Exhibit 2.1

AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER

among

FORTISUS INC.,

CASCADE ACQUISITION SUB INC.,

FORTIS INC.

And

CH ENERGY GROUP, INC.

Dated as of February 20, 2012

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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ARTICLE I THE MERGER

ARTICLE II EFFECT OF THE MERGER ON CAPITAL STOCK

ARTICLE III REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY

ARTICLE VIII GENERAL PROVISIONS

AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER

AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER, dated as of February 20, 2012 (this “Agreement”), by and among FortisUS Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Parent”), Cascade Acquisition Sub Inc., a New York corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (“Merger Sub”), CH Energy Group, Inc., a New York corporation (the “Company”), and, solely for the purposes of Sections 5.3(b), 5.5(a)  and 8.15, Fortis Inc., a corporation incorporated under the Corporations Act of Newfoundland and Labrador (“Ultimate Parent”).  All capitalized terms used in this Agreement shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in Section 8.4 or as otherwise defined elsewhere in this Agreement unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

RECITALS

WHEREAS, the respective Boards of Directors of Parent, Merger Sub and the Company have each approved this Agreement and the merger of Merger Sub with and into the Company (the “Merger”) upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement;

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Company Board”) has, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, (i) determined that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including the Merger, are fair to and in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders and (ii) approved and declared advisable this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Merger, and has resolved to recommend authorization and adoption of this Agreement by the shareholders of the Company;

WHEREAS, the Boards of Directors of Parent (the “Parent Board”) and Merger Sub have, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, (i) determined that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including the Merger, are fair to and in the best interests of Parent and Merger Sub and their respective shareholders and (ii) approved and declared advisable this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Merger, and the Board of Directors of Merger Sub has approved this Agreement and resolved to recommend authorization and adoption of this Agreement by Parent as the sole shareholder of Merger Sub; and

WHEREAS, Parent, Merger Sub and the Company desire to make certain representations, warranties, covenants and agreements in connection with the Merger and also to prescribe various conditions to the Merger.

AGREEMENT

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual covenants and premises contained in this Agreement and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties to this Agreement agree as follows:

ARTICLE I
THE MERGER

Section 1.1      The Merger.

(a)                Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, and in accordance with the New York  Business Corporation Law (the “NYBCL”), at the Effective Time, Merger Sub shall be merged with and into the Company.  As a result of the Merger, the separate corporate existence of Merger Sub shall cease, and the Company shall continue as the surviving corporation of the Merger (the “Surviving Corporation”).  The Merger shall have the effects set forth in this Agreement and in the applicable provisions of the NYBCL.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, at the Effective Time, all of the property, rights, privileges, immunities, powers and franchises of the Company and Merger Sub shall vest in the Surviving Corporation, and all of the debts, liabilities and duties of the Company and Merger Sub shall become the debts, liabilities and duties of the Surviving Corporation.

(b)               At the Effective Time, Parent shall cause the certificate of incorporation of the Surviving Corporation to be amended in its entirety to be identical to the certificate of incorporation of Merger Sub immediately prior to the Effective Time, except that the name of the Surviving Corporation shall be changed to “CH Energy Group, Inc.”, until thereafter changed or amended as provided therein or by applicable Law, subject to Section 5.10.  In addition, at the Effective Time, the bylaws of Merger Sub as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be the bylaws of the Surviving Corporation until thereafter changed or amended as provided therein or by applicable Law, subject to Section 5.10. 

(c)                The directors of Merger Sub immediately prior to the Effective Time shall, at the Effective Time, be the directors of the Surviving Corporation, each to hold office in accordance with the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the Surviving Corporation until their respective successors shall have been duly elected, designated or qualified, or until their earlier death, resignation or removal in accordance with the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the Surviving Corporation.  The officers of the Company immediately prior to the Effective Time shall, from and after the Effective Time, continue as the officers of the Surviving Corporation, each to hold office in accordance with the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the Surviving Corporation until their respective successors shall have been duly elected, designated or qualified, or until their earlier death, resignation or removal in accordance with the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the Surviving Corporation.  Parent and the Surviving Corporation shall cause up to three (3) members of the Company Board designated by the Company who are members of the Company Board as of the Closing and who are reasonably acceptable to Parent to be elected to the Board of Directors of the Surviving Corporation as of the Effective Time; provided, that at least one (1) such designee shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

(d)               After the Effective Time, if the Surviving Corporation shall determine or shall be advised that any deeds, bills of sale, instruments of conveyance, assignments, assurances or any other actions or things are necessary or desirable to vest, perfect or confirm of record or otherwise in the Surviving Corporation its right, title or interest in, to or under any of the rights, properties or assets of either of the Company or Merger Sub acquired or to be acquired by the

           Section 1.2     Closing and Effective Time of Merger.  The closing of the Merger (the “Closing”) will take place at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on a date to be specified by the parties (the “Closing Date”), such date to be no later than the second Business Day after satisfaction or waiver of all of the conditions set forth in Article VI (other than those conditions that by their nature are to be satisfied at the Closing, but subject to the fulfillment or waiver of those conditions at the Closing), at the offices of Wachtell, Lipton, ▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇^▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, unless another time, date or place is agreed to in writing by Parent and the Company.  On the Closing Date, or on such other date as Parent and the Company may agree to in writing, Parent, Merger Sub and the Company shall cause an appropriate certificate of merger or other appropriate documents (the “Certificate of Merger”) to be executed and filed with the Secretary of State of the State of New York in accordance with the relevant provisions of the NYBCL and shall make all other filings or recordings required under the NYBCL.  The Merger shall become effective at the time the Certificate of Merger shall have been duly filed with the Secretary of State of the State of New York or such other date and time as is agreed upon by the parties and specified in the Certificate of Merger, such date and time hereinafter referred to as the “Effective Time”. 

ARTICLE II
EFFECT OF THE MERGER ON CAPITAL STOCK

Section 2.1      Conversion of Securities. At the Effective Time, by virtue of the Merger and without any action on the part of Parent, Merger Sub, the Company or the holders of any capital stock of the Company or Merger Sub:

(a)                Conversion of Company Common Stock.  Subject to Section 2.2, each share of common stock, $0.10 par value, of the Company (“Company Common Stock”) issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (each, a “Share” and collectively, the “Shares”), other than Shares to be cancelled in accordance with Section 2.1(b), shall be converted into the right to receive in cash, without interest, $65.00 per Share (the “Merger Consideration”).  At the Effective Time, all of the Shares shall cease to be outstanding, shall be cancelled and shall cease to exist, and each certificate (a “Certificate”) formerly representing any of the Shares (other than Shares to be cancelled in accordance with Section 2.1(b)) shall thereafter represent only the right to receive the Merger Consideration, without interest, subject to compliance with the procedures for surrender of such Shares as set forth in Section 2.2. 

(b)               Cancellation of Treasury Stock and Ultimate Parent-Owned Stock.  All Shares that are held in the treasury of the Company or owned of record by any Company Subsidiary and all Shares owned of record by Ultimate Parent, Parent, Merger Sub or any of their

(c)                Merger Sub Common Stock.  Each share of common stock, no par value, of Merger Sub issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be converted into and become one (1) newly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable share of common stock of the Surviving Corporation.

(d)               Merger Consideration Adjustment.  Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if, from the date of this Agreement until the Effective Time, the outstanding Shares shall have been changed into a different number of shares or a different class by reason of any reclassification, stock split (including a reverse stock split), recapitalization, split-up, combination, exchange of shares, readjustment or other similar transaction, or a stock dividend or stock distribution thereon shall be declared with a record date within said period, the Merger Consideration shall be appropriately adjusted to provide the holders of Shares the same economic effect as contemplated by this Agreement prior to such event; provided  that no such adjustment shall result in any increase or decrease of the Aggregate Merger Consideration.

Section 2.2       Payment for Securities; Surrender of Certificates.

                       (a)                Paying Agent.  Prior to the Effective Time, Parent shall deposit with a nationally recognized financial institution designated by Parent and reasonably acceptable to the Company (the “Paying Agent”), for the benefit of the holders of Shares, a cash amount in immediately available funds equal to the Aggregate Merger Consideration (the “Exchange Fund”).  Funds made available to the Paying Agent shall be invested by the Paying Agent, as directed by Parent, in (i) short-term obligations of the United States of America with maturities of no more than 30 days, (ii) commercial paper obligations rated A-1 or P-1 or better by ▇▇▇▇▇’▇ Investors Services, Inc. or Standard & Poor’s, respectively, or (iii) deposit accounts, certificates of deposit or banker’s acceptances of, repurchase or reverse repurchase agreements with, or Eurodollar time deposits purchased from, commercial banks, each of which has capital, surplus and undivided profits aggregating more than $1.0 billion (based on the most recent financial statements of such bank which are then publicly available at the SEC or otherwise), in each case, pending payment thereof by the Paying Agent to the holders of Shares pursuant to this Article II.  Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Paying Agent shall, pursuant to irrevocable instructions, deliver the cash contemplated to be paid pursuant to Section 2.1 out of the Exchange Fund.  The Exchange Fund shall not be used for any other purpose.  To the extent that there are losses with respect to such investments, or the Exchange Fund diminishes for other reasons below the level required to make prompt cash payment of the Aggregate Merger Consideration as contemplated hereby, Parent shall promptly replace or restore the cash in the Exchange Fund lost through such investments or other events so as to ensure that the Exchange Fund is at all times maintained at a level sufficient to promptly make such cash payments.

(b)               Procedures for Surrender.  As promptly as practicable after the Effective Time, and in any event within three (3) Business Days after the Closing Date, Parent shall cause the Paying Agent to mail to each holder of record of a Certificate or non-certificated Shares represented by book-entry (“Book-Entry Shares”), in each case whose Shares were converted into the right to receive the Merger Consideration at the Effective Time pursuant to this

(c)                Transfer Books; No Further Ownership Rights in Shares.  As of the close of business on the date of the Effective Time, the stock transfer books of the Company shall be closed and thereafter there shall be no further registration of transfers of Shares on the records of the Company.  The Merger Consideration paid in accordance with the terms of this Article II upon surrender of any Shares shall be deemed to have been paid in full satisfaction of all rights pertaining to such Shares.  From and after the Effective Time, the holders of Shares outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall cease to have any rights with respect to such Shares except as otherwise provided for herein or by applicable Law.  If, after the Effective Time, Certificates are presented to the Surviving Corporation for any reason, they shall be cancelled and exchanged as provided in this Agreement.

(d)               Termination of Exchange Fund; Abandoned Property; No Liability.  At any time following nine (9) months after the Effective Time, the Surviving Corporation shall be entitled to require the Paying Agent to deliver to it any portion of the Exchange Fund (including any interest or other income received by the Paying Agent in respect of all funds made available to it) not disbursed to holders of Shares, and thereafter such holders shall be entitled to look only to the Surviving Corporation (subject to abandoned property, escheat or other similar Laws) as general creditors thereof with respect to the Merger Consideration payable upon due surrender of

(e)                Withholding Rights.  Parent, Merger Sub, the Surviving Corporation and their respective agents (including the Paying Agent), as the case may be, shall be entitled to deduct and withhold from the consideration otherwise payable pursuant to this Agreement to any holder of Shares, Company Options, Restricted Shares, Restricted Stock Units or Other Equity-Based Awards, as applicable, such amounts that Parent, Merger Sub, the Surviving Corporation or any of their respective agents (including the Paying Agent) is required to deduct and withhold with respect to such payment under the Code or any other provision of applicable Law (including any provision of federal, state, local or foreign tax law); provided  that any transfer or other similar Taxes payable in connection with the Merger (other than such Taxes required to be paid by reason of the payment of the Merger Consideration to a Person other than the holder of record of the Shares with respect to which such payment is made) shall be borne and paid by Parent and Merger Sub.  To the extent that amounts are so withheld by Parent, Merger Sub, the Surviving Corporation or any agent and paid to the applicable Tax authorities, such amounts shall be treated for all purposes of this Agreement as having been paid to the holder of Shares, Company Options, Restricted Shares, Restricted Stock Units or Other Equity-Based Awards, as applicable, in respect of which such deduction and withholding was made by Parent, Merger Sub, the Surviving Corporation or their applicable agent, as the case may be.

(f)                Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates.  In the event that any Certificate shall have been lost, stolen or destroyed, the Paying Agent shall issue in exchange for such lost, stolen or destroyed Certificates upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the holder thereof, the portion of the Aggregate Merger Consideration into which the Shares formerly represented by such Certificate were converted pursuant to Section 2.1(a); provided, however, that Parent may, in its reasonable discretion and as a condition precedent to the payment of such Merger Consideration, require the owner of such lost, stolen or destroyed Certificate to deliver a bond in such sum as it may reasonably direct as indemnity against any claim that may be made against Parent, Merger Sub, the Surviving Corporation or the Paying Agent with respect to the Certificate alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed.

Section 2.3       Treatment of Company Options, Restricted Shares, Restricted Stock Units, Other Equity Based Awards and Equity Plans.

                      (a)                Treatment of Company Equity Awards.  Prior to the Effective Time, the Company Board (or, if appropriate, any committee thereof) shall adopt appropriate resolutions and take all other actions to provide that, immediately prior to the Effective Time:

(i)             Treatment of Company Options.  Each outstanding option to purchase Shares (each, a “Company Option”) granted pursuant to any equity incentive

(ii)           Treatment of Restricted Shares.  Each unvested Share subject to forfeiture restrictions, repurchase rights or other restrictions (each, a “Restricted Share”) granted pursuant to any Company Equity Plan shall, without any action on the part of the holder thereof, vest in full, and all restrictions (including forfeiture restrictions or repurchase rights) otherwise applicable to such Restricted Share shall lapse, and each Restricted Share shall be converted into the right to receive a payment in cash equal to the Merger Consideration, without interest (subject to any withholding in accordance with Section 2.2(e)).  In each case, payment with respect to any Restricted Shares shall be made within five (5) Business Days after the Closing Date.

(iii)         Treatment of Restricted Stock Units and Other Equity-Based Awards.  Immediately prior to the Effective Time, each contractual right to receive a Share of Company Common Stock or the value of such a Share (each, an “Other Equity-Based Award”), including restricted stock units, phantom shares, and performance shares (such restricted stock units, phantom shares and performance shares collectively, “Restricted Stock Units”), granted pursuant to any Company Equity Plan that is outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time, shall, without any action on the part of the holder thereof, vest in full, and all restrictions (including forfeiture restrictions or repurchase rights) otherwise applicable to such Other Equity-Based Award shall lapse, and each Other Equity-Based Award shall be cancelled and in exchange therefor, each former holder of any such cancelled Other Equity-Based Award shall be entitled to receive, in settlement therefor and full satisfaction thereof, a payment in cash (subject to any withholding in accordance with Section 2.2(e)) equal to the product of (i) the Merger Consideration and (ii) the number of Shares subject to the Other Equity-Based Award as of the Effective Time; provided, however, that in the case of any Restricted Stock Units subject to performance-based vesting conditions, the applicable performance criteria shall be deemed to have been satisfied based on (A) target level of attainment or (B) actual attainment during the full fiscal quarters of the Company completed during the applicable performance period prior to the Effective Time, whichever results in a greater payment, in each case without proration

(b)               Termination of Company Equity Plans.  After the Effective Time, all Company Equity Plans shall be terminated and no further Company Options, Restricted Shares, Restricted Stock Units, Other Equity-Based Awards or other rights with respect to Shares shall be granted thereunder.

(c)                Parent Funding.  At the Effective Time, Parent shall make a cash contribution to the Surviving Corporation in immediately available funds to permit the Surviving Corporation to make the payments required under this Section 2.3. 

ARTICLE III
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY

Except as set forth in, or qualified by any matter set forth in, the Company SEC Documents filed before the date hereof (excluding, in each case, any risk factor disclosures contained under the heading “Risk Factors” or any disclosure of risks included in any “forward-looking statements” disclaimer or any other similar disclosures included in such Company SEC Documents that are predictive, cautionary or forward-looking in nature and, in each case, only to the extent the qualifying nature of such disclosure is reasonably apparent from the face of such Company SEC Documents), or the disclosure letter delivered by the Company to Parent and Merger Sub prior to the execution of this Agreement (it being agreed that disclosure of any item in any section or subsection of such disclosure letter shall also be deemed to be disclosed with respect to any other section or subsection to which the relevance of such item is reasonably apparent from the face of such disclosure letter) (the “Company Disclosure Letter”), the Company hereby represents and warrants to Parent and Merger Sub as follows:

Section 3.1       Organization and Qualification; Subsidiaries.

                   (a)                The Company and each Company Subsidiary is a corporation or other legal entity duly incorporated or organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization and has requisite corporate or other legal entity, as the case may be, power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and assets and to carry on its business as it is now being conducted.  The Company and each Company Subsidiary is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction where the ownership, leasing or operation of its properties or assets or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, individually or in the aggregate, has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

(b)               The Company has made available to Parent true and complete copies of (i) the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, of the Company (the “Company Certificate”), (ii) the By-laws, as amended, of the Company (the “Company By-laws”), and (iii) the certificate of incorporation and by-laws, or equivalent organizational documents, of each Company Subsidiary, each as in effect as of the date hereof.  The Company has made available to Parent true and complete copies of all minutes prepared by the Company of meetings of the Company Board and each committee of the Company Board and the board of directors (or equivalent body) of each Company Subsidiary and any committees thereof, each since December 31, 2008; provided that such copies have been redacted to preserve attorney-client privilege or to remove material relating to (A) the consideration, negotiation and execution of this Agreement and the Merger or any other business combination with Ultimate Parent or Parent, (B) potential strategic alternatives to the Merger, and (C) the matter set forth on Section 3.1(b)(C) of the Company Disclosure Letter.  Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is in material violation of any provision of its certificate of incorporation or by-laws (or equivalent organizational document).

(c)                Section 3.1(c) of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth a true and complete list of the Subsidiaries of the Company (each a “Company Subsidiary”), together with the jurisdiction of organization or incorporation, as the case may be, of each Company Subsidiary, the jurisdictions in which they are qualified to do business and the Company’s and any other person’s interest therein.

(d)               Section 3.1(d) of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth (i) the name of each Person (other than any Company Subsidiary) in which the Company or any Company Subsidiary owns, directly or indirectly, at least 5% of the outstanding Equity Interests (each Person referred to in this clause (i), a “Company Joint Venture Entity”) and (ii) the percentage of the Equity Interests of each such Company Joint Venture Entity (collectively, the “Company Joint Venture Securities”) held by the Company, directly or indirectly.  Except as provided in any partnership, joint venture, shareholder, operating or similar agreement set forth on Section 3.1(d) of the Company Disclosure Letter providing for the sharing of any profits, losses or liabilities, including each agreement relating to the formation, creation, equity or other ownership interests, operation, management or control of any Company Joint Venture Entity (collectively, the “Company Joint Venture Agreements”), all of the Company Joint Venture Securities owned by the Company, directly or indirectly, are owned free and clear of any Lien.  Prior to the date hereof, the Company has made available to Parent true and complete copies of all Company Joint Venture Agreements to which the Company or the Company Subsidiaries are a party.

Section 3.2      Capitalization.

                     (a)                The authorized capital stock of the Company consists of:  (i) 30,000,000 Shares and (ii) 1,200,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.10 par value (the “Company Preferred Stock”), of which no series have been designated.  The authorized capital stock of Central ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Gas & Electric Corporation (“Utility Subsidiary”) consists of: (i) 30,000,000 shares of common stock, $5 par value (the “Utility Subsidiary Common Stock”); and (ii) 1,200,000 shares of preferred stock, $100 par value (the “Utility Subsidiary Preferred Stock”) of which the following series have been designated:  (A) 70,300 shares of 4 1/2% Cumulative Preferred Stock

(b)               As of February 17, 2012, the Company has no Shares or Company Preferred Stock reserved for or otherwise subject to issuance, except for (i) 254,769 Shares reserved for issuance pursuant to the Company Equity Plans for outstanding Company Equity Awards and (ii) 358,868.45 shares of Company Common Stock reserved for future issuance pursuant to the Company Equity Plans (exclusive of the shares set forth in clause (i)).  All such shares of Company Common Stock reserved for or otherwise subject to issuance, when issued in accordance with the respective terms thereof, will be duly authorized and validly issued and will be fully paid, nonassessable and not issued in violation of any preemptive rights, purchase option, call, right or first refusal or any similar right.  Section 3.2(b) of the Company Disclosure Letter contains a complete and correct list of each Company Equity Award outstanding as of the Business Day immediately preceding the date of this Agreement, including, to the extent applicable, the holder thereof, the exercise price and number of shares of Company Common Stock or Company Preferred Stock subject thereto.

(c)                As of the date hereof, except for Company Equity Awards disclosed in Section 3.2(b), there are no (i) options, warrants, subscriptions, calls, convertible securities or other rights relating to any Equity Interests of the Company or any Company Subsidiary or rights to acquire any such Equity Interests, or (ii) agreements or arrangements or commitments

(d)               Except with respect to the Company Equity Awards, the Company Equity Plans and the related award agreements, there are no outstanding obligations of the Company or any Company Subsidiary or contracts to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary is bound (i) requiring the repurchase, redemption, acquisition or disposition of, or containing any right of first refusal with respect to, (ii) requiring the registration for sale of, (iii) applying voting restrictions to, (iv) granting any preemptive or antidilutive rights with respect to, or (v) otherwise restricting any Person from purchasing, selling, pledging or otherwise disposing of any Equity Interests in the Company or any Company Subsidiary.  All outstanding Shares have been issued in compliance with (i) all applicable Laws and (ii) all requirements set forth in a Company Scheduled Contract applicable to the issuance of Company Common Stock, Company Preferred Stock or Company Equity Awards, as applicable.

(e)                There are no outstanding bonds, debentures, notes or other indebtedness of the Company or any Company Subsidiary the holders of which have the right to vote (or convertible into, or exchangeable for, securities having the right to vote) on any matter on which shareholders of the Company or any Company Subsidiary may vote.

(f)                The Company or a Company Subsidiary owns, directly or indirectly, all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock or other Equity Interests of each of the Company Subsidiaries, other than the Utility Subsidiary Preferred Stock, free and clear of any Liens (other than transfer and other restrictions under applicable federal and state securities Laws), and all of such outstanding shares of capital stock or other Equity Interests have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid, nonassessable and were not issued in violation of any preemptive rights, purchase option, call, right of first refusal or any similar right.  Except for Equity Interests (x) in the Company Subsidiaries and as set forth in Section 3.2(f) of the Company Disclosure Letter and (y) in the Company Joint Venture Entities as set forth in Section 3.1(d), neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary owns, directly or indirectly, any Equity Interest in any Person, or has any obligation to acquire any such Equity Interest, or to provide funds to or make any investment (in the form of a loan, capital contribution or otherwise) in, any Company Subsidiary or any other Person.  There are no outstanding obligations to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary is a party (i) restricting the transfer, (ii) limiting the exercise of voting rights, or (iii) regarding registration under the Securities Act, in each case, with respect to any Equity Interests in any Company Subsidiary.

Section 3.3    Authority.

(a)                The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement, to perform its obligations hereunder and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Merger, subject to the Company Shareholder Approval and any regulatory approvals referenced in Section 3.5.  The execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Merger, have been duly and validly authorized by all requisite corporate action on the part of the Company, and no other corporate proceedings on the part of the Company, and no shareholder votes, are necessary to authorize this Agreement or to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby, other than the Company Shareholder Approval.  This Agreement has been duly authorized and validly executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by Parent and Merger Sub, constitutes the valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except that (i) such enforcement may be subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar Laws, now or hereafter in effect, affecting creditors’ rights generally and (ii) the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought.

(b)               The Company Board, at a meeting duly called and held at which all directors of the Company were present (in person or by telephone), has (i) determined that the Merger is fair to, and in the best interests of, the Company and its shareholders, (ii) approved and declared advisable this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby (including the Merger), (iii) unanimously resolved, subject to Section 5.4, to recommend that the shareholders of the Company adopt this Agreement and the Merger and (iv) directed that this Agreement and the Merger be submitted for consideration of the shareholders of the Company at the Company Shareholder Meeting.

Section 3.4      No Conflict.  None of the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement by the Company or the consummation by the Company of the Merger or any other transaction contemplated by this Agreement will (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both):  (a) subject to obtaining the Company Shareholder Approval, conflict with or violate any provision of the Company Certificate or Company By-laws or any equivalent organizational or governing documents of any Company Subsidiary; (b) assuming that all consents, approvals, authorizations and permits described in Section 3.5 have been obtained and all filings and notifications described in Section 3.5 have been made and any waiting periods thereunder have terminated or expired, conflict with or violate any Law applicable to the Company, any Company Subsidiary or any of their respective properties or assets; or (c) require any consent or approval under, violate, conflict with, result in any breach of or any loss of any benefit under, or constitute a change of control or default under, or result in termination or give to others any right of payment, reimbursement, modification, termination, vesting, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, or result in the creation of a Lien upon any of the respective properties or assets of the Company, any Company Subsidiary pursuant to, any Contract to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary is a party or any Company Permit, except, with respect to clauses (b) and (c), for any such conflicts, violations, consents, breaches, losses, changes of control, defaults, other occurrences or Liens which, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

Section 3.5      Required Filings and Consents. None of the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement by the Company or the consummation by the Company of the Merger or any other transaction contemplated by this Agreement will require (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both) any consent, approval, authorization or permit of, or filing or registration or qualification with or notification to, any Governmental Entity, other than (a) the filing and recordation of the Certificate of Merger as required by the NYBCL, (b) the Company Shareholder Approval, (c) compliance with any applicable requirements of the HSR Act, (d) the approval of each of the New York Public Service Commission (the “NYPSC”) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (the “FERC”) (the approvals described in clauses (c) and (d), together with the approvals set forth on Section 3.5 of the Company Disclosure Letter, being referred to herein as the “Company Required Governmental Approvals”), (e) compliance with the applicable requirements of the Exchange Act, (f) filings as may be required under the rules and regulations of the New York Stock Exchange, (g) the notification of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”) under Section 721 of Title VII of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended by the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988, as modified by the Foreign Investment and National Security Act of 2007 (“DPA”), (h) the approval of the Federal Communications Commission (the “FCC”) and (h) where the failure to obtain such consents, approvals, authorizations or permits of, or to make such filings, registrations with or notifications to, any Governmental Entity, individually or in the aggregate, has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

Section 3.6      Permits; Compliance with Laws.

                       (a)                The Company and each Company Subsidiary is in possession of all franchises, grants, easements, authorizations, licenses, permits, consents, certificates, variances, exemptions, exceptions, permissions, qualifications, approvals, orders, registrations and clearances of any Governmental Entity necessary for the Company and each Company Subsidiary to own, lease and operate its properties and assets, and to carry on and operate its businesses as currently conducted (the “Company Permits”), and all such Company Permits are in full force and effect, except where the failure to hold, or the failure to be in full force and effect of, any Company Permits, individually or in the aggregate, has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.  The Company and each of the Company Subsidiaries is, and since January 1, 2009 has been, in compliance in all respects with the terms of the Company Permits, except where the failure to be in compliance would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect.

(b)               None of the Company or any Company Subsidiary is, or since January 1, 2009 has been, in conflict with, default under or violation of any Law applicable to the Company or any Company Subsidiary, or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Company Subsidiary is bound or affected, except for any conflicts, defaults or violations that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.  No investigation by any Governmental Entity with respect to the

Section 3.7       SEC Filings; Financial Statments. Since January 1, 2009, each of the Company and Utility Subsidiary has filed with or otherwise furnished to (as applicable) the SEC all registration statements, prospectuses, forms, reports, definitive proxy statements, schedules and documents required to be filed or furnished by it under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as the case may be, together with all certifications required pursuant to the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act of 2002, as amended (together with the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, the “▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act”) (such documents and any other documents filed by the Company and/or Utility Subsidiary with the SEC, as have been supplemented, modified or amended since the time of filing and including all schedules, exhibits and other information incorporated by reference therein, collectively, the “Company SEC Documents”).  As of their respective filing dates or, if supplemented, modified or amended since the time of filing, as of the date of the most recent supplement, modification or amendment, the Company SEC Documents (a) did not at the time each such document was filed contain, and in the case of filings made after the date hereof, will not contain, any untrue statement of a material fact or omit, and in the case of filings made after the date hereof, will not omit, to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and (b) complied, and in the case of filings made after the date hereof, will comply, in each case in all material respects, with the applicable requirements of the Exchange Act or the Securities Act, as the case may be, and the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act, each in effect on the date each such document was filed.  None of the Company Subsidiaries other than Utility Subsidiary is currently required to file any forms, registration statements, prospectuses, reports or other documents with the SEC by law or by contract.  The audited consolidated financial statements and unaudited consolidated interim financial statements of the Company and the consolidated Company Subsidiaries including the related notes and schedules included, or incorporated by reference, in the Company SEC Documents (collectively, the “Company Financial Statements”) (i) complied or, in the case of Company Financial Statements filed after the date hereof, will comply as of their respective dates of filing, in each case in all material respects, with the then applicable accounting requirements and the published rules and regulations of the SEC with respect thereto, (ii) have been prepared or, in the case of Company Financial Statements filed after the date hereof, will be prepared in accordance with GAAP (as in effect in the United States on the date of such Company Financial Statement) applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved (except as may be indicated in the notes thereto or, in the case of interim financial statements, for normal and recurring year-end adjustments and as may be permitted by the SEC on Form 10-Q, Form 8-K or any successor or like form under the Exchange Act and that were not or are not expected to be material in nature) and (iii) fairly present, or, in the case of Company Financial Statements filed after the date hereof, will fairly

Section 3.8      Internal Control and Disclosure Controls.

                     (a)                The Company has designed and maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) sufficient to provide reasonable assurances regarding the reliability of financial reporting for the Company and the Company Subsidiaries.  The Company (a) has designed and maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Exchange Act) effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company and Utility Subsidiary in the reports that they file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms and is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management (including the Company’s principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions) as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and (b) based on its most recent evaluation of internal control prior to the date hereof, has disclosed to the Company’s auditors and the audit committee of the Company Board (i) any significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, except with respect to clause (a), those failures to design or maintain that would not, individually or in the aggregate, be material to the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.  The Company has made available to Parent a summary of any such disclosure made by management to Company’s auditors and to the audit committee since December 31, 2008.  Since December 31, 2008, to the knowledge of the Company, no attorney representing the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries, whether or not employed by the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries, has reported evidence of a violation of securities laws, breach of fiduciary duty or similar violation, relating to periods after December 31, 2008.

(b)               The Company has made available to Parent true and complete copies of all comment letters from the staff of the SEC since December 31, 2008 relating to Company SEC Documents and all written responses of the Company thereto through the date of this Agreement.  As of the date of this Agreement, there are no outstanding or unresolved comments in comment letters received from the SEC staff with respect to any Company SEC Documents.

(c)                There are no SEC inquiries or investigations, other governmental inquiries or investigations or internal investigations pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened involving the Company or any Company Subsidiary, in each case regarding any accounting practices of the Company or any Company Subsidiary. 

Section 3.9      No Undisclosed Liabilities. Except for those liabilities and obligations (a) set forth, reserved against or provided for in the audited consolidated balance sheet of the Company as of December 31, 2011, or in the respective notes thereto, (b) incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice since December 31, 2011, (c) incurred under this Agreement or in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Merger, or (d) that have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is subject to any liabilities or obligations of any nature, whether accrued, absolute, determined, determinable, fixed or contingent, that would be required to be recorded or reflected on a balance sheet in accordance with GAAP.  Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is a party to, or has any commitment to become a party to, any joint venture, off-balance sheet partnership or any similar contract or arrangement (including any Contract relating to any transaction or relationship between or among the Company and any of the Company Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and any unconsolidated affiliate, including any structured finance, special purpose or limited purpose entity or person, on the other hand), or any “off-balance sheet arrangements” (as defined in Item 303(a) of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act), where the result, purpose or effect of such contract or arrangement is to avoid disclosure of any material transaction involving, or material liabilities of, the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries in the Company Financial Statements or the Company SEC Reports.

Section 3.10    Absence of Certain Changes or Events.

(a)                Since December 31, 2011, through the date of this Agreement, the business of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries has been conducted in the ordinary course of business and there has not been any Company Material Adverse Effect or any change(s), event(s), state of circumstance(s) or development(s) which have had or would reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate with all other such change(s), event(s), state of circumstance(s) or development(s), a Company Material Adverse Effect.

(b)               Since December 31, 2011, through the date of this Agreement, neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has taken any action that, if taken during the period from the date of this Agreement through the Effective Time, would constitute a breach of Sections 5.1(a)(iii), (iv), (vi), (vii), (viii), (ix), (x), (xi), (xii), (xiii), (xv)(B), (xvii), (xviii), (xix)(B), or (xxi). 

Section 3.11    Information.  None of the information to be included or incorporated by reference in the Proxy Statement will at the date mailed to the Company’s shareholders or at the time of the Company Shareholder Meeting contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading, except that no representation or warranty is made by the Company with respect to statements made or incorporated by reference therein based on information supplied by Parent or Merger Sub in writing expressly for inclusion or incorporation by reference in the Proxy Statement.  The Proxy Statement will comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and other applicable Laws, except that no representation or warranty is made by the Company with respect to statements made or

Section 3.12    Employee Benefit Plans.

                        (a)                List of Plans.  Section 3.12(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth a true and complete list of each Company Benefit Plan.  “Company Benefit Plan” shall mean each “employee benefit plan” as defined in Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), and any other material plan, policy, program, practice, agreement, understanding or arrangement providing compensation or other benefits to any current or former director, officer, employee or individual consultant, which are maintained, sponsored or contributed to by the Company or any Company Subsidiary, or under which the Company or any Company Subsidiary has any obligation or liability, including all incentive, bonus, profit sharing, savings, deferred compensation, cafeteria, “voluntary employees’ beneficiary associations” under Section 501(c)(9) of the Code (each a “VEBA”), medical, health, dental, life insurance, disability, accident, supplemental unemployment or retirement, employment, severance or salary or benefits continuation, fringe benefit, stock purchase or equity based compensation plans, policies or programs.

(b)               General Compliance.  Each Company Benefit Plan has been established, administered, and maintained in all material respects in accordance with its terms and all applicable Laws, including ERISA and the Code. Except as would not reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company or any Company Subsidiary, (i) all contributions required to be made under the terms of any Company Benefit Plan have been timely made or have been reflected in the Company Financial Statements, and (ii) all Company Benefit Plans that are subject to Section 409A of the Code are in compliance with the requirements of Code Section 409A.  Except as required to maintain the tax-qualified status of any Company Benefit Plan intended to qualify under Section 401(a) of the Code, no condition or circumstance exists that would prevent the amendment or termination of any Company Benefit Plan.  Neither the Company nor any of its ERISA Affiliates has incurred, and no event has occurred and, to the knowledge of the Company, no condition or circumstance exists that would reasonably be expected to result, directly or indirectly, in, any material unsatisfied liability of the Company under Title IV of ERISA or Sections 412 or 430 of the Code or Sections 302 or 303 of ERISA.

(c)                Tax Qualification of Plans.  (i) Each Company Benefit Plan which is intended to qualify under Section 401(a) of the Code has either received a favorable determination letter from the IRS covering all applicable Tax law changes, as to its qualified status or may rely upon an opinion letter for a prototype plan and, to the knowledge of the Company, no fact or event has occurred that would reasonably be expected to materially adversely affect the qualified status of any such Company Benefit Plan under Section 401(a) of the Code, (ii) each VEBA has been determined by the IRS to be exempt from Federal income tax under Section 501(c)(9) of the Code, and, to the knowledge of the Company, no fact or event has occurred that would reasonably be expected to materially adversely affect the tax-exempt status of any such VEBA, (iii) there has been no prohibited transaction (within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, other than a transaction that is exempt under a statutory or administrative exemption), with respect to any Company Benefit Plan that would reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company, and (iv) no suit,

(d)               Retiree Welfare Benefits.  Section 3.12(d) of the Company Disclosure Letter lists each Company Benefit Plan that provides health or other welfare benefits after retirement or other termination of employment (other than (i) continuation coverage required under Section 4980B(f) of the Code or other similar applicable Law, (ii) coverage or benefits the full cost of which is borne by the employee or former employee (or any beneficiary of the employee or former employee) or (iii) benefits provided during any applicable severance period).

(e)                Single Employer Plans.  Section 3.12(e) of the Company Disclosure Letter lists each Company Benefit Plan that is a single-employer pension plan subject to Title IV of ERISA or part 3 of Subtitle A of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code (each, a “Single Employer Plan”).  Except as reflected in the Company Financial Statements, the actuarial present value of the accumulated plan benefits (whether or not vested) under the Single Employer Plans as of the close of the most recent plan year did not exceed the market value of the assets allocable thereto, and, to the knowledge of the Company, since such date, there has been no material adverse change in the financial condition of any Single Employer Plan. With respect to each Single Employer Plan, except as would not have or reasonably be expected to result in a material liability of the Company, (i) no reportable event (within the meaning of Section 4043 of ERISA, other than an event for which the reporting requirements have been waived by regulations) has occurred or is expected to occur, (ii) none of the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has failed to satisfy the minimum funding standard within the meaning of Sections 412 and 430 of the Code or Sections 302 and 303 of ERISA, or obtained a waiver of any minimum funding standard or any amortization period under Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, (iii) neither the Company nor any ERISA Affiliate is required to provide security under Section 436(f) of the Code, (iv) all premiums (and interest charges and penalties for late payment, if applicable) have been paid when due to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (“PBGC”), (v) no filing has been made by the Company or any Company Subsidiary with the PBGC to terminate any Single Employer Plan and no proceeding has been commenced by the PBGC to terminate, or appoint a trustee under Title IV of ERISA to administer, any Single Employer Plan and (vi) no liability has been incurred under Section 4062(e) of ERISA.

(f)                Multiemployer Plans.  None of the Company Benefit Plans is a multiemployer pension plan (as defined in Section 3(37) of ERISA).

(g)               Change in Control.  Section 3.12(g)(i) of the Company Disclosure Letter lists each Company Benefit Plan that provides for the payment (whether in cash or property or the vesting of property) as a result of the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including the Merger (either alone or upon the occurrence of any additional or subsequent event), to any employee, officer or director of the Company or any Company

(h)               Plan Documentation.  Correct and complete copies of the following documents with respect to each Company Benefit Plan have been delivered or made available by the Company to Parent, to the extent applicable: (i) all Company Benefit Plan documents, together with all amendments and attachments thereto (including, in the case of any material Company Benefit Plan not set forth in writing, a written description thereof); (ii) all trust documents, declarations of trust and other documents establishing other funding arrangements, and all amendments thereto and the latest financial statements thereof; (iii) the annual report on IRS Form 5500 for the past year and all schedules thereto; (iv) the most recent IRS determination letter or opinion letter; (v) all summary plan descriptions and summaries of material modifications; and (vi) the most recent actuarial valuation report.

Section 3.13     Labor and Other Employment Matters.

                       (a)                The Company and each Company Subsidiary is, and since January 1, 2009 has been, in compliance in all material respects with (i) all applicable Laws respecting labor, employment, fair employment practices, terms and conditions of employment, workers’ compensation, occupational safety, plant closings, and wages and hours, and (ii) all collective bargaining agreements.  Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is engaged in and since January 1, 2009, has not engaged in any unfair labor practice in any material respect.  Section 3.13(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter lists each collective bargaining agreement covering the terms of employment of any employee of the Company or any Company Subsidiary.  No labor union or collective bargaining agreement is currently being negotiated by or involves the Company or any Company Subsidiary and there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened demand for recognition or certification and no representation or certification proceedings or petitions relating to the Company or any Company Subsidiary.  There is no ongoing, and to the knowledge of the Company, no pending or threatened, work stoppage, slowdown, labor strike, material labor dispute, union organizing efforts or requests for representation against the Company or any Company Subsidiary, and there have been no such actions within the past three (3) years.  To the knowledge of the Company, there are no pending or threatened material grievances or arbitration proceedings arising out of or under any labor union or collective bargaining agreement, and since January 1, 2009, none have

(b)               Section 3.13(b) of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth a true and complete list of all material (i) severance or employment agreements with directors, officers or employees of the Company or any Company Subsidiary, (ii) severance programs of the Company or any Company Subsidiary with or relating to its employees and (iii) plans, programs or other agreements of the Company or any Company Subsidiary with its directors, officers or employees which contain change in control provisions, other than any Company Benefit Plan disclosed in Section 3.12(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter.

Section 3.14    Contracts.

                      (a)                All Contracts, including amendments thereto, required to be filed as an exhibit to any report of the Company filed pursuant to the Exchange Act of the type described in Item 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC have been filed, and no such Contract has been amended or modified, except for such amendments or modifications which have been filed as an exhibit to a subsequently dated and filed Company SEC Document.  All such filed Contracts (excluding any redacted portions thereof) shall be deemed to have been made available to Parent.

(b)               Other than the Contracts referenced in Section 3.14(a) that were filed in unredacted form, Section 3.14(b) of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth a true and complete list, as of the date of this Agreement, of each Contract to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary is a party and which constitutes:  (i) an agreement that limits in any material respect the freedom of the Company or any Company Subsidiary to compete in any line of business or sell, supply or distribute any product or service in any geographic area; (ii) a joint-venture or partnership agreement; (iii) an agreement that involves future expenditures or receipts by the Company or any Company Subsidiary of more than $10,000,000 in any one year period that cannot be terminated on less than 90 days notice without material payment or penalty; (iv) an acquisition agreement that contains “earn-out” or other contingent payment obligations that could reasonably be expected to result in future payments by the Company or a Company Subsidiary in excess of $1,000,000;  (v) an agreement relating to Indebtedness or that grants or evidences a Lien on any material properties or assets of the Company or any Company Subsidiary in excess of $10,000,000 individually; (vi) other than leases, licenses or occupancy agreements in the way of easements or rights of way, a lease or sublease with respect to leased real property that involves annual rental payments in excess of $5,000,000 per year; (vii) a Contract for the purchase of natural gas, electricity, fuel oil, other petroleum product or other energy commodities, emissions allowance, emissions offsets, or renewable energy certificates or similar agreements that relate to renewable or clean energy, or for the purchase of any other item or service that is reasonably expected to result in future payments by the Company or any Company Subsidiary in excess of $10,000,000 in any one year period; (viii) a Contract (A) for

Each Contract of the type described in Section 3.14(a) and Section 3.14(b) is referred to herein as a “Company Scheduled Contract.” 

(c)                Except as has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect:  (i) each Company Scheduled Contract is a valid and binding obligation of the Company or the Company Subsidiary party thereto and, to the knowledge of the Company, of the other parties thereto, enforceable against the Company or the Company Subsidiary party thereto and, to the knowledge of the Company, against the other parties thereto in accordance with its terms, except that (A) such enforcement may be subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar laws, now or hereafter in effect, affecting creditors’ rights generally and (B) the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefore may be brought; (ii) the Company and the Company Subsidiaries have, and to the knowledge of the

Section 3.15    Litigation. There is no suit, claim, action, investigation, arbitration or proceeding to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary is a party or with respect to which any of their respective property is affected, as the case may be, pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened that, individually or in the aggregate, has had or would reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.  Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is subject to any outstanding order, writ, injunction, judgment or decree that, individually or in the aggregate, has had or would reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

Section 3.16    Real Property.

                    (a)                Section 3.16(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth a true and complete list of all real property (other than real property in the nature of transmission or distribution lines and substations) owned in whole or in part by the Company or any Company Subsidiary in fee (collectively, the “Company Owned Real Property”) and includes an identification of such property (e.g. an address, a metes and bounds description, a tax map identification or other specification), the name of the record title holder thereof and a list, as of the date hereof, of all Indebtedness secured by a Lien (other than Permitted Liens) thereon.  The Company or a Company Subsidiary, as the case may be, holds good and marketable title in fee simple to all Company Owned Real Property, free and clear of all Liens (other than Permitted Liens).  The Company or a Company Subsidiary, as the case may be, has valid title to the easements used by the Company and the Company Subsidiaries, except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect. All of the buildings, facilities, structures, infrastructures, lines, appurtenances and other improvements situated on the Company Owned Real Property are in operating condition and in a state of ordinary maintenance and repair (ordinary wear and tear excepted) and are adequate and suitable for the purposes for which they are presently being used except for any failures as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect.  Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect, there are no outstanding options or rights of first refusal which have been granted by the Company or any Company Subsidiary to third parties to purchase any Company Owned Real Property.

                    (b)               Section 3.16(b) of the Company Disclosure Letter contains an accurate and complete list and description, as of the date hereof, of all leases of material real property (collectively, the “Company Real Property Leases”) to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party (as lessee, sublessee, sublessor or lessor) and includes an identification of such property (e.g. an address, a metes and bounds description, a tax map identification or other

(c)                The Company Owned Real Property and the Company Leased Real Property are referred to collectively herein as the “Company Real Property.”  With respect to the Company Real Property, neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has received any written notice of, nor to the knowledge of the Company does there exist, (i) any pending, threatened or contemplated condemnation or similar proceedings, or any sale or other disposition of any Company Real Property or any part thereof in lieu of condemnation or (ii) any non-compliance with any applicable building and zoning codes, deed restrictions, ordinances and rules, that, in each case, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.  The Company and the Company Subsidiaries have lawful rights of use and access to all Company Real Property used in or necessary to conduct their businesses substantially as presently conducted except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect.    Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect, no Governmental Entity having the power of eminent domain over any of the Company Real Property has provided written notice to the Company or any Company Subsidiary that it intends to exercise the power of eminent domain or similar power with respect to all or any part of the Company Real Property.

Section 3.17    Personal Properties. Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Company Material Adverse Effect, (i) the Company or one

Section 3.18     Environment Matters. Except as has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect:

(a)                The Company and each Company Subsidiary are and since January 1, 2009 have been in compliance with applicable Environmental Laws, and hold or have obtained or applied for and are and since January 1, 2009 have been in compliance with all Environmental Permits necessary to conduct their current operations.  All such Environmental Permits are final, valid and in full force and effect, and where necessary a renewal application has been timely filed.  No action is pending, or to the knowledge of the Company threatened, to revoke, suspend, or modify any such Environmental Permits.

(b)               None of the Company or any Company Subsidiary has received any written notice, demand, letter or claim alleging that the Company or such Company Subsidiary is in violation of, or liable under, any Environmental Law, including with respect to the investigation, sampling, monitoring, treatment, remediation, removal or cleanup of Hazardous Substances, and to the knowledge of the Company no such notice, demand or claim has been threatened.

(c)                None of the Company or any Company Subsidiary has entered into any consent decree or is subject to any judgment relating to compliance with Environmental Laws the subject matter of which has not been resolved.

(d)               Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has expressly assumed, by contract or otherwise, the liability of any other Person under any Environmental Law.

(e)                Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is conducting, or has undertaken or completed since January 1, 2010, any Remedial Action relating to any Release or threatened Release at the Company Real Property or at any other site, location or operation, either voluntarily or pursuant to the order of any Governmental Entity or the requirements of any Environmental Law or Environmental Permit.

(f)                The Company has provided or made available to Parent all of the following in its possession, as of the date of this Agreement: (i) all material environmental reports, studies or audits conducted or prepared since January 1, 2009, including, reports or studies with respect to potential enforcement actions and strategies to comply with existing or upcoming regulations pursuant to the federal Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and similar state Laws, (ii) all material orders, decrees or

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement to the contrary, the representations and warranties made in this Section 3.18 are the sole and exclusive representations and warranties made by the Company in this Agreement with respect to Hazardous Substances, Environmental Laws, Environmental Permits and any other matter related to the environment or the protection of human health and worker safety.

Section 3.19     Intellectual Property.

(a)                The Company and the Company Subsidiaries own or have the right to use all material Intellectual Property used in their businesses as presently conducted.  Section 3.19(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter contains a complete and accurate list, as of the date hereof, of all of the following owned by the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries: (i) trademark registrations and applications for registrations, and material unregistered trademarks, (ii) copyright registrations and applications for registration, (iii) patents and patent applications, and (iv) Internet domain names and applications and registrations for the foregoing; including, for each, the title, registration or patent or application number, registration or issue or application date, and the registered owner. To the extent indicated in Section 3.19(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter, each such registration and patent and application has been duly registered in, filed in, or issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, United States Copyright Office, a duly-accredited domain name registrar, or the appropriate offices of states or foreign jurisdictions, and each such registration, patent, and application remains valid, enforceable, and in full force and effect, in each case as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect. Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect, such registrations, patents, and applications are not subject to any fees or other payments, or other actions falling due within one hundred eighty (180) days after the Closing Date that, if not taken, will adversely affect any of such Intellectual Property.  To the knowledge of the Company, the Intellectual Property owned by the Company and the Company Subsidiaries is not being infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated by any third party, except for such infringements, misappropriations or violations that have not had and would reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect.

(b)               The Company and the Company Subsidiaries, including their products, services, conduct of their businesses and the use of the Intellectual Property owned by the Company and the Company Subsidiaries, are not infringing, misappropriating, or otherwise violating any third party’s right, title or interest in any Intellectual Property, except for such

(c)                The Company and the Company Subsidiaries have taken reasonable precautions to protect the secrecy and confidentiality of the trade secrets and other confidential information owned by the Company and the Company Subsidiaries.

(d)               The IT Assets operate and perform in accordance with the Company’s and Company Subsidiaries’ internal standards as well as any applicable warranties, documentation, and functional specifications, and otherwise as currently required by the Company and Company Subsidiaries, except where such failure of compliance, has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect. The IT Assets have not materially malfunctioned, been breached, or failed within the past five (5) years. The IT Assets do not contain any “time bombs,” “trojan horses,” “back doors,” “trap doors,” worms, viruses, bugs, spyware, keylogger software, or other faults or malicious devices that would adversely impact the functionality of the IT Assets or allow third parties to track or monitor activity using such IT Assets, except such faults or malicious devices that have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its Subsidiaries have implemented backup, security, and disaster recovery technology consistent with applicable regulatory standards and prudent industry practices in all material respects.  None of the IT Assets contain, incorporate, include, or are embedded with any shareware, freeware open source code, or other software subject to a general public license or other public or similar licensing regime, except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect.

Section 3.20    Tax Matters. Except as has not had and as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect:

(a)                The Company and each Company Subsidiary have (i) timely filed with the appropriate taxing authority all Tax Returns required to be filed, taking into account any extensions of time within which to file such Tax Returns, and all such Tax Returns were complete and accurate, and (ii) timely paid all Taxes payable (including Taxes that the Company or any Company Subsidiary are or were required to withhold or collect in connection with amounts paid or owing to any employee, independent contractor, creditor, shareholder, member or other third party), except in each case of clause (i) or (ii) with respect to matters contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which adequate reserves, in accordance with GAAP, are reflected in the Company Financial Statements;

(b)                 (i) Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is currently subject to an audit or similar proceeding with regard to any Taxes or Tax Returns of the Company or any Company Subsidiary; (ii) to the knowledge of the Company, there are no audits or other similar proceedings pending with regard to any Taxes or Tax Returns of the Company or any Company Subsidiary; (iii) neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is presently contesting any Tax liability; and (iv) neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has waived in writing any statute of limitations with respect to Taxes for any open tax year.

(c)                There are no Tax Liens upon any property or assets of the Company or any Company Subsidiary except for Permitted Liens of the type described in clause (iii) of the definition thereof.

(d)               Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is liable for Taxes of any other Person (other than the Company or a Company Subsidiary) under Treasury Regulation 1.1502-6 or any similar provision of state, local or foreign Tax Law.

(e)                Since January 1, 2010, neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary constituted or was purported to constitute either a “distributing corporation” or a “controlled corporation” within the meaning of Section 355(a)(1)(A) of the Code.

(f)                There are no Tax sharing, allocation, indemnification or similar agreements in effect as between the Company or any Company Subsidiary and any other party under which the Company or any Company Subsidiary could be liable for any Taxes or other claims of any party (other than customary Tax gross-up or Tax indemnification provisions on credit agreements, derivatives, leases and other commercial agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business).

(g)               Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has engaged in a “listed transaction” within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.6011-4(b)(2).

Section 3.21    Opinion of Financial Advisor. The Company Board has received the written opinion of Lazard Frères & Co. LLC, the Company Board’s financial advisor, to the effect that as of the date of such opinion, the Merger Consideration to be paid to the holders of Company Common Stock is fair, from a financial point of view, to such holders.

Section 3.22    Insurance.  All material fire, liability, workers’ compensation, property, casualty and other forms of insurance policies maintained by the Company and the Company Subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company Insurance Policies”) are with reputable insurance carriers, provide adequate coverage for all normal risks incident to the businesses of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries and their respective properties and assets, and are in character and amount comparable to that carried by persons engaged in similar businesses and subject to the same or similar perils or hazards, except for any such failures to maintain insurance policies that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.  Each Company Insurance Policy is in full force and effect and all premiums due with respect to all Company Insurance Policies have been paid, with such exceptions that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.  Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, all Company Insurance Policies are sufficient for compliance with all Laws and contracts to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary is subject (in the case of Laws) or a party or by which it is bound (in the case of contracts).

Section 3.23    Required Vote. The affirmative vote of the holders of shares representing a majority of the votes of all outstanding shares of the Company Common Stock entitled to vote at the Company Shareholder Meeting is the only vote required of the holders of any class or

Section 3.24     Brokers. Except for the Company’s obligations to Lazard Frères & Co. LLC, the Company’s financial advisor, which has been engaged pursuant to an engagement letter provided to Parent, neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary, nor any of their respective directors, officers or employees, has incurred, on behalf of the Company or any Company Subsidiary, any obligation to pay any brokerage, finders’, financial advisory or similar fee in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

Section 3.25    Regulation as a Utility. The Company is a “single-state holding company system” as defined in the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005 and the implementing regulations of FERC in 18 C.F.R. Part 366 (“PUHCA”) and is exempt from the accounting, record-retention and reporting requirements of FERC’s regulations in 18 C.F.R. Part 366.  Except for (i) the regulation of the Utility Subsidiary by the State of New York under the New York State Public Service Law as an electric corporation, a gas corporation, and a public utility company (or similar designation), (ii) the regulation of the Utility Subsidiary as a public utility, an electric utility and a transmitting utility under the Federal Power Act, as amended, and the implementing regulations of FERC thereunder (“FPA”), and (iii) the regulation of those companies in which the Company has an indirect equity interest that are engaged in the production of energy as qualifying facilities under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, as amended, and the implementing regulations of FERC in 18 C.F.R. Part 292 (“PURPA”), neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is subject to regulation as a public utility or public service company (or similar designation) by the FERC (except that the Company’s hydroelectric facilities are subject to regulation by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation) or any state in the United States having jurisdiction over them or their respective properties or assets. Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary owns, directly or indirectly, any interest in any nuclear generation station or manages or operates any nuclear generation station.  Neither the Company nor any Company subsidiary is subject to the Natural Gas Act of 1938. 

Section 3.26    Regulatory Filings. All filings required to be made by the Company or any Company Subsidiary since January 1, 2009 pursuant to the FPA, the Communications Act of 1934, as amended by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the Natural Gas Act of 1938,  PUHCA, the Energy Policy Act of 2005,  PURPA, each pipeline safety law, as amended, that is administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration, the New York Public Service Law and other applicable state Laws and regulations, have been filed or furnished, as applicable, with the applicable Governmental Entity, as the case may be, including all forms, statements, reports, agreements (oral or written) and all documents, exhibits, amendments, and supplements appertaining thereto, including all rates, tariffs, franchises, service agreements and related documents and all such filings complied, as of their respective dates, with all applicable requirements of the applicable statute and the rules and regulations thereunder, except for filings the failure of which to make in compliance with all applicable requirements of the applicable statute and rules and regulations thereunder have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect.

Section 3.27     Takeover Laws. No “moratorium,” “control share acquisition,” “fair price,” “business combination” or other anti-takeover Law (including Section 912 of the NYBCL) or anti-takeover provision of the Company Certificate or Company By-laws is applicable to this Agreement, the Merger or any other transaction contemplated by this Agreement.

Section 3.28    Trading. The Company has made available to Parent all material agreements that the Company or any Company Subsidiary has entered into with respect to any swap, cap, floor, collar, futures contract, forward contract, option or any other derivative financial instrument, Contract or arrangement, based on or referencing any commodity, security, instrument, asset, rate or index of any kind or nature whatsoever, whether tangible or intangible, including electricity, natural gas, crude oil and other commodities, currencies, interest rates or indices, or forward contracts for physical delivery, physical output of assets or physical load obligations or any similar derivatives transaction.  The Company and each Company Subsidiary involved in such trading has established risk parameters, limits and guidelines in compliance with the Company’s risk management policy (the “Trading Guidelines”) to restrict the level of risk that the Company and Company Subsidiaries are authorized to take with respect to, among other things, the net position resulting from all derivatives and similar transactions (the “Net Position”) and monitors and enforces compliance by the Company and the Company Subsidiaries with such risk parameters.  The Trading Guidelines comply with all applicable Law and, to the extent required, have been approved by all Governmental Entities, except for such non-compliance or non-approval as would not be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect.  The Company has made the Trading Guidelines available to Parent prior to the date of this Agreement.  As of the date hereof, the Net Position is (i) within the risk parameters that are set forth in the Trading Guidelines and (ii) not material to the Company and the Company Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.  From December 31, 2009 to the date hereof, neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has, in accordance with its ▇▇▇▇ to market accounting policies, experienced at any time an aggregate realized net loss in its trading and related operations that has had or would reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.  The Company and each Company Subsidiary has retained and maintained records, transcripts, pricing and trade data and other information required to be retained and maintained under Title VII of the ▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act”) and the regulations thereunder in respect of its derivatives transactions entered into prior to and after enactment of the ▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act, except for such non-compliance as would not be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect.

ARTICLE IV
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PARENT AND MERGER SUB

Except as set forth in, or qualified by any matter set forth in, the disclosure letter delivered by Parent and Merger Sub to the Company prior to the execution of this Agreement (it being agreed that disclosure of any item in any section or subsection of such disclosure letter shall also be deemed to be disclosed with respect to any other section or subsection to which the relevance of such item is reasonably apparent from the face of such disclosure letter) (the “Parent Disclosure Letter”), Parent and Merger Sub hereby represent and warrant to the Company as follows:

Section 4.1       Organization and Qualifcation.

                       (a)                Each of Parent and Merger Sub is a corporation or other legal entity duly incorporated or organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization and has requisite corporate or other legal entity, as the case may be, power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and assets and to carry on its business as it is now being conducted.  Each of Parent and Merger Sub is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction where the ownership, leasing or operation of its properties or assets or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to prevent or materially delay or materially impair the ability of Parent and Merger Sub to consummate the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

(b)               Parent has made available to the Company true and complete copies of the certificate of incorporation and bylaws, or equivalent organizational or governing documents, of each of Parent and Merger Sub, each as in effect as of the date hereof.  Neither Parent nor Merger Sub is in material violation of any provision of its certificate of incorporation or by-laws (or equivalent organizational document).

Section 4.2      Authority. Each of Parent and Merger Sub has the requisite corporate or other legal entity, as the case may be, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement, to perform its obligations hereunder and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Merger, subject to any regulatory approvals referenced in Section 4.4.  The execution and delivery of this Agreement by each of Parent and Merger Sub, and the consummation by Parent and Merger Sub of the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Merger, have been duly and validly authorized by all requisite corporate or other legal entity, as the case may be, action on the part of Parent and Merger Sub and no other corporate or other legal entity, as the case may be, proceedings on the part of Parent or Merger Sub, and no shareholder or other equity holder votes, are necessary to authorize this Agreement or to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby, other than the approval and adoption of the Merger by Parent in its capacity as sole shareholder of Merger Sub.  This Agreement has been duly authorized and validly executed and delivered by Parent and Merger Sub and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the Company, constitutes a valid and binding obligation of Parent and Merger Sub, enforceable against Parent and Merger Sub in accordance with its terms, except that (i) such enforcement may be subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar Laws, now or hereafter in effect, affecting creditors’ rights generally and (ii) the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought.

Section 4.3      No Conflict. None of the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement by Parent or Merger Sub or the consummation by Parent or Merger Sub of the Merger or any other transaction contemplated by this Agreement will (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both):  (a) conflict with or violate any provision of the certificate of incorporation or bylaws, or any equivalent organizational or governing documents, of Parent or Merger Sub; (b) assuming that all consents, approvals, authorizations and permits described in Section 4.4 have been obtained and all filings and notifications described in Section 4.4 have been made and any waiting periods thereunder have terminated or expired, conflict with or violate any Law applicable to Parent, Merger Sub or any other Parent Subsidiary or any of their respective properties or assets; or (c) require any consent or approval under, violate, conflict with, result in any breach of or any loss of any benefit under, or constitute a default under, or result in termination or give to others any right of termination, vesting, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, or result in the creation of a Lien upon any of the respective properties or assets of Parent, Merger Sub or any other Parent Subsidiary pursuant to, any Contract or permit to which Parent, Merger Sub or any other Parent Subsidiary is a party or by which they or any of their respective properties or assets are bound, except, with respect to clauses (b) and (c), for any such conflicts, violations, consents, breaches, losses, defaults, other occurrences or Liens which, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to prevent or materially delay or materially impair the ability of Parent and Merger Sub to consummate the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

Section 4.4       Required Filings and Consents. None of the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement by Parent and Merger Sub or the consummation by Parent and Merger Sub of the Merger or any other transaction contemplated by this Agreement will require (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both) any consent, approval, authorization or permit of, or filing or registration or qualification with or notification to, any Governmental Entity, other than (a) the filing and recordation of the Certificate of Merger as required by the NYBCL, (b) compliance with any applicable requirements of the HSR Act, (c) the approval of each of the NYPSC, the FERC and the FCC, (d) compliance with the applicable requirements of the Exchange Act, (e) the notification of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States under the DPA and (f) where the failure to obtain such consents, approvals, authorizations or permits of, or to make such filings, registrations with or notifications to any Governmental Entity, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to prevent or materially delay or materially impair the ability of Parent and Merger Sub to consummate the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

Section 4.5       Information Supplied. None of the information to be supplied by Parent and Merger Sub in writing expressly for inclusion or incorporation by reference in the Proxy Statement will, at the date mailed to the Company’s shareholders or at the time of the Company Shareholder Meeting, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading.

Section 4.6       Litigation. As of the date hereof, there is no suit, claim, action, investigation, arbitration or proceeding to which Parent, Merger Sub or any other Parent Subsidiary is a party or with respect to which any of their respective property is affected, as the case may be, pending or, to the knowledge of Parent, threatened that, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to prevent or materially delay or materially impair the ability of Parent and Merger Sub to consummate the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement or challenges the validity or propriety of the Merger.  None of Parent, Merger Sub or any other Parent Subsidiary is subject to any outstanding order, writ, injunction, judgment or decree that, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to prevent or materially delay or materially impair the ability of Parent and Merger Sub to consummate the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

Section 4.7      Ownership of Company Capital Stock.  None of Ultimate Parent or any of Ultimate Parent’s direct or indirect Subsidiaries owns, beneficially or of record, any Shares or any other securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, Company Common Stock or any other equity interests of the Company or the Company Subsidiaries.

Section 4.8      Funds. Parent and Merger Sub at the Closing will have sufficient funds to consummate the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby, including payment in full of the Aggregate Merger Consideration and payments in respect of Company Equity Awards pursuant to Section 2.3 and all fees, costs and expenses in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby.

           Section 4.9       Ownership of Merger Sub; No Prior Activies. Merger Sub was formed solely for the purpose of engaging in the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.  All of the outstanding capital stock of Merger Sub is, and at the Effective Time will be, owned directly by Parent.  Except for obligations or liabilities incurred in connection with its incorporation and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, Merger Sub has not, and prior to the Effective Time will not have, incurred, directly or indirectly through any Subsidiary or affiliate, any obligations or liabilities or engaged in any business activities of any type or kind whatsoever or entered into any agreements or arrangements with any Person.

Section 4.10    Management Agreements. As of the date hereof, none of Parent, Merger Sub, Ultimate Parent or any of their respective executive officers or directors, has entered into any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any of the executive officers or directors of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that is currently in effect or would or is expected to become effective in the future (upon consummation of the Merger or otherwise) and that, if effective at the date hereof, would be required to be disclosed under Item 1005(d) of Regulation M-A under the Exchange Act.

Section 4.11    Brokers. As of the date hereof, none of Parent, Merger Sub or any other Parent Subsidiary, nor any of their respective shareholders, members, directors, officers, employees or affiliates, has incurred or will incur on behalf of Parent, Merger Sub or any other Parent Subsidiary, any brokerage, finders’, advisory or similar fee in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except for such fees of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Lynch, Pierce, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ Incorporated or its affiliates that will be incurred solely by Parent.

ARTICLE V
COVENANTS

Section 5.1      Conduct of Business Pending the Closing.

                     (a)                The Company agrees that between the date of this Agreement and the Effective Time, except as set forth in Section 5.1(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter, as expressly permitted or required by this Agreement, or as required by applicable Law, by a Governmental Entity of competent jurisdiction or by the rules or requirements of the New York Stock Exchange, unless Parent shall otherwise agree in writing (which agreement shall not be

(i)             amend its Certificate of Incorporation, By-laws or equivalent organizational documents;

(ii)           issue or authorize the issuance, pledge, transfer, subject to any Lien, sell or otherwise encumber or dispose of, any Equity Interests in the Company or any Company Subsidiary, or securities convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, any such Equity Interests, or any rights of any kind to acquire any such Equity Interests or such convertible or exchangeable securities, other than (A) grants of Company Options, Restricted Stock and Other Equity-Based Awards, but only if and to the extent required by Law or permitted by the terms of any Company Equity Plan or the Company’s 401(k) plan in each case as in effect as of the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding the date of this Agreement and not exceeding an aggregate value at the time of grant of $5,000,000 in any calendar year, in each case, in amounts, at times and on terms and conditions as in the ordinary course of business; (B) the issuance of Shares upon the exercise of Company Options outstanding as of February 17, 2012, or otherwise permitted to be granted under clause (A) of this Section 5.1(a)(ii), and the vesting or settlement of Other Equity-Based Awards outstanding as of February 17, 2012, or otherwise permitted to be granted under clause (A) of this Section 5.1(a)(ii), in accordance with their terms; and (C) the issuance of Equity Interests in a wholly owned Company Subsidiary to its parent, in each case of the foregoing clauses “(A)” through “(C)” in the ordinary course of business;

(iii)         sell, pledge, dispose of, transfer, lease, license or encumber any material property or assets of the Company or any Company Subsidiary, except pursuant to existing Company Scheduled Contracts and except for (x) dispositions of obsolete equipment or assets, in each case, in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, or (y) dispositions in amounts not to exceed $4,000,000 individually or $15,000,000 in the aggregate;

(iv)         declare, set aside, make or pay any dividend or other distribution (whether payable in cash, stock, property or a combination thereof) with respect to any of its capital stock (other than (A) regular quarterly cash dividends paid by the Company at the times and in the manner paid in the past by the Company and in an amount per

(v)           other than (A) in the case of wholly-owned Company Subsidiaries, (B) in the case of cashless exercises of Company Options, or Tax withholdings on the vesting or payment of Restricted Stock and Other Equity-Based Awards or (C) the redemption of Utility Subsidiary Preferred Stock pursuant to the terms of such Utility Subsidiary Preferred Stock or Section 5.14, reclassify, combine, split, subdivide or amend the terms of, or redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire, directly or indirectly, any of its Equity Interests;

(vi)         merge or consolidate the Company or any Company Subsidiary with any Person or adopt a plan of complete or partial liquidation or resolutions providing for a complete or partial liquidation, dissolution, restructuring, recapitalization or other reorganization of the Company or any Company Subsidiary;

(vii)       acquire (including by merger, consolidation or acquisition of stock or assets) any interest in any Person or any assets, other than acquisitions of (A) inventory in the ordinary course of business or (B) any assets for consideration that is individually not in excess of $4,000,000, or in the aggregate not in excess of $15,000,000;

(viii)     incur any indebtedness for borrowed money or issue any debt securities, or assume or guarantee the obligations of any Person (other than a wholly-owned Company Subsidiary) for borrowed money, except (A) in connection with refinancings of existing indebtedness for borrowed money as such indebtedness matures upon market terms and conditions, so long as the amount of Indebtedness (or credit facility capacity) following such refinancing shall not exceed the amount of Indebtedness (or credit facility capacity) immediately prior to the refinancing, (B) draw-downs of credit facilities outstanding as of the date hereof (or refinancings of such credit facilities permitted under clause (A)) in the ordinary course of business or (C) for borrowings in the ordinary course of business in accordance with the financing plan set forth in Section 5.1(a)(viii) of the Company Disclosure Letter;

(ix)         make any loans, advances or capital contributions to, or investments in, any other Person (other than any wholly-owned Company Subsidiary) in excess of $7,500,000 in the aggregate other than as set forth in the Company’s capital

(x)           except to the extent required by Law (including to avoid the imposition of penalty taxes under Section 409A of the Code) or the existing terms of any Company Benefit Plan:  (A) other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, increase the compensation or benefits payable or to become payable to its directors or officers, or other than in the ordinary course of business, increase the compensation or benefits payable to employees; (B) grant any rights to severance or termination pay to, or enter into or amend any employment or severance agreement with, any director, executive officer or, other than in the ordinary course of business, employee of the Company or any Company Subsidiary, or establish, adopt, enter into or amend any collective bargaining, bonus, profit sharing, thrift, pension, retirement, deferred compensation, employment, termination, severance or other plan or agreement for the benefit of any director, executive officer or, other than in the ordinary course of business, employee; or (C) other than in connection with the consummation of the Merger, take any action to amend or waive any performance or vesting criteria or accelerate vesting, exercisability or funding under any Company Benefit Plan;

(xi)         (A) make any material Tax election, (B) settle or compromise any material liability for Taxes, or (C) file any material amendment to Tax Returns, in each case in a manner which is (x) not in the ordinary course of business or (y) inconsistent with the past practices of any of the Company or any Company Subsidiary, as applicable, with respect to the treatment of items on such Tax Returns;

(xii)       make any material change in accounting policies or procedures, other than as required by GAAP;

(xiii)     make or commit to make any capital expenditures, in the period from the date hereof until December 31, 2012, or in the twelve (12) month period ending December 31, 2013, that in the aggregate exceed the Company’s capital expenditures budget as disclosed in Section 5.1(a)(xiii) of the Company Disclosure Letter for such period plus  $10,000,000 in either such period; provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company and any Company Subsidiary shall be permitted to make emergency capital expenditures in any amount (A) required by a Governmental Entity or (B) that the Company determines is incurred in connection with the repair or replacement of facilities destroyed or damaged due to casualty or accident or natural disaster or other force majeure event necessary to maintain or restore safe, adequate and reliable natural gas and electric service to customers; provided, that the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to consult with Parent prior to making or agreeing to make any such expenditure;

(xiv)     terminate or permit any material Company Permit to lapse, other than in accordance with the terms and regular expiration of any such Company Permit, or fail to apply on a timely basis for any renewal of any renewable material Company Permit;

(xv)       (A) enter into, terminate early, amend or modify in any material respect a Company Scheduled Contract, other than in the ordinary course of business, or (B) waive, release, assign, pay, discharge, settle or satisfy any material claims, liabilities or obligations (whether absolute, accrued, asserted or unasserted, contingent or otherwise), other than the waiver, release, assignment, payment, discharge, settlement or satisfaction of any such claims, liabilities or obligations in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practices, or as required by their terms as in effect on the date of this Agreement;

(xvi)     announce, implement or effect any reduction in force, lay-off, early retirement program, severance program (except as permitted by Section 5.1(a)(x)(B)) or other program or effort concerning the termination of employment of employees of the Company (other than employee terminations in the ordinary course of business);

(xvii)   institute, settle, or agree to settle any litigation, investigation, proceeding, or other claim pending or threatened before any arbitrator, court or other Governmental Entity in any manner involving the payment of an amount in excess of $2,000,000 individually or $5,000,000 in the aggregate;

(xviii)   except for transactions between (A) the Company and wholly-owned Company Subsidiaries or (B) among wholly-owned Company Subsidiaries, redeem, repurchase, defease, cancel or otherwise acquire any Indebtedness, other than (w) at or within one hundred twenty (120) days of stated maturity, (x) pursuant to any required amortization payments and mandatory prepayments or (y) in connection with refinancings permitted by clause (viii) above, or (z) in the ordinary course of business in accordance with the financing plan set forth in Section 5.1(viii) of the Company Disclosure Letter;

(xix)     (A) permit any material change in policies governing or otherwise relating to energy price risk management or marketing of energy or (B) enter into any physical commodity transactions, exchange-traded futures and options transactions, over-the-counter transactions and derivatives thereof or similar transactions other than as permitted by the Trading Guidelines;

(xx)       other than in the ordinary course of business, make or agree to any material changes to be made to any insurance policies so as to affect the insurance coverage of the Company or any Company Subsidiary or their respective assets following the Closing;

(xxi)     seek to lower any reference price or bid or cap price for energy or capacity sold wholesale by the Company or any Company Subsidiary, other than in the ordinary course of business, consistent with current business practices;

(xxii)   assign or license any material Intellectual Property owned by the Company or any Company Subsidiary to any third party; or

(xxiii)   authorize or enter into any Contract to do any of the foregoing.

Parent will, promptly following the date hereof, designate two individuals from either of whom the Company may seek approval to undertake any actions not permitted to be taken under this Section 5.1(a), and will ensure that such persons will respond, on behalf of Parent, to the Company’s requests in an expeditious manner but in any event no later than two (2) Business Days after the Company’s request.

(b)               The Company shall not, and shall not permit any Company Subsidiary to, between the date of this Agreement and the Effective Time, without, in each case, first consulting in good faith with Parent (i) hire any officer of the Company who would earn more than $200,000 in annual base salary or fix the compensation of such newly hired officer or terminate the employment, other than for cause, of any officer of the Company who earns more than $200,000 in annual base salary, (ii) notwithstanding anything set forth in Section 5.1(a)(viii), incur long term Indebtedness, whether contemplated or not by the financing plan set forth in Section 5.1(a)(viii) of the Company Disclosure Letter, in excess of $5,000,000 in the aggregate and (iii) notwithstanding anything set forth in Sections 5.1(a)(ix) and (xiii), make any loans, advances or capital contributions to, or investments in, any other Person (other than any wholly-owned Company Subsidiary), or make or commit to make any capital expenditures, in each case, in any way related to or in connection with the project referred to on Section 3.1(b)(C) of the Company Disclosure Letter, in excess of $5,000,000 in the aggregate.  The individuals with whom the Company is to consult with respect to each of clauses (i) through (iii) of this Section 5.1(b) shall be the individuals designated pursuant to Section 5.1(a). 

Section 5.2      Preparation of the Proxy Statment; Shareholder Meeting.

                    (a)                As promptly as reasonably practicable following the date of this Agreement (but in no event later than forty (40) days after the date hereof), the Company shall prepare and file a preliminary Proxy Statement with the SEC.  Subject to Section 5.4, the Proxy Statement shall include the Company Board Recommendation.  Parent shall cooperate with the Company in the preparation and filing of the Proxy Statement, and shall furnish all information concerning it that is necessary in connection with the preparation of the Proxy Statement and is requested by the Company.  The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to have the Proxy Statement cleared by the SEC as promptly as reasonably practicable after such filing and the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause the Proxy Statement to be mailed to the Company’s common shareholders, in each case as promptly as reasonably practicable after the Company learns that the Proxy Statement will not be reviewed or that the SEC staff has no further comments thereon.  Prior to filing or mailing the Proxy Statement or filing any other required documents (or in each case, any amendment or supplement thereto) or responding to any comments of the SEC with respect thereto, the Company shall provide Parent with an opportunity to review and comment on such document or response (including by participating in any discussions or meetings with the SEC) and shall give good faith consideration to any comments made by Parent and its counsel.  The Company will notify Parent promptly of the receipt of any comments from the SEC or its staff and of any request by the SEC or its staff for amendments or supplements to the Proxy Statement or for additional information and will supply Parent with copies of all correspondence between the Company and the SEC or its staff with respect to the Proxy Statement or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

(b)               If, at any time prior to obtaining the Company Shareholder Approval, any information relating to the Company or Parent, or any of their respective affiliates, officers or directors, is discovered by the Company or Parent that should be set forth in an amendment or supplement to the Proxy Statement so that such document would not include any misstatement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading, the party that discovers such information shall as promptly as practicable notify the other party and an appropriate amendment or supplement describing such information shall be filed with the SEC as promptly as practicable after the other party has had a reasonable opportunity to review and comment thereon, and, to the extent required by applicable Law, disseminated to the common shareholders of the Company.  The Proxy Statement will comply as to form and substance in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and other applicable Law, including the regulations and requirements of the New York Stock Exchange.

(c)                The Company shall, as promptly as reasonably practicable after the Proxy Statement is cleared by the SEC for mailing to the Company’s common shareholders in accordance with Section 5.2(a), duly call, give notice of, convene and hold the Company Shareholder Meeting.  Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if on a date for which the Company Shareholder Meeting is scheduled, the Company has not received proxies representing a sufficient number of shares to constitute a quorum and to obtain the Company Shareholder Approval, whether or not a quorum is present, the Company shall have the right to make one or more successive postponements or adjournments of the Company Shareholder Meeting, provided  that the Company Shareholder Meeting is not postponed or adjourned to a date that is more than 30 days after the date for which the Company Shareholder Meeting was originally scheduled (excluding any adjournments or postponements required by applicable Law).  The Company Board shall present this Agreement for approval at the Company Shareholder Meeting.  At the Company Shareholder Meeting, unless there shall have been a Company Board Change of Recommendation in accordance with Section 5.4, the Company Board shall recommend that the Company’s common shareholders approve and adopt this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Merger (the “Company Board Recommendation”), and the Company shall, unless there has been a Change of Company Board Recommendation, use its reasonable best efforts to solicit from its shareholders proxies in favor of the approval and adoption of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Merger, and to take all other action necessary or advisable to secure the Company Shareholder Approval.  The Company shall include relevant disclosure in the Proxy Statement as necessary or advisable to allow Parent, directly or through its representatives, to solicit proxies in favor of the Merger and this Agreement and against any resolution submitted by any holder of Company Common Stock, including, if so requested by Parent, using the services of dealers and proxy solicitation services, to secure the approval and adoption of the Merger and this Agreement by the Company’s common shareholders.  The Company agrees that its obligations pursuant to this Section 5.2  (other than those set forth in the second sentence of Section 5.2(a) and the fourth sentence of this Section 5.2(c)) shall not be affected by (i) the commencement, public proposal, public disclosure or communication to the Company of any Acquisition Proposal or (ii) any Change of Company Board Recommendation.  The Company shall provide Parent with the Company’s shareholder list upon request by Parent, including at any time following a Change of Company Board Recommendation.

Section 5.3      Access to Information; Confidentiality.

                      (a)                From the date of this Agreement to the Effective Time, the Company shall, and shall cause each Company Subsidiary and each of their respective directors, officers, employees, accountants, consultants, legal counsel, advisors, agents and other representatives (collectively, “Company Representatives”) to:  (i) provide to Parent and Merger Sub and their respective directors, officers, employees, accountants, consultants, legal counsel, advisors, agents, and other representatives (collectively, the “Parent Representatives”) reasonable access during normal business hours in such a manner as not to interfere unreasonably with the operation of any business conducted by the Company or any Company Subsidiary, upon prior written notice to the Company, to the officers, employees, auditors, properties, offices and other facilities of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries and to the books and records thereof; (ii) furnish promptly information concerning the business, properties, contracts, assets and liabilities of the Company and Company Subsidiaries as Parent or the Parent Representatives may reasonably request; (iii) to the extent permitted by Law, furnish promptly each report, schedule and other document filed or received by the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries pursuant to the requirements of federal or state securities or regulatory Laws or filed with or sent to the SEC, FERC, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission or any other Governmental Entity; and (iv) promptly notify the Parent of any material developments in any audit or similar proceeding related to the change in Utility Subsidiary’s tax accounting method, effective for the tax year ending December 31, 2009, related to costs to repair and maintain utility assets; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to (or to cause any Company Subsidiary to) afford such access or furnish such information to the extent that the Company believes in good faith that doing so would:  (A) result in the loss of attorney-client privilege; (B) violate any obligations of the Company or any Company Subsidiary with respect to confidentiality to any third party or otherwise breach, contravene or violate any then effective Contract to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary is a party; or (C) breach, contravene or violate any applicable Law (including the HSR Act or any other antitrust or competition Law) (provided that the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to (a) allow for such access or disclosure in a manner that does not result in a loss of attorney-client privilege with respect to clause (A) of this proviso, (b) obtain the required consent of such third party to provide access to or disclosure of such information with respect to clause (B) of this proviso, or (c) develop an alternative to providing such information so as to address such matters that is reasonably acceptable to Parent and the Company with respect to clauses (A), (B) or (C) of this proviso); it being understood and agreed that the Company shall advise Parent in such circumstances that it is unable to comply with Parent’s reasonable requests for information as a result of attorney-client privilege, Contract obligations or applicable Law and the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to generally describe the types of information being withheld.  No access, review or notice pursuant to this Section 5.3 shall have any effect for the purpose of determining the accuracy of any representation or warranty given by any of the parties hereto to any of the other parties hereto.

(b)               With respect to the information disclosed pursuant to Section 5.3(a), Ultimate Parent and Parent shall comply with all of their respective obligations under the Confidentiality Agreement dated November 8, 2011 among the Company, Parent and Ultimate Parent (the “Confidentiality Agreement”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the Confidentiality Agreement shall be deemed amended as of the date hereof to permit Parent and its affiliates to

Section 5.4       No Solicitation of Transacations; Change of Company Board Recommendation.

                      (a)                Subject to Section 5.4(b), from and after the date hereof until the Effective Time or, if earlier, the termination of this Agreement in accordance with Article VII, the Company shall not, and shall cause the Company Subsidiaries not to, and shall not authorize or permit any of its officers, directors, or employees to, and shall instruct the Company Representatives not to on behalf of the Company, directly or indirectly, (i) initiate or knowingly solicit, encourage or facilitate the submission of any Acquisition Proposal, or any inquiry or proposal that could reasonably be expected to lead to an Acquisition Proposal, or (ii) participate in any discussions or negotiations with any person, or furnish to any person any information, with respect to an Acquisition Proposal, or any inquiry or proposal that could reasonably be expected to lead to an Acquisition Proposal.  The Company shall, and shall cause the Company Subsidiaries and the Company Representatives to, immediately cease and cause to be terminated any discussion or negotiation with any Persons conducted prior to the date hereof by the Company, the Company Subsidiaries or any of the Company Representatives with respect to any Acquisition Proposal.

(b)               Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in Section 5.4(a), if, at any time following the date hereof and prior to the Company securing the Company Shareholder Approval, (i) the Company has received a bona fide written Acquisition Proposal from a third party that was not solicited after the date hereof by the Company, the Company Subsidiaries or the Company Representatives and that did not otherwise result from a breach of this Section 5.4  and (ii) the Company Board determines in good faith, after consultation with its financial advisors and outside counsel, that such Acquisition Proposal constitutes or is reasonably likely to lead to a Superior Proposal, then the Company may, subject to providing prior notice to Parent of its decision to take any such action, (A) furnish information with respect to the Company and the Company Subsidiaries to the Person making such Acquisition Proposal and its representatives and (B) participate in discussions or negotiations with the Person making such Acquisition Proposal and its representatives regarding such Acquisition Proposal; provided, however, that the Company (x) will not, will not allow the Company Subsidiaries to, will not permit or authorize the directors and officers of the Company to, and will instruct the Company Representatives not to, disclose any non-public information to such Person without first entering into an Acceptable Confidentiality Agreement (a copy of which shall be provided, promptly after its execution, for informational purposes only, to Parent) and (y) will as promptly as reasonably practicable provide to Parent any material information concerning the Company or the Company Subsidiaries provided or made available to such other Person (or its representatives) which was not previously provided or made available to Parent.

(c)                The Company shall as promptly as reasonably practicable (and in any event within one Business Day) notify Parent in writing in the event that the Company receives any written Acquisition Proposal, including the material terms and conditions of such Acquisition Proposal, or any inquiry that would reasonably be expected to lead to an Acquisition Proposal.  The Company shall (i) keep Parent informed, in all material respects, on a reasonably prompt basis, of the status, and details of any such Acquisition Proposal (including any change to the material terms and conditions thereof) and (ii) provide to Parent as soon as reasonably practicable (and in any event within one Business Day) after receipt or delivery thereof copies of all correspondence and other written material (including draft agreements) relating to the material terms and conditions of such Acquisition Proposal exchanged between the Company, the Company Subsidiaries or the Company Representatives, on the one hand, and the Person making such Acquisition Proposal (or its representatives), on the other hand.

(d)               Except as set forth in this Section 5.4, neither the Company Board nor any committee thereof shall (i) approve or recommend, or publicly propose to approve or recommend, any Acquisition Proposal, or any inquiry or proposal that could reasonably be expected to lead to an Acquisition Proposal or take any action or make any public announcement inconsistent with the Company Board Recommendation, (ii) withdraw or modify, in a manner adverse to Parent, or publicly propose to withdraw or modify, in a manner adverse to Parent, the Company Board Recommendation (it being understood that taking a neutral position or no position with respect to an Acquisition Proposal shall be considered an adverse modification), (iii) following the date any Acquisition Proposal or any material modification thereto is first made public, sent or given to the shareholders of the Company, fail to issue a press release that expressly reaffirms the Company Board Recommendation within ten (10) Business Days following Parent’s written request to do so (which request may only be made once with respect to any such Acquisition Proposal and each material modification thereto) (any action set forth in the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) or (iii), a “Change of Company Board Recommendation”), (iv) allow or cause the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries to enter into any letter of intent, memorandum of understanding, agreement in principle, merger agreement, acquisition agreement, option agreement, joint venture agreement, partnership agreement or other similar agreement relating to any Acquisition Proposal (which, for the avoidance of doubt, would not include an Acceptable Confidentiality Agreement) or requiring the Company to abandon, terminate, delay or fail to consummate the Merger or any other transaction contemplated by this Agreement, (v) release any third party from, grant any waiver of, or fail to enforce, any standstill or similar agreement, unless the Company Board determines in good faith, after consultation with its financial advisors and outside counsel, that it would be a breach of its fiduciary duties under applicable Law not to do so, or (vi) take any action pursuant to which any Person (other than Parent, Merger Sub or their respective affiliates) or Acquisition Proposal would become exempt from or not otherwise subject to any take-over statute or certificate of incorporation provision relating to Acquisition Proposals.

(e)                Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in Section 5.4(d), at any time prior to obtaining the Company Shareholder Approval and so long as the Company is in compliance with this Section 5.4,  if (A) the Company receives an Acquisition Proposal which the Company Board determines in good faith, after consultation with its financial advisors and outside counsel, constitutes a Superior Proposal and such Acquisition Proposal is not withdrawn, or (B) there occurs any change, event, occurrence, effect or development that (1) is material,

(f)                Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, at any time prior to obtaining the Company Shareholder Approval and so long as the Company is in compliance with this Section 5.4, if the Company receives an Acquisition Proposal which the Company Board determines in good faith, after consultation with its financial advisors and outside counsel, constitutes a Superior Proposal and such Acquisition Proposal has not been withdrawn, the Company may terminate this Agreement pursuant to Section 7.1(f) to enter into a definitive agreement with respect to such Superior Proposal if the Company Board determines in good faith, after consultation with its financial advisors and outside counsel, that the failure to do

(g)               Nothing contained in this Section 5.4 shall prohibit the Company Board from (i) disclosing to the shareholders of the Company a position contemplated by Rule 14e-2(a), Rule 14d-9 or Item 1012(a) of Regulation M-A promulgated under the Exchange Act or (ii) making any disclosure to the shareholders of the Company if the Company Board determines in good faith, after consultation with outside counsel, that the failure to make such disclosure would be a breach of its fiduciary duties to the shareholders of the Company or would be required by Law (for the avoidance of doubt, it being agreed that the fact that a disclosure or other action may be deemed permissible by virtue of this sentence does not in and of itself mean that such disclosure or other action does not constitute a Change of Company Board Recommendation and the issuance by the Company or the Company Board of a “stop, look and listen” statement pending disclosure of its position, as contemplated by Rules 14d-9 and 14e-2(a) promulgated under the Exchange Act, shall not constitute a Change of Company Board Recommendation).

Section 5.5      Appropriate Action; Consents; Filings.

(a)                The Company and Parent shall use their reasonable best efforts to (i) take, or cause to be taken, all appropriate action and do, or cause to be done, all things necessary, proper or advisable under applicable Law or otherwise to consummate and make effective the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement as promptly as practicable, (ii) obtain from any Governmental Entities any consents, licenses, permits, waivers, approvals, authorizations or orders required to be obtained by Parent or the Company or any of their respective Subsidiaries, or to avoid any action or proceeding by any Governmental Entity (including those in connection with the HSR Act and the New York Public Service Law), in connection with the authorization, execution and delivery of this Agreement and the

(b)               The Company and Parent shall give (or shall cause their respective Subsidiaries to give) any notices to third parties, and use, and cause their respective Subsidiaries to use, their reasonable best efforts to obtain any third party consents (i) necessary, proper or advisable to consummate the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement or (ii) disclosed in the Company Disclosure Letter or the Parent Disclosure Letter, as applicable; provided, however that the Company and Parent shall coordinate and cooperate in determining whether any actions, consents, approvals or waivers are required to be obtained from parties to any Company Scheduled Contracts in connection with consummation of the Merger and in seeking any such actions, consents, approvals or waivers.  In the event that either party shall fail to obtain any third party consent described in this Section 5.5(b), such party shall use its reasonable best efforts, and shall take any such actions reasonably requested by the other party hereto, to minimize any adverse effect upon the Company and Parent, their respective Subsidiaries and their respective businesses resulting, or which could reasonably be expected to result, after the Effective Time, as applicable, from the failure to obtain such consent.

(c)                Without limiting the generality of anything contained in this Section 5.5, each party hereto shall:  (i) give the other parties prompt notice of the making or commencement of any request, inquiry, investigation, action or legal proceeding by or before any Governmental Entity with respect to the Merger or any of the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement; (ii) keep the other parties informed as to the status of any such request, inquiry, investigation, action or legal proceeding; and (iii) promptly inform the other parties of any communication to or from the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice, the FERC, the FCC, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (“NYDEC”), the NYPSC, CFIUS or any other Governmental Entity regarding the Merger.  Each party hereto will consult and cooperate with the other parties and will consider in good faith the views of the other parties in connection with any filing, analysis, appearance, presentation, memorandum, brief, argument, opinion or proposal made or submitted in connection with the Merger or any of the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.  In addition, except as may be prohibited by any Governmental Entity or by any Law, in connection with any such request, inquiry, investigation, action or legal proceeding, each party hereto will permit authorized representatives of the other parties to be present at each meeting or conference relating to such request, inquiry, investigation, action or legal proceeding and to have access to and be consulted in connection with any document, opinion or proposal made or submitted to any Governmental Entity in connection with such request, inquiry, investigation, action or legal proceeding.

(d)               Nothing contained in this Agreement shall give Parent or Merger Sub, directly or indirectly, the right to control or direct the operations of the Company prior to the Effective Time.  Prior to the Effective Time, the Company shall exercise, consistent with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, complete unilateral control and supervision over its business operations.

Section 5.6      Certain Notices. From and after the date of this Agreement until the Effective Time, each party hereto shall promptly after obtaining knowledge thereof, notify the other party hereto of:  (a) the occurrence or non-occurrence of any event that, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be likely to cause any condition to the obligations of any party to effect the Merger or any other transaction contemplated by this Agreement not to be satisfied; (b) the failure of the Company, Parent or Merger Sub, as the case may be, to comply with or satisfy any covenant, condition or agreement to be complied with or satisfied by it pursuant to this Agreement which, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to result in any condition to the obligations of any party to effect the Merger or any other transaction contemplated by this Agreement not to be satisfied; (c) any material actions, suits, claims or proceedings with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement commenced against the Company, any Company Subsidiary or Parent, as the case may be (and the Company shall give Parent the opportunity to participate in the defense and settlement of any shareholder litigation against the Company or its directors relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, and no such settlement shall be agreed to without Parent’s prior written consent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned)); and (d) any written notice or other written communication from any Person alleging that the consent of such Person is or may be required in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; provided, however, that the delivery of any notice pursuant to this Section 5.6 shall not cure any breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement contained in this Agreement or otherwise limit or affect the remedies available hereunder to the party receiving such notice.

Seciton 5.7      Public Announcment. The Company, on the one hand, and Merger Sub and Parent, on the other hand, agree to (i) consult with each other before issuing any press release or public statement announcing the execution and delivery of this Agreement, (ii) provide to each other for review a copy of any such press release or public statement and (iii) not issue any such press release or public statement prior to providing each other with a reasonable period of time to review and comment on such press release or public statement.  Prior to making any material, broad-based written communications to the employees of the Company or any Company Subsidiary generally that primarily relates to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to provide Parent with a copy of the intended communication and provide Parent with a reasonable period of time to review and comment on the communication.

Section 5.8      Employee Benefit Matters.

                       (a)                From and after the Effective Time and for the period ending on the second anniversary of the Effective Time (the “Benefit Protection Period”), the Surviving Corporation shall provide to each employee of the Company or a Company Subsidiary immediately prior to the Effective Time (the “Company Employees”) (i) an annual base salary and incentive compensation opportunities that are no less favorable than the annual base salary and incentive compensation opportunities (including substituting comparable incentive compensation opportunities for equity-based compensation arrangements) provided to such Company Employee under the Company Benefit Plans immediately prior to the Effective Time, and (ii) benefits to each Company Employee that, on a plan-by-plan basis, are no less favorable than the benefits under each applicable Company Benefit Plan provided to such Company Employee immediately prior to the Effective Time (for the avoidance of doubt, excluding any equity-based

(b)               Without limiting the generality of Section 5.8(a), from and after the Effective Time, Parent shall, or shall cause the Parent Subsidiaries, including the Surviving Corporation, to, assume, honor and continue without amendment during the Benefit Protection Period or, if sooner, until all obligations thereunder have been satisfied, all of the Company Benefit Plans, disclosed in Section 3.12 of the Disclosure Letter or entered into after the date hereof to the extent permitted by Section 5.1(a)(x), that constitute employment, severance and termination plans, policies, programs, agreements and arrangements (including any change in control or severance agreement between the Company and any Company Employee), in each case, as in effect at the Effective Time, including with respect to any payments, benefits or rights arising as a result of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (either alone or in combination with any other event), without any amendment or modification, other than any amendment or modification required to comply with applicable Law or as consented to by the parties thereto.

(c)                With respect to any compensation or benefit plan, program, arrangement or agreement including any “employee benefit plan,” as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA, maintained by Parent or any of the Parent Subsidiaries, including the Surviving Corporation (including any vacation, paid time-off and severance plans), for all purposes, including determining eligibility to participate, level of benefits, vesting, benefit accruals and early retirement subsidies, each Company Employee’s service with the Company or any Company Subsidiary (as well as service with any predecessor employer of the Company or any Company Subsidiary, to the extent service with the predecessor employer is recognized by the Company or such Company Subsidiary) shall be treated as service with Parent or any of the Parent Subsidiaries, including the Surviving Corporation, to the extent such service was credited for similar purposes under a similar Company Benefit Plan; provided, however, that such service need not be recognized (i) for purposes of benefit accrual under any defined benefit pension plan

(d)               Parent shall, or shall cause the Parent Subsidiaries, including the Surviving Corporation, to waive, or cause to be waived, with respect to the Company Employees any pre-existing condition limitations, exclusions, actively at work requirements and waiting periods under any welfare benefit plan maintained by Parent or any of the Parent Subsidiaries in which Company Employees (and their eligible dependents) will be eligible to participate from and after the Effective Time, except to the extent that such pre-existing condition limitations, exclusions, actively-at-work requirements and waiting periods would not have been satisfied or waived under the comparable Company Benefit Plan immediately prior to the Effective Time.  Parent shall, or shall cause the Parent Subsidiaries, including the Surviving Corporation, to recognize, or cause to be recognized, the dollar amount of all co-payments, deductibles and similar expenses incurred by each Company Employee (and his or her eligible dependents) under any Company Benefit Plan that is an employee welfare benefit plan during the calendar year in which the Effective Time occurs for purposes of satisfying such year’s deductible and co-payment limitations under the relevant welfare benefit plans in which such Company Employee (and dependents) will be eligible to participate from and after the Effective Time, to the extent so recognized under such applicable Company Benefit Plan.

(e)                Nothing in this Agreement, whether express or implied, shall:  (i) confer upon any Company Employee or another employee of the Company or any Company Subsidiary, or any other Person, any rights or remedies, including any right to employment or continued employment for any period or terms of employment, of any nature whatsoever; (ii) be interpreted to prevent or restrict Parent, or any Parent Subsidiary, including the Surviving Corporation, from modifying or terminating the employment or terms of employment of any Company Employee or such other employee including the amendment or termination of any Company Benefit Plan or any employee benefit or compensation plan, program or arrangement according to its terms, after the Effective Time; or (iii) be treated as an amendment or other modification of any Company Benefit Plan or other employee benefit plan or arrangement.

Section 5.9      Takeover Laws. If any “moratorium,” “control share acquisition,” “fair price,” “business combination” or other anti-takeover Law becomes, or is deemed to be, applicable to the Merger, including the acquisition of Shares pursuant thereto, or any other transaction contemplated by this Agreement, then the Company Board or the Parent Board, as applicable, shall take all action reasonably available to it to render such Law inapplicable to the foregoing.

Section 5.10    Indemnifcation of Directors and Officers.

            (a)                For a period beginning at the Effective Time and ending on the sixth (6th) anniversary of the Effective Time, the Surviving Corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless all past and present directors, officers and employees of the Company or any Company Subsidiary to the same extent such Persons are indemnified as of the date of this Agreement by the Company or any Company Subsidiary pursuant to applicable Law, the Company Certificate, the Company By-laws, the certificate of incorporation and bylaws, or equivalent organizational or governing documents, of any Company Subsidiary, and indemnification agreements, if any, in

(b)               For not less than six (6) years from and after the Effective Time, the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the Surviving Corporation shall contain provisions no less favorable with respect to exculpation, indemnification and advancement of expenses of directors, officers and employees of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries for periods at or prior to the Effective Time than are currently set forth in the Company Certificate and the Company By-laws.  The indemnification agreements, if any, in existence on the date of this Agreement as disclosed on Section 5.10(b) of the Company Disclosure Letter with any of the directors, officers or employees of the Company or any Company Subsidiary shall be assumed by the Surviving Corporation, without any further action, and shall continue in full force and effect in accordance with their terms following the Effective Time.

(c)                For the benefit of the Company’s directors and officers, as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Effective Time, the Company shall be permitted, prior to the Effective Time, to obtain and fully pay the premium for an insurance and indemnification policy that provides coverage for a period of six (6) years from and after the Effective Time for events occurring prior to the Effective Time (the “D&O Insurance”) that is substantially equivalent to and in any event not less favorable in the aggregate than the Company’s existing policy (true and complete copies of which have been previously provided to Parent) or, if substantially equivalent insurance coverage is unavailable, the best available coverage; provided, however, that the portion of the premium payable in respect of each year of such coverage shall not exceed 300%

(d)               In the event Parent or the Surviving Corporation (i) consolidates with or merges into any other Person and shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation or entity of such consolidation or merger or (ii) transfers all or substantially all of its properties and assets to any Person, then proper provision shall be made so that such continuing or surviving corporation or entity or transferee of such assets, as the case may be, shall assume the obligations set forth in this Section 5.10. 

(e)                The obligations under this Section 5.10 shall not be terminated or modified in such a manner as to adversely affect any past or present directors, officers and employees of the Company to whom this Section 5.10 applies without the consent of such affected Person (it being expressly agreed that the persons for whose benefit this Section 5.10 applies are express third party beneficiaries of this Section 5.10). 

Section 5.11    Agreements Concerning Merger Sub. Parent hereby guarantees the due, prompt and faithful payment, performance and discharge by Merger Sub of, and the compliance by Merger Sub with, all of the covenants, agreements, obligations and undertakings of Merger Sub under this Agreement in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, and covenants and agrees to take all actions necessary or advisable to ensure such payment, performance and discharge by Merger Sub hereunder.  Parent shall, promptly following execution of this Agreement, approve and adopt this Agreement in its capacity as sole shareholder of Merger Sub and deliver to the Company evidence of its vote or action by written consent approving and adopting this Agreement in accordance with applicable Law and the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of Merger Sub.  During the period from the date of this Agreement through the Effective Time, Merger Sub shall not, and Parent shall not permit Merger Sub to, engage in any activity of any nature except as provided in or expressly contemplated by this Agreement.

Section 5.12    Section 16 Matters. Prior to the Effective Time, the Company Board, or an appropriate committee of non-employee directors thereof, shall adopt a resolution consistent with the interpretive guidance of the SEC so that the disposition by any officer or director of the Company who is a covered person of the Company for purposes of Section 16 of the Exchange Act (“Section 16”) of Shares or other Equity Interests in the Company (including Company Options, Restricted Stock and Other Equity-Based Awards) pursuant to this Agreement and the Merger shall be an exempt transaction for purposes of Section 16.

Section 5.13    Transfer Taxes. All stock transfer, real estate transfer, documentary, stamp, recording and other similar Taxes (including interest, penalties and additions to any such Taxes) (“Transfer Taxes”) incurred in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including the Merger, (other than such Taxes required to be paid by reason of the payment of the Merger Consideration to a Person other than the holder of record of the Shares with respect to which such payment is made) shall be borne and paid by either Merger Sub or the Surviving Corporation (regardless of the Person liable for such Taxes under applicable Law) and the Company shall cooperate with Merger Sub and Parent in preparing, executing and filing any Tax Returns with respect to such Transfer Taxes.

Section 5.14     Utility Subsidiary Preferred Stock. (a)  The Company shall be permitted, in consultation with Parent, to cause Utility Subsidiary to redeem from time to time prior to the Closing any and all outstanding shares of any series of Utility Subsidiary Preferred Stock that it determines to so redeem.  The Company shall notify Parent following any such redemption and identify such redemption as being pursuant to this Section 5.14(a). 

(a)                In addition, the Company shall cause Utility Subsidiary to redeem all other outstanding shares of Utility Subsidiary Preferred Stock (unless, prior to the issuance by Utility Subsidiary of any call notice for such Utility Subsidiary Preferred Stock, Parent instructs the Company not to cause such redemption), such redemption to be completed as close as possible to, but not later than, the Closing, pursuant to the terms of such Utility Subsidiary Preferred Stock.  Parent agrees that, if this Agreement is terminated other than pursuant to Section 7.1(g), Parent shall reimburse the Company for one hundred percent (100%) of its out-of-pocket costs and expenses incurred (including any premium paid but excluding the par amount of such Utility Subsidiary Preferred Stock) in connection with any redemption of Utility Subsidiary Preferred Stock pursuant to this Section 5.14(b) (but, for the avoidance of doubt, excluding any redemptions under Section 5.14(a)). 

Section 5.15    Post-Merger Operations.

(a)                Corporate Offices.  The Surviving Corporation shall maintain its headquarters in Poughkeepsie, New York.

(b)               Community Involvement.  From the Effective Time and for a period of five (5) years thereafter, the Surviving Corporation shall make annual charitable contributions within the communities served by the Surviving Corporation not less than the level of charitable contributions made by the Company as of the date hereof, and otherwise maintain a level of involvement in community activities in the State of New York not less than the level of community involvement and related activities carried on by the Company as of the date hereof.  Section 5.15(b) of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth the aggregate dollar amount of charitable contributions made by the Company during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011.

(c)                Board of Directors.  The Surviving Corporation shall not permit the removal of any Person elected to the Board of the Surviving Corporation pursuant to the last

(d)               Labor Contracts.  After the Effective Time, the Surviving Corporation shall continue to perform all of the Company’s obligations under and in accordance with the terms of the Company’s collective bargaining agreements, subject to any amendments or waivers to such contracts as may be agreed by all of the parties thereto.

(e)                In the event the Surviving Corporation (i) consolidates with or merges into any other Person and shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation or entity of such consolidation or merger or (ii) transfers all or substantially all of its properties and assets to any Person, then proper provision shall be made so that such continuing or surviving corporation or entity or transferee of such assets, as the case may be, shall assume the obligations set forth in this Section 5.15. 

Section 5.16    Transition Planning. Promptly following the date hereof, the Company and Parent shall each appoint one or more representatives to a working committee that will be responsible for coordinating transition planning and implementation relating to the Merger and obtaining regulatory approvals with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby.

Section 5.17    Changes to Rates or Charges.The Company shall, and shall cause the Company Subsidiaries to, (i) obtain Parent’s written consent prior to initiating any general rate case, (ii) consult with Parent prior to making any material changes in the Company’s or the Company Subsidiaries’ rates or charges, standards of service or accounting from those in effect on the date of this Agreement or (iii) further consult with Parent prior to initiating any material proceeding (or filing any amendment thereto), or effecting any material agreement, commitment, arrangement or consent, whether written or oral, formal or informal, with respect thereto.

Section 5.18           Ownership of Company Stock. Prior to the Effective Time, none of Parent, Merger Sub or any other Parent Subsidiary or any affiliate of any of the foregoing will acquire, directly or indirectly, beneficially or of record, any Shares or any other securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, Company Common Stock or any other equity interests of the Company or the Company Subsidiaries.

ARTICLE VI
CONDITIONS PRECEDENT

Section 6.1      Conditions to Obligations of Each Party to Effect the Merger. The respective obligations of each party to effect the Merger shall be subject to the satisfaction or waiver by a joint action of the parties hereto at or prior to the Effective Time of each of the following conditions:

(a)                Company Shareholder Approval.  The Company shall have obtained the Company Shareholder Approval.

(b)               No Injunction.  No federal or state court of competent jurisdiction or other Governmental Entity shall have enacted, issued, promulgated, enforced or entered any order,

(c)                Governmental Approvals.  The Company Required Governmental Approvals shall have been obtained (including the expiration or termination of any applicable waiting period, together with any extensions thereof, under the HSR Act) at or prior to the Effective Time, and such approvals shall have been Final Orders, and such approvals shall not, and no order, action or regulatory condition of a regulatory body shall, impose any terms or conditions that, individually or in the aggregate, have or would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Surviving Corporation and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.  For purposes of this Section 6.1(c), a “Final Order” means an action by the relevant Governmental Entity that is legally effective as of the Effective Time and has not been reversed, stayed, enjoined, set aside, annulled or suspended, with respect to which any waiting period prescribed by Law before the transactions contemplated hereby may be consummated has expired (a “Final Order Waiting Period”), and as to which all conditions to the consummation of such transactions prescribed by Law have been satisfied.

(d)               CFIUS.  Parent and the Company shall have received written confirmation from CFIUS that CFIUS has reviewed the information provided to it regarding the Merger and based on its review and, where applicable, investigation, and CFIUS has determined that there are no unresolved national security concerns with respect to the Merger.

Section 6.2      Additional Conditions to Obligations of Parent and Merger Sub.The obligations of Parent and Merger Sub to effect the Merger are also subject to the satisfaction or waiver by Parent at or prior to the Effective Time of each of the following additional conditions:

(a)                Representations and Warranties.  (i) Each of the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement (other than the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in Sections 3.2(a), 3.2(b), 3.3, and the first two sentences of 3.2(c)), without regard to materiality or Company Material Adverse Effect qualifiers contained within such representations and warranties, shall be true and correct as of the date hereof and as of the Effective Time as though made on and as of the Effective Time (except that those representations and warranties that address matters only as of a particular date need only be true and correct as of such date); provided, however, that the condition in this Section 6.2(a)(i) shall be deemed to be satisfied so long as any failures of such representations and warranties to be true and correct, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect; and (ii) the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in Sections 3.2(a) and 3.2(b)  and the first two sentences of Section 3.2(c) shall be true and correct in all respects (except for de minimis inaccuracies) and Section 3.3 shall be true and correct in all material respects, as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Effective Time as though made on and as of the Effective Time (except that those representations and warranties that address matters only as of a particular date need only be true and correct in all material respects as of such date).  Parent shall have received a certificate

(b)               Agreements and Covenants.  The Company shall have performed or complied in all material respects with all agreements and covenants required by this Agreement to be performed or complied with by it on or prior to the Effective Time.  Parent shall have received a certificate signed on behalf of the Company by the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer of the Company as to the satisfaction of the condition in this Section 6.2(b). 

(c)                Material Adverse Effect.  Except with respect to matters set forth in Section 6.2(c) of the Company Disclosure Letter (without giving effect to the second parenthetical contained in the first paragraph of Article III of this Agreement), since the date of this Agreement there shall not have occurred any Company Material Adverse Effect or any change, event, occurrence, effect or development that, individually or in the aggregate has had, or would reasonably be expected to result in, a Company Material Adverse Effect.

Section 6.3      Additional Conditions to Obligations of the Company. The obligations of the Company to effect the Merger are also subject to the satisfaction or waiver by the Company at or prior to the Effective Time of each of the following additional conditions:

(a)                Representations and Warranties.  (i) Each of the representations and warranties of Parent and Merger Sub contained in this Agreement (other than the representations and warranties of Parent set forth in Section 4.2), without regard to materiality qualifiers contained within such representations and warranties, shall be true and correct as of the date hereof and as of the Effective Time as though made on and as of the Effective Time (except that those representations and warranties that address matters only as of a particular date need only be true and correct as of such date); provided, however, that the condition in this Section 6.3(a)(i) shall be deemed to be satisfied so long as any failures of such representations and warranties to be true and correct, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to prevent or materially delay or materially impair the ability of Parent and Merger Sub to consummate the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement; and (ii) the representations and warranties of Parent set forth in Section 4.2 shall be true and correct in all respects as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Effective Time as though made on and as of the Effective Time (except that those representations and warranties that address matters only as of a particular date need only be true and correct in all material respects as of such date).  The Company shall have received a certificate signed on behalf of the Parent by the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer of Parent as to the satisfaction of the condition in this Section 6.3(a). 

(b)               Agreements and Covenants.  Each of Ultimate Parent, Parent and Merger Sub shall have performed or complied in all material respects with all agreements and covenants required by this Agreement to be performed or complied with by it on or prior to the Effective Time.  The Company shall have received a certificate signed on behalf of Parent by the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer of Parent as to the satisfaction of the condition in this Section 6.3(b). 

(c)                Governmental Approvals.  The approval of the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement from the NYPSC shall not contain any term that

ARTICLE VII
TERMINATION, AMENDMENT AND WAIVER

Section 7.1      Termination. This Agreement may be terminated at any time prior to the Effective Time, whether before or after receipt of the Company Shareholder Approval:

(a)                by mutual written consent of Parent and the Company;

(b)               by either the Company or Parent, if the Effective Time shall not have occurred on or before February 20, 2013 (the “Initial Outside Date”); provided, however, that (i) if on the Initial Outside Date the conditions to the Closing set forth in Sections 6.1(c), 6.1(d) and 6.3(c) shall not have been satisfied, but all other conditions to the Closing shall have been satisfied or waived (or shall be capable of being satisfied at the Closing), then the Initial Outside Date shall be extended to August 20, 2013 (the “Extended Outside Date”) and (ii) if the Initial Outside Date or the Extended Outside Date, as the case may be, shall occur during any Final Order Waiting Period, the Initial Outside Date or the Extended Outside Date, as the case may be, shall be extended until the third (3rd) Business Day after the expiration of such Final Order Waiting Period; and provided, further, that the right to terminate this Agreement under this Section 7.1(b) shall not be available to any party if the failure of the Effective Time to occur on or before such date is the result of such party having breached or failed to perform any of its representations, warranties, covenants or agreements set forth in this Agreement;

(c)                by either the Company or Parent, if the Company Shareholder Approval shall not have been obtained upon a vote taken thereon at the Company Shareholder Meeting (including any adjournment or postponement thereof);

(d)               by either the Company or Parent, if any court of competent jurisdiction or other Governmental Entity shall have issued an order or injunction or taken any other action, in each case, permanently enjoining, restraining or prohibiting the Merger, and such order, injunction or other action shall have become final and non-appealable (which order, injunction or other action the party seeking to terminate this Agreement shall have used its reasonable best efforts to resist, resolve or lift, as applicable);

(e)                by Parent, at any time prior to the receipt of the Company Shareholder Approval, if (i) the Company Board shall have effected a Change of Company Board Recommendation (whether or not in compliance with Section 5.4) or (ii) the Company shall have entered into a definitive agreement with respect to a Superior Proposal;

(f)                by the Company, at any time prior to the receipt of the Company Shareholder Approval, in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.4(f); provided, however, that the Company shall have complied with all of the requirements of Section 5.4(f); 

(g)               by Parent, if:  (i) (A) the Company has breached or failed to perform any of its representations, warranties, covenants or agreements contained in this Agreement, in any

(h)               by the Company, if:  (i) (A) Ultimate Parent, Parent or Merger Sub has breached or failed to perform any of its representations, warranties, covenants or agreements contained in this Agreement, in any case, such that a condition contained in Section 6.3(a) or 6.3(b), respectively, is not reasonably capable of being satisfied; (B) the Company shall have delivered to Parent written notice of such breach or failure to perform; and (C) either such breach or failure to perform is not capable of cure or at least 30 days shall have elapsed since the date of delivery of such written notice to Parent and such breach or failure to perform shall not have been cured; provided, however, that the Company shall not be permitted to terminate this Agreement pursuant to this Section 7.1(h)(i) if the Company has breached or failed to perform any of its representations, warranties, covenants or agreements contained in this Agreement, in any case, such that a condition contained in Section 6.2(a) or 6.2(b)  is not reasonably capable of being satisfied; or (ii) all of the conditions in Sections 6.1 and 6.2  (other than those conditions that by their nature are to be satisfied at the Closing) have been satisfied or waived and Parent and Merger Sub have failed to effect the Closing pursuant to Section 1.2. 

Section 7.2      Effect of Termination.

(a)                In the event of termination of this Agreement by either the Company or Parent as provided in Section 7.1, this Agreement shall forthwith become void and there shall be no liability or obligation on the part of Ultimate Parent, Parent, Merger Sub or the Company or their respective Subsidiaries, officers or directors, in either case, except (i) with respect to Section 5.3(b), the second sentence of Section 5.14, this Section 7.2 and Article VIII or (ii) with respect to any liabilities or damages incurred or suffered by a party as a result of the willful and material breach by another party of any of its representations, warranties, covenants or agreements set forth in this Agreement.

(b)               In the event that this Agreement is terminated:

(i)             by (A) Parent pursuant to Section 7.1(e), or (B) the Company pursuant to Section 7.1(f), then the Company shall pay (or cause to be paid) to Parent, within two (2) Business Days following the date of such termination by Parent pursuant to clause (A), or prior to or concurrently with such termination by the Company pursuant to clause (B), a termination fee of $19,700,000 (the “Company Termination Fee”); 

(ii)           (A) by (1) either Parent or the Company pursuant to Section 7.1(b)  or Section 7.1(c)  or (2) Parent pursuant to Section 7.1(g), (B) prior to the termination pursuant to Section 7.1(b), the Company Shareholder Meeting or the breach of or failure to perform giving rise to Parent’s right to terminate under Section 7.1(g), as the case may be, an Acquisition Proposal involving the Company shall have been made to the Company or the Company Board or publicly disclosed and, in each case, not withdrawn (the party making such Acquisition Proposal being referred to herein as the “Pre-Termination Bidder”) and (C) within twelve (12) months after the termination of this Agreement the Company shall have entered into a definitive agreement with respect to, or consummated, an Acquisition Proposal with the Pre-Termination Bidder or with any other third party that has submitted an Acquisition Proposal or made any inquiry or proposal relating to any potential Acquisition Proposal on or prior to the date that is three (3) months after the date of termination of this Agreement (including prior to the date of termination), then the Company shall pay to Parent, within two (2) Business Days after the earlier of the date the Company enters into such definitive agreement or consummates such Acquisition Proposal, an amount equal to the Company Termination Fee less any Parent Transaction Expenses previously paid in accordance with Section 7.2(b)(iii).  For purposes of clause “(C)” of this Section 7.2(b)(ii), the term “Acquisition Proposal” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 8.4, except that all percentages therein shall be changed to “50%”; or

(iii)         (A) by (1) either Parent or the Company pursuant to Section 7.1(b) or Section 7.1(c) or (2) Parent pursuant to Section 7.1(g), and (B) prior to the termination pursuant to Section 7.1(b), the Company Shareholder Meeting or the breach or failure to perform giving rise to Parent’s right to terminate under Section 7.1(g), as the case may be, an Acquisition Proposal involving the Company shall have been made to the Company or the Company Board or publicly disclosed and, in each case, not withdrawn, then the Company shall reimburse Parent promptly upon demand, but in no event later than three (3) Business Days after the date of such demand, by wire transfer of same day funds, for all fees and expenses incurred by or on behalf of Parent in connection with the Merger or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including all fees and expenses of counsel (“Parent Transaction Expenses”); provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to reimburse Parent for Parent Transaction Expenses pursuant to this Section 7.2(b)(iii) in excess of $4,000,000 in the aggregate.

(c)                Any payment under Section 7.2(b) shall be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account designated in writing by Parent.

(d)               Each of the Company, Parent and Merger Sub acknowledges that (i) the agreements contained in this Section 7.2 are an integral part of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and (ii) without these agreements, Parent, Merger Sub and the Company would not enter into this Agreement.  It is acknowledged and agreed that the Company Termination Fee is not a penalty, but rather is liquidated damages in a reasonable amount that will compensate Parent in the circumstances in which the Company Termination Fee is payable; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not limit Parent’s rights with respect to any liabilities or damages incurred or suffered by Ultimate Parent, Parent or Merger Sub as a result of the willful

Section 7.3      Amendment. This Agreement may be amended by the Company, Parent and Merger Sub by action taken by or on behalf of their respective Boards of Directors at any time prior to the Effective Time; provided, however, that, after receipt of the Company Shareholder Approval, no amendment may be made which, by Law or in accordance with the rules of any relevant stock exchange, requires further approval by the Company’s shareholders without obtaining such further approval.  This Agreement may not be amended except by an instrument in writing signed by each of the parties hereto.

Section 7.4       Waiver. At any time prior to the Effective Time, Parent and Merger Sub, on the one hand, and the Company, on the other hand, may (a) extend the time for the performance of any of the obligations or other acts of the other, (b) waive any breach of the representations and warranties of the other contained herein or in any document delivered pursuant hereto and (c) waive compliance by the other with any of the covenants or conditions contained herein; provided, however, that after receipt of the Company Shareholder Approval, there may not be any extension or waiver of this Agreement which decreases the Merger Consideration or which adversely affects the rights of the Company’s shareholders hereunder without the approval of such shareholders at a duly convened meeting of the Company’s shareholders called to obtain approval of such extension or waiver.  Any such extension or waiver shall be valid only if set forth in an instrument in writing signed by the party or parties to be bound thereby, but such extension or waiver or failure to insist on strict compliance with an obligation, covenant, agreement or condition shall not operate as a waiver of, or estoppel with respect to, any subsequent or other failure.

ARTICLE VIII
GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section 8.1      Non-Survival of Representations and Warranties. None of the representations and warranties contained in this Agreement or in any instrument delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall survive the Effective Time.  Except for any covenant or agreement that by its terms contemplates performance after the Effective Time, none of the covenants and agreements of the parties contained this Agreement shall survive the Effective Time.

Section 8.2       Fees and Expenses. Subject to Sections 5.13 and 5.14, whether or not the Merger is consummated, all fees and expenses incurred by the parties hereto shall be borne solely and entirely by the party which has incurred the same; provided, however, that all fees and expenses associated with filings made pursuant to the HSR Act shall be paid by Parent.

Section 8.3      Notices. Any notices or other communications required or permitted under, or otherwise given in connection with, this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given (a) when delivered or sent if delivered in person or sent by facsimile transmission (provided confirmation of facsimile transmission is obtained), (b) on the fifth (5th) Business Day after dispatch by registered or certified mail or (c) on the next Business Day if transmitted by national overnight courier, in each case as follows:

If to Parent or Merger Sub, addressed to it at:

with a copy to (for information purposes only):

If to the Company, addressed to it at:

with copies to (for information purposes only):

Section 8.4      Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the term:

“Acceptable Confidentiality Agreement” means a confidentiality agreement that contains confidentiality provisions of the relevant third party that has made an Acquisition Proposal that are no less favorable in the aggregate to the Company than those contained in the Confidentiality Agreement, provided that such Acceptable Confidentiality Agreement does not in any way restrict the Company from complying with its obligations under this Agreement, including with respect to the Company’s disclosure obligations to Parent under this Agreement with respect to any Acquisition Proposal.

“Acquisition Proposal” means any inquiry, offer, indication of interest or proposal (whether or not in writing) from, or public announcement by, any Person relating to any transaction or series of transactions involving (a) any merger, consolidation, share exchange, business combination, reorganization, recapitalization, liquidation, dissolution or other similar transaction involving the Company, (b) any sale, lease, license or other disposition, directly or indirectly (including by way of merger, consolidation, share exchange, business combination, reorganization, recapitalization, liquidation, dissolution, joint venture, sale of Equity Interests, or any other economic interest, in the Company or a Company Subsidiary or otherwise), of assets of the Company or the Company Subsidiaries representing 20% or more of the consolidated revenues, net income or assets of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (c) issuance, sale or other disposition, directly or indirectly, of Equity Interests representing 20% or more of the voting power of the Company, (d) any direct or indirect acquisition of securities, tender offer or exchange offer or other similar transaction that, if consummated, would result in any Person or “group” (as defined in the Exchange Act) of Persons, directly or indirectly acquiring beneficial or record ownership of more than 20% of the Shares then outstanding or (e) combination of the foregoing (in each case, other than the Merger).

“affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, the first-mentioned Person.

“Aggregate Merger Consideration” means the product of the Merger Consideration and the number of Shares issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (other than Shares to be cancelled in accordance with Section 2.1(b)). 

“Business Day” means any day, other than a Saturday or Sunday or a day on which banks are required or authorized by Law to close in ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ or the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

“Company Equity Award” means Company Options, Restricted Shares, Restricted Stock Units, Other Equity-Based Awards or any other equity-based compensation awards of the Company.

“Company Material Adverse Effect” means any fact, change, event, circumstance, occurrence, effect or development that is materially adverse to (i) the business, assets, liabilities, financial condition or results of operations of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (ii) the ability of the Company to consummate the Merger on a timely basis in

“Company Shareholder Meeting” means a duly convened meeting of the Company’s shareholders called to obtain the Company Shareholder Approval, or any valid adjournment or postponement thereof made in accordance with this Agreement.

“Contract” means any agreement, contract, lease (whether for real or personal property), power of attorney, note, bond, mortgage, indenture, deed of trust, loan, evidence of indebtedness, letter of intent, purchase order, letter of credit, settlement agreement, franchise agreement, covenant not to compete, employment agreement, license, purchase and sales order or other legal

“control” (including the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”) 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 ownership of Equity Interests, by Contract or otherwise.

“Environmental Laws” means all applicable federal, state or local Laws (including the common law), statutes, ordinances and regulations which (a) regulate or relate to the protection or clean up of the environment, the protection of human health or worker safety (to the extent related to the exposure to Hazardous Substances) or the use, treatment, storage, transportation, handling, disposal or release of Hazardous Substances or (b) impose liability or responsibility with respect to any of the foregoing, including the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (42 U.S.C. § 9601 et seq.), or any other law of similar effect.

“Environmental Permits” means any permit, approval, identification number, license and other authorization required under any applicable Environmental Law.

“Equity Interest” means any share, capital stock, partnership, membership, voting security or similar interest in any Person, and any option, warrant, right or security (including debt securities) convertible, exchangeable or exercisable therefor.

“ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) that, together with the Company or any Company Subsidiary or Parent or any Parent Subsidiary, as applicable, is treated as a single employer under Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code or, solely for purposes of Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412 of the Code, is treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the Code.

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States.

“Governmental Entity” means any national, federal, state, county, municipal or local government, or other political subdivision thereof, and any entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory, taxing or administrative functions of or pertaining to government, including, for the avoidance of doubt, the New York Independent System Operator and the North American Electric Reliability Corp. in its capacity as the FERC-certified Electric Reliability Organization and the Northeast Power Coordinating Council.

“Hazardous Substances” means any toxic, reactive, corrosive, ignitable or flammable chemical, or chemical compound, or hazardous substance, material or waste, whether solid, liquid or gas that is subject to regulation, control or remediation under any Laws regulating or relating to the protection or clean up of the environment or the protection of human health or worker safety.

“HSR Act” means the ▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇▇ Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

“Indebtedness” of any Person means and includes each of the following: (a) any indebtedness for borrowed money, (b) any obligations evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or other similar instruments, (c) any obligations to pay the deferred purchase price of property or services, except trade accounts payable and other current liabilities arising in the ordinary course of business, (d) any obligations as lessee under capitalized leases, “synthetic” leases or conditional sale or other title retention agreements, (e) any non-contingent reimbursement obligations under acceptance credit, letters of credit or similar facilities that have been drawn, (f) any guaranty or other contingent liability of any of the foregoing, (g) any so-called keep-well agreements, or (h) any other agreement to maintain any financial condition of another person or any arrangement having the economic effect of any of the foregoing.

“Intellectual Property” means all U.S. (a) patents and patent applications, (b)  trademarks, service marks, trade dress, logos, Internet domain names, trade names and corporate names, whether registered or unregistered, and the goodwill associated therewith, together with any registrations and applications for registration thereof, (c)  copyrights and rights under copyrights, whether registered or unregistered, and any registrations and applications for registration thereof, (d) trade secrets and other rights in know-how and confidential or proprietary information, including any technical data, specifications, techniques, inventions and discoveries, (e) rights of privacy and rights of publicity, and (f) all other intellectual property rights recognized by applicable Law enforceable in the U.S.

“IT Assets” means all computers, computer software, hardware, firmware, middleware, servers, source code, object code, development tools, workstations, routers, hubs, switches, data communications lines, websites, data, and all other information technology equipment, and all associated documentation (a) owned by the Company or one of the Company’s Subsidiaries or (b) which the Company or one of the Company’s Subsidiaries uses, including any and all outsourced or cloud computing based arrangements.

“IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.

“knowledge” means (i) with respect to the Company, the actual knowledge of the individuals listed in Exhibit A-1 hereto after reasonable inquiry of those employees of the Company or the Company Subsidiaries known to such individuals to have specialized knowledge of the subject matter of the applicable representation or warranty and (ii) with respect to the Parent, the actual knowledge of the individuals listed in Exhibit A-2 hereto.

“Law” means any federal, state, local or foreign law, statute, code, ordinance, rule, regulation, order, judgment, writ, stipulation, award, injunction or decree, including for the avoidance of doubt, reliability standards developed and enforced by the North American Electric Reliability Council in its capacity as the FERC-certified Electric Reliability Organization or the Northeast Power Coordinating Council and the filed rates and market rules and regulations of the New York Independent System Operator.

“Lien” means any lien, claim, mortgage, defect of title, conditions, preemption right, debenture, indenture, hypothecation, license to third parties, equity, charge, pledge, conditional or installment sale agreement, encumbrance, covenant, restriction, option, right of first refusal, easement, security interest, deed of trust, right-of-way, encroachment, community property interest or other claim or restriction of any nature (contingent or otherwise), whether voluntarily incurred or arising by operation of Law.

“Parent Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of Parent.

“Permitted Lien” means (i) Liens specifically reflected or reserved against or otherwise disclosed in the Company Financial Statements; (ii) mechanics’, materialmen’s, warehousemen’s, carriers’, workers’ or repairmen’s Liens arising or incurred in the ordinary course that are not material in amount or effect on the business of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries; (iii) Liens for Taxes (x) not yet due and payable or (y) being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings; (iv) with respect to real property, (A) easements, quasi-easements, licenses, covenants, rights-of-way, rights of re-entry or other similar restrictions, including any other agreements, conditions or restrictions that would be shown by a current title report, (B) any conditions that would be shown by a current survey or physical inspection, and (C) zoning, building, subdivision or other similar requirements or restrictions; and (v) encumbrances that would not materially impair the conduct of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries, or the use or value of the relevant asset.

“Person” means an individual, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association, trust, unincorporated organization, other entity or “person” (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act).

“Proxy Statement” means a proxy statement relating to the approval and adoption of this Agreement by the Company’s shareholders and any amendments or supplements thereto.

“Release” means disposing, discharging, injecting, spilling, leaking, leaching, dumping, emitting, escaping, emptying and seeping into or upon any land or water or air or otherwise entering the environment.

“Remedial Action” means all action to (a) clean up, remove, treat or handle in any other way Hazardous Substances in the environment, (b) prevent the Release of Hazardous Substances so that they do not migrate, endanger or threaten to endanger public health or the environment, or (c) perform preliminary assessments, site investigations, remedial investigations, remedial actions, feasibility studies, corrective actions, closures and post-remedial or post-closure studies, investigations, operations, maintenance, reporting and monitoring.

“SEC” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

“Subsidiary” of Parent, the Company or any other Person means any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture or other legal entity of which Parent, the Company or such other Person, as the case may be (either alone or through or together with any

“Superior Proposal” means any bona fide written Acquisition Proposal (except that all percentages therein shall be changed to “50%”) made by a third party that, in the good faith judgment of the Company Board, after consultation with its financial advisors and outside counsel, taking into account all the terms and conditions of such proposal that the Company Board deems relevant (including the legal, financial, regulatory, timing, likelihood of consummation and other aspects of the proposal and any changes to the terms of this Agreement committed to by Parent in response to such proposal or otherwise), is more favorable to the Company than the Merger.

“Tax Return” means any report, return (including information return), claim for refund, election, estimated tax filing or declaration required to be supplied to any Governmental Entity or domestic or foreign taxing authority with respect to Taxes, including any schedule or attachment thereto, and including any amendments thereof.

“Taxes” means (a) any federal, state, local or foreign taxes, assessments, duties, fees, levies, or other governmental charges, including taxes based on or measured by value, worth, capital, income, receipts, profits, sales or other business activity, or a tax imposed in lieu thereof, including withholding of any of the foregoing and collection of sales taxes, franchise, profits, capital gains, capital stock, transfer, sales, use, occupation, property, excise, severance, windfall profits, stamp, license, payroll, withholding, fuels, ad valorem and other taxes, assessments, charges, duties, fees, levies or other similar governmental charges of any kind whatsoever (whether payable directly or by withholding and whether or not requiring the filing of a Tax Return), all estimated taxes, deficiency assessments, and (b) any interest, penalty or addition to any of the foregoing.

Section 8.5       Terms Defined Elsewhere. The following terms are defined elsewhere in this Agreement, as indicated below:

Section 8.6      Headings. The headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

Section 8.7      Severability. If any term or other provision of this Agreement is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced by any rule of Law or public policy, all other conditions and provisions of this Agreement shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect so long as the economic or legal substance of the transactions contemplated hereby is not affected in any manner materially adverse to any party.  Upon such determination that any term or other provision is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced, the parties hereto shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the parties as closely as possible in an acceptable manner to the end that the transactions contemplated hereby are fulfilled to the extent possible.

Section 8.8       Entire Agreement. This Agreement (together with the Exhibits, Company Disclosure Letter, Parent Disclosure Letter and the other documents delivered pursuant hereto) and the Confidentiality Agreement constitute the entire agreement of the parties and supersede all prior agreements and undertakings, both written and oral, among the parties, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.

Section 8.9      Assignment. Neither this Agreement nor any of the rights, interests or obligations under this Agreement shall be assigned or transferred, in whole or in part, by operation of Law or otherwise by any of the parties hereto without the prior written consent of the other parties, except that Parent or Merger Sub may transfer or assign its rights and obligations under this Agreement, in whole or from time to time in part, to (i) one or more direct or indirect wholly-owned Subsidiaries of Ultimate Parent at any time and (ii) after the Effective Time, to any Person; provided, that no such transfer or assignment shall relieve Ultimate Parent, Parent or Merger Sub from any of its obligations hereunder or make it more difficult for Ultimate Parent to comply with its obligations under the Ultimate Parent guarantee set forth in Section 8.15.  Any assignment or transfer in violation of the preceding sentence shall be void.

Section 8.10     Parties in Interest.  This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure solely to the benefit of each party hereto and their respective successors and assigns, and nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to or shall confer upon any other Person any right, benefit or remedy of any nature whatsoever under or by reason of this Agreement, other than:  (a) any Persons entitled to indemnification under the provisions of Section 5.10, with respect to such provisions, who shall be entitled to enforce their rights under this Agreement as third-party beneficiaries; (b) the shareholders of the Company, in the event of a termination of this Agreement as a result of a breach of this Agreement by Parent or Merger Sub, subject to Section 7.2(a), with respect to the lost opportunity to receive the Merger Consideration pursuant to this Agreement; provided, however, that the rights granted pursuant to this clause (b) shall only be enforceable by the Company on behalf of the shareholders of the Company (and not directly by any such shareholder) (it being understood and agreed that any and all interests in such claims shall attach to the Shares and subsequently trade and transfer therewith and, consequently, any damages, settlements or other amounts recovered or received by the Company with respect to such claims (net of expenses incurred by the Company in connection therewith) may, in the Company’s sole and absolute discretion, be (i) distributed, in whole or in part, by the Company to the holders of Shares of record as of any date determined by the Company or (ii) retained by the Company for the use and benefit of the Company on behalf of its shareholders in any manner the Company deems fit); and (c) the shareholders of the Company, after the Effective Time, with respect to the right of such shareholders to receive Merger Consideration for any Share such shareholder holds.

Section 8.11    Mututal Drafting; Interpretation. Each party hereto has participated in the drafting of this Agreement, which each party acknowledges is the result of extensive negotiations between the parties.  If an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties, and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any provision.  For purposes of this Agreement, whenever the context requires:  (i) the singular number shall include the plural, and vice versa; (ii) the masculine gender shall include the feminine and neuter genders; (iii) the feminine gender shall include the masculine and neuter genders; and (iv) the neuter gender shall include masculine and feminine genders.  As used in this Agreement, the words “include” and “including,” and variations thereof, shall not be deemed to be terms of limitation, but rather shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation.”  Except as otherwise indicated, all references in this Agreement to “Sections” and “Exhibits,” are intended to refer to Sections of this Agreement and Exhibits to this Agreement.  All references in this Agreement to “$” are intended to refer to U.S. dollars.  Unless otherwise specifically provided for herein, the term “or” shall not be deemed to be exclusive.  The words “hereof,” “herein” and “hereunder” and words of similar import, when used in this Agreement, refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement.

Section 8.12    Governing Law; Consent to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Trial by Jury.

(a)                This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with the Laws of the State of New York without regard to Laws that may be applicable under conflicts of laws principles that would cause the application of the Laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of New York.

(b)               Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New York located in New York County, New York and of the United States of America located in the Southern District of New York and any appellate court thereof), in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the agreements delivered in connection herewith or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby or for recognition or enforcement of any judgment relating hereto or thereto, and each of the parties hereby irrevocably and unconditionally (i) agrees not to commence any such action or proceeding except in such court, (ii) agrees that any claim in respect of any such action or proceeding may be heard and determined in such court, (iii) waives, to the fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding in such court, and (iv) waives, to the fullest extent permitted by Law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in such court.  Each of the parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such action or proceeding shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by Law.  Each party to this Agreement irrevocably consents to service of process in the manner provided for notices in Section 8.3.  Nothing in this Agreement will affect the right of any party to this Agreement to serve process in any other manner permitted by Law.

(c)                EACH PARTY ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT ANY CONTROVERSY WHICH MAY ARISE UNDER THIS AGREEMENT IS LIKELY TO INVOLVE COMPLICATED AND DIFFICULT ISSUES, AND THEREFORE IT HEREBY

Section 8.13     Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, and by the different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when executed shall be deemed to be an original but all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement.  The exchange of a fully executed Agreement (in counterparts or otherwise) by facsimile or by electronic delivery in pdf format shall be sufficient to bind the parties to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

Section 8.14    Specific Performance.

                        (a)                The parties agree that irreparable damage for which monetary damages, even if available, would not be an adequate remedy, would occur in the event that the parties hereto do not perform the provisions of this Agreement (including failing to take such actions as are required of it hereunder in order to consummate this Agreement) in accordance with its specified terms or otherwise breach such provisions.  The parties acknowledge and agree that each party hereto shall be entitled to an injunction, specific performance and other equitable relief without the posting of any bond, to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically in the courts of the State of New York located in New York County, New York and of the United States of America located in the Southern District of New York the terms and provisions hereof, this being in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity.  Without limitation of the foregoing and notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the parties hereby further acknowledge and agree that prior to the Closing: (i) the Company shall be entitled to specific performance (A) to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of, and to prevent or cure breaches of, Section 5.5 by Parent or Merger Sub or Section 8.15 by Ultimate Parent and (B) if (x) all conditions in Sections 6.1 and 6.2 (other than those conditions that by their nature are to be satisfied at the Closing) have been satisfied and (y) Parent and Merger Sub fail to complete the Closing by the date the Closing is required to have occurred pursuant to Section 1.2, to prevent or cure breaches of this Agreement by Parent or Merger Sub and/or to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Agreement, including to cause Ultimate Parent, Parent and/or Merger Sub to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby, including to effect the Closing in accordance with Section 1.2, on the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement; and (ii) Parent and Merger Sub shall be entitled to specific performance if (A) all conditions in Sections 6.1 and 6.3  (other than those conditions that by their nature are to be satisfied at the Closing) have been satisfied and (B) the

(b)               The parties further agree that (i) the seeking of the remedies provided for in Section 8.14(a) shall not in any respect constitute a waiver by any party seeking such remedies of its respective right to seek any other form of relief that may be available to it under this Agreement, including under Section 7.2, in the event that this Agreement has been terminated or in the event that the remedies provided for in Section 8.14(a) are not available or otherwise are not granted, and (ii) nothing set forth in this Agreement shall require a party to institute any proceeding for (or limit a party’s right to institute any proceeding for) specific performance under Section 8.14(a) prior or as a condition to exercising any termination right under Article VII (and pursuing damages after such termination), nor shall the commencement of any legal proceeding pursuant to Section 8.14(a) or anything set forth in this Section 8.14(b) restrict or limit a party’s right to terminate this Agreement in accordance with the terms of Article VII or pursue any other remedies under this Agreement that may be available then or thereafter.

Section 8.15     Ultimate Parent Guarantee.

(a)                Ultimate Parent hereby irrevocably, absolutely and unconditionally guarantees to the Company the due, prompt and punctual payment and performance when due of all of Parent’s and Merger Sub’s obligations and agreements under this Agreement up to and including the Closing, including the consummation of the Merger, the payment of the Aggregate Merger Consideration and the performance of Parent’s and Merger Sub’s obligations under Sections 2.2 and 5.5, it being understood that Ultimate Parent shall have no obligation to guarantee any post-Closing obligations or agreements.  Ultimate Parent’s obligations are unconditional irrespective of any circumstances which might otherwise constitute, by operation of law, a discharge of a guarantor and it shall not be necessary for the Company to institute or exhaust any remedies or causes of action against Parent or Merger Sub or any other Person as a condition to the obligations of Ultimate Parent hereunder.

(b)               Ultimate Parent hereby represents and warrants to the Company that it: (i) is a corporation or other legal entity duly incorporated or organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization and has requisite corporate or other legal entity, as the case may be, power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and assets and to carry on its business as it is now being conducted; (ii) is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction where the ownership, leasing or operation of its properties or assets or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to prevent or materially delay or materially impair the ability of Ultimate Parent, Parent and Merger Sub to consummate the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement or to perform its obligations hereunder; and (iii) owns, directly

(c)                Ultimate Parent hereby represents and warrants to the Company that: (i) it has the requisite corporate or other legal entity, as the case may be, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement, to perform its obligations hereunder and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Merger; (ii) the execution and delivery of this Agreement by Ultimate Parent, and the performance by Ultimate Parent of its obligations hereunder, have been duly and validly authorized by all requisite corporate or other legal entity, as the case may be, action on the part of Ultimate Parent and no other corporate or other legal entity, as the case may be, proceedings on the part of Ultimate Parent, and no shareholder or other equityholder votes, are necessary to authorize this Agreement or to perform its obligations hereunder; (iii) this Agreement has been duly authorized and validly executed and delivered by Ultimate Parent and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the Company, constitutes a valid and binding obligation of Ultimate Parent, enforceable against Ultimate Parent in accordance with its terms, except that (x) such enforcement may be subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar Laws, now or hereafter in effect, affecting creditors’ rights generally and (y) the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought; and (iv) none of the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement by Ultimate Parent will (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both):  (x) conflict with or violate any provision of the articles of incorporation or bylaws, or any equivalent organizational or governing documents, of Ultimate Parent; (y) conflict with or violate any Law applicable to Ultimate Parent or any of its properties or assets; or (z) require any consent or approval under, violate, conflict with, result in any breach of or any loss of any benefit under, or constitute a default under, or result in termination or give to others any right of termination, vesting, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, or result in the creation of a Lien upon any of the properties or assets of Ultimate Parent pursuant to, any Contract or permit to which Ultimate Parent is a party or by which it or any of its respective properties or assets are bound, except, with respect to clauses (y) and (z), for any such conflicts, violations, consents, breaches, losses, defaults, other occurrences or Liens which, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to prevent or materially delay or materially impair the ability of Ultimate Parent to perform its obligations under this Agreement.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Parent, Merger Sub, the Company and Ultimate Parent have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the date first written above by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized.

FORTISUS INC.

By:      /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇                                               

Name:  ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇

Title:    Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer

By:      /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇                                       

Name:  ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇

Title:    Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

CASCADE ACQUISITION SUB INC.

By:       /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇                                             

Name:  ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇

Title:    Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer

By:       /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇                                    

Name:  ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇

Title:    Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

FORTIS INC.

By:       /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇                                             

Name:  ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇

Title:    Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer

By:        /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇                                    

Name:  ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇

Title:    Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

CH ENERGY GROUP, INC.

By:     /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇                                                                   

Name:  ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇

Title:    Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer

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