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, it is hereby agreed as follows:

(a) Regardless of whether any person or persons (other than the System Operating Companies) shall become a Party or Parties (as such terms are defined in the Availability Agreement) to the Availability Agreement, the System Operating Companies shall at all times be obligated to make the payments required pursuant to Section 4 of the Availability Agreement and to make advances pursuant to Section 2.2(b) hereof with respect to Unit No. 1 and Unit No. 2 to the same extent as if the System Operating Companies were the only Parties to the Availability

 

6


Agreement, except to the extent and only to the extent that such payments or advances are actually made by such person or persons. In the event that any such person shall become a Party to the Availability Agreement, the Company and the System Operating Companies shall cause such person, at the time when such person becomes a Party to the Availability Agreement, to consent by written instrument to the terms and provisions of this Assignment, and thereupon such person shall be bound by all of the terms and provisions of this Assignment (other than the provisions of the preceding sentence) to the same extent as if named a System Operating Company herein. A copy of such written instrument, in form and substance satisfactory to the Trustee, shall promptly be delivered to the Trustee together with an opinion of counsel to the effect that such instrument complies with the requirements hereof and constitutes a valid, legally binding obligation of such person.

(b) In the event and to the extent that any action by any governmental regulatory authority, including, without limitation, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or any successor thereto, shall have the effect of prohibiting the System Operating Companies from making any payments that would otherwise be required pursuant to Section 4 of the Availability Agreement (as supplemented hereby) with respect to Unit No. 1 and Unit No. 2, the System Operating Companies shall make advances to the Company at the same time, and in the same amounts as such prohibited payments and all such advances shall constitute Subordinated Indebtedness of the Company.

(c) Each System Operating Company agrees that (i) all Indebtedness for Borrowed Money of the Company to such System Operating Company and all amounts paid by such System Operating Company pursuant to Section 4 of the Availability Agreement or advanced pursuant to Section 2.2(b) hereof shall constitute Subordinated Indebtedness of the Company and (ii) no such Subordinated Indebtedness of the Company shall be transferred or assigned (including by way of security) to any person (other than to a successor of such System Operating Company by way of merger, consolidation or the acquisition by such person of all or substantially all of such System Operating Company’s assets). The Company agrees that it shall duly record all Subordinated Indebtedness of the Company as such on its books.

(d) No authorization by any governmental regulatory authority being required other than, with respect to the payments pursuant to the provisions of Section 4 of the Availability Agreement, appropriate orders, or the taking of other action, by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or any successor thereto as to specific terms and provisions under which power and energy associated therewith available at the Project shall be made available by the Company to the System Operating Companies and pursuant to which the System Operating Companies shall agree to pay the Company for the right to receive such power and the energy associated therewith, each System Operating Company agrees that its duty to make the payments to the Company pursuant to the provisions of Section 4 of the Availability Agreement and the advances pursuant to Section 2.2(b) hereof with respect to Unit No. 1 and Unit No. 2 shall be absolute and unconditional, (a) whether or not such System Operating Company shall have received all authorizations of governmental regulatory authorities necessary at the time to permit such System Operating Company to perform its other duties and obligations hereunder, under the Availability Agreement or under the System Agreement (as defined in the Availability Agreement), (b) whether or not the Company shall have received all authorizations of governmental regulatory authorities necessary at the time to permit the Company to perform its duties and obligations hereunder, under the

 

7


Availability Agreement or under the System Agreement, (c) whether or not any authorizations referred to in the foregoing clauses (a) and (b) continue, at the time, in effect, (d) whether or not, at any time in question, the Company shall have performed its duties and obligations hereunder, under the Availability Agreement or under the System Agreement, (e) whether or not the System Agreement shall, from time to time, be amended, modified or supplemented or shall be canceled or terminated or such System Operating Company shall have withdrawn therefrom, (f) whether or not the Project shall be maintained in commercial operation, energy from the Project is being produced or delivered or is available (including, without limitation, delivery or availability to such System Operating Company), an abandonment of the Project shall have occurred or the Project shall be in whole or in part destroyed or taken, for any reason whatsoever, (g) whether or not the Company shall be solvent, (h) whether or not the Company or such System Operating Company shall continue to be subsidiary companies of Entergy, (i) whether or not, at any time in question, any event of force majeure has occurred, and (j) whether or not, at any time in question, any other circumstance, happening, condition or event whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing, has arisen, occurred or presented itself.

(e) In the event that Entergy shall cease to own directly or indirectly a majority of the common securities of any System Operating Company, the obligations of such System Operating Company hereunder and under the Availability Agreement shall not be increased by an amendment to or modification of the terms and provisions of the Restated Mortgage, including Officer’s Certificate No. 4-B-4, or the Twenty-sixth Series Bonds unless such System Operating Company shall have consented in writing to such amendment or modification.

(f) The obligations of each System Operating Company under Section 4 of the Availability Agreement and Section 2.2(b) hereof to make the payments or advances specified therein or herein with respect to Unit No. 1 and Unit No. 2 to the Company shall not be subject to any abatement, reduction, limitation, impairment, termination, set-off, defense, counterclaim or recoupment whatsoever or any right to any thereof (including, but not limited to, abatements, reductions, limitations, impairments, terminations, set-offs, defenses, counterclaims and recoupments for or on account of any past, present or future indebtedness of the Company to such System Operating Company or any claim by such System Operating Company against the Company, whether or not arising hereunder, under the Availability Agreement or under the System Agreement and whether or not arising out of any action or nonaction on the part of the Company or the Trustee, including any disposition of the Project or any part thereof pursuant to the Restated Mortgage, requirements of governmental authorities, actions of judicial receivers or trustees or otherwise and whether or not arising from willful or negligent acts or omissions). The foregoing, however, shall not, subject to the provisions of paragraph (c) of this Section 2.2, affect in any other way any rights and remedies of such System Operating Company with respect to any amounts owed to such System Operating Company by the Company or any such claim by such System Operating Company against the Company. The obligations and liabilities of each System Operating Company hereunder or under the Availability Agreement shall not be released, discharged or in any way affected by any reorganization, arrangement, compromise, composition or plan affecting the Company or any change, waiver, extension, indulgence or other action or omission in respect of any indebtedness or obligation of the Company or such System Operating Company, whether or not the Company or such System Operating Company shall have had any notice or knowledge of any of the foregoing. Neither failure nor delay by the Company or the Trustee, or any holder, or representative of any holder of the Twenty-sixth Series Bonds to exercise

 

8


any right or remedy provided herein or by statute or at law or in equity shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right or remedy preclude any other or further exercise thereof, or the exercise of any other right or remedy. Each System Operating Company also hereby irrevocably waives, to the extent that it may do so under applicable law, any defense based on the adequacy of a remedy at law that may be asserted as a bar to the remedy of specific performance in any action brought against such System Operating Company for specific performance of this Assignment or the Availability Agreement by the Company, by the Trustee, by the holders of the Twenty-sixth Series Bonds or for their benefit by a receiver or trustee appointed for the Company or in respect of all or a substantial part of the Company’s assets under the bankruptcy or insolvency law of any jurisdiction to which the Company is or its assets are subject. Anything in this Section 2.2(f) to the contrary notwithstanding, no System Operating Company shall be precluded from asserting as a defense against any claim made against such System Operating Company upon any of its obligations hereunder and under the Availability Agreement that it has fully performed such obligations in accordance with the terms of this Assignment and the Availability Agreement.

(g) Each System Operating Company shall, subject to the provisions of Section 2.2(c) hereof, be proportionately subrogated to all rights of the Trustee and the holders of the Twenty-sixth Series Bonds against the Company in respect of any amounts paid or advanced by such System Operating Company pursuant to the provisions of this Assignment and the Availability Agreement and applied to the payment of the Obligations Secured Hereby. Subject to the provisions of Article VII hereof, the Trustee agrees that it will not deal with the Company, or any security for the Twenty-sixth Series Bonds in such a manner as to prejudice such rights of any System Operating Company.

ARTICLE III.

Term

This Assignment shall remain in full force and effect until, and shall terminate and be of no further force and effect after, all Obligations Secured Hereby shall have been paid in full in money or money’s worth at the time of receipt; provided that this Assignment shall continue to be effective or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time any payment of any of the Obligations Secured Hereby is rescinded or must otherwise be returned by the Trustee upon the insolvency, bankruptcy or reorganization of the Company, any System Operating Company or otherwise, all as though such payment had not been made. It is agreed that all the covenants and undertakings on the part of the System Operating Companies and the Company set forth in this Assignment are exclusively for the benefit of, and may be enforced only by, the Trustee, by the holders of the Twenty-sixth Series Bonds as provided in the Restated Mortgage, or for their benefit by a receiver or trustee for the Company or in respect of all or a substantial part of its assets under the bankruptcy or insolvency law of any jurisdiction to which the Company is or its assets are subject.

 

9


ARTICLE IV.

Assignment

Neither this Assignment nor the Availability Agreement nor any interest herein or therein may be assigned, transferred or encumbered by any of the parties hereto or thereto, except transfer or assignment by the Trustee to its successors in accordance with Article Ten of the Restated Mortgage, except as otherwise provided in Article I hereof and except that

(i) in the event that any System Operating Company shall consolidate with or merge with or into another corporation or shall transfer to another corporation or other person all or substantially all of its assets, this Assignment and the Availability Agreement shall be transferred by such System Operating Company to and shall be binding upon the corporation resulting from such consolidation or merger or the corporation or other person to which such transfer is made and, as a condition to such consolidation, merger or other transfer, such corporation or other person shall deliver to the Company and the Trustee a written assumption, in form and substance satisfactory to the Trustee, of such System Operating Company’s obligations and liabilities under this Assignment and the Availability Agreement and an opinion of counsel to the effect that such instrument of transfer complies with the requirements hereof and thereof and constitutes a valid, legally binding and enforceable obligation of such corporation or other person; and

(ii) in the event that the Company shall consolidate with or merge with or into another corporation or shall transfer to another corporation or other person all or substantially all of its assets, this Assignment and the Availability Agreement shall be transferred by the Company to and shall be binding upon the corporation resulting from such consolidation or merger or the corporation or other person to which such transfer is made and, as a condition to such consolidation, merger or other transfer, such corporation or other person shall deliver to the Trustee a written assumption, in form and substance satisfactory to the Trustee, of the Company’s obligations and liabilities under this Assignment and the Availability Agreement and an opinion of counsel to the effect that such instrument of transfer complies with the requirements hereof and thereof and constitutes a valid, legally binding and enforceable obligation of such corporation or other person.

ARTICLE V.

Amendments

5.1 Restrictions on Amendments. Neither this Assignment nor the Availability Agreement may be amended, waived, modified, discharged or otherwise changed orally. This Assignment and the Availability Agreement may be amended, waived, modified, discharged or otherwise changed only by a written instrument that has been signed by all the parties hereto, in the case of this Assignment, or by the persons specified in Section 11 of the Availability Agreement, in the case of the Availability Agreement, and that has been approved by the holders of more than 50% in principal amount of the Twenty-sixth Series Bonds Outstanding (as defined in the Restated Mortgage) at the time of such consent or that does not materially adversely affect the rights of the Trustee or the holders of the Twenty-sixth Series Bonds or that is necessary in

 

10


order to qualify the Restated Mortgage under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as contemplated by Sections 1301 and 1302 of the Restated Mortgage, provided, however, that (i) without the written consent of the holders of all the Twenty-sixth Series Bonds affected thereby, no amendment, waiver, modification, discharge or other change in or to this Assignment or the Availability Agreement shall be made that shall change the terms of this Section 5.1 and (ii) no such amendment, waiver, modification, discharge or other change shall be made that shall modify, without the written consent of the Trustee, the rights, duties or immunities or the Trustee.

5.2 The Trustee’s Execution. The Trustee shall, at the request of the Company, execute any instrument amending, waiving, modifying, discharging or otherwise changing this Assignment, or any consent to the execution of any instrument amending, waiving, modifying, discharging or otherwise changing the Availability Agreement (a) as to which the Trustee shall have received an opinion of counsel to the effect that such instrument has been duly authorized by each person executing the same and is permitted by the provisions of Section 5.1 hereof and that this Assignment, or the Availability Agreement, as the case may be, as amended, waived, modified, discharged or otherwise changed by such instrument, constitutes valid, legally binding and enforceable obligations of the Company and each of the System Operating Companies, and (b) that shall have been executed by the Company and each of the System Operating Companies. The Trustee shall be fully protected in relying upon the aforesaid opinion.

ARTICLE VI.

Notices

6.1 Notices, etc., in Writing. All notices, consents, requests and other documents authorized or permitted to be given pursuant to this Assignment shall be given in writing and either personally served on the party to whom (or an officer of a corporate party) it is given or mailed by registered or certified first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed as follows:

If to System Energy Resources, Inc., to:

639 Loyola Avenue

New Orleans, Louisiana 70113

Attention: Treasurer

If to Entergy Arkansas, LLC, to:

639 Loyola Avenue

New Orleans, Louisiana 70113

Attention: Treasurer

 

11


If to Entergy Louisiana, LLC, to:

639 Loyola Avenue

New Orleans, Louisiana 70113

Attention: Treasurer

If to Entergy Mississippi, LLC, to:

639 Loyola Avenue

New Orleans, Louisiana 70113

Attention: Treasurer

If to Entergy New Orleans, LLC, to:

639 Loyola Avenue

New Orleans, Louisiana 70113

Attention: Treasurer

If to the Trustee, to:

The Bank of New York Mellon

c/o The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A.

4655 Salisbury Road, Suite 300

Jacksonville, Florida 32256

Attention: Cynthia Moore, Vice President

with copies to each other party.

6.2 Delivery, etc. Notices, consents, requests and other documents shall be deemed given or served or submitted when delivered or, if mailed as provided in Section 6.1 hereof, on the third day after the day of mailing. A party may change its address for the receipt of notices, consents, requests and other documents at any time by giving notice thereof to the other parties. Any notice, consent, request or other document given hereunder may be signed on behalf of any party by any duly authorized representative of that party.

The Trustee shall have the right to accept and act upon instructions, including funds transfer instructions (“Instructions”), given pursuant to this Assignment and delivered using Electronic Means (as defined below); provided, however, that the Company and/or a System Operating Company, as applicable, shall provide to the Trustee an incumbency certificate listing officers with the authority to provide such Instructions (“Authorized Officers”) and containing specimen signatures of such Authorized Officers, which incumbency certificate shall be amended by the Company and such System Operating Company, as applicable, to reflect any additions or deletions from the listing, and if so amended, shall be delivered to the Trustee at the time, or prior to the delivery of the Instructions pursuant to this Agreement. If the Company or a System Operating Company, as applicable, elects to give the Trustee Instructions using Electronic Means and the Trustee in its discretion elects to act upon such Instructions, the Trustee’s understanding of such Instructions shall be deemed controlling. The Company and the System Operating Companies understand and agree that the Trustee cannot determine the identity of the actual sender

 

12


of such Instructions and that the Trustee shall conclusively presume that directions that purport to have been sent by an Authorized Officer listed on the incumbency certificate provided to the Trustee have been sent by such Authorized Officer. The Company and the System Operating Companies shall be responsible for ensuring that only Authorized Officers transmit such Instructions to the Trustee and that the Company and the System Operating Companies are solely responsible to safeguard the use and confidentiality of applicable user and authorization codes, passwords and/or authentication keys upon receipt by the Company and or the System Operating Companies, as applicable. The Trustee shall not be liable for any losses, costs or expenses arising directly or indirectly from the Trustee’s reliance upon and compliance with such Instructions, notwithstanding if such directions conflict or are inconsistent with a subsequent written instruction. The Company and each System Operating Company agree: (i) to assume all risks arising out of the use of Electronic Means to submit Instructions to the Trustee, including without limitation the risk of the Trustee acting on unauthorized Instructions, and the risk of interception and misuse by third parties; (ii) that it is fully informed of the protections and risks associated with the various methods of transmitting Instructions to the Trustee and that there may be more secure methods of transmitting Instructions than the method(s) selected by the Company and/or a System Operating Company, as applicable; (iii) that the security procedures (if any) to be followed in connection with its transmission of Instructions provide to it a commercially reasonable degree of protection in light of its particular needs and circumstances; and (iv) to notify the Trustee immediately upon learning of any compromise or unauthorized use of the security procedures.

Electronic Means” shall mean the following communication methods: e-mail, facsimile transmission, secure electronic transmission containing applicable authorization codes, passwords and/or authentication keys issued by the Trustee, or another method or system specified by the Trustee as available for use in connection with its services hereunder.

ARTICLE VII.

Enforcement

7.1 Mortgage Terms and Conditions. The Trustee enters into and accepts this Assignment upon the terms and conditions set forth in Article Ten of the Restated Mortgage with the same force and effect as if those terms and conditions were repeated at length herein and made applicable to the Trustee in respect of this Assignment and the trusts hereunder and in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by the Trustee hereunder. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Trustee assumes no responsibility as to the validity or enforceability hereof or for the correctness of the recitals of fact contained herein or in the Availability Agreement, which shall be taken as the statements, representations and warranties of the Company and the System Operating Companies.

7.2 Enforcement Action. At any time when an Event of Default under the Restated Mortgage has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee may proceed, either in its own name and as trustee of an express trust or otherwise, to protect and enforce the rights of the Trustee and those of the Company under this Assignment and the Availability Agreement by suit in equity, action at law or other appropriate proceedings, whether for the specific performance of any covenant or agreement contained herein or in the Availability Agreement or otherwise, and whether or not the Company shall have complied with any of the provisions hereof or thereof or proceeded to take

 

13


any action authorized or permitted under applicable law. Each and every remedy of the Trustee shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and shall be in addition to any other remedy given hereunder or under the Restated Mortgage or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or by statute.

7.3 Attorney-in-Fact. The Company hereby constitutes the Trustee its true and lawful attorney, irrevocably, with full power (in such attorney’s name or otherwise), at any time when an Event of Default (as defined in the Restated Mortgage) has occurred and is continuing, to enforce any of the obligations contained herein or in the Availability Agreement or to take any action or institute any proceedings that to the Trustee may seem necessary or advisable in the premises.

ARTICLE VIII.

Severability

If any provision or provisions of this Assignment shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

ARTICLE IX.

Governing Law

This Assignment and, so long as this Assignment shall be in effect, the Availability Agreement, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

ARTICLE X.

Succession

Subject to Article IV hereof, this Assignment and the Availability Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns, but no assignment hereof, or of the Availability Agreement, or of any right to any funds due or to become due under this Assignment or the Availability Agreement shall in any event relieve the Company or any System Operating Company of their respective obligations hereunder.

ARTICLE XI.

Waiver of Jury Trial

EACH OF THE PARTIES HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS ASSIGNMENT, THE AVAILABILITY AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY.

 

14


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Forty-first Assignment to be duly executed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized as of the day and year first above written.

 

ENTERGY ARKANSAS, LLC
ENTERGY LOUISIANA, LLC
ENTERGY MISSISSIPPI, LLC
ENTERGY NEW ORLEANS, LLC
SYSTEM ENERGY RESOURCES, INC.
By:  

/s/ Barrett E. Green

Name: Barrett E. Green
Title: Vice President and Treasurer

 

S-1


THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON,

as Trustee

By:  

/s/ Francine Kincaid

  Name: Francine Kincaid
  Title: Vice President

 

S-2

Exhibit 5.12

 

LOGO

March 14, 2023

System Energy Resources, Inc.

1340 Echelon Parkway

Jackson, Mississippi 39213

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel for System Energy Resources, Inc., an Arkansas corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration Statement No. 333-266624-01) (the “Registration Statement”), relating to, among other things, the offer and sale of $325,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s First Mortgage Bonds, 6.00% Series due April 15, 2028 (the “Bonds”). The Bonds have been issued pursuant to the Company’s Mortgage and Deed of Trust, dated as of June 15, 1977, between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as amended, restated and supplemented by the Twenty-fourth Supplemental Indenture dated as of September 1, 2012 (as so amended, restated and supplemented and as heretofore further supplemented, including by the officer’s certificate establishing the terms of the Bonds, being hereinafter referred to as the “Mortgage”).

In our capacity as such counsel, we have examined the Registration Statement and the Mortgage, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. As to questions of fact material to the opinions expressed herein, we have relied upon representations and certifications of officers of the Company and appropriate public officials without independent verification of such matters except as otherwise described herein. We have also examined or have caused to be examined such other documents and have satisfied ourselves as to such other matters as we have deemed necessary in order to render this opinion. In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons, the authenticity of the documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity with the originals of all documents submitted to us as certified, facsimile or photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies. We have not examined the Bonds, except a specimen thereof, and we have relied upon a certificate of the Trustee as to the authentication and delivery thereof.


System Energy Resources, Inc.

March 14, 2023

Page 2

 

Subject to the foregoing and the further exceptions and qualifications set forth below, we are of the opinion that the Bonds are legally valid and are binding obligations of the Company.

This opinion is limited to the laws of the State of New York, except as set forth in the following two sentences. To the extent that the opinions relate to or are dependent upon matters governed by the laws of the State of Arkansas, we have relied upon the opinion of Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP, which is being filed as Exhibit 5.14 to the Registration Statement. To the extent that the opinions relate to or are dependent upon matters governed by the laws of the State of Mississippi, we have relied upon the opinion of Wise Carter Child & Caraway, Professional Association, which is being filed as Exhibit 5.13 to the Registration Statement. As to all matters of the laws of the State of New York, Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP and Wise Carter Child & Caraway, Professional Association are authorized to rely on this opinion as if it were addressed to each of them.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.12 to a Current Report on Form 8-K, which will be incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to us in the prospectus included in the Registration Statement under the caption “Legality.” In giving the foregoing consents, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Very truly yours,
/s/ Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Exhibit 5.13

 

LOGO    LOGO

March 14, 2023

System Energy Resources, Inc.

1340 Echelon Parkway

Jackson, Mississippi 39213

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel for System Energy Resources, Inc., an Arkansas corporation (the Company), in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration Statement No. 333-266624-01) (the Registration Statement), relating to, among other things, the offer and sale of $325,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s First Mortgage Bonds, 6.00% Series due April 15, 2028 (the Bonds). The Bonds have been issued pursuant to the Company’s Mortgage and Deed of Trust, dated as of June 15, 1977, between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee (the Trustee), as amended, restated and supplemented by the Twenty-fourth Supplemental Indenture dated as of September 1, 2012 (as so amended, restated, and supplemented, and as heretofore further supplemented including by the officer’s certificate establishing the terms of the Bonds, being hereinafter referred to as the Mortgage).

In our capacity as such counsel, we have examined the Registration Statement and the Mortgage, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. As to questions of fact material to the opinions expressed herein, we have relied upon representations and certifications of officers of the Company and appropriate public officials without independent verification of such matters except as otherwise described herein. We have also examined or have caused to be examined such other documents and have satisfied ourselves as to such other matters as we have deemed necessary in order to render this opinion. In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons, the authenticity of the documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity with the originals of all documents submitted to us as certified, facsimile, or photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies. We have not examined the Bonds, except a specimen thereof, and we have relied upon a certificate of the Trustee as to the authentication and delivery thereof.

Subject to the foregoing and the further exceptions and qualifications set forth below, we are of the opinion that the Bonds are legally valid and are binding obligations of the Company.

JACKSON                 |                GULFPORT                 |                 HATTIESBURG                 |                 DETROIT

WWW.WISECARTER.COM


System Energy Resources, Inc.

March 14, 2023

Page 2

 

 

This opinion is limited to the laws of the State of Mississippi except as set forth in the following two sentences. To the extent that the opinions relate to or are dependent upon matters governed by the laws of the State of New York, we have relied upon the opinion of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, which is being filed as Exhibit 5.12 to the Registration Statement. To the extent that the opinions relate to or are dependent upon matters governed by the laws of the State of Arkansas, we have relied upon the opinion of Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP, which is being filed as Exhibit. 5.14 to the Registration Statement. As to all matters of the laws of the State of Mississippi, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP and Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP are authorized to rely on this opinion as if it were addressed to each of them.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.13 to a Current Report on Form 8-K, which will be incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to us in the prospectus included in the Registration Statement under the caption “Legality.” In giving the foregoing consents, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Very truly yours,
WISE CARTER CHILD & CARAWAY
Professional Association
By:  

/s/ Betty Toon Collins

Exhibit 5.14

 

LOGO   

400 West Capitol Avenue

Suite 2000

Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-3522 www.FridayFirm.com

March 14, 2023

System Energy Resources, Inc.

1340 Echelon Parkway

Jackson, Mississippi 39213

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel for System Energy Resources, Inc., an Arkansas corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration Statement No. 333-266624-01) (the “Registration Statement”), relating to, among other things, the offer and sale of $325,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of the Company’s First Mortgage Bonds, 6.00% Series due April 15, 2028 (the “Bonds”). The Bonds have been issued pursuant to the Company’s Mortgage and Deed of Trust, dated as of June 15, 1977, between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as amended, restated and supplemented by the Twenty-fourth Supplemental Indenture dated as of September 1, 2012 (as so amended, restated and supplemented, including by the officer’s certificate establishing the terms of the Bonds, being hereinafter referred to as the “Mortgage”).

In our capacity as such counsel, we have examined the Registration Statement and the Mortgage, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. As to questions of fact material to the opinions expressed herein, we have relied upon representations and certifications of officers of the Company and appropriate public officials without independent verification of such matters except as otherwise described herein. We have also examined or caused to be examined such other documents and have satisfied ourselves as to such other matters as we have deemed necessary in order to render this opinion. In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, and the conformity to the originals of the documents submitted to us as certified, facsimile or photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. We have not examined the Bonds, except a specimen thereof, and we have relied upon a certificate of the Trustee as to the authentication and delivery thereof.

Subject to the foregoing and to the further exceptions and qualifications set forth below, we are of the opinion that the Bonds are legally valid and are binding obligations of the Company.


System Energy Resources, Inc.

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This opinion is limited to the laws of the States of Arkansas and the federal laws of the United States of America. To the extent that the opinions relate to or are dependent upon matters governed by the laws of the State of New York, we have relied upon the opinion of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, which is being filed as Exhibit 5.12 to the Registration Statement.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.14 to a Current Report on Form 8-K, which will be incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and to the references to our firm, as counsel, in the Registration Statement under the caption “Legality.” In giving the foregoing consents, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Very truly yours,
/S/ FRIDAY, ELDREDGE & CLARK, LLP
FRIDAY, ELDREDGE & CLARK, LLP