CREDIT AGREEMENT Dated as of July 14, 2017 among VECTREN CAPITAL, CORP., as the Borrower, VECTREN CORPORATION, as the Guarantor, BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Administrative Agent, Swing Line Lender and an L/C Issuer, WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL...

Published CUSIP Number:  ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇

Dated as of July 14, 2017

among

VECTREN CAPITAL, CORP.,
as the Borrower,

VECTREN CORPORATION,
as the Guarantor,

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,
as Administrative Agent, Swing Line Lender and an L/C Issuer,

▇▇▇▇▇ FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
and
MUFG UNION BANK, N.A.,
as Co-Syndication Agents and L/C Issuers

and

THE OTHER LENDERS PARTY HERETO

Arranged By:

▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LYNCH, PIERCE, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ INCORPORATED,

▇▇▇▇▇ FARGO SECURITIES, LLC,

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.

and

MUFG UNION BANK, N.A.,

as Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Book Runners

Table of Contents

This CREDIT AGREEMENT is entered into as of July 14, 2017 among VECTREN CAPITAL, CORP., an Indiana corporation (the "Borrower"), the Guarantor (defined herein), the Lenders (defined herein) and BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Administrative Agent, Swing Line Lender and an L/C Issuer.

The Borrower has requested that the Lenders provide $200,000,000 in credit facilities for the purposes set forth herein, and the Lenders are willing to do so on the terms and conditions set forth herein.

In consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, the parties hereto covenant and agree as follows:

ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS

As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:

"Acquisition", means any transaction, or any series of related transactions, consummated on or after the date of this Agreement, by which the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (i) acquires any going business or all or substantially all of the assets of any firm, corporation or limited liability company, or division thereof, whether through purchase of assets, merger or otherwise or (ii) directly or indirectly acquires (in one transaction or as the most recent transaction in a series of transactions) at least a majority (in number of votes) of the securities of a corporation which have ordinary voting power for the election of directors (other than securities having such power only by reason of the happening of a contingency) or a majority (by percentage or voting power) of the outstanding ownership interests of a partnership or limited liability company.

"Act" has the meaning specified in Section 10.18.

"Administrative Agent" means Bank of America in its capacity as administrative agent under any of the Loan Documents, or any successor administrative agent.

"Administrative Agent's Office" means the Administrative Agent's address and, as appropriate, account as set forth on Schedule 10.02 or such other address or account as the Administrative Agent may from time to time notify to the Borrower and the Lenders.

"Administrative Questionnaire" means an Administrative Questionnaire in substantially the form of Exhibit 10.06(b)(iv) or any other form approved by the Administrative Agent.

"Affiliate" means, with respect to any Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by or is under common Control with the Person specified.

"Aggregate Revolving Commitments" means the Revolving Commitments of all the Lenders.  The initial amount of the Aggregate Revolving Commitments in effect on the Closing Date is $200,000,000.

"Agreement" means this Credit Agreement.

"Applicable Percentage" means with respect to any Lender at any time, the percentage (carried out to the ninth decimal place) of the Aggregate Revolving Commitments represented by such Lender's Revolving Commitment at such time; provided that if the commitment of each Lender to make Revolving Loans and the obligation of the L/C Issuers to make L/C Credit Extensions have been terminated pursuant to Section 8.02 or if the Aggregate Revolving Commitments have expired, then the Applicable Percentage of each Lender shall be determined based on the Applicable Percentage of such Lender most recently in effect, giving effect to any subsequent assignments.  The initial Applicable Percentage of each Lender is set forth opposite the name of such Lender on Schedule 2.01 or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender becomes a party hereto, as applicable.  The Applicable Percentages shall be subject to adjustment as provided in Section 2.15.

"Applicable Rate" means from time to time, the following percentages per annum, based upon the Corporate Rating of the Guarantor as set forth below:

provided that (a) if the respective Corporate Ratings of the Guarantor issued by ▇▇▇▇▇'▇ and S&P differ by one level, then the Pricing Level for the higher of such Corporate Ratings shall apply (with the Corporate Rating for Pricing Level I being the highest and the Corporate Rating for Pricing Level VI being the lowest) and (b) if the respective Corporate Ratings of the Guarantor issued by ▇▇▇▇▇'▇ and S&P differ by more than one level, then the Pricing Level which is one level lower than the Pricing Level corresponding to the higher Corporate Rating shall apply.

Initially, the Applicable Rate shall be Pricing Level III.  Thereafter, each change in the Applicable Rate resulting from a publicly announced change in the Corporate Rating of the Guarantor shall be effective on the date of the public announcement thereof and ending on the date immediately preceding the effective date of the next such change

"Approved Fund" means any Fund that is administered or managed by (a) a Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender or (c) an entity or an Affiliate of an entity that administers or manages a Lender.

"Approving Lender" has the meaning specified in Section 2.16(b).

"Arrangers" means MLPFS, WFS, JPMorgan and MUFG, in their capacity as joint lead arrangers and joint book runners.

"Assignment and Assumption" means an assignment and assumption entered into by a Lender and an Eligible Assignee (with the consent of any party whose consent is required by Section 10.06(b)),

and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in substantially the form of Exhibit 10.06(b) or any other form (including electronic documentation generated by use of an electronic platform) approved by the Administrative Agent.

"Audited Financial Statements" means the audited consolidated balance sheet of the Guarantor and its Subsidiaries for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, and the related consolidated statements of income or operations, shareholders' equity and cash flows of the Guarantor and its Subsidiaries for such fiscal year, including the notes thereto.

"Availability Period" means, with respect to the Revolving Commitments, the period from and including the Closing Date to the earliest of (a) the Maturity Date, (b) the date of termination of the Aggregate Revolving Commitments pursuant to Section 2.06, and (c) the date of termination of the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and of the obligation of the L/C Issuers to make L/C Credit Extensions pursuant to Section 8.02.

"Bail-In Action" means the exercise of any Write-Down and Conversion Powers by the applicable EEA Resolution Authority in respect of any liability of an EEA Financial Institution.

"Bail-In Legislation" means, with respect to any EEA Member Country implementing Article 55 of Directive 2014/59/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union, the implementing law for such EEA Member Country from time to time which is described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule.

"Bank of America" means Bank of America, N.A. and its successors.

"Base Rate" means for any day a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the highest of (a) the Federal Funds Rate plus 0.50%, (b) the rate of interest in effect for such day as publicly announced from time to time by Bank of America as its "prime rate" and (c) the Eurodollar Rate plus 1.0%.  The "prime rate" is a rate set by Bank of America based upon various factors including Bank of America's costs and desired return, general economic conditions and other factors, and is used as a reference point for pricing some loans, which may be priced at, above, or below such announced rate.  Any change in such "prime rate" announced by Bank of America shall take effect at the opening of business on the day specified in the public announcement of such change.

"Base Rate Loan" means a Loan that bears interest based on the Base Rate.

"Borrower" has the meaning specified in the introductory paragraph hereto.

"Borrower Materials" has the meaning specified in Section 7.01.

"Borrowing" means a borrowing consisting of simultaneous Loans of the same Type and, in the case of Eurodollar Rate Loans, having the same Interest Period made by each of the Lenders pursuant to Section 2.01.

"Business Day" means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks are authorized to close under the Laws of, or are in fact closed in, the state where the Administrative Agent's Office is located and, if such day relates to any Swing Line Loan bearing interest at the LIBOR Market Index Rate or any Eurodollar Rate Loan or any Base Rate Loan bearing interest at a rate based on the Eurodollar Rate, means any such day that is also a London Banking Day.

"Capitalized Lease" of a Person means any lease of property by such Person as lessee which would be capitalized on a balance sheet of such Person prepared in accordance with GAAP.

"Capitalized Lease Obligations" of a Person means the amount of the obligations of such Person under Capitalized Leases which would be shown as a liability on a balance sheet of such Person prepared in accordance with GAAP.

"Cash Collateralize" means to pledge and deposit with or deliver to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuers (as applicable) and the Lenders, as collateral for L/C Obligations or obligations of the Lenders to fund participations in respect of either thereof (as the context may require), cash or deposit account balances, standby letters of credit (not issued pursuant to this Agreement) issued by a commercial bank having (i) capital and surplus in excess of $100,000,000, and (ii) a rating that is acceptable to the Administrative Agent and  the applicable L/C Issuer or, if an L/C Issuer benefitting from such collateral shall agree in its reasonable discretion, other credit support, in each case pursuant to documentation in form and substance satisfactory to (a) the Administrative Agent and (b) the applicable L/C Issuer.

"Cash Collateral" shall have a meaning correlative to the foregoing and shall include the proceeds of such cash collateral, standby letter of credit and other credit support.

"Cash Equivalent Investments" means (i) short-term obligations of, or fully guaranteed by, the United States of America, (ii) commercial paper rated A-1 or better by S&P or P-1 or better by ▇▇▇▇▇'▇, (iii) demand deposit accounts maintained in the ordinary course of business, (iv) certificates of deposit issued by and time deposits with commercial banks (whether domestic or foreign) having capital and surplus in excess of $100,000,000 and (v) money market funds which, under normal conditions, invest primarily in debt securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities and repurchase agreements fully collateralized by U.S. Treasury and U.S. government securities; provided in each case that the same provides for payment of both principal and interest (and not principal alone or interest alone) and is not subject to any contingency regarding the payment of principal or interest.

"Change in Law" means the occurrence, after the date of this Agreement, of any of the following: (a) the adoption or taking effect of any law, rule, regulation or treaty, (b) any change in any law, rule, regulation or treaty or in the administration, interpretation, implementation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority or (c) the making or issuance of any request, rule, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law) by any Governmental Authority; provided, that, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (x) the ▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and all requests, rules, guidelines or directives thereunder or issued in connection therewith and (y) all requests, rules, guidelines or directives promulgated by the Bank for International Settlements, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (or any successor or similar authority) or the United States or foreign regulatory authorities, in each case pursuant to Basel III, shall in each case be deemed to be a "Change in Law", regardless of the date enacted, adopted or issued.

"Change of Control" means (i) the acquisition by any Person, or two or more Persons acting in concert, of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) of 30% or more of the outstanding shares of Voting Stock of the Guarantor, (ii) the occurrence during any period of twelve (12) consecutive months, commencing before or after the date of this Agreement, pursuant to which individuals who on the first day of such period were directors of the Guarantor (together with any replacement or additional directors who were nominated, approved or elected by a majority of directors then in office) cease to constitute a majority of the board of directors of

the Guarantor or (iii) the Guarantor shall cease to own, free and clear of any Lien, 100% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of the Borrower.

"Closing Date" means the date hereof.

"Commitment" means, as to each Lender, the Revolving Commitment of such Lender.

"Commodity Exchange Act" means the Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. § 1 et seq.) as amended or otherwise modified, and any successor statute.

"Compliance Certificate" means a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit 7.01.

"Connection Income Taxes" means Other Connection Taxes that are imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated) or that are franchise Taxes or branch profits Taxes.

"Consolidated Indebtedness" means at any time the Indebtedness of the Guarantor and its Subsidiaries required to be shown as a liability on the consolidated balance sheet of the Guarantor and its Subsidiaries on such date, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.

"Consolidated Net Worth" means at any time the consolidated stockholders' equity of a Person and its Subsidiaries calculated on a consolidated basis as of such time and in accordance with GAAP.

"Contingent Obligation" of a Person means any agreement, undertaking or arrangement by which such Person assumes, guarantees, endorses, contingently agrees to purchase or provide funds for the payment of, or otherwise becomes or is contingently liable upon, the obligation or liability of any other Person (other than accounts payable (which are payable on terms customary in the trade) and other obligations (until such obligation is no longer contingent) of such Person's Subsidiary arising in the ordinary course of such Subsidiary's business), or agrees to maintain the net worth or working capital or other financial condition of any other Person, or otherwise assures any creditor of such other Person against loss, including, without limitation, any comfort letter, operating agreement or take-or-pay contract.

"Control" means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ability to exercise voting power, by contract or otherwise.  "Controlling" and "Controlled" have meanings correlative thereto.

"Controlled Group" means all members of a controlled group of corporations or other business entities and all trades or businesses (whether or not incorporated) under common control which, together with the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, are treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code.

"Corporate Rating" means, as of any date of determination, the non-credit enhanced corporate credit rating of a Person (as determined by either S&P or ▇▇▇▇▇’▇).

"Credit Extension" means each of the following: (a) a Borrowing and (b) an L/C Credit Extension.

"Debt Rating" means, as of any date of determination, the rating determined by either S&P or ▇▇▇▇▇'▇ of a Person’s non-credit-enhanced, senior unsecured long-term debt.

"Debtor Relief Laws" means the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, and all other liquidation, conservatorship, bankruptcy, assignment for the benefit of creditors, moratorium, rearrangement, receivership, insolvency, reorganization, or similar debtor relief Laws of the United States or other applicable jurisdictions from time to time in effect and affecting the rights of creditors generally.

"Default" means any event or condition that constitutes an Event of Default or that, with the giving of any notice, the passage of time, or both, would be an Event of Default.

"Default Rate" means (a) when used with respect to Obligations other than Letter of Credit Fees, an interest rate equal to (i) the Base Rate plus (ii) the Applicable Rate, if any, applicable to Base Rate Loans plus (iii) 2% per annum; provided, however, that with respect to a Eurodollar Rate Loan and Swing Line Loans bearing interest at the LIBOR Market Index Rate, the Default Rate shall be an interest rate equal to the interest rate (including any Applicable Rate) otherwise applicable to such Loan plus 2% per annum, in each case to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Laws and (b) when used with respect to Letter of Credit Fees, a rate equal to the Applicable Rate plus 2% per annum.

"Defaulting Lender" means, subject to Section 2.15(b), any Lender that (a) has failed to (i) fund all or any portion of its Loans within two (2) Business Days of the date such Loans were required to be funded hereunder unless such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent and the Borrower in writing that such failure is the result of such Lender's determination that one or more conditions precedent to funding (each of which conditions precedent, together with any applicable default, shall be specifically identified in such writing) has not been satisfied, or (ii) pay to the Administrative Agent, any L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender or any other Lender any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder (including in respect of its participation in Letters of Credit or Swing Line Loans) within two Business Days of the date when due, (b) has notified the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, any L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender in writing that it does not intend to comply with its funding obligations hereunder, or has made a public statement to that effect (unless such writing or public statement relates to such Lender's obligation to fund a Loan hereunder and states that such position is based on such Lender's determination that a condition precedent to funding (which condition precedent, together with any applicable default, shall be specifically identified in such writing or public statement) cannot be satisfied), (c) has failed, within three (3) Business Days after written request by the Administrative Agent or the Borrower, to confirm in writing to the Administrative Agent and the Borrower that it will comply with its prospective funding obligations hereunder (provided that such Lender shall cease to be a Defaulting Lender pursuant to this clause (c) upon receipt of such written confirmation by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower), or (d) has, or has a direct or indirect parent company that has, (i) become the subject of a proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law, (ii) had appointed for it a receiver, custodian, conservator, trustee, administrator, assignee for the benefit of creditors or similar Person charged with reorganization or liquidation of its business or assets, including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other state or federal regulatory authority acting in such a capacity, or (iii) become the subject of a Bail-In Action; provided, that, a Lender shall not be a Defaulting Lender solely by virtue of the ownership or acquisition of any Equity Interests in that Lender or any direct or indirect parent company thereof by a Governmental Authority so long as such ownership interest does not result in or provide such Lender with immunity from the jurisdiction of courts within the United States or from the enforcement of judgments or writs of attachment on its assets or permit such Lender (or such Governmental Authority) to reject, repudiate, disavow or disaffirm any contracts or agreements made with such Lender.  Any determination by the Administrative Agent that a Lender is a Defaulting Lender under any one or more of clauses (a) through (d) above, and of the effective date of such status, shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error, and such Lender shall be deemed to be a Defaulting Lender (subject to Section 2.15(b)) as of the date established therefor by the Administrative Agent in a written notice of such determination, which shall be delivered by the Administrative Agent to the Borrower, each L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender and each other Lender promptly following such determination.

 

"Dollar" and "$" mean lawful money of the United States.

"Domestic Subsidiary" means any Subsidiary that is organized under the laws of any state of the United States or the District of Columbia.

"EEA Financial Institution" means (a) any credit institution or investment firm established in any EEA Member Country which is subject to the supervision of an EEA Resolution Authority, (b) any entity established in an EEA Member Country which is a parent of an institution described in clause (a) of this definition, or (c) any financial institution established in an EEA Member Country which is a Subsidiary of an institution described in clauses (a) or (b) of this definition and is subject to consolidated supervision with its parent.

"EEA Member Country" means any of the member states of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

"EEA Resolution Authority" means any public administrative authority or any Person entrusted with public administrative authority of any EEA Member Country (including any delegee) having responsibility for the resolution of any EEA Financial Institution.

"Eligible Assignee" means any Person that meets the requirements to be an assignee under Sections 10.06(b)(iii) and (v) (subject to such consents, if any, as may be required under Section 10.06(b)(iii)).

"Environmental Laws" means any and all federal, state, local and foreign statutes, laws, judicial decisions, regulations, ordinances, rules, judgments, orders, decrees, plans, injunctions, permits, concessions, grants, franchises, licenses, agreements and other governmental restrictions relating to (i) the protection of the environment, (ii) the effect of the environment on human health, (iii) emissions, discharges or releases of Hazardous Materials into surface water, ground water or land or (iv) the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials or the clean-up or other remediation thereof.

"Environmental Liability" means any liability, contingent or otherwise (including any liability for damages, costs of environmental remediation, fines, penalties or indemnities), of any Loan Party or any Subsidiary directly or indirectly resulting from or based upon (a) violation of any Environmental Law, (b) the generation, use, handling, transportation, storage, treatment or disposal of any Hazardous Materials, (c) exposure to any Hazardous Materials, (d) the release or threatened release of any Hazardous Materials into the environment or (e) any contract, agreement or other consensual arrangement pursuant to which liability is assumed or imposed with respect to any of the foregoing.

"Equity Interests"  means, with respect to any Person, all of the shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person, all of the warrants, options or other rights for the purchase or acquisition from such Person of shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person, all of the securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person or warrants, rights or options for the purchase or acquisition from such Person of such shares (or such other interests), and all of the other ownership or profit interests in such Person (including partnership, member or trust interests therein), whether voting or nonvoting, and whether or not such shares, warrants, options, rights or other interests are outstanding on any date of determination.

"ERISA" means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.

"EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule" means the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule published by the Loan Market Association (or any successor person), as in effect from time to time.

"Eurodollar Base Rate" means:

provided, that, (i) to the extent a comparable or successor rate is approved by the Administrative Agent in connection herewith, the approved rate shall be applied to the applicable Interest Period in a manner consistent with market practice; provided, further, that, to the extent such market practice is not administratively feasible for the Administrative Agent, such approved rate shall be applied to the applicable Interest Period as otherwise reasonably determined by the Administrative Agent and (ii) if the Eurodollar Base Rate shall be less than zero, such rate shall be deemed to be zero for purposes of this Agreement.

"Eurodollar Rate" means (a) for any Interest Period with respect to any Eurodollar Rate Loan, a rate per annum determined by the Administrative Agent to be equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the Eurodollar Base Rate for such Eurodollar Rate Loan for such Interest Period by (ii) one minus the Eurodollar Reserve Percentage for such Eurodollar Rate Loan for such Interest Period and (b) for any day with respect to any Base Rate Loan the interest rate on which is determined by reference to the Eurodollar Rate, a rate per annum determined by the Administrative Agent to be equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the Eurodollar Base Rate for such Base Rate Loan for such day by (ii) one minus the Eurodollar Reserve Percentage for such Base Rate Loan for such day.

"Eurodollar Rate Loan" means a Loan that bears interest at a rate based on clause (a) of the definition of "Eurodollar Rate."

"Eurodollar Reserve Percentage" means, for any day, the reserve percentage (expressed as a decimal, carried out to five decimal places) in effect on such day, whether or not applicable to any Lender, under regulations issued from time to time by the FRB for determining the maximum reserve requirement (including any emergency, supplemental or other marginal reserve requirement) with respect to Eurocurrency funding (currently referred to as "Eurocurrency liabilities").  The Eurodollar Rate for each outstanding Eurodollar Rate Loan and for each outstanding Base Rate Loan the interest rate on which is determined by reference to the Eurodollar Rate shall be adjusted automatically as of the effective date of any change in the Eurodollar Reserve Percentage.

"Event of Default" has the meaning specified in Section 8.01.

"Excluded Swap Obligation" means, with respect to any Guarantor, any Swap Obligation if, and to the extent that, all or a portion of the Guaranty of such Guarantor of such Swap Obligation  is or becomes illegal under the Commodity Exchange Act (or the application or official interpretation thereof) by virtue of such Guarantor's failure for any reason to constitute an "eligible contract participant" as defined in the Commodity Exchange Act (determined after giving effect to Section 4.08 hereof and any and all guarantees of such Guarantor's Swap Obligations by other Loan Parties) at the time the Guaranty of such Guarantor becomes effective with respect to such Swap Obligation.  If a Swap Obligation arises under a Master Agreement governing more than one Swap Contract, such exclusion shall apply only to the portion of such Swap Obligation that is attributable to Swap Contracts for which such Guaranty becomes illegal.

"Excluded Taxes" means any of the following Taxes imposed on or with respect to any Recipient or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to a Recipient, (a) Taxes imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated), franchise Taxes, and branch profits Taxes, in each case, (i) imposed as a result of such Recipient being organized under the laws of, or having its principal office or, in the case of any Lender, its Lending Office located in, the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (or any political subdivision thereof) or (ii) that are Other Connection Taxes, (b) in the case of a Lender, U.S. Federal withholding Taxes imposed on amounts payable to or for the account of such Lender with respect to an applicable interest in a Loan or Commitment pursuant to a Law in effect on the date on which (i) such Lender acquires such interest in the Loan or Commitment (other than pursuant to an assignment request by the Borrower under Section 10.13) or (ii) such Lender changes its Lending Office, except in each case to the extent that pursuant to Section 3.01(a)(ii), (a)(iii) or (c), amounts with respect to such Taxes were payable either to such Lender's assignor immediately before such Lender became a party hereto or to such Lender immediately before it changed its Lending Office, (c) Taxes attributable to such Recipient's failure to comply with Section 3.01(e) and (d) any U.S. federal withholding Taxes imposed under FATCA.

"Existing Credit Agreement" means that certain Credit Agreement dated as of October 31, 2014, as amended, by and among the Borrower, the guarantor party thereto, the lenders party thereto and ▇▇▇▇▇ Fargo Bank, N.A., as administrative agent.

"Existing Indebtedness" means Indebtedness existing on the date hereof.

"FASB ASC" means the Accounting Standards Codification of the Financial Accounting Standards Board.

"FATCA" means Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Internal Revenue Code, as of the date of this Agreement (or any amended or successor version that is substantively comparable and not materially more onerous to comply with), any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof, any agreements entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code and any applicable intergovernmental agreements implementing the foregoing.

"Federal Funds Rate" means, for any day, the rate per annum equal to the weighted average of the rates on overnight federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System, as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the Business Day next succeeding such day; provided that (a) if such day is not a Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be such rate on such transactions on the next preceding Business Day as so published on the next succeeding Business Day, and (b) if no such rate is so published on such next succeeding Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be the average rate (rounded upward, if necessary, to a whole multiple of 1/100 of 1%) charged to Bank of America on such day on such transactions as determined by the Administrative Agent.

"Fee Letters" means (a) the letter agreement, dated June 15, 2017 among the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and MLPFS and (b) the letter agreement dated June 15, 2017 among the Borrower, ▇▇▇▇▇ Fargo, WFS, JPMorgan and MUFG.

"Foreign Lender" means a Lender that is not a U.S. Person.

"Foreign Subsidiary" means any Subsidiary that is not a Domestic Subsidiary.

"FRB" means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States.

"Fronting Exposure" means, at any time there is a Defaulting Lender, (a) with respect to any L/C Issuer, such Defaulting Lender's Applicable Percentage of the outstanding L/C Obligations other than L/C Obligations as to which such Defaulting Lender's participation obligation has been reallocated to other Lenders or Cash Collateralized in accordance with the terms hereof, and (b) with respect to the Swing Line Lender, such Defaulting Lender's Applicable Percentage of Swing Line Loans other than Swing Line Loans as to which such Defaulting Lender's participation obligation has been reallocated to other Lenders in accordance with the terms hereof.

"Fund" means any Person (other than a natural Person) that is (or will be) engaged in making, purchasing, holding or otherwise investing in commercial loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its activities.

"GAAP" means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, consistently applied and as in effect from time to time.

"Governmental Authority" means the government of the United States or any other nation, or of any political subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government (including any supra-national bodies such as the European Union or the European Central Bank).

"Guarantee" means, as to any Person, (a) any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of such Person guaranteeing or having the economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation payable or performable by another Person (the "primary obligor") in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of such Person, direct or indirect, (i) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation, (ii) to purchase or lease property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the obligee in respect of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment or performance of such Indebtedness or other obligation, (iii) to maintain working capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity or level of income or cash flow of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation, or (iv) entered into for the purpose of assuring in any other manner the obligee in respect of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment or performance thereof or to protect such obligee against loss in respect thereof (in whole or in part), or (b) any Lien on any assets of such Person securing any Indebtedness or other obligation of any other Person, whether or not such Indebtedness or other obligation is assumed by such Person (or any right, contingent or otherwise, of any holder of such Indebtedness to obtain any such Lien).  The amount of any Guarantee shall be deemed to be an amount equal to the stated or determinable amount of the related primary obligation, or portion thereof, in respect of which such Guarantee is made or, if not stated or determinable, the maximum

reasonably anticipated liability in respect thereof as determined by the guaranteeing Person in good faith.  The term "Guarantee" as a verb has a corresponding meaning.

"Guaranteed Party Designation Notice" means a notice from any Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender substantially in the form of Exhibit 4.01.

"Guaranteed Swap Agreement" means any Swap Contract permitted under this Agreement between any Loan Party and any Swap Bank; provided that for any of the foregoing to be included as a "Guaranteed Swap Agreement" on any date of determination by the Administrative Agent, the applicable Swap Bank (other than the Administrative Agent or an Affiliate of the Administrative Agent) must have delivered a Guaranteed Party Designation Notice to the Administrative Agent prior to such date of determination.

"Guaranteed Treasury Management Agreement" means any Treasury Management Agreement between any Loan Party and any Treasury Management Bank; provided, that for any of the foregoing to be included as a "Guaranteed Treasury Management Agreement" on any date of determination by the Administrative Agent, the applicable Treasury Management Bank (other than the Administrative Agent or an Affiliate of the Administrative Agent) must have delivered a Guaranteed Party Designation Notice to the Administrative Agent prior to such date of determination.

"Guarantor" means (a) Vectren Corporation, an Indiana corporation, (b) with respect to (i) Obligations under any Guaranteed Swap Agreement, (ii) Obligations under any Guaranteed Treasury Management Agreement, (iii) any Swap Obligation of a Specified Loan Party (determined before giving effect to Sections 4.01 and 4.08) under the Guaranty, the Borrower and (c) the successors and permitted assigns of the foregoing.

"Guaranty" means the Guaranty made by the Guarantor in favor of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders pursuant to Article IV.

"Hazardous Materials" means all explosive or radioactive substances or wastes and all hazardous or toxic substances, wastes or other pollutants, including petroleum or petroleum distillates, asbestos or asbestos-containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls, radon gas, infectious or medical wastes and all other substances or wastes of any nature regulated pursuant to any Environmental Law.

"Honor Date" has the meaning set forth in Section 2.03(c).

"Impacted Loans" has the meaning specified in Section 3.03.

"Indebtedness" of a Person means such Person's (i) obligations for borrowed money, (ii) obligations representing the deferred purchase price of property or services (other than accounts payable arising in the ordinary course of such Person's business payable on terms customary in the trade), (iii) obligations, whether or not assumed, secured by Liens or payable out of the proceeds or production from property now or hereafter owned or acquired by such Person, (iv) obligations which are evidenced by notes, acceptances or other instruments, (v) obligations of such Person to purchase securities or other property arising out of or in connection with the sale of the same or substantially similar securities or property, (vi) Capitalized Lease Obligations, (vii) Contingent Obligations, (viii) reimbursement and other obligations in connection with letters of credit, (ix) Net ▇▇▇▇-to-Market Exposure of Swap Contracts, (x) Synthetic Lease Obligations and (xi) any other obligation for borrowed money or other financial accommodation which in accordance with GAAP would be shown as a liability on the consolidated balance sheet of such Person.

"Indemnified Taxes" means (a) Taxes, other than Excluded Taxes, imposed on or with respect to any payment made by or on account of any obligation of any Loan Party under any Loan Document and (b) to the extent not otherwise described in (a), Other Taxes.

"Indemnitees" has the meaning specified in Section 10.04(b).

"Information" has the meaning specified in Section 10.07.

"Initial L/C Issuers" means Bank of America, ▇▇▇▇▇ Fargo, JPMorgan and MUFG in their capacity as L/C Issuers.

"Interest Payment Date" means (a) as to any Eurodollar Rate Loan, the last day of each Interest Period applicable to such Loan and the Maturity Date; provided, however, that if any Interest Period for a Eurodollar Rate Loan exceeds three months, the respective dates that fall every three months after the beginning of such Interest Period shall also be Interest Payment Dates; (b) as to any Base Rate Loan (including a Swing Line Loan), the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December and the Maturity Date; and (c) as to any Swing Line Loan based on the LIBOR Market Index Rate, the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December and the Maturity Date.

"Interest Period" means, as to each Eurodollar Rate Loan, the period commencing on the date such Eurodollar Rate Loan is disbursed or converted to or continued as a Eurodollar Rate Loan and ending on the date seven days or one, two, three or six months thereafter, or any time period between seven (7) days and sixty (60) days (in each case, subject to availability) as selected by the Borrower in its Loan Notice; provided that:

"Internal Revenue Code" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

"Investment" of a Person means any loan, advance (other than commission, travel and similar advances to officers and employees made in the ordinary course of business), extension of credit (other than accounts receivable arising in the ordinary course of business on terms customary in the trade) or contribution of capital by such Person; stocks, bonds, mutual funds, partnership interests, notes, debentures or other securities owned by such Person; any deposit accounts and certificate of deposit

owned by such Person; and structured notes, derivative financial instruments and other similar instruments or contracts owned by such Person.

"IRS" means the United States Internal Revenue Service.

"ISP" means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, the "International Standby Practices 1998" published by the Institute of International Banking Law & Practice, Inc. (or such later version thereof as may be in effect at the time of issuance).

"Issuer Documents" means with respect to any Letter of Credit, the Letter of Credit Application, and any other document, agreement and instrument entered into by the applicable L/C Issuer and the Borrower (or any Subsidiary) or in favor of the applicable L/C Issuer and relating to such Letter of Credit.

"JPMorgan" means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A..

"Laws" means, collectively, all international, foreign, federal, state and local statutes, treaties, rules, guidelines, regulations, ordinances, codes and administrative or judicial precedents or authorities, including the interpretation or administration thereof by any Governmental Authority charged with the enforcement, interpretation or administration thereof, and all applicable administrative orders, directed duties, requests, licenses, authorizations and permits of, and agreements with, any Governmental Authority, in each case whether or not having the force of law.

"L/C Advance" means, with respect to each Lender, such Lender's funding of its participation in any L/C Borrowing in accordance with its Applicable Percentage.

"L/C Borrowing" means an extension of credit resulting from a drawing under any Letter of Credit which has not been reimbursed on the date when made or refinanced as a Borrowing of Revolving Loans.

"L/C Commitment" means, as to each Initial L/C Issuer, its obligation to issue Letters of Credit to the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.03 in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed 25% of the Letter of Credit Sublimit (which, as of the Closing Date, would be $20,000,000), as such amount may be adjusted from time to time in accordance with this Agreement.

"L/C Credit Extension" means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, the issuance thereof or extension of the expiry date thereof, or the increase of the amount thereof.

"L/C Issuer" means with respect to a particular Letter of Credit, (a) each Initial L/C Issuer in its capacity as issuer of such Letter of Credit, (b) such other Lender selected by the Borrower (upon notice to the Administrative Agent) from time to time to issue such Letter of Credit (provided that no Lender shall be required to become an L/C Issuer pursuant to this subclause (b) without such Lender's consent), or any successor issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder or (c) any Lender selected by the Borrower (with the consent of the Administrative Agent) to replace a Lender who is a Defaulting Lender at the time of such Lender's appointment as an L/C Issuer (provided that no Lender shall be required to become an L/C Issuer pursuant to this subclause (c) without such Lender's consent), or any successor issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder.

"L/C Obligations" means, as at any date of determination, the aggregate amount available to be drawn under all outstanding Letters of Credit plus the aggregate of all Unreimbursed Amounts, including all L/C Borrowings.  For purposes of computing the amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance with Section 1.06.  For all

purposes of this Agreement, if on any date of determination a Letter of Credit has expired by its terms but any amount may still be drawn thereunder by reason of the operation of Rule 3.14 of the ISP, such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be "outstanding" in the amount so remaining available to be drawn.

"Lenders" means each of the Persons identified as a "Lender" on the signature pages hereto, each other Person that becomes a "Lender" in accordance with this Agreement and their successors and assigns and, as the context requires, includes the Swing Line Lender.

"Lending Office" means, as to any Lender, the office or offices of such Lender described as such in such Lender's Administrative Questionnaire, or such other office or offices as a Lender may from time to time notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent.

"Letter of Credit" means any standby letter of credit issued hereunder.

"Letter of Credit Application" means an application and agreement for the issuance or amendment of a letter of credit in the form from time to time in use by the applicable L/C Issuer.

"Letter of Credit Expiration Date" means the day that is five Business Days prior to the Maturity Date then in effect (or, if such day is not a Business Day, the next preceding Business Day).

"Letter of Credit Fee" has the meaning specified in Section 2.03(h).

"Letter of Credit Sublimit" means an amount equal to the lesser of (a) the Aggregate Revolving Commitments and (b) $80,000,000.  The Letter of Credit Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the Aggregate Revolving Commitments.

"LIBOR Market Index Rate" shall mean, for any day, in the case of Dollars, the rate for one month interbank offered rate for deposits in Dollars appearing on the applicable Bloomberg screen page (or such other commercially available source providing such quotations as may be designated by the Administrative Agent from time to time) at approximately 11:00 a.m. (London time) on such day, or if such day is not a London Banking Day, then the immediately preceding London Banking Day (or if not so reported, then as determined by the Administrative Agent from another recognized source or interbank quotation); provided, that, if the LIBOR Market Index Rate shall be less than zero, such rate shall be deemed to be zero for purposes of this Agreement.

"Lien" means any mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit arrangement, encumbrance, lien (statutory or otherwise), charge, or preference, priority or other security interest or preferential arrangement in the nature of a security interest of any kind or nature whatsoever (including any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, any easement, right of way or other encumbrance on title to real property, and any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing).

"Loan" means an extension of credit by a Lender to the Borrower under Article II in the form of a Revolving Loan or Swing Line Loan.

"Loan Documents" means this Agreement, each Note, each Issuer Document, any agreement creating or perfecting rights in Cash Collateral pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.14 and the Fee Letters.

"Loan Notice" means a notice of (a) a Borrowing of Revolving Loans, (b) a conversion of Loans from one Type to the other, or (c) a continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans, in each case pursuant to

Section 2.02(a), which, if in writing, shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit 2.02 or such other form as may be approved by the Administrative Agent (including any form on an electronic platform or electronic transmission system as shall be approved by the Administrative Agent) appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower.

"Loan Parties" means, collectively, the Borrower and the Guarantor.

"London Banking Day" means any day on which dealings in Dollar deposits are conducted by and between banks in the London interbank eurodollar market.

"Material Adverse Effect" means (a) a material adverse change in, or a material adverse effect upon, the operations, business, properties, liabilities (actual or contingent) or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Guarantor and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole; (b) a material impairment of the ability of any Loan Party to perform its obligations under any Loan Document to which it is a party; or (c) a material adverse effect upon the legality, validity, binding effect or enforceability against any Loan Party of any Loan Document to which it is a party.

"Material Indebtedness" has the meaning specified in Section 8.01(e).

"Maturity Date" means July 14, 2022 or, with respect to some or all of the Lenders if such date is extended pursuant to Section 2.16, July 14, 2023 and/or July 14, 2024; provided, however, that, in each case, if such date is not a Business Day, the Maturity Date shall be the next preceding Business Day.

"Minimum Collateral Amount" means, at any time, (a) with respect to Cash Collateral consisting of cash or deposit account balances provided to reduce or eliminate Fronting Exposure during the existence of a Defaulting Lender, an amount equal to 102% of the Fronting Exposure of the applicable L/C Issuer(s) with respect to Letters of Credit issued and outstanding at such time, (b) with respect to Cash Collateral consisting of cash or deposit account balances provided in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.14(a)(i), (a)(ii) or (a)(iii), an amount equal to 102% of the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations, and (c) otherwise, an amount determined by the Administrative Agent and the applicable L/C Issuer(s) in their sole discretion.

"MLPFS" means ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Lynch, Pierce, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ Incorporated (or any other registered broker-dealer wholly-owned by Bank of America Corporation to which all or substantially all of Bank of America Corporation’s or any of its subsidiaries’ investment banking, commercial lending services or related businesses may be transferred following the date of this Agreement), in its capacity as a joint lead arranger and a joint book runner.

"Moody's" means ▇▇▇▇▇'▇ Investors Service, Inc. and any successor thereto.

"Mortgage Indenture" means the Mortgage and Deed of Trust, dated as of April 1, 1932, between SIGECO and Bankers Trust Company (as supplemented from time to time before or after the date hereof by various supplemental indentures thereto).

"MUFG" means MUFG Union Bank, N.A.

"Multiemployer Plan" means a Plan of the type described in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA which the Borrower or any other member of the Controlled Group is a party to or is currently, or during the preceding five years has been obligated to make contributions.

"Net ▇▇▇▇-to-Market Exposure" of a Person means, as of any date of determination, the excess (if any) of all unrealized losses over all unrealized profits of such Person arising from Swap Contracts.  "Unrealized losses" means the fair market value of the cost to such Person of replacing such Swap Contract as of the date of determination (assuming the Swap Contract were to be terminated as of that date), and "unrealized profits" means the fair market value of the gain to such Person of replacing such Swap Contract as of the date of determination (assuming such Swap Contract were to be terminated as of that date).

"Non-Consenting Lender" means any Lender that does not approve any consent, waiver or amendment that (a) requires the approval of all Lenders or all affected Lenders in accordance with the terms of Section 10.01 and (b) has been approved by the Required Lenders.

"Non-Defaulting Lender" means, at any time, each Lender that is not a Defaulting Lender at such time.

"Non-Extending Lender" has the meaning specified in Section 2.16(a).

"Note" has the meaning specified in Section 2.11(a).

"Notice of Loan Prepayment" means a notice of prepayment with respect to a Loan, which shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit 2.05 or such other form as may be approved by the Administrative Agent (including any form on an electronic platform or electronic transmission system as shall be approved by the Administrative Agent), appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower.

"Obligations" means all advances to, and debts, liabilities, obligations, covenants and duties of, any Loan Party arising under any Loan Document or otherwise with respect to any Loan or Letter of Credit, whether direct or indirect (including those acquired by assumption), absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter arising and including interest and fees that accrue after the commencement by or against any Loan Party or any Affiliate thereof of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Laws naming such Person as the debtor in such proceeding, regardless of whether such interest and fees are allowed claims in such proceeding. The foregoing shall also include (a) all obligations under any Guaranteed Swap Agreement and (b) all obligations under any Guaranteed Treasury Management Agreement.

"OFAC" means the U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control.

"Organization Documents" means, (a) with respect to any corporation, the certificate or articles of incorporation and the bylaws (or equivalent or comparable constitutive documents with respect to any non-U.S. jurisdiction); (b) with respect to any limited liability company, the certificate or articles of formation or organization and operating agreement; and (c) with respect to any partnership, joint venture, trust or other form of business entity, the partnership, joint venture or other applicable agreement of formation or organization and any agreement, instrument, filing or notice with respect thereto filed in connection with its formation or organization with the applicable Governmental Authority in the jurisdiction of its formation or organization and, if applicable, any certificate or articles of formation or organization of such entity.

"Other Connection Taxes" means, with respect to any Recipient, Taxes imposed as a result of a present or former connection between such Recipient and the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (other than connections arising from such Recipient having executed, delivered, become a party to, performed its obligations under, received payments under, received or perfected a security interest under, engaged in

any other transaction pursuant to or enforced any Loan Document, or sold or assigned an interest in any Loan or Loan Document).

"Other Taxes" means all present or future stamp, court or documentary, intangible, recording, filing or similar Taxes that arise from any payment made under, from the execution, delivery, performance, enforcement or registration of, from the receipt or perfection of a security interest under, or otherwise with respect to, any Loan Document, except any such Taxes that are Other Connection Taxes imposed with respect to an assignment (other than an assignment made pursuant to Section 3.06).

"Outstanding Amount" means (a) with respect to any Loans on any date, the aggregate outstanding principal amount thereof after giving effect to any borrowings and prepayments or repayments of any Loans occurring on such date; and (b) with respect to any L/C Obligations on any date, the amount of such L/C Obligations on such date after giving effect to any L/C Credit Extension occurring on such date and any other changes in the aggregate amount of the L/C Obligations as of such date, including as a result of any reimbursements by the Borrower of Unreimbursed Amounts.

"Participant" has the meaning specified in Section 10.06(d).

"Participant Register" has the meaning specified in Section 10.06(d).

"PBGC" means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or any successor thereto.

"Person" means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership, Governmental Authority or other entity.

"Plan" means an employee pension benefit plan which is covered by Title IV of ERISA or subject to the minimum funding standards under Section 412 or Section 430 of the Code as to which the Borrower or any other member of the Controlled Group may have any liability.

"Platform" has the meaning specified in Section 7.01.

"Public Lender" has the meaning specified in Section 7.01.

"Qualified ECP Guarantor" means, at any time, each Loan Party with total assets exceeding $10,000,000 or that qualifies at such time as an “eligible contract participant” under the Commodity Exchange Act and can cause another Person to qualify as an “eligible contract participant” at such time under Section 1a(18)(A)(v)(II) of the Commodity Exchange Act.

"Recipient" means the Administrative Agent, any Lender, any L/C Issuer or any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any obligation of any Loan Party hereunder.

"Register" has the meaning specified in Section 10.06(c).

"Regulation U" means Regulation U of the FRB as from time to time in effect and any successor or other regulation or official interpretation of said Board of Governors relating to the extension of credit by banks for the purpose of purchasing or carrying margin stocks applicable to member banks of the Federal Reserve System.

"Related Parties" means, with respect to any Person, such Person's Affiliates and the partners, directors, officers, employees, agents, trustees, administrators, managers, advisors and representatives of such Person and of such Person's Affiliates.

"Reportable Event" means a reportable event as defined in Section 4043 of ERISA and the regulations issued under such section, with respect to a Plan, excluding, however, such events as to which the PBGC has by regulation waived the requirement of Section 4043(a) of ERISA that it be notified within 30 days of the occurrence of such event, provided, however, that a failure to meet the minimum funding standard of Section 412 or Section 430 of the Code and of Section 302 of ERISA shall be a Reportable Event regardless of the issuance of any such waiver of the notice requirement in accordance with either Section 4043(a) of ERISA or Section 412(d) of the Code.

"Request for Credit Extension" means (a) with respect to a Borrowing, conversion or continuation of Loans, a Loan Notice, (b) with respect to an L/C Credit Extension, a Letter of Credit Application, and (c) with respect to a Swing Line Loan, a Swing Line Loan Notice.

"Required Lenders" means, at any time, Lenders holding in the aggregate more than 50% of (a) the unfunded Commitments and the outstanding Loans, L/C Obligations and participations therein (with the aggregate amount of each Lender's participation in Swing Line Loans being deemed "held" by such Lender for purposes of this definition) or (b) if the Commitments have been terminated, the outstanding Loans, L/C Obligations and participations therein (with the aggregate amount of each Lender's participation in Swing Line Loans being deemed "held" by such Lender for purposes of this definition).  The unfunded Commitments of, and the outstanding Loans, L/C Obligations and participations therein held or deemed held by, any Defaulting Lender shall be excluded for purposes of making a determination of Required Lenders.

"Responsible Officer" means the chief executive officer, president, chief financial officer, treasurer, assistant treasurer or controller of a Loan Party, solely for purposes of the delivery of incumbency certificates pursuant to Section 5.01, the secretary or any assistant secretary of a Loan Party and, solely for purposes of notices given pursuant to Article II, any other officer or employee of the applicable Loan Party so designated by any of the foregoing officers in a notice to the Administrative Agent or any other officer or employee of the applicable Loan Party designated in or pursuant to an agreement between the applicable Loan Party and the Administrative Agent.  Any document delivered hereunder that is signed by a Responsible Officer of a Loan Party shall be conclusively presumed to have been authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership and/or other action on the part of such Loan Party and such Responsible Officer shall be conclusively presumed to have acted on behalf of such Loan Party.  To the extent requested by the Administrative Agent, each Responsible Officer will provide an incumbency certificate and appropriate authorization documentation, in each case, in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

"Revolving Commitment" means, as to each Lender, its obligation to (a) make Revolving Loans to the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.01, (b) purchase participations in L/C Obligations, and (c) purchase participations in Swing Line Loans, in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed the amount set forth opposite such Lender's name on Schedule 2.01 or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender becomes a party hereto or in any documentation executed by such Lender pursuant to Section 2.01(b), as applicable as such amount may be adjusted from time to time in accordance with this Agreement.

"Revolving Loan" has the meaning specified in Section 2.01(a).

"S&P" means S&P Global Ratings, a division of S&P Global Inc., and any successor thereto.

"Sanctions" has the meaning set forth in Section 6.20.

"SEC" means the Securities and Exchange Commission, or any Governmental Authority succeeding to any of its principal functions.

"SIGECO" means Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company, an Indiana corporation.

"Single Employer Plan" means a Plan maintained by the Guarantor or any other member of the Controlled Group for employees of the Guarantor or any other member of the Controlled Group.

"Specified Loan Party" has the meaning set forth in Section 4.08.

"Subsidiary" of a Person means a corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other business entity of which a majority of the shares of Voting Stock is at the time beneficially owned, or the management of which is otherwise controlled, directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, or both, by such Person; provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, it is understood that the amount of economic interest that a Person may have in another Person shall have no bearing on whether or not such Person is deemed to be a Subsidiary. Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to a "Subsidiary" or to "Subsidiaries" shall refer to a Subsidiary or Subsidiaries of the Borrower.

"Substantial Portion" means, with respect to the property of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, property which (i) represents more than 10% of the consolidated assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as would be shown in the consolidated financial statements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at the beginning of the twelve-month period ending with the month in which such determination is made or (ii) is responsible for more than 10% of the consolidated net sales or of the consolidated net income of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as reflected in the financial statements referred to in clause (i) above.

"Swap Bank" means any Person that (a) at the time it enters into a Swap Contract, is a Lender or the Administrative Agent or an Affiliate of a Lender or the Administrative Agent, (b) in the case of any Swap Contract in effect on or prior to the Closing Date, is, as of the Closing Date or within 30 days thereafter, a Lender or the Administrative Agent or an Affiliate of a Lender or the Administrative Agent and a party to a Swap Contract or (c) within 30 days after the time it enters into the applicable Swap Contract, becomes a Lender, the Administrative Agent or an Affiliate of a Lender or the Administrative Agent, in each case, in its capacity as a party to such Swap Contract.

"Swap Contract" means (a) any and all rate swap transactions, basis swaps, credit derivative transactions, forward rate transactions, commodity swaps, commodity options, forward commodity contracts, equity or equity index swaps or options, bond or bond price or bond index swaps or options or forward bond or forward bond price or forward bond index transactions, interest rate options, forward foreign exchange transactions, cap transactions, floor transactions, collar transactions, currency swap transactions, cross-currency rate swap transactions, currency options, spot contracts, or any other similar transactions or any combination of any of the foregoing (including any options to enter into any of the foregoing), whether or not any such transaction is governed by or subject to any master agreement, and (b) any and all transactions of any kind, and the related confirmations, which are subject to the terms and conditions of, or governed by, any form of master agreement published by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc., any International Foreign Exchange Master Agreement, or any other master agreement (any such master agreement, together with any related schedules, a "Master Agreement"), including any such obligations or liabilities under any Master Agreement.

"Swap Obligation" means with respect to any Guarantor any obligation to pay or perform under any agreement, contract or transaction that constitutes a "swap" within the meaning of Section 1a(47) of the Commodity Exchange Act.

"Swing Line Lender" means Bank of America in its capacity as provider of Swing Line Loans, or any successor swing line lender hereunder.

"Swing Line Loan" has the meaning specified in Section 2.04(a).

"Swing Line Loan Notice" means a notice of a Borrowing of Swing Line Loans pursuant to Section 2.04(b), which, if in writing, shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit 2.04 or such other form as is approved by the Administrative Agent (including any form on an electronic platform or electronic transmission system as shall be approved by the Administrative Agent), appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower.

"Swing Line Sublimit" means an amount equal to the lesser of (a) $40,000,000 and (b) the Aggregate Revolving Commitments.  The Swing Line Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the Aggregate Revolving Commitments.

"Synthetic Lease Obligation" means the monetary obligation of a Person under (i) a so-called synthetic or off-balance sheet or tax retention lease or (ii) an agreement for the use or possession of property creating obligations that do not appear on the balance sheet of such Person but which, upon the insolvency or bankruptcy of such Person, would be characterized as indebtedness of such Person (without regard to accounting treatment).  The amount of Synthetic Lease Obligations of any Person under any such lease or agreement shall be the amount which would be shown as a liability on a balance sheet of such Person prepared in accordance with GAAP if such lease or agreement were accounted for as a Capitalized Lease.

"Taxes" means all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, withholdings (including backup withholding), assessments, fees or other charges imposed by any Governmental Authority, including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto.

"Threshold Amount" means $50,000,000.

"Total Revolving Outstandings" means the aggregate Outstanding Amount of all Revolving Loans, all Swing Line Loans and all L/C Obligations.

"Treasury Management Agreement" means any agreement governing the provision of treasury or cash management services, including deposit accounts, overnight draft, credit or debit cards, funds transfer, automated clearinghouse, zero balance accounts, returned check concentration, controlled disbursement, lockbox, account reconciliation and reporting and trade finance services and other cash management services.

"Treasury Management Bank" means any Person that (a) at the time it enters into a Treasury Management Agreement, is a Lender or the Administrative Agent or an Affiliate of a Lender or the Administrative Agent, (b) in the case of any Treasury Management Agreement in effect on or prior to the Closing Date, is, as of the Closing Date or within 30 days thereafter, a Lender or the Administrative Agent or an Affiliate of a Lender or the Administrative Agent and a party to a Treasury Management Agreement or (c) within 30 days after the time it enters into the applicable Treasury Management Agreement, becomes a Lender, the Administrative Agent or an Affiliate of a Lender or the Administrative Agent, in each case, in its capacity as a party to such Treasury Management Agreement.

"Type" means, with respect to any Loan, its character as a Base Rate Loan or a Eurodollar Rate Loan.

"Unfunded Liabilities" means the amount (if any) by which the present value of all vested and unvested accrued benefits under all Single Employer Plans exceeds the fair market value of all such Plan assets allocable to such benefits, all determined as of the then most recent valuation date for such Plans using PBGC actuarial assumptions for single employer plan terminations.

"United States" and "U.S." mean the United States of America.

"Unreimbursed Amount" has the meaning specified in Section 2.03(c)(i).

"U.S. Person" means any Person that is a "United States person" as defined in Section 7701(a)(30) of the Internal Revenue Code.

"U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate" has the meaning specified in Section 3.01(e)(ii)(B)(III).

"VUHI Credit Agreement" means that certain Credit Agreement, dated as of the Closing Date, by and among Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc., the guarantors party thereto, the lenders party thereto and Bank of America, as administrative agent.

"Voting Stock" means, with respect to any Person, Equity Interests issued by such Person the holders of which are ordinarily, in the absence of contingencies, entitled to vote for the election of directors (or persons performing similar functions) of such Person, even though the right so to vote has been suspended by the happening of such a contingency.

"▇▇▇▇▇ Fargo" means ▇▇▇▇▇ Fargo Bank, National Association.

"WFS" means ▇▇▇▇▇ Fargo Securities, LLC in its capacity as a joint lead arranger and joint book runner.

"Wholly-Owned Subsidiary" of a Person means (i) any Subsidiary all of the outstanding Voting Stock of which shall at the time be owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such Person or one or more Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries of such Person, or by such Person and one or more Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries of such Person, or (ii) any partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture or similar business organization 100% of the ownership interests having ordinary voting power of which shall at the time be so owned or controlled.

"Write-Down and Conversion Powers" means, with respect to any EEA Resolution Authority, the write-down and conversion powers of such EEA Resolution Authority from time to time under the Bail-In Legislation for the applicable EEA Member Country, which write-down and conversion powers are described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule.

With reference to this Agreement and each other Loan Document, unless otherwise specified herein or in such other Loan Document:

corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms.  The words "include," "includes" and "including" shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase "without limitation."  The word "will" shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word "shall."  Unless the context requires otherwise, (i) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document (including any Organization Document) shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set forth herein or in any other Loan Document), (ii) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person's successors and assigns, (iii) the words "hereto," "herein," "hereof" and "hereunder," and words of similar import when used in any Loan Document, shall be construed to refer to such Loan Document in its entirety and not to any particular provision thereof, (iv) all references in a Loan Document to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, the Loan Document in which such references appear, (v) any reference to any law shall include all statutory and regulatory provisions consolidating, amending, replacing or interpreting such law and any reference to any law or regulation shall, unless otherwise specified, refer to such law or regulation as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time, and (vi) the words "asset" and "property" shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect and to refer to any and all tangible and intangible assets and properties, including cash, securities, accounts and contract rights.

calculations of such ratio or requirement made before and after giving effect to such change in GAAP.

Any financial ratios required to be maintained by the Guarantor pursuant to this Agreement shall be calculated by dividing the appropriate component by the other component, carrying the result to one place more than the number of places by which such ratio is expressed herein and rounding the result up or down to the nearest number (with a rounding-up if there is no nearest number).

Unless otherwise specified herein, the amount of a Letter of Credit at any time shall be deemed to be the stated amount of such Letter of Credit in effect at such time; provided, however, that with respect to any Letter of Credit that, by its terms or the terms of any Issuer Document related thereto, provides for one or more automatic increases in the stated amount thereof, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be the maximum stated amount of such Letter of Credit after giving effect to all such increases, whether or not such maximum stated amount is in effect at such time.

ARTICLE II
THE COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT EXTENSIONS

(a) Revolving Loans.  Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Lender severally agrees to make loans (each such loan, a "Revolving Loan") to the Borrower in Dollars from time to time on any Business Day during the Availability Period in an aggregate amount not to exceed at any time outstanding the amount of such Lender's Revolving Commitment; provided, however, that after giving effect to any Borrowing of Revolving Loans, (i) the Total Revolving Outstandings shall not exceed the Aggregate Revolving Commitments, and (ii) the aggregate Outstanding Amount of the Revolving Loans of any Lender, plus such Lender's Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations, plus such Lender's Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all Swing Line Loans shall not exceed such Lender's Revolving Commitment.  Within the limits of each Lender's Revolving Commitment, and subject to the other terms and conditions hereof, the Borrower may borrow under this Section 2.01, prepay under Section 2.05, and reborrow under this Section 2.01.  Revolving Loans may be Base Rate Loans or Eurodollar Rate Loans, as further provided herein.

Swing Line Sublimit) by up to $200,000,000 in the aggregate in one or more increases, at any time prior to the date that is sixty days prior to the Maturity Date, subject, however, in any such case, to satisfaction of the following conditions precedent:

amount necessary such that after giving effect to the increase in the Aggregate Revolving Commitments, each Lender will hold its pro rata share (based on its Applicable Percentage of the increased Aggregate Revolving Commitments) of outstanding Revolving Loans.

applied to the payment in full of any such L/C Borrowings and second, shall be made available to the Borrower as provided above.

equal to the Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect.  The obligations of the Lenders under this clause shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.

The Borrower shall promptly examine a copy of each Letter of Credit and each amendment thereto that is delivered to it and, in the event of any claim of noncompliance with the

Borrower's instructions or other irregularity, the Borrower will immediately notify the applicable L/C Issuer.  The Borrower shall be conclusively deemed to have waived any such claim against the applicable L/C Issuer and its correspondents unless such notice is given as aforesaid.

International Financial Services Association (BAFT-IFSA), or the Institute of International Banking Law & Practice, whether or not any Letter of Credit chooses such law or practice.

2.04, shall, unless (i) any Lender at such time is a Defaulting Lender and (ii) the Swing Line Lender has not entered into arrangements satisfactory to it with the Borrower or such Defaulting Lender to eliminate the Swing Line Lender's actual or potential Fronting Exposure (after giving effect to Section 2.15(a)(iv)) with respect to such Defaulting Lender (in which case the Swing Line Lender may in its discretion), make loans (each such loan, a "Swing Line Loan") to the Borrower in Dollars from time to time on any Business Day during the Availability Period in an aggregate amount not to exceed at any time outstanding the amount of the Swing Line Sublimit, notwithstanding the fact that such Swing Line Loans, when aggregated with the Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of Revolving Loans and L/C Obligations of the Lender acting as Swing Line Lender, may exceed the amount of such Lender's Revolving Commitment; provided, however, that after giving effect to any Swing Line Loan, (i) the Total Revolving Outstandings shall not exceed the Aggregate Revolving Commitments, and (ii) the aggregate Outstanding Amount of the Revolving Loans of any Lender, plus such Lender's Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations, plus such Lender's Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all Swing Line Loans shall not exceed such Lender's Revolving Commitment, and provided, further, that the Borrower shall not use the proceeds of any Swing Line Loan to refinance any outstanding Swing Line Loan.  Within the foregoing limits, and subject to the other terms and conditions hereof, the Borrower may borrow under this Section 2.04, prepay under Section 2.05, and reborrow under this Section 2.04.  Each Swing Line Loan shall bear interest only at a rate based on the Base Rate or the LIBOR Market Index Rate.  Immediately upon the making of a Swing Line Loan, each Lender shall be deemed to, and hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to, purchase from the Swing Line Lender a risk participation in such Swing Line Loan in an amount equal to the product of such Lender's Applicable Percentage times the amount of such Swing Line Loan.

Lender will, not later than 3:00 p.m. on the borrowing date specified in such Swing Line Loan Notice, make the amount of its Swing Line Loan available to the Borrower either by (i) crediting the account of the Borrower on the books of Bank of America with the amount of such funds or (ii) wire transfer of such funds, in each case in accordance with instructions provided to (and reasonably acceptable to) the Swing Line Lender by the Borrower.

 

Loan, as the case may be.  A certificate of the Swing Line Lender submitted to any Lender (through the Administrative Agent) with respect to any amounts owing under this clause (iii) shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

(A) such notice must be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. (1) three Business Days prior to any date of prepayment of Eurodollar Rate Loans and (2) on the date of prepayment of Base Rate Loans; (B) any such prepayment of Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $5,000,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof (or, if less, the entire principal amount thereof then outstanding); and (C) any prepayment of Base Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $1,000,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof (or, if less, the entire principal amount thereof then outstanding).  Each such notice shall specify the date and amount of such prepayment and the Type(s) of Loans to be prepaid and, if Eurodollar Rate Loans are to be prepaid, the Interest Period(s) of such Loans.  The Administrative Agent will promptly notify each Lender of its receipt of each such notice, and of the amount of such Lender's Applicable Percentage of such prepayment.  If such notice is given by the Borrower, the Borrower shall make such prepayment and the payment amount specified in such notice shall be due and payable on the date specified therein.  Any prepayment of a Eurodollar Rate Loan shall be accompanied by all accrued interest on the amount prepaid, together with any additional amounts required pursuant to Section 3.05.  Subject to Section 2.15, each such prepayment shall be applied to the Loans of the Lenders in accordance with their respective Applicable Percentages.

Within the parameters of the applications set forth above, prepayments shall be applied first to Base Rate Loans and then to Eurodollar Rate Loans in direct order of Interest Period maturities.  All prepayments under this Section 2.05(b) shall be subject to Section 3.05, but

 

otherwise without premium or penalty, and shall be accompanied by interest on the principal amount prepaid through the date of prepayment.

The Borrower may, upon notice to the Administrative Agent, terminate the Aggregate Revolving Commitments, or from time to time permanently reduce the Aggregate Revolving Commitments to an amount not less than the Total Revolving Outstandings; provided that (i) any such notice shall be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 12:00 noon five Business Days prior to the date of termination or reduction, (ii) any such partial reduction shall be in an aggregate amount of $5,000,000 or any whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof and (iii) if, after giving effect to any reduction of the Aggregate Revolving Commitments, the Letter of Credit Sublimit or the Swing Line Sublimit exceeds the amount of the Aggregate Revolving Commitments, such sublimit shall be automatically reduced by the amount of such excess.  The Administrative Agent will promptly notify the Lenders of any such notice of termination or reduction of the Aggregate Revolving Commitments.  Any reduction of the Aggregate Revolving Commitments shall be applied to the Revolving Commitment of each Lender according to its Applicable Percentage.  All fees accrued with respect thereto until the effective date of any termination of the Aggregate Revolving Commitments shall be paid on the effective date of such termination.

(a) Subject to the provisions of subsection (b) below, (i) each Eurodollar Rate Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof for each Interest Period at a rate per annum equal to the sum of the Eurodollar Rate for such Interest Period plus the Applicable Rate; (ii) each Base Rate Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof from the applicable borrowing date at a rate per annum equal to the Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate; and (iii) each Swing Line Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof from the applicable borrowing date at a rate per annum equal to, at the Borrower's option, (x) the Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate or (y) the LIBOR Market Index Rate plus the Applicable Rate.

 

In addition to certain fees described in subsections (h) and (i) of Section 2.03:

(a) Commitment Fee.  The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of each Lender in accordance with its Applicable Percentage, a commitment fee equal to the product of (i) the Applicable Rate times (ii) the actual daily amount by which the Aggregate Revolving Commitments exceed the sum of (y) the Outstanding Amount of Revolving Loans and (z) the Outstanding Amount of L/C Obligations, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 2.15. The commitment fee shall accrue at all times during the Availability Period, including at any time during which one or more of the conditions in Article V is not met, and shall be due and payable quarterly in arrears on the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December, commencing with the first such date to occur after the Closing Date, and on the last day of the Availability Period; provided, that (A) no commitment fee shall accrue on the Revolving Commitment of a Defaulting Lender so long as such Lender shall be a Defaulting Lender and (B) any commitment fee accrued with respect to the Revolving Commitment of a Defaulting Lender during the period prior to the time such Lender became a Defaulting Lender and unpaid at such time shall not be payable by the Borrower so long as such Lender shall be a Defaulting Lender.  The commitment fee shall be calculated quarterly in arrears, and if there is any change in the Applicable Rate during any quarter, the actual daily amount shall be computed and multiplied by the Applicable Rate separately for each period during such quarter that such Applicable Rate was in effect.  For purposes of clarification, Swing Line Loans shall not be considered outstanding for purposes of determining the unused portion of the Aggregate Revolving Commitments.

 

All computations of interest for Base Rate Loans (including Base Rate Loans determined by reference to the Eurodollar Rate) shall be made on the basis of a year of 365 or 366 days, as the case may be, and actual days elapsed.  All other computations of fees and interest shall be made on the basis of a 360-day year and actual days elapsed (which results in more fees or interest, as applicable, being paid than if computed on the basis of a 365-day year).  Interest shall accrue on each Loan for the day on which the Loan is made, and shall not accrue on a Loan, or any portion thereof, for the day on which the Loan or such portion is paid, provided that any Loan that is repaid on the same day on which it is made shall, subject to Section 2.12(a), bear interest for one day.  Each determination by the Administrative Agent of an interest rate or fee hereunder shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.

on the next following Business Day, and such extension of time shall be reflected in computing interest or fees, as the case may be.

(ii) Payments by Borrower; Presumptions by Administrative Agent.  Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from the Borrower prior to the time at which any payment is due to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders or the applicable L/C Issuer hereunder that the Borrower will not make such payment, the Administrative Agent may assume that the Borrower has made such payment on such date in accordance herewith and may, in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to the Lenders or the applicable L/C Issuer, as the case may be, the amount due.  In such event, if the Borrower has not in fact made such payment, then each of the Lenders or the applicable L/C Issuer, as the case may be, severally agrees to repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the amount so distributed to such Lender or such L/C Issuer, in immediately available funds with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is distributed to it to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation.

A notice of the Administrative Agent to any Lender or the Borrower with respect to any amount owing under this subsection (b) shall be conclusive, absent manifest error.

provisions of this Article II, and such funds are not made available to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent because the conditions to the applicable Credit Extension set forth in Article V are not satisfied or waived in accordance with the terms hereof, the Administrative Agent shall return such funds (in like funds as received from such Lender) to such Lender, without interest.

If any Lender shall, by exercising any right of setoff or counterclaim or otherwise, obtain payment in respect of any principal of or interest on any of the Loans made by it, or the participations in L/C Obligations or in Swing Line Loans held by it resulting in such Lender's receiving payment of a proportion of the aggregate amount of such Loans or participations and accrued interest thereon greater than its pro rata share thereof as provided herein, then the Lender receiving such greater proportion shall (a) notify the Administrative Agent of such fact, and (b) purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the Loans and subparticipations in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans of the other Lenders, or make such other adjustments as shall be equitable, so that the benefit of all such payments shall be shared by the Lenders ratably in accordance with the aggregate amount of principal of and accrued interest on their respective Loans and other amounts owing them, provided that:

or subparticipations shall be rescinded and the purchase price restored to the extent of such recovery, without interest; and

Each Loan Party consents to the foregoing and agrees, to the extent it may effectively do so under applicable law, that any Lender acquiring a participation pursuant to the foregoing arrangements may exercise against such Loan Party rights of setoff and counterclaim with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were a direct creditor of such Loan Party in the amount of such participation.

(b) Grant of Security Interest.  The Borrower, and to the extent provided by any Defaulting Lender, such Defaulting Lender, hereby grants to (and subjects to the control of) the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuers and the Lenders, and agrees to maintain, a first priority security interest in all such cash, deposit accounts and all balances therein, and all other property so provided as collateral pursuant hereto, and in all proceeds of the foregoing, all as security for the obligations to which such Cash Collateral may be applied pursuant to Section 2.14(c).  If at any time the Administrative Agent determines that Cash Collateral is subject to any right or claim of any Person other than the Administrative Agent or the applicable L/C Issuer as herein provided, or that the total amount of such Cash Collateral is less than the Minimum Collateral Amount, the Borrower will, promptly upon demand by the Administrative Agent, pay or provide to the Administrative Agent additional Cash Collateral in an amount sufficient to eliminate such deficiency. All Cash Collateral (other than credit support not constituting funds subject to deposit) shall be maintained in blocked, non-interest bearing deposit accounts at Bank of America. The Borrower shall pay on demand therefor from time to time all customary account opening, activity and other administrative fees and charges in connection with the maintenance and disbursement of Cash Collateral.

Obligations, obligations to fund participations therein (including, as to Cash Collateral provided by a Defaulting Lender, any interest accrued on such obligation) and other obligations for which the Cash Collateral was so provided, prior to any other application of such property as may be provided for herein.

(ii) Reallocation of Payments.  Any payment of principal, interest, fees or other amounts received by the Administrative Agent for the account of that Defaulting Lender (whether voluntary or mandatory, at maturity, pursuant to Article VIII or otherwise, and including any amounts made available to the Administrative Agent by that Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 10.08), shall be applied at such time or times as may be determined by the Administrative Agent as follows: first, to the payment of any amounts owing by that Defaulting Lender to the Administrative Agent hereunder; second, to the payment on a pro rata basis of any amounts owing by that Defaulting Lender to the L/C Issuers or Swing Line Lender hereunder; third, to Cash Collateralize the L/C Issuers' Fronting Exposure with respect to such Defaulting Lender in accordance with Section 2.14; fourth, as the Borrower may request (so long as no Default exists), to the funding of any Loan in respect of which that Defaulting Lender has failed to fund its portion thereof as required by this Agreement, as determined by the Administrative Agent; fifth, if so determined by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower, to be held in a non-interest bearing deposit account and released pro rata in order to (x) satisfy such Defaulting Lender's potential future funding obligations with respect to Loans under this Agreement and (y) Cash Collateralize the L/C Issuer's future Fronting Exposure with respect to such Defaulting Lender with respect to future Letters of Credit issued under this Agreement, in accordance with Section 2.14; sixth, to the payment of any amounts owing to the Lenders, the L/C Issuers or Swing Line Lender as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by any Lender, any L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender against that Defaulting Lender as a result of that Defaulting Lender's breach of its obligations under this Agreement; seventh, so long as no Default exists, to the payment of

any amounts owing to the Borrower as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by the Borrower against that Defaulting Lender as a result of that Defaulting Lender's breach of its obligations under this Agreement; and eighth, to that Defaulting Lender or as otherwise directed by a court of competent jurisdiction; provided that if (x) such payment is a payment of the principal amount of any Loans or L/C Borrowings in respect of which that Defaulting Lender has not fully funded its appropriate share and (y) such Loans or L/C Borrowings were made at a time when the conditions set forth in Section 5.02 were satisfied or waived, such payment shall be applied solely to pay the Loans of, and L/C Borrowings owed to, all Non-Defaulting Lenders on a pro rata basis prior to being applied to the payment of any Loans of, or L/C Borrowings owed to, that Defaulting Lender until such time as all Loans, L/C Borrowings and funded and unfunded participations in Swing Line Loans are held by the Lenders pro rata in accordance with the Commitments hereunder without giving effect to Section 2.15(a)(iv).  Any payments, prepayments or other amounts paid or payable to a Defaulting Lender that are applied (or held) to pay amounts owed by a Defaulting Lender or to post Cash Collateral pursuant to this Section 2.15(a)(ii) shall be deemed paid to and redirected by that Defaulting Lender, and each Lender irrevocably consents hereto.

 

any claim of any party hereunder against a Defaulting Lender arising from that Lender having become a Defaulting Lender, including any claim of a Non-Defaulting Lender as a result of such Non-Defaulting Lender's increased exposure following such reallocation.

 

ARTICLE III
TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY

(ii) If any Loan Party or the Administrative Agent shall be required by the Internal Revenue Code to withhold or deduct any Taxes, including both United States Federal backup withholding and withholding Taxes, from any payment, then (A) the Administrative Agent shall withhold or make such deductions as are determined by the Administrative Agent to be required based upon the information and documentation it has received pursuant to subsection (e) below, (B) the Administrative Agent shall timely pay the full amount withheld or deducted to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code, and (C) to the extent that the withholding or deduction is made on account of Indemnified Taxes, the sum payable by the applicable Loan Party shall be increased as necessary so that after any required withholding or the making of all required deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under this Section 3.01) the applicable Recipient receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such withholding or deduction been made.

 

(ii) Each Lender and each L/C Issuer shall, and does hereby, severally indemnify, and shall make payment in respect thereof within 10 days after demand therefor, (x) the Administrative Agent against any Indemnified Taxes attributable to such Lender or such L/C Issuer (but only to the extent that any Loan Party has not already indemnified the Administrative Agent for such Indemnified Taxes and without limiting the obligation of the Loan Parties to do so), (y) the Administrative Agent and the Loan Parties, as applicable, against any Taxes attributable to such Lender's failure to comply with the provisions of Section 10.06(d) relating to the maintenance of a Participant Register and (z) the Administrative Agent and the Loan Parties, as applicable, against any Excluded Taxes attributable to such Lender or such L/C Issuer, in each case, that are payable or paid by the Administrative Agent or a Loan Party in connection with any Loan Document, and any reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority.  A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to any Lender by the Administrative Agent shall be conclusive absent manifest error.  Each Lender and each L/C Issuer hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to set off and apply any and all amounts at any time owing to such Lender or such L/C Issuer, as the case may be, under this Agreement or any other Loan Document against any amount due to the Administrative Agent under this clause (ii).

 

(A) any Lender that is a U.S. Person shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent on or prior to the date on which such Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent), executed copies of IRS Form W-9 certifying that such Lender is exempt from U.S. federal backup withholding Tax;

 

(C) any Foreign Lender shall, to the extent it is legally entitled to do so, deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent), executed originals of any other form prescribed by applicable Law as a basis for claiming exemption from or a reduction in U.S. federal withholding Tax, duly completed, together with such supplementary documentation as may be prescribed by applicable law to permit the Borrower or the Administrative Agent to determine the withholding or deduction required to be made; and

 

(f) Treatment of Certain Refunds.  Unless required by applicable Laws, at no time shall the Administrative Agent have any obligation to file for or otherwise pursue on behalf of a Lender or an L/C Issuer, or have any obligation to pay to any Lender or an L/C Issuer, any refund of Taxes withheld or deducted from funds paid for the account of such Lender or such L/C Issuer, as the case may be.  If any Recipient determines, in its sole discretion exercised in good faith, that it has received a refund of any Taxes as to which it has been indemnified by any Loan Party or with respect to which any Loan Party has paid additional amounts pursuant to this Section 3.01, it shall pay to the Loan Party an amount equal to such refund (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made, or additional amounts paid, by a Loan Party under this Section 3.01 with respect to the Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses (including Taxes) incurred by such Recipient, and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such refund), provided that the Loan Party, upon the request of the Recipient, agrees to repay the amount paid over to the Loan Party (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) to the Recipient in the event the Recipient is required to repay such refund to such Governmental Authority.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this subsection, in no event will the applicable Recipient be required to pay any amount to the Loan Party pursuant to this subsection the payment of which would place the Recipient in a less favorable net after-Tax position than such Recipient would have been in if the Tax subject to indemnification and giving rise to such refund had not been deducted, withheld or otherwise imposed and the indemnification payments or additional amounts with respect to such Tax had never been paid.  This subsection shall not be construed to require any Recipient to make available its tax returns (or any other information relating to its Taxes that it deems confidential) to any Loan Party or any other Person.

If any Lender determines that any Law has made it unlawful, or that any Governmental Authority has asserted that it is unlawful, for any Lender or its applicable Lending Office to perform any of its obligations hereunder or make, maintain or fund or charge interest with respect to any Credit Extension, or to determine or charge interest rates based upon the Eurodollar Rate, or any Governmental Authority has imposed material restrictions on the authority of such Lender to purchase or sell, or to take deposits of, Dollars in the London interbank market, then, on notice thereof by such Lender to the Borrower through the Administrative Agent, (i) any obligation of such Lender to issue, make, maintain, fund or charge interest with respect to any such Credit Extension or continue Eurodollar Rate Loans or to convert Base Rate Loans to Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be suspended and (ii) if such notice asserts the illegality of such Lender making or maintaining Base Rate Loans the interest rate on which is determined by reference to the Eurodollar Rate component of the Base Rate, the interest rate on which Base Rate Loans of such Lender, shall, if necessary to avoid such illegality, be determined by the Administrative Agent without reference to the Eurodollar Rate component of the Base Rate, in each case until such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent and the Borrower that the circumstances giving rise to such determination no longer exist.  Upon receipt of such notice, (x) the Borrower shall, upon demand from

 

such Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), prepay or, if applicable, convert all of such Lender's Eurodollar Rate Loans to Base Rate Loans (the interest rate on which Base Rate Loans of such Lender shall, if necessary to avoid such illegality, be determined by the Administrative Agent without reference to the Eurodollar Rate component of the Base Rate), either on the last day of the Interest Period therefor, if such Lender may lawfully continue to maintain such Eurodollar Rate Loans to such day, or immediately, if such Lender may not lawfully continue to maintain such Eurodollar Rate Loans and (y) if such notice asserts the illegality of such Lender determining or charging interest rates based upon the Eurodollar Rate, the Administrative Agent shall during the period of such suspension compute the Base Rate applicable to such Lender without reference to the Eurodollar Rate component thereof until the Administrative Agent is advised in writing by such Lender that it is no longer illegal  for such Lender to determine or charge interest rates based upon the Eurodollar Rate.  Upon any such prepayment or conversion, the Borrower shall also pay accrued interest on the amount so prepaid or converted.

If in connection with any request for a Eurodollar Rate Loan or a conversion to or continuation thereof or otherwise, (a) the Administrative Agent determines that (i) Dollar deposits are not being offered to banks in the applicable offshore interbank eurodollar market for such currency for the applicable amount and Interest Period of such Eurodollar Rate Loan or (ii) adequate and reasonable means do not exist for determining the Eurodollar Base Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed Eurodollar Rate Loan or in connection with an existing or proposed Base Rate Loan (in each case with respect to this clause (a), "Impacted Loans"), or (b) the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders determine that for any reason the Eurodollar Base Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed Eurodollar Rate Loan does not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to the Lenders of funding such Loan, the Administrative Agent will promptly notify the Borrower and each Lender.  Thereafter, (x) the obligation of the Lenders to make or maintain Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be suspended (to the extent of the affected Eurodollar Rate Loans or Interest Periods) and (y) in the event of a determination described in the preceding sentence with respect to the Eurodollar Rate component of the Base Rate, the utilization of the Eurodollar Rate component in determining the Base Rate shall be suspended, in each case until the Administrative Agent revokes such notice.  Upon receipt of such notice, the Borrower may revoke any pending request for a Borrowing, conversion or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans (to the extent of the affected Eurodollar Rate Loans or Interest Periods) or, failing that, will be deemed to have converted such request into a request for a Borrowing of Base Rate Loans in the amount specified therein.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Administrative Agent has made the determination described in clause (a) of this Section 3.03, the Administrative Agent, in consultation with the Borrower and the affected Lenders, may establish an alternative interest rate for the applicable Impacted Loans, in which case, such alternative interest rate shall apply with respect to such Impacted Loans until (1) the Administrative Agent revokes the notice delivered with respect to the applicable Impacted Loans under the first sentence of this Section 3.03, (2) the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower that such alternative interest rate does not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of funding the applicable Impacted Loans, or (3) any Lender determines that any Law has made it unlawful, or that any Governmental Authority has asserted that it is unlawful, for such Lender or its applicable Lending Office to make, maintain or fund Loans whose interest is determined by reference to such alternative interest rate or to determine or charge interest rates based upon such rate or any Governmental Authority has imposed material restrictions on the ability of such Lender to do any of the foregoing and, in each case, such Lender provides the Administrative Agent and the Borrower written notice thereof.

 

and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lender of making, converting to, continuing or maintaining any Loan the interest on which is determined by reference to the Eurodollar Rate (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan), or to increase the cost to such Lender or such L/C Issuer of participating in, issuing or maintaining any Letter of Credit (or of maintaining its obligation to participate in or to issue any Letter of Credit), or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender or such L/C Issuer hereunder (whether of principal, interest or any other amount) then, upon request of such Lender or such L/C Issuer, the Borrower will pay to such Lender or such L/C Issuer, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or such L/C Issuer, as the case may be, for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.

 

Upon demand of any Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) from time to time, the Borrower shall promptly compensate such Lender for and hold such Lender harmless from any loss, cost or expense incurred by it as a result of:

including any loss of anticipated profits and any loss or expense arising from the liquidation or reemployment of funds obtained by it to maintain such Loan or from fees payable to terminate the deposits from which such funds were obtained.  The Borrower shall also pay any customary administrative fees charged by such Lender in connection with the foregoing.

For purposes of calculating amounts payable by the Borrower to the Lenders under this Section 3.05, each Lender shall be deemed to have funded each Eurodollar Rate Loan made by it at the Eurodollar Base Rate used in determining the Eurodollar Rate for such Loan by a matching deposit or other borrowing in the London interbank eurodollar market for a comparable amount and for a comparable period, whether or not such Eurodollar Rate Loan was in fact so funded.

 

the case may be, in the future, or eliminate the need for the notice pursuant to Section 3.02, as applicable, and (ii) in each case, would not subject such Lender or such L/C Issuer, as the case may be, to any unreimbursed cost or expense and would not otherwise be disadvantageous to such Lender or such L/C Issuer, as the case may be.  The Borrower hereby agrees to pay all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by any Lender or any L/C Issuer in connection with any such designation or assignment.

All of the Loan Parties' obligations under this Article III shall survive termination of the Aggregate Revolving Commitments, repayment of all other Obligations hereunder, and resignation of the Administrative Agent.

ARTICLE IV
GUARANTY

The Guarantor hereby guarantees to each Lender, each L/C Issuer, each Swap Bank, each Treasury Management Bank, and the Administrative Agent as hereinafter provided, as primary obligor and not as surety, the prompt payment of the Obligations in full when due (whether at stated maturity, as a mandatory prepayment, by acceleration, as a mandatory Cash Collateralization or otherwise) strictly in accordance with the terms thereof.  The Guarantor hereby further agrees that if any of the Obligations are not paid in full when due (whether at stated maturity, as a mandatory prepayment, by acceleration, as a mandatory Cash Collateralization or otherwise), the Guarantor will promptly pay the same, without any demand or notice whatsoever, and that in the case of any extension of time of payment or renewal of any of the Obligations, the same will be promptly paid in full when due (whether at extended maturity, as a mandatory prepayment, by acceleration, as a mandatory Cash Collateralization or otherwise) in accordance with the terms of such extension or renewal.

Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained herein or in any other of the Loan Documents, Guaranteed Swap Agreements or Guaranteed Treasury Management Agreements, (i) the obligations of the Guarantor under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall not exceed an aggregate amount equal to the largest amount that would not render such obligations subject to avoidance under applicable Debtor Relief Laws or any comparable provisions of any applicable state law and (ii) the Obligations of a Guarantor that are guaranteed under this Guaranty shall exclude any Excluded Swap Obligations with respect to such Guarantor.

The obligations of the Guarantor under Section 4.01 are absolute and unconditional, irrespective of the value, genuineness, validity, regularity or enforceability of any of the Loan Documents, Guaranteed Swap Agreements or Guaranteed Treasury Management Agreements, or any other agreement or instrument referred to therein, or any substitution, release, impairment or exchange of any other guarantee

 

of or security for any of the Obligations, and, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, irrespective of any other circumstance whatsoever which might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a surety or guarantor, it being the intent of this Section 4.02 that the obligations of the Guarantor hereunder shall be absolute and unconditional under any and all circumstances.  The Guarantor agrees that it shall have no right of subrogation, indemnity, reimbursement or contribution against the Borrower for amounts paid under this Article IV until such time as the Obligations have been paid in full and the Commitments have expired or terminated.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, it is agreed that, to the fullest extent permitted by Law, the occurrence of any one or more of the following shall not alter or impair the liability of the Guarantor hereunder, which shall remain absolute and unconditional as described above:

other agreement or instrument referred to in the Loan Documents, such Guaranteed Swap Agreements or such Guaranteed Treasury Management Agreements shall be done or omitted;

With respect to its obligations hereunder, the Guarantor hereby expressly waives diligence, presentment, demand of payment, protest and all notices whatsoever, and any requirement that the Administrative Agent or any Lender exhaust any right, power or remedy or proceed against any Person under any of the Loan Documents, any Guaranteed Swap Agreement or any Guaranteed Treasury Management Agreement, or any other agreement or instrument referred to in the Loan Documents, such Guaranteed Swap Agreements or such Guaranteed Treasury Management Agreements, or against any other Person under any other guarantee of, or security for, any of the Obligations.

The obligations of the Guarantor under this Article IV shall be automatically reinstated if and to the extent that for any reason any payment by or on behalf of any Person in respect of the Obligations is rescinded or must be otherwise restored by any holder of any of the Obligations, whether as a result of any Debtor Relief Law or otherwise, and the Guarantor agrees that it will indemnify the Administrative Agent and each other holder of the Obligations on demand for all reasonable costs and expenses (including, without limitation, the fees, charges and disbursements of counsel) incurred by the

 

Administrative Agent or such holder of the Obligations in connection with such rescission or restoration, including any such costs and expenses incurred in defending against any claim alleging that such payment constituted a preference, fraudulent transfer or similar payment under any Debtor Relief Law.

The Guarantor agrees that it shall have no right of recourse to security for the Obligations, except through the exercise of rights of subrogation pursuant to Section 4.02 and through the exercise of rights of contribution pursuant to Section 4.06.

The Guarantor agrees that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, as between the Guarantor, on the one hand, and the Administrative Agent and the other holders of the Obligations, on the other hand,

the Obligations may be declared to be forthwith due and payable as specified in Section 8.02 (and shall be deemed to have become automatically due and payable in the circumstances specified in said Section 8.02) for purposes of Section 4.01 notwithstanding any stay, injunction or other prohibition preventing such declaration (or preventing the Obligations from becoming automatically due and payable) as against any other Person and that, in the event of such declaration (or the Obligations being deemed to have become automatically due and payable), the Obligations (whether or not due and payable by any other Person) shall forthwith become due and payable by the Guarantor for purposes of Section 4.01.

The guarantee in this Article IV is a guaranty of payment and not of collection, is a continuing guarantee, and shall apply to all Obligations whenever arising.

Each Loan Party that is a Qualified ECP Guarantor at the time the Guaranty in this Article IV by any Loan Party that is not then an "eligible contract participant" under the Commodity Exchange Act (a "Specified Loan Party") or the grant of a security interest under the Loan Documents by any such Specified Loan Party, in either case, becomes effective with respect to any Swap Obligation, hereby jointly and severally, absolutely, unconditionally and irrevocably undertakes to provide such funds or other support to each Specified Loan Party with respect to such Swap Obligation as may be needed by such Specified Loan Party from time to time to honor all of its obligations under the Loan Documents in respect of such Swap Obligation (but, in each case, only up to the maximum amount of such liability that can be hereby incurred without rendering such Qualified ECP Guarantor's obligations and undertakings under this Article IV voidable under applicable Debtor Relief Laws, and not for any greater amount). The obligations and undertakings of each applicable Loan Party under this Section shall remain in full force and effect until such time as the Obligations (other than contingent indemnification obligations that survive the termination of this Agreement) have been paid in full and the Commitments have expired or terminated. Each Loan Party intends this Section to constitute, and this Section shall be deemed to constitute, a guarantee of the obligations of, and a "keepwell, support, or other agreement" for the benefit of, each Specified Loan Party for all purposes of the Commodity Exchange Act.

 

ARTICLE V
CONDITIONS PRECEDENT

This Agreement shall be effective upon and the obligation of each L/C Issuer and each Lender to make its initial Credit Extension hereunder is subject to satisfaction of the following conditions precedent:

operations or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Guarantor and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

 

Without limiting the generality of the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 9.03, for purposes of determining compliance with the conditions specified in this Section 5.01, each Lender that has signed this Agreement shall be deemed to have consented to, approved or accepted or to be satisfied with, each document or other matter required thereunder to be consented to or approved by or acceptable or satisfactory to a Lender unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from such Lender prior to the proposed Closing Date specifying its objection thereto.

The obligation of each Lender to honor any Request for Credit Extension is subject to the following conditions precedent:

Each Request for Credit Extension submitted by the Borrower shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty that the conditions specified in Sections 5.02(a) and (b) have been satisfied on and as of the date of the applicable Credit Extension.

 

ARTICLE VI
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

The Loan Parties represent and warrant to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders that:

Each of the Guarantor, the Borrower and the Subsidiaries of the Borrower is a corporation, partnership (in the case of Subsidiaries only) or limited liability company duly incorporated or organized, as the case may be, validly existing and (to the extent such concept applies to such entity) in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation or organization and has all requisite authority to conduct its business in each jurisdiction in which its business is conducted.  Set forth on Schedule 6.01 is the U.S. taxpayer identification number of each Loan Party as of the Closing Date.

Each of the Borrower and the Guarantor has the power and authority and legal right to execute and deliver the Loan Documents to which it is a party and to perform its obligations thereunder.  The execution and delivery by each of the Borrower and the Guarantor of the Loan Documents to which it is a party and the performance of its obligations thereunder have been duly authorized by proper corporate proceedings, and the Loan Documents to which each of the Borrower and the Guarantor is a party constitute legal, valid and binding obligations of the Borrower and the Guarantor enforceable against the Borrower and the Guarantor in accordance with their terms, except as enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights generally.

Neither the execution or delivery by the Borrower and the Guarantor of the Loan Documents to which it is a party, nor the consummation of the transactions therein contemplated, nor compliance with the provisions thereof will violate (i) any law, rule, regulation, order, writ, judgment, injunction, decree or award binding on the Borrower, the Guarantor or any of their Subsidiaries, (ii) the Borrower's, the Guarantor's or any of their Subsidiaries' Organization Documents, or (iii) the provisions of any indenture, instrument or agreement to which the Borrower, the Guarantor or any of their Subsidiaries is a party or is subject, or by which it, or its property, is bound, or conflict with or constitute a default thereunder, or result in, or require, the creation or imposition of any Lien in, of or on the property of the Borrower, the Guarantor or any such Subsidiary pursuant to the terms of any such indenture, instrument or agreement.  No order, consent, adjudication, approval, license, authorization, or validation of, or filing, recording or registration with, or exemption by, or other action in respect of any Governmental Authority which has not been obtained by the Borrower, the Guarantor or any of their Subsidiaries, is required to be obtained by the Borrower, the Guarantor or any of their Subsidiaries in connection with the execution and delivery of the Loan Documents, the borrowings under this Agreement, the payment and performance by the Borrower of the Obligations or the legality, validity, binding effect or enforceability of any of the Loan Documents.

The Audited Financial Statements heretofore delivered to the Lenders were prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in effect on the date such statements were prepared and fairly present the consolidated financial condition of the Guarantor and its Subsidiaries at such date and the consolidated results of their operations for the period then ended.

 

Since the date of the Audited Financial Statements, there has been no change in the business, property, condition (financial or otherwise) or results of operations of the Guarantor and its Subsidiaries which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

The Guarantor and its Subsidiaries have filed all United States federal tax returns and all other tax returns which are required to be filed and have paid all taxes due pursuant to said returns or pursuant to any assessment received by the Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries, except such taxes, if any, as are being contested in good faith and as to which adequate reserves have been provided in accordance with GAAP and as to which no Lien exists other than Liens permitted by Section 7.13(a).  No tax Liens have been filed and no claims are being asserted with respect to any such taxes.  The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Guarantor and its Subsidiaries in respect of any taxes or other governmental charges are adequate.

There is no litigation, arbitration, governmental investigation, proceeding or inquiry pending or, to the knowledge of any of their officers, threatened against or affecting the Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries which (i) could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or (ii) seeks to prevent, enjoin or delay the making of any Credit Extensions.  Other than any liability incident to any litigation, arbitration or proceeding which (i) could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or (ii) is disclosed in the Form 10-K of the Guarantor for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, the Guarantor has no material contingent obligations not provided for or disclosed in the financial statements referred to in Section 7.01.

Schedule 6.08 contains an accurate list of all Subsidiaries of the Borrower as of the date of this Agreement, setting forth their respective jurisdictions of organization and the percentage of their respective Equity Interests owned by the Borrower or other Subsidiaries.  All of the issued and outstanding shares of Equity Interests of such Subsidiaries have been (to the extent such concepts are relevant with respect to such Equity Interests) duly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable.

Neither the Guarantor nor any other member of the Controlled Group has incurred, or is reasonably expected to incur, any withdrawal liability to Multiemployer Plans that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  Each Plan complies in all material respects with all applicable requirements of law and regulations, no Reportable Event has occurred with respect to any Plan, neither the Guarantor nor any other member of the Controlled Group has withdrawn from any Plan or initiated steps to do so, and no steps have been taken to reorganize or terminate any Plan.

No information, exhibit or report furnished by the Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries to the Administrative Agent or to any Lender in connection with the negotiation of, or compliance with, the

Loan Documents contained any material misstatement of fact or omitted to state a material fact or any fact necessary to make the statements contained therein not misleading.

Margin stock (as defined in Regulation U) constitutes less than 25% of the value of those assets of the Guarantor and its Subsidiaries which are subject to any limitation on sale, pledge, or other restriction hereunder.

Neither the Guarantor nor any Subsidiary thereof is a party to any agreement or instrument or subject to any charter or other corporate restriction which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  Neither the Guarantor nor any Subsidiary thereof is in default in the performance, observance or fulfillment of any of the obligations, covenants or conditions contained in (i) any agreement to which it is a party, which default could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or (ii) any agreement or instrument evidencing or governing Indebtedness, which default could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

The Guarantor and its Subsidiaries have complied with all applicable Laws except for any failure to comply with any of the foregoing which could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

Except as set forth on Schedule 6.14, on the date of this Agreement, the Guarantor and its Subsidiaries will have good title, free of all Liens other than those permitted by Section 7.13, to all of the property and assets reflected in the Guarantor's most recent consolidated financial statements provided to the Administrative Agent as owned by the Guarantor and its Subsidiaries.

The Borrower is not an entity deemed to hold "plan assets" within the meaning of 29 C.F.R. § 2510.3-101 of an employee benefit plan (as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) which is subject to Title I of ERISA or any plan (within the meaning of Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code), and neither the execution of this Agreement nor the making of Credit Extensions hereunder gives rise to a prohibited transaction within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code.  The Borrower is not and will not be (1) an employee benefit plan subject to Title I of ERISA, (2) a plan or account subject to Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code; (3) an entity deemed to hold “plan assets” of any such plans or accounts for purposes of ERISA or the Internal Revenue Code; or (4) a “governmental plan” within the meaning of ERISA.

The Guarantor and its Subsidiaries conduct in the ordinary course of business a review of the effect of existing Environmental Laws and claims alleging potential liability or responsibility for violation of any Environmental Law on their respective businesses, operations and properties, and as a result thereof the Loan Parties have reasonably concluded that such Environmental Laws and claims could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  No Loan

Party nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice to the effect that its operations are not in material compliance with any of the requirements of applicable Environmental Laws or are the subject of any federal or state investigation evaluating whether any remedial action is needed to respond to a release of any toxic or hazardous waste or substance into the environment, which non-compliance or remedial action could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

Neither the Guarantor nor any Subsidiary thereof is an "investment company" or a company "controlled" by an "investment company", within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

The properties of the Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries are insured with financially sound and reputable insurance companies not Affiliates of the Borrower, in such amounts, with such deductibles and covering such risks as are customarily carried by companies engaged in similar businesses and owning similar properties in localities where the applicable Loan Party or the applicable Subsidiary operates.

The Guarantor represents that neither the Guarantor, the Borrower nor any of their Subsidiaries (collectively, the "Company") or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, employee, agent, affiliate or representative of the Company is an individual or entity currently the subject to any sanctions administered or enforced by the United States Government, including without limitation OFAC, the United Nations Security Council ("UNSC"), the European Union, Her Majesty's Treasury ("HMT"),

or other relevant sanctions authority ("Sanctions"), nor is the Company located, organized or resident in a country, region or territory that is the subject of Sanctions.

To the extent applicable, the Guarantor, the Borrower and each Subsidiary is in compliance, in all material respects, with (a) the Trading with the Enemy Act, as amended, and each of the foreign assets control regulations of the United States Treasury Department (31 CFR, Subtitle B, Chapter V, as amended) and any other enabling legislation or executive order relating thereto and (b) the PATRIOT Act.

To the extent applicable, no part of the proceeds of any Loan or Letter of Credit will be used by any Loan Party, directly or indirectly, for any payments to any governmental official or employee, political party, official of a political party, candidate for political office, or anyone else acting in an official capacity, in order to obtain, retain or direct business or obtain any improper advantage, in violation of the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any similar laws, rules or regulations issued, administered or enforced by any Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over any of the Guarantor, the Borrower or any other Loan Party.

No Loan Party is an EEA Financial Institution.

ARTICLE VII
COVENANTS

Until the Obligations are paid in full, and so long as any Commitment is outstanding, unless the Required Lenders shall otherwise consent in writing:

The Guarantor will maintain, for itself and each Subsidiary, a system of accounting established and administered in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and the Guarantor and/or Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders:

to file a report on Form 10-Q with the SEC, a copy of the Guarantor's report on Form 10-Q for such quarterly period.

Documents required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7.01(a), 7.01(b), 7.01(c) or 7.01(d) (to the extent any such documents are included in materials otherwise filed with the SEC) may be delivered electronically and if so delivered, shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date (i) on which the Borrower posts such documents, or provides a link thereto on the Borrower's website on the Internet at the website address listed on Schedule 10.02; or (ii) on which such documents are posted on the Borrower's behalf on an Internet or intranet website, if any, to which each Lender and the Administrative Agent have access (whether a commercial, third‑party website or whether sponsored by the Administrative Agent); provided that: (i) the Borrower shall deliver paper copies of such documents to the Administrative Agent or any Lender upon its request to the Borrower to deliver such paper copies until a written request to cease delivering paper copies is given by the Administrative Agent or such Lender and (ii) the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent and each Lender (by facsimile or electronic mail) of the posting of any such documents and provide to the Administrative Agent by electronic mail electronic versions (i.e., soft copies) of such documents.  The Administrative Agent shall have no obligation to request the delivery of or to maintain paper copies of the documents referred to

 

above, and in any event shall have no responsibility to monitor compliance by the Borrower with any such request by a Lender for delivery, and each Lender shall be solely responsible for requesting delivery to it or maintaining its copies of such documents.

The Borrower hereby acknowledges that (a) the Administrative Agent and/or MLPFS may, but shall not be obligated to, make available to the Lenders and the L/C Issuers materials and/or information provided by or on behalf of the Borrower hereunder (collectively, "Borrower Materials") by posting the Borrower Materials on Debt Domain, Syndtrak, IntraLinks or another similar electronic system (the "Platform") and (b) certain of the Lenders (each a "Public Lender") may have personnel who do not wish to receive material non-public information with respect to the Borrower or its Affiliates, or the respective securities of any of the foregoing, and who may be engaged in investment and other market-related activities with respect to such Person's securities.  The Borrower hereby agrees that (w) all Borrower Materials that are to be made available to Public Lenders shall be clearly and conspicuously marked "PUBLIC" which, at a minimum, shall mean that the word "PUBLIC" shall appear prominently on the first page thereof; (x) by marking Borrower Materials "PUBLIC," the Borrower shall be deemed to have authorized the Administrative Agent, MLPFS, the L/C Issuers and the Lenders to treat such Borrower Materials as not containing any material non-public information with respect to the Borrower or its securities for purposes of United States federal and state securities laws (provided, however, that to the extent such Borrower Materials constitute Information, they shall be treated as set forth in Section 10.07); (y) all Borrower Materials marked "PUBLIC" are permitted to be made available through a portion of the Platform designated as "Public Side Information;" and (z) the Administrative Agent and MLPFS shall be entitled to treat any Borrower Materials that are not marked "PUBLIC" as being suitable only for posting on a portion of the Platform that is not marked as "Public Side Information."

Use the proceeds of the Credit Extensions solely (a) to refinance existing Indebtedness under the Existing Credit Agreement, (b) for the working capital, capital expenditures and other lawful corporate purposes, and (c) to pay fees and expenses in connection with this Agreement. Each of the Borrower and the Guarantor will not, nor will they permit any Subsidiary to, use any of the proceeds of the Loans to purchase or carry any "margin stock" (as defined in Regulation U).

Each of the Borrower and the Guarantor will, and will cause each of their respective Subsidiaries to, give notice in writing to the Lenders of the occurrence of any Default or Event of Default and of any other development, financial or otherwise, which could reasonably be expected to have a Material

Adverse Effect, in each case promptly after any Responsible Officer of the Borrower or a Guarantor obtains knowledge thereof.

Each of the Borrower and the Guarantor will, and will cause each Subsidiary to:

 

Each of the Borrower and the Guarantor will, and will cause each of their respective Subsidiaries to, timely file complete and correct United States federal and applicable foreign, state and local tax returns required by law and pay when due all taxes, assessments and governmental charges and levies upon it or its income, profits or property, except those which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and with respect to which adequate reserves have been set aside in accordance with GAAP.

Each of the Borrower and the Guarantor will, and will cause each of their respective Subsidiaries to, maintain with financially sound and reputable insurance companies insurance on all their property in such amounts and covering such risks as is consistent with sound business practice, and the Borrower will furnish to any Lender upon request full information as to the insurance carried.

Each of the Borrower and the Guarantor will, and will cause each of their respective Subsidiaries to, do all things necessary to maintain, preserve, protect and keep its property in good repair, working order and condition (other than ordinary wear and tear), and make all necessary and proper repairs, renewals and replacements so that its business carried on in connection therewith may be properly conducted at all times, except where such failure, to maintain, singly or in the aggregate, could not have a Material Adverse Effect provided that this Section 7.08 shall not prevent the Borrower or the Guarantor from discontinuing the operation and maintenance of any of its properties if such discontinuance is desirable on the conduct of its business and the Borrower or the Guarantor, as applicable, has concluded that such discontinuance could not individually or in the aggregate reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

The Borrower and each Guarantor will, and will cause each of their respective Subsidiaries to, permit the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, by their respective representatives and agents, to inspect any of the property, books and financial records of the Borrower, the Guarantor and such Subsidiaries, to examine and make copies of the books of accounts and other financial records of the Borrower, the Guarantor and such Subsidiary, and to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Borrower, the Guarantor and such Subsidiary with, and to be advised as to the same by, their respective officers at such reasonable times and intervals as the Administrative Agent or any Lender may designate.

Each of the Borrower and the Guarantor will not merge or consolidate with or into any other Person, except (a) a Subsidiary of the Guarantor may merge into the Guarantor or the Borrower and (b) provided that, both prior to and immediately after giving effect to such merger or consolidation, no Default or Event of Default exists, the Borrower and the Guarantor may enter into mergers (provided that (i) the Borrower, or the Guarantor, as the case may be, is the surviving corporation of any such merger or consolidation to which such Person is a party or (ii) if the Borrower or the Guarantor is not the surviving Person, (x) the Person into which the Borrower or the Guarantor, as the case may be, shall be merged or formed by any such consolidation (1) shall be a corporation organized and validly existing under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia and (2) shall assume the Borrower's or the Guarantor's, as applicable, obligations hereunder and under the Notes in an agreement or instrument satisfactory in form and substance to the Administrative Agent and (y) the Corporate Rating or the Debt Rating of the surviving corporation in effect immediately after giving effect to such merger or consolidation shall not be less than "Baa3" (in the case of ▇▇▇▇▇'▇) and "BBB-" (in the case of S&P)).

The Guarantor will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary of the Guarantor to, lease, sell or otherwise dispose of its property to any other Person, except:

Each of Borrower and the Guarantor will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to create, incur or suffer to exist any Lien in, of, or on the property of Borrower, Guarantor or any of their Subsidiaries, except:

 

 

Except for as permitted by Section 7.18, the Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, enter into any transaction (including, without limitation, the purchase or sale of any property or service) with, or make any payment or transfer to, any Affiliate (unless such Affiliate is a Loan Party) except in the ordinary course of business and pursuant to the reasonable requirements of the Borrower's or such Subsidiary's business and, upon fair and reasonable terms no less favorable to the Borrower or such Subsidiary than the Borrower or such Subsidiary would obtain in a comparable arms'-length transaction.

The Guarantor will not permit the ratio, determined as of the end of each of its fiscal quarters, of (i) the Guarantor's Consolidated Indebtedness to (ii) the Guarantor's Consolidated Indebtedness plus the Guarantor's Consolidated Net Worth to be greater than .65 to 1.0.

The Guarantor shall not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, create or otherwise cause or suffer to exist or become effective any encumbrance or restriction on the ability of any Subsidiary to (a) pay dividends or make other distributions on its Equity Interests owned by the Guarantor or any Subsidiary, or pay any Indebtedness owed to the Guarantor or any Subsidiary (other than as described on Schedule 7.16 and other customary limits imposed by corporate law and fraudulent conveyance statutes and applicable restrictions contained in section 305(a) of the Federal Power Act, as amended), (b) make loans or advances to the Guarantor or Borrower or (c) transfer any of its assets or properties to the Guarantor or Borrower, except for such encumbrances or restrictions existing by reason of or under (i) applicable law, (ii) this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, (iii) customary restrictions with respect to a Subsidiary pursuant to an agreement that has been entered into for the sale or disposition of all or substantially all of the Equity Interests of such Subsidiary, (iv) restrictions binding on any Subsidiary on the date it becomes a Subsidiary, provided such restrictions were not created in contemplation of such Person becoming a Subsidiary or (v) restrictions set forth on Schedule 7.16.

The Borrower will not permit any Subsidiary to, create, incur or suffer to exist any Indebtedness, except:

 

The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary to, declare or pay any dividends or make any distributions on its capital stock (other than dividends payable in its own capital stock) or redeem, repurchase or otherwise acquire or retire any of its capital stock at any time outstanding; except that any Subsidiary may declare and pay dividends or make distributions to the Borrower or to a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of the Borrower.

The Borrower shall not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of any Loan or Letter of Credit, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, joint venture partner or other individual or entity, to fund any activities or business with any individual or entity, or in any country or territory, that, at the time of such funding, is the subject of Sanctions, or in any other manner that will result in a violation by any individual or entity (including any individual or entity participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions.

The Borrower (a) shall conduct its business in compliance with the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, and, to the extent applicable, with the UK Bribery Act of 2010, and other similar anti-corruption legislation in other jurisdictions, and maintain policies and procedures designed to promote and achieve compliance with such laws and (b) shall not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of any Credit Extension for any purpose which would breach the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 or, to the extent applicable, the UK Bribery Act of 2010 and other similar anti-corruption legislation in other jurisdictions.

ARTICLE VIII
EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES

Any of the following shall constitute an Event of Default:

 

(e) Cross-Default.  Failure of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or the Guarantor to pay when due any Indebtedness aggregating in excess of the Threshold Amount ("Material Indebtedness"); or the default by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or the Guarantor in the performance (beyond the applicable grace period with respect thereto, if any) of any term, provision or condition contained in any agreement under which any such Material Indebtedness was created or is governed, or any other event shall occur or condition exist, the effect of which default or event is to cause, or to permit the holder or holders of such Material Indebtedness to cause, such Material Indebtedness to become due prior to its stated maturity (other than by a regularly scheduled payment or pursuant to customary due on sale or similar clauses or as a result of the occurrence of a change of control; provided that any payment required pursuant to such due on sale or similar clause shall be paid within three Business Days of becoming due and payable); or any Material Indebtedness of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or the Guarantor shall be declared to be due and payable or required to be prepaid or repurchased (other than by a regularly scheduled payment) prior to the stated maturity thereof (other than by a regularly scheduled payment or pursuant to customary due on sale or similar clauses or as a result of the occurrence of a change of control; provided that any payment required pursuant to such due on sale or similar clause shall be paid within three Business Days of becoming due and payable); or the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or the Guarantor shall not pay, or admit in writing its inability to pay, its debts generally as they become due.

 

money in excess of the Threshold Amount, which is not stayed on appeal or otherwise being appropriately contested in good faith.

 

If any Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Administrative Agent shall, at the request of, or may, with the consent of, the Required Lenders, take any or all of the following actions:

provided, however, that upon the occurrence of an actual or deemed entry of an order for relief with respect to the Borrower under the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, the obligation of each Lender to make Loans and any obligation of each L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions shall automatically terminate, the unpaid principal amount of all outstanding Loans and all interest and other amounts as aforesaid shall automatically become due and payable, and the obligation of the Borrower to Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations as aforesaid shall automatically become effective, in each case without further act of the Administrative Agent or any Lender.

After the exercise of remedies provided for in Section 8.02 (or after the Loans have automatically become immediately due and payable and the L/C Obligations have automatically been required to be Cash Collateralized as set forth in the proviso to Section 8.02), any amounts received on account of the Obligations shall be applied by the Administrative Agent in the following order:

First, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting fees, indemnities, expenses and other amounts (including fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the Administrative Agent and amounts payable under Article III) payable to the Administrative Agent in its capacity as such;

Second, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting fees, indemnities and other amounts (other than principal, interest and Letter of Credit Fees) payable to the Lenders and the L/C Issuers (including fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the respective Lenders and the L/C Issuers and amounts payable under Article III), ratably among them in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause Second payable to them;

 

Third, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting accrued and unpaid Letter of Credit Fees and interest on the Loans and L/C Borrowings and fees, premiums and scheduled periodic payments, and any interest accrued thereon, due under any Guaranteed Swap Agreement, ratably among the Lenders, Swap Banks and the L/C Issuers in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause Third held by them;

Fourth, to (a) payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting unpaid principal of the Loans and L/C Borrowings, (b) payment of breakage, termination or other payments, and any interest accrued thereon, due under any Guaranteed Swap Agreement, (c) payments of amounts due under any Guaranteed Treasury Management Agreement and (d) Cash Collateralize that portion of L/C Obligations comprised of the aggregate undrawn amount of Letters of Credit, ratably among the Lenders, Swap Banks, Treasury Management Banks and the L/C Issuers in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause Fourth held by them; and

Last, the balance, if any, after all of the Obligations have been indefeasibly paid in full, to the Borrower or as otherwise required by Law.

Subject to Section 2.03(c), amounts used to Cash Collateralize the aggregate undrawn amount of Letters of Credit pursuant to clause Fourth above shall be applied to satisfy drawings under such Letters of Credit as they occur.  If any amount remains on deposit as Cash Collateral after all Letters of Credit have either been fully drawn or expired, such remaining amount shall be applied to the other Obligations, if any, in the order set forth above.

Excluded Swap Obligations with respect to any Guarantor shall not be paid with amounts received from such Guarantor or such Guarantor's assets, but appropriate adjustments shall be made with respect to payments from other Loan Parties to preserve the allocation to Obligations otherwise set forth above in this Section.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, Obligations arising under Guaranteed Treasury Management Agreements and Guaranteed Swap Agreements shall be excluded from the application described above if the Administrative Agent has not received a Guaranteed Party Designation Notice, together with such supporting documentation as the Administrative Agent may request, from the applicable Treasury Management Bank or Swap Bank, as the case may be.  Each Treasury Management Bank or Swap Bank not a party to this Agreement that has given the notice contemplated by the preceding sentence shall, by such notice, be deemed to have acknowledged and accepted the appointment of the Administrative Agent pursuant to the terms of Article X for itself and its Affiliates as if a "Lender" party hereto.

ARTICLE IX
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT

Each of the Lenders and each of the L/C Issuers hereby irrevocably appoints Bank of America to act on its behalf as the Administrative Agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms hereof or thereof, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto.  The provisions of this Article are solely for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuers, and no Loan Party shall have rights as a third party beneficiary of any of such provisions.  It is understood and agreed that the use of the term "agent" herein or in any other Loan Documents (or any other similar term) with reference to the Administrative Agent is not intended to connote any fiduciary or other implied (or express) obligations arising under agency doctrine of any applicable Law.  Instead such term is used as a matter of market custom, and is intended to create or reflect only an administrative relationship between contracting parties.

 

The Person serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder shall have the same rights and powers in its capacity as a Lender as any other Lender and may exercise the same as though it were not the Administrative Agent and the term "Lender" or "Lenders" shall, unless otherwise expressly indicated or unless the context otherwise requires, include the Person serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder

in its individual capacity.  Such Person and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to, own securities of, act as the financial advisor or in any other advisory capacity for and generally engage in any kind of business with any Loan Party or any Subsidiary or other Affiliate thereof as if such Person were not the Administrative Agent hereunder and without any duty to account therefor to the Lenders.

The Administrative Agent shall not have any duties or obligations except those expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents, and its duties hereunder shall be administrative in nature.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrative Agent:

The Administrative Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it (i) with the consent or at the request of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary, or as the Administrative Agent shall believe in good faith shall be necessary, under the circumstances as provided in Sections 10.01 and 8.02) or (ii) in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and non‑appealable judgment.  The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any Default unless and until notice describing such Default is given to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower, a Lender or an L/C Issuer.

 

The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or representation made in or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (ii) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or thereunder or in connection herewith or therewith, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth herein or therein or the occurrence of any Default, (iv) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document or (v) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Article V or elsewhere herein, other than to confirm receipt of items expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent.

The Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely upon, and shall not incur any liability for relying upon, any notice, request, certificate, consent, statement, instrument, document or other writing (including any electronic message, Internet or intranet website posting or other distribution) believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed, sent or otherwise authenticated by the proper Person.  The Administrative Agent also may rely upon any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to have been made by the proper Person, and shall not incur any liability for relying thereon.  In determining compliance with any condition hereunder to the making of a Loan, or the issuance of a Letter of Credit, that by its terms must be fulfilled to the satisfaction of a Lender or an L/C Issuer, the Administrative Agent may presume that such condition is satisfactory to such Lender or such L/C Issuer unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice to the contrary from such Lender or such L/C Issuer prior to the making of such Loan or the issuance of such Letter of Credit.  The Administrative Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be counsel for the Loan Parties), independent accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it in accordance with the advice of any such counsel, accountants or experts.

The Administrative Agent may perform any and all of its duties and exercise its rights and powers hereunder or under any other Loan Document by or through any one or more sub‑agents appointed by the Administrative Agent.  The Administrative Agent and any such sub‑agent may perform any and all of its duties and exercise its rights and powers by or through their respective Related Parties.  The exculpatory provisions of this Article shall apply to any such sub‑agent and to the Related Parties of the Administrative Agent and any such sub‑agent, and shall apply to their respective activities in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein as well as activities as Administrative Agent.  The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for the negligence or misconduct of any sub-agents except to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction determines in a final and non-appealable judgment that the Administrative Agent acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct in the selection of such sub-agents.

 

 

Any resignation by or removal of Bank of America as Administrative Agent pursuant to this Section shall also constitute its resignation or removal as an L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender.  If any L/C Issuer resigns as an L/C Issuer, it shall retain all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of an L/C Issuer hereunder with respect to all Letters of Credit outstanding as of the effective date of its resignation as an L/C Issuer and all L/C Obligations with respect thereto, including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Loans or fund risk participations in Unreimbursed Amounts pursuant to Section 2.03(c).  If Bank of America resigns as Swing Line Lender, it shall retain all the rights of the Swing Line Lender provided for hereunder with respect to Swing Line Loans made by it and outstanding as of the effective date of such resignation, including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Loans or fund risk participations in outstanding Swing Line Loans pursuant to Section 2.04(c).  Upon the appointment by the Borrower of a successor L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender hereunder (which successor shall in all cases be

a Lender other than a Defaulting Lender), (a) such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, as applicable, (b) the retiring L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender shall be discharged from all of their respective duties and obligations hereunder or under the other Loan Documents, and (c) the successor L/C Issuer shall issue letters of credit in substitution for the Letters of Credit, if any, outstanding at the time of such succession or make other arrangements satisfactory to the retiring L/C issuer to effectively assume the obligations of the retiring L/C Issuer with respect to such Letters of Credit.

Each Lender and each L/C Issuer acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender or any of their Related Parties and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement.  Each Lender and each L/C Issuer also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender or any of their Related Parties and based on such documents and information as it shall from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its own decisions in taking or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or thereunder.

Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, none of the bookrunners, arrangers, syndication agents, documentation agents or co-agents shall have any powers, duties or responsibilities under this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents, except in its capacity, as applicable, as the Administrative Agent, a Lender or an L/C Issuer hereunder.

In case of the pendency of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law or any other judicial proceeding relative to any Loan Party, the Administrative Agent (irrespective of whether the principal of any Loan or L/C Obligation shall then be due and payable as herein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Administrative Agent shall have made any demand on the Borrower) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise:

 

and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Lender and each L/C Issuer to make such payments to the Administrative Agent and, if the Administrative Agent shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Lenders and the L/C Issuers, to pay to the Administrative Agent any amount due for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Administrative Agent and its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Administrative Agent under Sections 2.09 and 10.04.

Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to authorize the Administrative Agent to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Lender or any L/C Issuer any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Obligations or the rights of any Lender or any L/C Issuer to authorize the Administrative Agent to vote in respect of the claim of any Lender or any L/C Issuer in any such proceeding.

The Lenders (including in their respective capacities as potential Treasury Management Banks and Swap Banks) and the L/C Issuers irrevocably authorize the Administrative Agent, at its option and in its discretion, to release the Guarantor from its obligations under the Guaranty if such Person ceases to be a Subsidiary as a result of a transaction permitted hereunder.  Upon request by the Administrative Agent at any time, the Required Lenders will confirm in writing the Administrative Agent's authority to release the Guarantor from its obligations under the Guaranty, pursuant to this Section 9.10.

No Treasury Management Bank or Swap Bank that obtains the benefit of Section 8.03 or the Guaranty by virtue of the provisions hereof shall have any right to notice of any action or to consent to, direct or object to any action hereunder or under any other Loan Document (or to notice of or to consent to any amendment, waiver or modification of the provisions hereof or of the Guaranty) other than in its capacity as a Lender and, in such case, only to the extent expressly provided in the Loan Documents. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article IX to the contrary, the Administrative Agent shall not be required to verify the payment of, or that other satisfactory arrangements have been made with respect to, Obligations arising under Guaranteed Treasury Management Agreements and Guaranteed Swap Agreements except to the extent expressly provided herein and unless the Administrative Agent has received a Guaranteed Party Designation Notice of such Obligations, together with such supporting documentation as the Administrative Agent may request, from the applicable Treasury Management Bank or Swap Bank, as the case may be.  The Administrative Agent shall not be required to verify the payment of, or that other satisfactory arrangements have been made with respect to, Obligations arising under Guaranteed Treasury Management Agreements and Guaranteed Swap Agreements.

Each Lender as of the Closing Date represents and warrants as of the Closing Date to the Administrative Agent and the Arrangers and their respective Affiliates, and not, for the avoidance of doubt, for the benefit of the Borrower or any other Loan Party, that such Lender is not and will not be (1) an employee benefit plan subject to Title I of ERISA, (2) a plan or account subject to Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code; (3) an entity deemed to hold “plan assets” of any such plans or accounts for purposes of ERISA or the Internal Revenue Code; or (4) a “governmental plan” within the meaning of ERISA.

 

ARTICLE X
MISCELLANEOUS

No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, and no consent to any departure by any Loan Party therefrom, shall be effective unless in writing signed by the Required Lenders and the Borrower or the applicable Loan Party, as the case may be, and acknowledged by the Administrative Agent, and each such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the specific purpose for which given; provided, further, that

(vi) release the Borrower without the consent of each Lender, or, except in connection with a transaction permitted under Section 7.10 or Section 7.11, all or substantially all of the value of the Guaranty without the written consent of each Lender whose Obligations are guaranteed thereby, except to the extent such release is permitted pursuant to Section 9.10 (in which case such release may be made by the Administrative Agent acting alone); or

 

provided, however, that notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, (i) each Fee Letter may be amended, or rights or privileges thereunder waived, in a writing executed only by the parties thereto, (ii) each Lender is entitled to vote as such Lender sees fit on any bankruptcy reorganization plan that affects the Loans, and each Lender acknowledges that the provisions of Section 1126(c) of the Bankruptcy Code of the United States supersedes the unanimous consent provisions set forth herein and (iii) the Required Lenders shall determine whether or not to allow a Loan Party to use cash collateral in the context of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding and such determination shall be binding on all of the Lenders.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no Defaulting Lender shall have any right to approve or disapprove any amendment, waiver or consent hereunder (and any amendment, waiver or consent which by its terms requires the consent of all Lenders or each affected Lender may be effected with the consent of the applicable Lenders other than Defaulting Lenders), except that (x) the Commitment of any Defaulting Lender may not be increased or extended without the consent of such Lender and (y) any waiver, amendment or modification requiring the consent of all Lenders or each affected Lender that by its terms affects any Defaulting Lender more adversely than other affected Lenders shall require the consent of such Defaulting Lender.

Notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary the Administrative Agent and the Borrower may amend, modify or supplement this Agreement or any other Loan Document to cure or correct administrative errors or omissions, any ambiguity, omission, defect or inconsistency or to effect administrative changes, and such amendment shall become effective without any further consent of any other party to such Loan Document so long as (i) such amendment, modification or supplement does not adversely affect the rights of any Lender or other holder of Obligations in any material respect and (ii) the Lenders shall have received at least five Business Days’ prior written notice thereof and the Administrative Agent shall not have received, within five Business Days of the date of such notice to the Lenders, a written notice from the Required Lenders stating that the Required Lenders object to such amendment.

(a) Notices Generally.  Except in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and except as provided in subsection (b) below), all notices and other communications provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be delivered by hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified or registered mail or sent by facsimile as follows, and all notices and other communications expressly permitted hereunder to be given by telephone shall be made to the applicable telephone number, as follows:

 

Notices and other communications sent by hand or overnight courier service, or mailed by certified or registered mail, shall be deemed to have been given when received; notices and other communications sent by facsimile shall be deemed to have been given when sent (except that, if not given during normal business hours for the recipient, shall be deemed to have been given at the opening of business on the next business day for the recipient).  Notices and other communications delivered through electronic communications to the extent provided in subsection (b) below, shall be effective as provided in such subsection (b).

Unless the Administrative Agent otherwise prescribes, (i) notices and other communications sent to an e-mail address shall be deemed received upon the sender's receipt of an acknowledgement from the intended recipient (such as by the "return receipt requested" function, as available, return e-mail or other written acknowledgement), and (ii) notices or communications posted to an Internet or intranet website shall be deemed received upon the deemed receipt by the intended recipient at its e-mail address as described in the foregoing clause (i) of notification that such notice or communication is available and identifying the website address therefor; provided that, for both clauses (i) and (ii), if such notice, email or other communication is not sent during the normal business hours of the recipient, such notice, email or communication shall be deemed to have been sent at the opening of business on the next business day for the recipient.

(c) The Platform.  THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE."  THE AGENT PARTIES (AS DEFINED BELOW) DO NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE BORROWER MATERIALS OR THE ADEQUACY OF THE PLATFORM, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM LIABILITY FOR ERRORS IN OR OMISSIONS FROM THE BORROWER MATERIALS.  NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR FREEDOM FROM VIRUSES OR OTHER CODE DEFECTS, IS MADE BY ANY AGENT PARTY IN CONNECTION WITH

 

THE BORROWER MATERIALS OR THE PLATFORM.  In no event shall the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties (collectively, the "Agent Parties") have any liability to the Borrower, any Lender, any L/C Issuer or any other Person for losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses of any kind (whether in tort, contract or otherwise) arising out of the Borrower's or the Administrative Agent's transmission of Borrower Materials or notices through the Platform, any other electronic platform or electronic messaging service or through the Internet, except to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by a final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Agent Party; provided, however, that in no event shall any Agent Party have any liability to the Borrower, any Lender, any L/C Issuer or any other Person for indirect, special, incidental, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages).

No failure by any Lender, any L/C Issuer or the Administrative Agent to exercise, and no delay by any such Person in exercising, any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof; nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder  or under any other Loan Document preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, remedy, power or privilege.  The rights, remedies, powers and privileges herein provided, and provided under each other Loan Document are cumulative and not exclusive of any rights, remedies, powers and privileges provided by law.

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein or in any other Loan Document, the authority to enforce rights and remedies hereunder and under the other Loan Documents against the Loan Parties or any of them shall be vested exclusively in, and all actions and proceedings at law in connection with such enforcement shall be instituted and maintained exclusively by, the Administrative Agent in accordance with Section 8.02 for the benefit of all the Lenders and all the L/C Issuers; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not prohibit (a) the Administrative Agent from exercising on its own behalf the rights and remedies that inure to its benefit (solely in its capacity as Administrative Agent) hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, (b) any L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender from exercising the rights and remedies that inure to its benefit (solely in its capacity as L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, as the case may be) hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, (c) any Lender from exercising setoff rights in accordance with Section 10.08 (subject to the terms of Section 2.13), or (d) any Lender from filing proofs of claim or appearing and filing pleadings on its own behalf during the pendency of a proceeding relative to any Loan Party under any Debtor Relief Law; and provided, further, that if at any time there is no Person acting as Administrative Agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, then (i) the Required Lenders shall have the rights otherwise ascribed to the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 8.02 and (ii) in addition to the matters set forth in clauses (b), (c) and (d) of the preceding proviso and subject to Section 2.13, any Lender may, with the consent of the Required Lenders, enforce any rights and remedies available to it and as authorized by the Required Lenders.

 

obligations hereunder or thereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, or, in the case of the Administrative Agent (and any sub-agent thereof) and its Related Parties only, the administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents (including in respect of any matters addressed in Section 3.01), (ii) any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use or proposed use of the proceeds therefrom (including any refusal by an L/C Issuer to honor a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit if the documents presented in connection with such demand do not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit), (iii) any actual or alleged presence or release of Hazardous Materials on or from any property owned or operated by a Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Environmental Liability related in any way to a Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, or (iv) any actual or prospective claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether based on contract, tort or any other theory, whether brought by a third party or by any Loan Party, and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto; provided that such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses (x) are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee or (y) result from a claim brought by any Loan Party against an Indemnitee for breach in bad faith of such Indemnitee's obligations hereunder or under any other Loan Document, if such Loan Party has obtained a final and nonappealable judgment in its favor on such claim as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.  Without limiting the provisions of Section 3.01(c), this Section 11.04(b) shall not apply with respect to Taxes other than any Taxes that represent losses, claims, damages, etc. arising from any non-Tax claim.

Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds thereof.  No Indemnitee referred to in subsection (b) above shall be liable for any damages arising from the use by unintended recipients of any information or other materials distributed to such unintended recipients by such Indemnitee through telecommunications, electronic or other information transmission systems in connection with this Agreement or the other Loan Documents or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby other than for direct or actual damages resulting from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee as determined by a final and nonappealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.

 

To the extent that any payment by or on behalf of any Loan Party is made to the Administrative Agent, any L/C Issuer or any Lender, or the Administrative Agent, any L/C Issuer or any Lender exercises its right of setoff, and such payment or the proceeds of such setoff or any part thereof is subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside or required (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the Administrative Agent, such L/C Issuer or such Lender in its discretion) to be repaid to a trustee, receiver or any other party, in connection with any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law or otherwise, then (a) to the extent of such recovery, the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such setoff had not occurred, and (b) each Lender and each L/C Issuer severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent upon demand its applicable share (without duplication) of any amount so recovered from or repaid by the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such payment is made at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect.  The obligations of the Lenders and the L/C Issuers under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.

Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, Participants to the extent provided in subsection (d) of this Section and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuers and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.

 

any Commitment if such assignment is to a Person that is not a Lender, an Affiliate of such Lender or an Approved Fund with respect to such Lender; and

 

Subject to acceptance and recording thereof by the Administrative Agent pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption, the assignee thereunder shall be a party to this Agreement and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender's rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of Sections 3.01, 3.04, 3.05 and 10.04 with respect to facts and circumstances occurring prior to the effective date of such assignment).  Upon

request, the Borrower (at its expense) shall execute and deliver a Note to the assignee Lender.  Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this subsection shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with subsection (d) of this Section.

 

the Loans and L/C Obligations owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the "Register").  The entries in the Register shall be conclusive, and the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement.  The Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrower and any Lender at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.

Each Lender that sells a participation shall, acting solely for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of the Borrower, maintain a register on which it enters the name and address of each Participant and the principal amounts (and stated interest) of each Participant's interest in the Loans or other obligations under the Loan Documents (the "Participant Register"); provided that no Lender shall have any obligation to disclose all or any portion of the Participant Register (including the identity of any Participant or any information relating to a Participant's interest in any commitments, loans, letters of credit or its other obligations under any Loan Document) to any Person except to the extent that such disclosure is necessary to establish that such commitment, loan, letter of credit or other obligation is in registered form under Section 5f.103-1(c) of the United States Treasury Regulations.  The entries in the Participant Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and such Lender shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Participant Register as the owner of such participation for all purposes of this Agreement notwithstanding any notice to the contrary.  For the avoidance of doubt, the Administrative Agent (in its capacity as Administrative Agent) shall have no responsibility for maintaining a Participant Register.

 

Each of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuers agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its Affiliates, its auditors and to its and its Affiliates' respective partners, directors, officers, employees, agents, trustees, advisors and representatives (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential), (b) to the extent requested by any regulatory authority purporting to have jurisdiction over it (including any self-regulatory authority, such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners), (c) to the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process, (d) to any other party hereto, (e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or under any other Loan Document or any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the enforcement of rights hereunder or thereunder, (f) subject to an

 

agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section, to (i) any assignee of or Participant in, or any prospective assignee of or Participant in, any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement or any Eligible Assignee invited to become a Lender pursuant to Section 2.01(b) or (ii) any actual or prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any swap or derivative transaction relating to a Loan Party and its obligations, (g) on a confidential basis to (i) any rating agency in connection with rating the Borrower or its Subsidiaries or the credit facilities provided hereunder, (ii) the provider of any Platform or other electronic delivery service used by the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and/or the Swing Line Lender to deliver Borrower Materials or notices to the Lenders or (iii) the CUSIP Service Bureau or any similar agency in connection with the issuance and monitoring of CUSIP numbers or other market identifiers with respect to the credit facilities provided hereunder, (h) with the consent of the Borrower, or (i) to the extent such Information (x) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (y) becomes available to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, any L/C Issuer or any of their respective Affiliates on a nonconfidential basis from a source other than the Borrower.  In addition, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders may disclose the existence of this Agreement and information about this Agreement to market data collectors, similar service providers to the lending industry and service providers to the Agents and the Lenders in connection with the administration of this Agreement, the other Loan Documents, and the Commitments.

For purposes of this Section, "Information" means all information received from a Loan Party or any Subsidiary relating to the Loan Parties or any Subsidiary or any of their respective businesses, other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any L/C Issuer on a nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure by such Loan Party or any Subsidiary.  Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information as provided in this Section shall be considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such Information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information.

Each of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuers acknowledges that (a) the Information may include material non-public information concerning a Loan Party or a Subsidiary, as the case may be, (b) it has developed compliance procedures regarding the use of material non-public information and (c) it will handle such material non-public information in accordance with applicable Law, including United States Federal and state securities Laws.

If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each Lender, each L/C Issuer and each of their respective Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, after obtaining the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final, in whatever currency) at any time held and other obligations (in whatever currency) at any time owing by such Lender, such L/C Issuer or any such Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of any Loan Party against any and all of the obligations of such Loan Party now or hereafter existing under this Agreement or any other Loan Document to such Lender or such L/C Issuer, irrespective of whether or not such Lender or such L/C Issuer shall have made any demand under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and although such obligations of such Loan Party are owed to a branch or office of such Lender or such L/C Issuer different from the branch or office holding such deposit or obligated on such indebtedness; provided, that in the event that any Defaulting Lender shall exercise any such right of setoff, (x) all amounts so set off shall be paid over immediately to the Administrative Agent for further application in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.15 and, pending such payment, shall be segregated by such Defaulting Lender from its other funds and deemed held in trust for the benefit of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, and (y) the Defaulting Lender shall provide promptly to the Administrative Agent a statement describing in reasonable detail the Obligations owing to such

 

Defaulting Lender as to which it exercised such right of setoff.  The rights of each Lender, each L/C Issuer and their respective Affiliates under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) that such Lender, such L/C Issuer or their respective Affiliates may have.  Each Lender and each L/C Issuer agrees to notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent promptly after any such setoff and application, provided that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such setoff and application.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any Loan Document, the interest paid or agreed to be paid under the Loan Documents shall not exceed the maximum rate of non-usurious interest permitted by applicable Law (the "Maximum Rate").  If the Administrative Agent or any Lender shall receive interest in an amount that exceeds the Maximum Rate, the excess interest shall be applied to the principal of the Loans or, if it exceeds such unpaid principal, refunded to the Borrower.  In determining whether the interest contracted for, charged, or received by the Administrative Agent or a Lender exceeds the Maximum Rate, such Person may, to the extent permitted by applicable Law, (a) characterize any payment that is not principal as an expense, fee, or premium rather than interest, (b) exclude voluntary prepayments and the effects thereof, and (c) amortize, prorate, allocate, and spread in equal or unequal parts the total amount of interest throughout the contemplated term of the Obligations hereunder.

This Agreement and each of the other Loan Documents may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto in different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract.  This Agreement and the other Loan Documents constitute the entire contract among the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supersede any and all previous agreements and understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof.  Except as provided in Sections 5.01 and 5.02, this Agreement shall become effective when it shall have been executed by the Administrative Agent and when the Administrative Agent shall have received counterparts hereof that, when taken together, bear the signatures of each of the other parties hereto.  Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement or any other Loan Documents, or any certificate delivered thereunder, by telecopy or other electronic imaging (e.g. "pdf" or "tif") means shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement or such other Loan Document or certificate.

All representations and warranties made hereunder and in any other Loan Document or other document delivered pursuant hereto or thereto or in connection herewith or therewith shall survive the execution and delivery hereof and thereof.  Such representations and warranties have been or will be relied upon by the Administrative Agent and each Lender, regardless of any investigation made by the Administrative Agent or any Lender or on their behalf and notwithstanding that the Administrative Agent or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of any Default at the time of any Credit Extension, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as any Loan or any other Obligation hereunder shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied or any Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding.

If any provision of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, (a) the legality, validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall not be affected or impaired thereby and (b) the parties shall endeavor

 

in good faith negotiations to replace the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provisions.  The invalidity of a provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction.  Without limiting the foregoing provisions of this Section 10.12, if and to the extent that the enforceability of any provisions in this Agreement relating to Defaulting Lenders shall be limited by Debtor Relief Laws, as determined in good faith by the Administrative Agent, the applicable L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender, as applicable, then such provisions shall be deemed to be in effect only to the extent not so limited.

If the Borrower is entitled to replace any Lender pursuant to the provisions of Section 3.06, or if any Lender is a Defaulting Lender or a Non-Consenting Lender, then the Borrower may, at its sole expense and effort, upon notice to such Lender and the Administrative Agent, require such Lender to assign and delegate, without recourse (in accordance with and subject to the restrictions contained in, and consents required by, Section 10.06), all of its interests, rights (other than its existing rights to payments pursuant to Sections 3.01 and 3.04) and obligations under this Agreement and the related Loan Documents to an assignee that shall assume such obligations (which assignee may be another Lender, if a Lender accepts such assignment), provided that:

A Lender shall not be required to make any such assignment or delegation if, prior thereto, as a result of a waiver by such Lender or otherwise, the circumstances entitling the Borrower to require such assignment and delegation cease to apply.

 

APPLICABLE LAW, ANY OBJECTION THAT IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE TO THE LAYING OF VENUE OF ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT IN ANY COURT REFERRED TO IN THE FIRST SENTENCE OF PARAGRAPH (B) OF THIS SECTION.  EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE DEFENSE OF AN INCONVENIENT FORUM TO THE MAINTENANCE OF SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING IN ANY SUCH COURT.

 

EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY).  EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PERSON HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PERSON WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.

In connection with all aspects of each transaction contemplated hereby (including in connection with any amendment, waiver or other modification hereof or of any other Loan Document), each of the Loan Parties acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its Affiliates' understanding, that: (i) (A) the arranging and other services regarding this Agreement provided by the Administrative Agent and the Arrangers, are arm's-length commercial transactions between the Loan Parties and their respective Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Administrative Agent and the Arrangers, on the other hand, (B) each of the Loan Parties has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it has deemed appropriate, and (C) each of the Loan Parties is capable of evaluating, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the other Loan Documents; (ii) (A) the Administrative Agent and the Arrangers each is and has been acting solely as a principal and, except as expressly agreed in writing by the relevant parties, has not been, is not, and will not be acting as an advisor, agent or fiduciary for the Loan Parties or any of their respective Affiliates, or any other Person and (B) neither the Administrative Agent nor any Arranger has any obligation to the Loan Parties or any of their respective Affiliates with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby except those obligations expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents; and (iii) the Administrative Agent and the Arrangers and their respective Affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Loan Parties and their respective

Affiliates, and neither the Administrative Agent nor any Arranger has any obligation to disclose any of such interests to the Loan Parties and their respective Affiliates.  To the fullest extent permitted by Law, each of the Loan Parties hereby waives and releases any claims that it may have against the Administrative Agent and the Arrangers with respect to any breach or alleged breach of agency or fiduciary duty in connection with any aspect of any transaction contemplated hereby.

The words "delivery," "execute," "execution," "signed," "signature" and words of like import in any Loan Document or any other document executed in connection herewith shall be deemed to include electronic signatures, the electronic matching of assignment terms and contract formations on electronic platforms approved by the Administrative Agent, or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature, physical delivery thereof or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, to the extent and as provided for in any applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act, or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act; provided, that, notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, neither the Administrative Agent, any L/C Issuer nor any Lender is under any obligation to agree to accept electronic signatures in any form or in any format unless expressly agreed to by the Administrative Agent, such L/C Issuer or such Lender pursuant to procedures approved by it; provided, further, that without limiting the foregoing, upon the request of any party, any electronic signature shall be promptly followed by such manually executed counterpart.

 

Each Lender that is subject to the Act (as hereinafter defined) and the Administrative Agent (for itself and not on behalf of any Lender) hereby notifies the Borrower that pursuant to the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)) (the "Act"), it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies the Borrower, which information includes the name and address of the Borrower and other information that will allow such Lender or the Administrative Agent, as applicable, to identify the Borrower in accordance with the Act.  The Borrower shall, promptly following a request by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, provide all documentation and other information that the Administrative Agent or such Lender reasonably requests in order to comply with its ongoing obligations under applicable "know your customer" and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including the Act.

The Borrower and its Affiliates agree that they will not in the future issue any press releases or other public disclosure using the name of the Administrative Agent or any Lender or their respective Affiliates or referring to this Agreement or any of the Loan Documents without the prior written consent of such Person, unless (and only to the extent that) the Borrower or such Affiliate is required to do so under Law and then, in any event, the Borrower or such Affiliate will consult with such Person before issuing such press release or other public disclosure; provided, however, the Borrower and its Affiliates shall not be required to obtain the prior written consent of any Person or consult with any Person prior to any public disclosure required (a) pursuant to any federal securities laws applicable to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, (b) pursuant to the rules and regulations governing the New York Stock Exchange

or any other stock exchange or quotation service from time to time applicable to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or (c) by any other Governmental Authority.  The Borrower and its Subsidiaries consent to the publication by the Administrative Agent or any Lender of customary advertising material relating to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Loan Documents using the name, product photographs, logo or trademark of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.

None of the Lenders identified in this Agreement as a Co-Syndication Agent or an Arranger shall have any right, power, obligation, liability, responsibility or duty under this Agreement other than those applicable to all Lenders as such.  Without limiting the foregoing, none of such Lenders shall have or be deemed to have a fiduciary relationship with any Lender.  Each Lender hereby makes the same acknowledgments with respect to such Lenders as it makes with respect to the Administrative Agent in Section 9.07.

The Guarantor hereby appoints the Borrower to act as its agent for all purposes of this Agreement, the other Loan Documents and all other documents and electronic platforms entered into in connection herewith and agrees that (a) the Borrower may execute such documents and provide such authorizations on behalf of the Guarantor as the Borrower deems appropriate in its sole discretion and the Guarantor shall be obligated by all of the terms of any such document and/or authorization executed on its behalf, (b) any notice of communication delivered by the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuers or a Lender to the Borrower shall be deemed delivered to each Loan Party and (c) the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuers, the Swing Line Lender or the Lenders may accept, and be permitted to rely on, any document, authorization, instrument or agreement executed by the Borrower on behalf of the Guarantor.

 

Solely to the extent any Lender or L/C Issuer that is an EEA Financial Institution is a party to this Agreement and notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any Loan Document or in any other agreement, arrangement or understanding among any such parties, each party hereto acknowledges that any liability of any Lender or L/C Issuer that is an EEA Financial Institution arising under any Loan Document, to the extent such liability is unsecured, may be subject to the write-down and conversion powers of an EEA Resolution Authority and agrees and consents to, and acknowledges and agrees to be bound by:

bridge institution that may be issued to it or otherwise conferred on it, and that such shares or other instruments of ownership will be accepted by it in lieu of any rights with respect to any such liability under this Agreement or any other Loan Document; or

[SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.

Schedule 2.01

COMMITMENTS AND APPLICABLE PERCENTAGES

Schedule 6.01

U.S. TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS

Schedule 6.08

SUBSIDIARIES

None.

Schedule 6.14

LIENS EXISTING ON THE CLOSING DATE

None.

Schedule 7.16

CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS

The payment of cash dividends on common stock of Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company (“SIGECO”) to Vectren Utility Holdings, Inc. (“VUHI”) is, in effect, restricted by SIGECO’s First Mortgage Indenture (the “Mortgage”).  The Mortgage restricts dividends to accumulated surplus available for distribution to common stock earned subsequent to December 31, 1947 if amounts deducted from earnings for current repairs and maintenance and provisions for renewals, replacements and depreciation of all the property of SIGECO are less than amounts specified in the Mortgage.  (Section 1.02 of the Supplemental Indenture dated as of July 1, 1948, as supplemented.)  No amount was restricted against cash dividends on common stock as of  December 31, 2016 under this restriction.

Schedule 7.17

INDEBTEDNESS EXISTING ON THE CLOSING DATE

None.

Schedule 10.02

CERTAIN ADDRESSES FOR NOTICES

Loan Parties:

Borrower:

Vectren Capital, Corp.

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▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇  ▇▇▇▇▇

Attention:  ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇

Telephone: ▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇

Telecopier: ▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇

E-mail:  ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇

E-mail:  ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇

Guarantor:

Vectren Corporation

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▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇  ▇▇▇▇▇

Attention:  ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇

Telephone: ▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇

Telecopier: ▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇

E-mail:  ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇

E-mail:  ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇

Administrative Agent:

For operational notices (borrowings, payments, etc.):

Bank of America, N.A.

Street Address: ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇.

Mail Code: TX-492-14-11

City, State ZIP Code: ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇

Attention:  ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, Officer; Loan Servicing Admin I

Telephone:  ▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇

Telecopier: 214-290- 8374

Electronic Mail:  ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇.▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇

Wire Instructions:

Pay to:

Bank of America, N.A.

ABA Number:

Account Number:

Attention: Wire Clearing Acct for Syn Loans - LIQ

Reference: Vectren Capital, Corp

Bank of America, N.A.

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Mail Code IL4-135-09-61

▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇

ATTN: Gerund Diamond

Telephone: ▇▇▇.▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇

Fax: ▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇

Email: ▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇

Bank of America, N.A., as L/C Issuer:

Bank of America, N.A.

Trade Operations

Mail Code: PA6-580-02-30

▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇

▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇

Phone: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇

Fax: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇

Email: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇

▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇

Phone: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇

Fax: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇

Email: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇

Bank of America, N.A., as Swing Line Lender:

Bank of America, N.A.

Street Address: ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇.

▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇:▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇-▇▇
▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ZIP Code: ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇

Attention:  ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, Credit Services Representative

Telephone:  ▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇

Telecopier:  ▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇

Electronic Mail:  ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇.▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇

Wire Instructions:

Pay to:

Bank of America, N.A.

New York, NY

ABA #

Account No.:

Account Name: Credit Services-Dallas

Ref:   Vectren Capital, Corp

FORM OF LOAN NOTICE

Date:  ___________, 20__

To:	Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Reference is made to that certain Credit Agreement, dated as of July 14, 2017 (as amended, restated, extended, supplemented or otherwise modified in writing from time to time, the "Agreement;" the terms defined therein being used herein as therein defined), among Vectren Capital, Corp., an Indiana corporation (the "Borrower"), the Guarantor party thereto, the Lenders from time to time party thereto, and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent.

The undersigned hereby requests (select one):

  A Borrowing of Revolving Loans

  A conversion or continuation of Revolving Loans

With respect to such Borrowing, the Borrower hereby represents and warrants that (i) after giving effect to any Borrowing of Revolving Loans, (x) the Total Revolving Outstandings do not exceed the Aggregate Revolving Commitments, and (y) the aggregate Outstanding Amount of the Revolving Loans of any Lender, plus such Lender's Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations, plus such Lender's Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all Swing Line Loans does not exceed such Lender's Revolving Commitment and (ii) the conditions specified in Sections 5.02(a) and (b) of the Credit Agreement have been satisfied on and as of the date of such Borrowing.

FORM OF SWING LINE LOAN NOTICE

Date: __________, 20__

Re:

Credit Agreement (as amended, modified, supplemented and extended from time to time, the "Credit Agreement") dated as of July 14, 2017 among Vectren Capital, Corp., an Indiana corporation (the "Borrower"), the Guarantor party thereto, the Lenders identified therein, and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent.  Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein have the meanings provided in the Credit Agreement.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

The undersigned hereby requests a Swing Line Loan:

With respect to such Borrowing of Swing Line Loans, the Borrower hereby represents and warrants that (i) after giving effect to any Swing Line Loan, (x) the Total Revolving Outstandings do not exceed the Aggregate Revolving Commitments, and (y) the aggregate Outstanding Amount of the Revolving Loans of any Lender, plus such Lender's Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations, plus such Lender's Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all Swing Line Loans shall not exceed such Lender's Revolving Commitment and (ii) each of the conditions set forth in Sections 5.02(a) and (b) of the Credit Agreement have been satisfied on and as of the date of such Borrowing of Swing Line Loans.

FORM OF NOTE

____________, 20___

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned (the "Borrower"), hereby promises to pay to _____________________ or registered assigns (the "Lender"), in accordance with the provisions of the Agreement (as hereinafter defined), the principal amount of each Loan from time to time made by the Lender to the Borrower under that certain Credit Agreement, dated as of July 14, 2017 (as amended, restated, extended, supplemented or otherwise modified in writing from time to time, the "Agreement;" the terms defined therein being used herein as therein defined), among the Borrower, the Guarantor party thereto, the Lenders from time to time party thereto, and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent.

The Borrower promises to pay interest on the unpaid principal amount of each Loan from the date of such Loan until such principal amount is paid in full, at such interest rates and at such times as provided in the Agreement.  All payments of principal and interest shall be made to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lender in Dollars in immediately available funds at the Administrative Agent's Office.  If any amount is not paid in full when due hereunder, such unpaid amount shall bear interest, to be paid upon demand, from the due date thereof until the date of actual payment (and before as well as after judgment) computed at the per annum rate set forth in the Agreement.

This Note is one of the Notes referred to in the Agreement, is entitled to the benefits thereof and may be prepaid in whole or in part subject to the terms and conditions provided therein.  Upon the occurrence and continuation of one or more of the Events of Default specified in the Agreement, all amounts then remaining unpaid on this Note shall become, or may be declared to be, immediately due and payable all as provided in the Agreement.  Loans made by the Lender shall be evidenced by one or more loan accounts or records maintained by the Lender in the ordinary course of business. The Lender may also attach schedules to this Note and endorse thereon the date, amount and maturity of its Loans and payments with respect thereto.

The Borrower, for itself, its successors and assigns, hereby waives diligence, presentment, protest and demand and notice of protest, demand, dishonor and non-payment of this Note.

THIS NOTE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS.

FORM OF U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

(For Foreign Lenders That Are Not Partnerships
For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)

Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement, dated as of July 14, 2017, by and among Vectren Capital, Corp., an Indiana corporation (the "Borrower"), the Guarantor party thereto, the Lenders identified therein, and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent (as amended, modified, extended, restated, replaced, or supplemented from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”).

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 3.01 of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (a) it is the sole record and beneficial owner of the Loan(s) (as well as any Note(s) evidencing such Loan(s)) in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (b) it is not a bank within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code, (c) it is not a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code, and (d) it is not a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The undersigned has furnished the Administrative Agent and the Borrower with a certificate of its non-U.S. Person status on IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, as applicable. By executing this certificate, the undersigned agrees that (a) if the information provided on this certificate changes, the undersigned shall promptly so inform the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, and (b) the undersigned shall have at all times furnished the Borrower and the Administrative Agent with a properly completed and currently effective certificate in either the calendar year in which each payment is to be made to the undersigned, or in either of the two calendar years preceding such payments.

Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.

Date: ________ __, ___

FORM OF U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

(For Foreign Participants That Are Not Partnerships

For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)

Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement, dated as of July 14, 2017, by and among Vectren Capital, Corp., an Indiana corporation (the "Borrower"), the Guarantor party thereto, the Lenders identified therein, and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent (as amended, modified, extended, restated, replaced, or supplemented from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”).

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 3.01 of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (a) it is the sole record and beneficial owner of the participation in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (b) it is not a bank within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code, (c) it is not a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code, and (d) it is not a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The undersigned has furnished its participating Lender with a certificate of its non-U.S. Person status on IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, as applicable. By executing this certificate, the undersigned agrees that (a) if the information provided on this certificate changes, the undersigned shall promptly so inform such Lender in writing, and (b) the undersigned shall have at all times furnished such Lender with a properly completed and currently effective certificate in either the calendar year in which each payment is to be made to the undersigned, or in either of the two calendar years preceding such payments.

Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.

Date: ________ __, ____

FORM OF U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

(For Foreign Participants That Are Partnerships

For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)

Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement, dated as of July 14, 2017, by and among Vectren Capital, Corp., an Indiana corporation (the "Borrower"), the Guarantor party thereto, the Lenders identified therein, and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent (as amended, modified, extended, restated, replaced, or supplemented from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”).

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 3.01 of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (a) it is the sole record owner of the participation in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (b) its direct or indirect partners/members are the sole beneficial owners of such participation, (c) with respect to such participation, neither the undersigned nor any of its direct or indirect partners/members is a bank extending credit pursuant to a loan agreement entered into in the ordinary course of its trade or business within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code, (d) none of its direct or indirect partners/members is a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code, and (e) none of its direct or indirect partners/members is a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The undersigned has furnished its participating Lender with IRS Form W-8IMY accompanied by one of the following forms from each of its partners/members that is claiming the portfolio interest exemption: (a) an IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, as applicable or (b) an IRS Form W-8IMY accompanied by an IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, as applicable from each of such partner's/member's beneficial owners that is claiming the portfolio interest exemption. By executing this certificate, the undersigned agrees that (i) if the information provided on this certificate changes, the undersigned shall promptly so inform such Lender and (ii) the undersigned shall have at all times furnished such Lender with a properly completed and currently effective certificate in either the calendar year in which each payment is to be made to the undersigned, or in either of the two calendar years preceding such payments.

Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.

Date: ________ __, ____

FORM OF U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

(For Foreign Lenders That Are Partnerships

For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)

Reference is hereby made to the Credit Agreement, dated as of July 14, 2017, by and among Vectren Capital, Corp., an Indiana corporation (the "Borrower"), the Guarantor party thereto, the Lenders identified therein, and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent (as amended, modified, extended, restated, replaced, or supplemented from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”).

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 3.01 of the Credit Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (a) it is the sole record owner of the Loan(s) (as well as any Note(s) evidencing such Loan(s)) in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (b) its direct or indirect partners/members are the sole beneficial owners of such Loan(s) (as well as any Note(s) evidencing such Loan(s)), (c) with respect to the extension of credit pursuant to this Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document, neither the undersigned nor any of its direct or indirect partners/members is a bank extending credit pursuant to a loan agreement entered into in the ordinary course of its trade or business within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code, (d) none of its direct or indirect partners/members is a ten percent shareholder of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code and (e) none of its direct or indirect partners/members is a controlled foreign corporation related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The undersigned has furnished the Administrative Agent and the Borrower with IRS Form W-8IMY accompanied by one of the following forms from each of its partners/members that is claiming the portfolio interest exemption: (a) an IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, as applicable or (b) an IRS Form W-8IMY accompanied by an IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, as applicable, from each of such partner's/member's beneficial owners that is claiming the portfolio interest exemption. By executing this certificate, the undersigned agrees that (i) if the information provided on this certificate changes, the undersigned shall promptly so inform the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, and (ii) the undersigned shall have at all times furnished the Borrower and the Administrative Agent with a properly completed and currently effective certificate in either the calendar year in which each payment is to be made to the undersigned, or in either of the two calendar years preceding such payments.

Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Credit Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.

Date: ________ __, ___

FORM OF GUARANTEED PARTY DESIGNATION NOTICE

Date: __________, 20__

Re:

Credit Agreement (as amended, modified, supplemented and extended from time to time, the "Credit Agreement") dated as of July 14, 2017 among Vectren Capital, Corp., an Indiana corporation (the "Borrower"), the Guarantor party thereto, the Lenders identified therein, and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent.  Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein have the meanings provided in the Credit Agreement.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

[Name of Treasury Management Bank/Swap Bank] (the “Guaranteed Party”) hereby notifies you, pursuant to the terms of the Credit Agreement, that the Guaranteed Party meets the requirements of a [Treasury Management Bank] [Swap Bank] under the terms of the Credit Agreement and is a [Treasury Management Bank] [Swap Bank] under the Credit Agreement and the other Loan Documents.

Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this notice by fax transmission or other electronic mail transmission (e.g. “pdf” or “tif”) shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this notice.

A duly authorized officer of the undersigned has executed this notice as of the day and year set forth above.

_____________________________________,

as a [Treasury Management Bank] [Swap Bank]

By: ___________________________________

Name:

Title:

FORM OF OPINION

July 14, ▇▇▇▇

▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇.▇., as Administrative Agent

▇▇▇ ▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇

Mail Code IL4-135-09-61

▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇

The Lenders which are parties to the Credit Agreement

Re:

Credit Agreement, dated as of July 14, 2017, by and among Vectren Capital, Corp., Vectren Corporation, the Lenders signatory thereto, and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent, Swing Line Lender and an L/C Issuer (the “Credit Agreement”)

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to Vectren Capital, Corp., an Indiana corporation (the “Borrower”), and Vectren Corporation, an Indiana corporation (the “Guarantor”), in connection with the transactions contemplated by the above-referenced Credit Agreement. Capitalized terms used herein and not specifically defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Credit Agreement. The opinion is being delivered to you pursuant to Section 5.01(g) of the Credit Agreement.

In this connection, we have examined the Credit Agreement, the Notes and the Fee Letters (collectively, the “Transaction Documents”) and such records, certificates and other documents and such questions of law as we have considered necessary and appropriate for the purpose of rendering the opinion set forth below (including, without limitation, certificates of existence issued by the Indiana Secretary of State). As to questions of fact related to such opinions, we have relied solely upon certificates of officers of the Borrower and the Guarantor, certificates of public officials (including, without limitation, certificates of existence issued by the Indiana Secretary of State), and the representations and warranties of the Borrower, the Guarantor, the Administrative Agent, and the Lenders in the Credit Agreement.

For purposes of rendering this opinion, we have, with your consent and without investigation, assumed:

of the Borrower and the Guarantor) signing the Transaction Documents and all instruments, documents, certificates, applications, consents, filings and/or agreements related to the transactions contemplated thereby or included in the schedules thereto (collectively, the “Pertinent Documents”);

In addition, we have assumed that:

Based upon the foregoing and subject to the exceptions hereinafter set forth, we are of the opinion that:

foreign corporation in all jurisdictions where it is required to be so qualified, except where the failure to be so qualified could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

“controlled by” an “investment company” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

Our opinion is subject to the following qualifications and limitations: