Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)
Registration No. 333-193880
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
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Title of each Class of Securities to be Registered |
Maximum Offering Price |
Amount of Registration Fee(1) | ||
Debt Securities |
$350,000,000 | $45,080 | ||
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(1) | Calculated in accordance with Rule 457(r) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended |
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
(To Prospectus dated February 11, 2014)
$350,000,000
2.40% Senior Notes due March 1, 2019
We are offering $350,000,000 principal amount of our 2.40% Senior Notes due March 1, 2019, which we refer to in this prospectus supplement as our senior notes.
We will pay interest on our senior notes on each March 1 and September 1, commencing September 1, 2014. The senior notes will be issued in denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof.
We may redeem the senior notes in whole or in part at any time at the redemption prices set forth in this prospectus supplement.
The senior notes will be unsecured and will rank equally with all of our other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness from time to time outstanding. The senior notes will be structurally subordinated to all existing and future liabilities of our subsidiaries, including Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
There is no existing public market for the senior notes. We do not intend to list the senior notes on any securities exchange or any automated quotation system.
Investing in these senior notes involves risks. See Risk Factors on page S-1 of this prospectus supplement.
Per Senior Note | Total | |||||||
Public Offering Price(1) |
99.831 | % | $ | 349,408,500 | ||||
Underwriting Discounts and Commissions |
0.600 | % | $ | 2,100,000 | ||||
Proceeds to PG&E Corporation (before expenses)(1) |
99.231 | % | $ | 347,308,500 |
(1) | Plus accrued interest, if any, from and including original issuance of the senior notes which is expected to be February 27, 2014. |
None of the Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities commission or any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The senior notes are expected to be delivered on or about February 27, 2014 through the book-entry facilities of The Depository Trust Company.
Joint Book-Running Managers
Barclays | BNP PARIBAS | Citigroup |
Co-Managers
Drexel Hamilton | Great Pacific Securities |
February 24, 2014
This prospectus supplement should be read in conjunction with the accompanying prospectus. You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, the information incorporated by reference and any free writing prospectus prepared by us. Neither we nor any underwriter has authorized any other person to provide you with different or additional information. If anyone provides you with different or additional information, you should not rely on it. Neither we nor any underwriter is making an offer to sell the senior notes in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any free writing prospectus prepared by us is accurate only as of the date of the document containing the information or such other date as may be specified therein.
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Description of Securities Purchase Contracts and Securities Purchase Units |
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Unless otherwise indicated, when used in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, the terms we, our and us refer to PG&E Corporation and its subsidiaries, and the term Utility refers to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation.
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Investing in the senior notes involves risk. These risks are described below and under Risk Factors in Item 1A of our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. See Where You Can Find More Information in the accompanying prospectus. Before making a decision to invest in the senior notes, you should carefully consider these risks as well as other information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus.
Risks Relating to the Senior Notes
As a holding company, we depend on cash distributions and reimbursements from the Utility to meet our debt service and other financial obligations, including payments on the senior notes offered hereby.
We are a holding company with no revenue generating operations of our own. Our ability to make principal and interest payments on our outstanding debt, including the senior notes offered hereby, as well as satisfy our other financial obligations, primarily depends on the earnings and cash flows of the Utility and the ability of the Utility to distribute cash to us (in the form of dividends and share repurchases) and reimburse us for the Utilitys share of applicable expenses. Before it can distribute cash to us, the Utility must use its resources to satisfy its own obligations, including its obligation to serve customers, to pay principal and interest on outstanding debt, to pay preferred stock dividends, and meet its obligations to employees and creditors. The Utilitys ability to pay common stock dividends is constrained by regulatory requirements, including that the Utility maintain its authorized capital structure with an average 52% equity component. The Utilitys ability to pay dividends also could be affected by financial covenants contained in its credit agreements that require it to maintain a ratio of consolidated total debt to consolidated capitalization of at most 65%. If the Utility is not able to make distributions to us or to reimburse us, our ability to meet our own obligations could be impaired and our ability to service our debt obligations could be restricted.
The senior notes will be structurally subordinated to all existing and future liabilities of the Utility and our other direct and indirect subsidiaries and will be effectively subordinated to any secured debt we may incur in the future.
Our subsidiaries are separate and distinct legal entities and have no obligation, contingent or otherwise, to pay any amounts due on the senior notes offered hereby or to make any funds available therefor, whether by dividends, fees, loans or other payments. Any right we have to receive any assets of any of our subsidiaries upon any liquidation, dissolution, winding up, receivership, reorganization, assignment for the benefit of creditors, marshaling of assets and liabilities or any bankruptcy, insolvency or similar proceedings (and the consequent right of the holders of our indebtedness to participate in the distribution of, or to realize proceeds from, those assets) will be structurally subordinated to the claims of any such subsidiarys creditors (including trade creditors and holders of debt issued by such subsidiary). Accordingly, the senior notes will be structurally subordinated to all existing and future liabilities of the Utility and our other direct and indirect subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2013, our subsidiaries had approximately $15.5 billion of outstanding liabilities in respect of debt and trade payables. The indenture governing the senior notes will not limit the ability of our subsidiaries to incur additional indebtedness.
The senior notes will be our unsecured general obligations, and therefore will be effectively subordinated to any secured debt that we may incur in the future to the extent of the value of the assets securing such debt. As of December 31, 2013, we did not have any outstanding secured debt for borrowed money. The indenture governing the senior notes limits but does not prohibit us from incurring debt secured by the common stock of any of our significant subsidiaries, including the Utility, unless we equally secure all senior notes, and there are significant exceptions to this covenant. See Description of SecuritiesDescription of the Senior NotesLimitation on Liens in the accompanying prospectus. The indenture governing the senior notes will not otherwise limit our ability to incur secured debt.
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This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus contain forward-looking statements that are necessarily subject to various risks and uncertainties. These statements reflect managements judgment and opinions which are based on current estimates, expectations, and projections about future events and assumptions regarding these events and managements knowledge of facts as of the date of this prospectus supplement.
These forward-looking statements relate to, among other matters, estimated losses, including penalties and fines, associated with various investigations; forecasts of costs the Utility will incur to make safety and reliability improvements, including natural gas transmission costs, that the Utility will not recover through rates; forecasts of capital expenditures; estimates and assumptions used in critical accounting policies, including those relating to regulatory assets and liabilities, environmental remediation, litigation, third-party claims, and other liabilities; and the level of future equity or debt issuances. These statements are also identified by words such as assume, expect, intend, forecast, plan, project, believe, estimate, predict, anticipate, may, should, would, could, potential and similar expressions. We and the Utility are not able to predict all the factors that may affect future results. Some of the factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, or from historical results, include, but are not limited to:
| when and how the pending California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) investigations and enforcement matters related to the natural gas system operating practices of the Utility and the Utilitys natural gas transmission pipeline rupture and fire that occurred on September 9, 2010 in San Bruno, California (the San Bruno accident) are concluded, including the ultimate amount of fines the Utility will be required to pay to the State General Fund, the amount of natural gas transmission costs the Utility will be prohibited from recovering, and the cost of any remedial actions the Utility may be ordered to perform; |
| the outcome of the pending criminal investigation related to the San Bruno accident, including the ultimate amount of civil or criminal fines or penalties, if any, the Utility may be required to pay, and the impact of remedial measures the Utility is required to take such as the appointment of an independent monitor; |
| whether we and the Utility are able to repair the reputational harm that we and it have suffered, and may suffer in the future, due to the negative publicity surrounding the San Bruno accident and the decisions to be issued in the pending investigations, including any charge or finding of criminal liability; |
| the outcomes of ratemaking proceedings, such as the 2014 general rate case, the 2015 gas transmission and storage rate case, and the transmission owner rate cases; |
| the amount and timing of additional common stock issuances by us, the proceeds of which are contributed as equity to maintain the Utilitys authorized capital structure as the Utility incurs charges and costs that it cannot recover through rates, including costs and fines associated with natural gas matters and the pending investigations; |
| the outcome of future regulatory investigations, citations, or other proceedings, that may be commenced relating to the Utilitys compliance with laws, rules, regulations, or orders applicable to the operation, inspection, and maintenance of its electric and gas facilities; |
| the impact of environmental remediation laws, regulations, and orders; the ultimate amount of costs incurred to discharge the Utilitys known and unknown remediation obligations; the extent to which the Utility is able to recover environmental compliance and remediation costs in rates or from other sources; and the ultimate amount of environmental remediation costs the Utility incurs but does not recover, such as the remediation costs associated with the Utilitys natural gas compressor station site located near Hinkley, California; |
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| the impact of new legislation or Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations, recommendations, policies, decisions, or orders relating to the nuclear industry, including operations, seismic design, security, safety, relicensing, the storage of spent nuclear fuel, decommissioning, cooling water intake, or other issues; and whether the Utility decides to request that the NRC resume processing the Utilitys renewal application for the two Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant operating licenses, and if so, whether the NRC grants the renewal; |
| the impact of weather-related conditions or events, climate change, natural disasters, acts of terrorism, war, or vandalism (including cyber-attacks), and other events, that can cause unplanned outages, reduce generating output, disrupt the Utilitys service to customers, or damage or disrupt the facilities, operations, or information technology and systems owned by the Utility, its customers, or third parties on which the Utility relies; and subject the Utility to third-party liability for property damage or personal injury, or result in the imposition of civil, criminal, or regulatory penalties on the Utility; |
| the impact of environmental laws and regulations aimed at the reduction of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases, and whether the Utility is able to continue recovering associated compliance costs, such as the cost of emission allowances and offsets under cap-and-trade regulations and the cost of renewable energy procurement; |
| changes in customer demand for electricity and natural gas resulting from unanticipated population growth or decline in the Utilitys service area, general and regional economic and financial market conditions, the extent of municipalization of the Utilitys electric distribution facilities, changing levels of direct access customers who procure electricity from alternative energy providers, changing levels of customers who purchase electricity from governmental bodies that act as community choice aggregators, and the development of alternative energy technologies including self-generation and distributed generation technologies; |
| the adequacy and price of electricity, natural gas, and nuclear fuel supplies; the extent to which the Utility can manage and respond to the volatility of energy commodity prices; the ability of the Utility and its counterparties to post or return collateral in connection with price risk management activities; and whether the Utility is able to recover timely its energy commodity costs through rates; |
| whether the Utilitys information technology, operating systems and networks, including the advanced metering system infrastructure, customer billing, financial, and other systems, can continue to function accurately while meeting regulatory requirements; whether the Utility is able to protect its operating systems and networks from damage, disruption, or failure caused by cyber-attacks, computer viruses, or other hazards; whether the Utilitys security measures are sufficient to protect confidential customer, vendor, and financial data contained in such systems and networks; and whether the Utility can continue to rely on third-party vendors and contractors that maintain and support some of the Utilitys operating systems; |
| the extent to which costs incurred in connection with third-party claims or litigation can be recovered through insurance, rates, or from other third parties; including the timing and amount of insurance recoveries related to third party claims arising from the San Bruno accident; |
| our ability and the Utilitys ability to access capital markets and other sources of debt and equity financing in a timely manner on acceptable terms; |
| changes in credit ratings which could result in increased borrowing costs especially if we or the Utility were to lose our or its investment grade credit ratings; |
| the impact of federal or state laws or regulations, or their interpretation, on energy policy and the regulation of utilities and their holding companies, including how the CPUC interprets and enforces the financial and other conditions imposed on us when we became the Utilitys holding company, and whether the ultimate outcome of the pending investigations relating to the Utilitys natural gas operations affects the Utilitys ability to make distributions to us, and, in turn, our ability to pay dividends; |
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| the outcome of federal or state tax audits and the impact of any changes in federal or state tax laws, policies, or regulations; and |
| the impact of changes in GAAP, standards, rules, or policies, including those related to regulatory accounting, and the impact of changes in their interpretation or application. |
For more information about the significant risks that could affect the outcome of these forward-looking statements and our and the Utilitys future financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, you should read the sections titled Risk Factors in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, together with Risk Factors in this prospectus supplement.
You should read this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents that we incorporate by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, the documents that we have included as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are a part and the documents that we refer to under the section of the accompanying prospectus titled Where You Can Find More Information completely and with the understanding that our actual future results could be materially different from what we expect when making the forward-looking statements. We qualify all our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this prospectus supplement or the date of the document incorporated by reference. Except as required by applicable laws or regulations, we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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PG&E Corporation, incorporated in California in 1995, is a holding company whose primary purpose is to hold interests in energy-based businesses. PG&E Corporation conducts its business principally through the Utility, a public utility serving more than 15 million people throughout 70,000 square miles in northern and central California. The Utility generates revenues mainly through the sale and delivery of electricity and natural gas to customers. The Utility was incorporated in California in 1905. PG&E Corporation became the holding company of the Utility and its subsidiaries on January 1, 1997.
The Utility had approximately $55 billion of assets at December 31, 2013, and generated operating revenues of approximately $16 billion in 2013. The Utility is regulated primarily by the CPUC, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. In addition, the NRC oversees the licensing, construction, operation, and decommissioning of the Utilitys nuclear generation facilities.
The principal executive offices of PG&E Corporation and the Utility are located at 77 Beale Street, P.O. Box 770000, San Francisco, California 94177. The telephone number of PG&E Corporation is (415) 973-1000, and the telephone number of the Utility is (415) 973-7000.
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
The following table sets forth our historical ratio of earnings to fixed charges for each of the fiscal years indicated.
2013 |
2012 |
2011 |
2010 | 2009 | ||||||||
2.07x | 2.13x | 2.39x | 2.93x | 2.91x |
For the purpose of computing the ratios of earnings to fixed charges, earnings represent income from continuing operations adjusted for income taxes, fixed charges (excluding capitalized interest), and pre-tax earnings required to cover the preferred stock dividends of consolidated subsidiaries. Fixed charges include interest on long-term debt and short-term borrowings (including a representative portion of rental expense), amortization of bond premium, discount and expense, interest on capital leases, allowance for funds used during construction related to the cost of debt, and earnings required to cover the preferred stock dividends of consolidated subsidiaries. Fixed charges exclude interest on tax liabilities.
We estimate that the net proceeds from this offering will be approximately $346.6 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. We expect to use the net proceeds from this offering, plus approximately $3 million of cash on hand, to repay the entire $350 million in principal amount of our 5.75% Senior Notes due April 1, 2014 (the 2014 Notes).
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The following table sets forth our consolidated capitalization as of December 31, 2013, as adjusted to give effect to (i) the issuance and sale of the senior notes, (ii) the use of net proceeds from this offering as set forth under Use of Proceeds in this prospectus supplement, and (iii) the use of the net proceeds of the Utilitys offering of senior notes which was completed on February 21, 2014. This table should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes as of and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. See Where You Can Find More Information in the accompanying prospectus.
As of December 31, 2013 |
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Actual | As Adjusted | |||||||
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Current Liabilities: |
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Short-term borrowings(1) |
$ | 1,174 | $ | 823 | ||||
Total long-term debt, classified as current(2) |
$ | 889 | $ | | ||||
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Capitalization: |
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Long-term debt(3) |
$ | 12,717 | $ | 13,964 | ||||
Shareholders equity |
14,342 | 14,342 | ||||||
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Total capitalization |
$ | 27,059 | $ | 28,306 | ||||
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(1) | Actual short-term borrowings consisted of $260 million of borrowings under our revolving credit facility and $914 million of commercial paper issued by the Utility, and as adjusted short-term borrowings takes into account the application of the net proceeds of the Utilitys senior notes issued on February 21, 2014 to repay in full the Utilitys senior notes due March 1, 2014 and to repay a portion of its outstanding commercial paper. |
(2) | Actual long-term debt, classified as current consisted of $350 million of the 2014 Notes and $539 million of the Utilitys senior notes, and as adjusted long-term debt, classified as current takes into account the application of (i) the net proceeds of the senior notes offered hereby, plus approximately $3 million of cash on hand, to repay the 2014 Notes, and (ii) net proceeds of the Utilitys senior notes issued on February 21, 2014. |
(3) | Actual long-term debt consisted of $1,268 million of pollution control bonds issued for the benefit of the Utility and $11,449 million of senior notes issued by the Utility and as adjusted long-term debt includes the senior notes offered hereby and senior notes issued by the Utility on February 21, 2014, in each case, net of any discounts and premiums. |
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DESCRIPTION OF THE SENIOR NOTES
General
You should read the following information in conjunction with the statements under Description of the Senior Notes in the accompanying prospectus.
As used in this section, the terms we, us and our refer to PG&E Corporation, and not to any of our subsidiaries.
The senior notes are being offered in the aggregate principal amount of $350,000,000 and will mature on March 1, 2019.
We will issue the senior notes under an indenture, which we entered into on February 10, 2014, between us and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee, as supplemented by a supplemental indenture between us and the trustee. Please read the indenture because it, and not this description, defines your rights as holders of the senior notes. We have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission a copy of the indenture as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are a part.
Pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, or the 1939 Act, if a default occurs on the senior notes, U.S. Bank National Association may be required to resign as trustee under the indenture if it has a conflicting interest (as defined in the 1939 Act), unless the default is cured, duly waived or otherwise eliminated within 90 days.
We may without consent of the holders of senior notes issue additional senior notes under the indenture, having the same terms in all respects to the senior notes (except for the public offering price and the issue date and, in some cases, the first interest payment date) so that those additional notes will be consolidated and form a single series with the other outstanding senior notes.
The senior notes will bear interest from February 27, 2014 at 2.40% per annum, payable semiannually on each March 1 and September 1, commencing on September 1, 2014, to holders of record on the 15th day prior to the interest payment date.
We will issue the senior notes in denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof.
The senior notes will be redeemable at our option, in whole or in part, at any time as described under Optional Redemption below.
Interest on the senior notes will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months. If any payment date falls on a day that is not a business day, the payment will be made on the next business day, but we will consider that payment as being made on the date that the payment was due to you. In that event, no interest will accrue on the amount payable for the period from and after such payment date to such next business day.
We will issue the senior notes in the form of one or more global securities, which will be deposited with, or on behalf of, The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, and registered in the name of DTCs nominee. Information regarding DTCs book-entry system is set forth below under Book-Entry System; Global Notes.
Ranking
The senior notes will be our direct, unsecured and unsubordinated obligations and will rank equally with all our other existing and future unsecured and unsubordinated obligations. The senior notes will be effectively
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subordinated to all our secured debt. We are a holding company that conducts our business principally through the Utility. Thus, as a practical matter, the senior notes will be effectively subordinated to all existing and future obligations, including trade payable and other unsecured debt, of the Utility, as well as to all existing and future obligations of our other direct and indirect subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2013, our subsidiaries had approximately $15.5 billion of liabilities in respect of debt and trade payables, including approximately $12.7 billion of long-term debt (excluding long-term debt classified as current), all of which effectively ranks senior to our senior notes.
As of December 31, 2013, we did not have any outstanding secured debt for borrowed money. The indenture contains no restrictions on the amount of additional indebtedness that may be incurred by us.
Optional Redemption
At any time prior to February 1, 2019, we may, at our option, redeem the senior notes in whole or in part at a redemption price equal to the greater of:
| 100% of the principal amount of the senior notes to be redeemed; or |
| as determined by the Quotation Agent, the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest on the senior notes to be redeemed (not including any portion of payments of interest accrued as of the redemption date) discounted to the redemption date on a semiannual basis at the Adjusted Treasury Rate plus 15 basis points, |
plus, in either case, accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the redemption date.
At any time on or after February 1, 2019, we may redeem the senior notes, in whole or in part, at 100% of the principal amount of the senior notes being redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the redemption date.
The redemption price will be calculated assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months.
We will mail notice of any redemption at least 10 days but not more than 60 days before the redemption date to each registered holder of the senior notes to be redeemed.
Unless we default in payment of the redemption price, on and after the redemption date, interest will cease to accrue on the senior notes or portions of the senior notes called for redemption.
As used in this section Optional Redemption, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
Adjusted Treasury Rate means, with respect to any redemption date, the rate per annum equal to the semiannual equivalent yield to maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue, assuming a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for the redemption date.
Business Day means any day that is not a day on which banking institutions in New York City are authorized or required by law or regulation to close.
Comparable Treasury Issue means the United States Treasury security selected by the applicable Quotation Agent as having a maturity comparable to the remaining term of the senior notes to be redeemed that would be used, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of comparable maturity to the remaining term of the senior notes to be redeemed.
Comparable Treasury Price means, with respect to any redemption date:
| the average of the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for that redemption date, after excluding the highest and lowest of the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations; or |
| if we obtain fewer than four Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations so received. |
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Quotation Agent means the Reference Treasury Dealer appointed by us for the senior notes.
Reference Treasury Dealer means (1) each of Barclays Capital Inc., BNP Paribas Securities Corp. and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and their respective successors, unless any of them ceases to be a primary dealer in certain U.S. government securities (Primary Treasury Dealer), in which case we shall substitute another Primary Treasury Dealer; and (2) any other Primary Treasury Dealer selected by us.
Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations means, with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any redemption date, the average, as determined by us, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in writing to us by that Reference Treasury Dealer at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the third Business Day preceding that redemption date.
If we redeem only some of the senior notes, DTCs practice is to choose by lot the amount to be redeemed from the senior notes held by each of its participating institutions. DTC will give notice to these participants, and these participants will give notice to any street name holders of any indirect interests in the senior notes to be redeemed according to arrangements among them. These notices may be subject to statutory or regulatory requirements. We will not be responsible for giving notice of a redemption of the senior notes to be redeemed to anyone other than the registered holders of the senior notes to be redeemed, which is currently DTC. If senior notes to be redeemed are no longer held through DTC and fewer than all the senior notes are to be redeemed, selection of senior notes for redemption will be made by the trustee in any manner the trustee deems fair and appropriate.
Subject to the foregoing and to applicable law (including, without limitation, United States federal securities laws), we or our affiliates may, at any time and from time to time, purchase outstanding senior notes by tender, in the open market or by private agreement.
No Sinking Fund
There is no provision for a sinking fund for the senior notes.
Covenants
The indenture restricts us from securing any indebtedness with a lien on any shares of the common stock of any of our significant subsidiaries, except in certain circumstances. The accompanying prospectus describes this covenant (see Description of SecuritiesDescription of Senior NotesLimitation on Liens in the accompanying prospectus) and other covenants contained in the indenture in greater detail and should be read prior to investing.
Book-Entry System; Global Notes
The senior notes will initially be issued in the form of one or more global notes. The senior notes will be issued as fully-registered securities registered in the name of Cede & Co. (DTCs partnership nominee) or such other name as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. One fully-registered security certificate will be issued for the senior notes in the aggregate principal amount of such series, and will be deposited with DTC or the trustee on behalf of DTC and registered in the name of DTC or its nominee. If, however, the aggregate principal amount of the senior notes exceeds $500 million, one certificate will be issued with respect to each $500 million of principal amount and an additional certificate will be issued with respect to any remaining principal amount of senior notes. Investors may hold their beneficial interests in a global note directly through DTC or indirectly through organizations which are participants in the DTC system.
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CERTAIN UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES
The following summary describes certain United States federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of the senior notes as of the date hereof. This summary is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, as well as final, temporary and proposed Treasury regulations and administrative and judicial decisions. Legislative, judicial and administrative changes may occur, possibly with retroactive effect, that could affect the accuracy of the statements described herein. This summary generally is addressed only to original purchasers of the senior notes that purchase the senior notes at the initial offering price, deals only with senior notes held as capital assets and does not purport to address all United States federal income tax matters that may be relevant to investors in special tax situations, such as insurance companies, tax-exempt organizations, financial institutions, dealers in securities or currencies, traders in securities that elect to mark to market, holders of senior notes that are held as a hedge or as part of a hedging, straddle or conversion transaction, certain former citizens or residents of the United States, or United States holders (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the United States dollar. Persons considering the purchase of the senior notes should consult their own tax advisors concerning the application of United States federal income tax laws, as well as the laws of any state, local or foreign taxing jurisdictions, to their particular situations.
If a partnership (including an entity treated as a partnership for United States federal income tax purposes) is a beneficial owner of a senior note, the treatment of such partnership, or a partner in the partnership, will generally depend upon the status of the partner and upon the activities of the partnership. A beneficial owner of a senior note that is a partnership, and partners in such a partnership, should consult their tax advisors about the United States federal income tax consequences of holding and disposing of the senior notes.
United States Holders
This section describes the tax consequences to a United States holder. A United States holder is a beneficial owner of a senior note that is (i) a citizen or resident of the United States, (ii) a corporation (including an entity treated as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes) created or organized in the United States or any state (including the District of Columbia), (iii) an estate whose income is subject to United States federal income tax on a net income basis in respect of the senior note, or (iv) a trust if a United States court can exercise primary supervision over the trusts administration and one or more United States persons are authorized to control all substantial decisions of the trust (or certain trusts that have made a valid election to be treated as a United States person).
If you are not a United States holder, this section does not apply to you. See Non-United States Holders below.
Payment of Interest
The senior notes will not be issued with more than a de minimis amount of original issue discount for United States federal income tax purposes. Interest on a senior note will therefore be taxable to a United States holder as ordinary interest income at the time it accrues or is received, in accordance with the United States holders method of accounting for United States federal income tax purposes.
Sale, Exchange or Retirement of Senior Notes
Upon the sale, exchange or retirement of a senior note, a United States holder will recognize taxable gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized from the sale, exchange, retirement or other disposition (other than amounts attributable to accrued interest not previously included in income, which will be taxable as ordinary interest income) and the United States holders adjusted tax basis in the senior note. A United States holders adjusted tax basis in a senior note will generally equal the cost of the senior note to such holder increased by the amount of any accrued but unpaid interest previously included in income. Such gain or loss
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generally will be capital gain or loss, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the senior note has been held for more than one year. Capital losses are subject to certain limitations.
Tax on Net Investment Income
Certain non-corporate United States holders of senior notes generally will be subject to a 3.8% tax on their net investment income for the relevant taxable year. Subject to certain exceptions, a United States holders calculation of its net investment income generally will include its interest income on, and its net gains from the disposition of, the senior notes. A United States holder that is an individual, estate or trust is urged to consult its tax advisor regarding the applicability of this tax to its income and gains in respect of your investment in the senior notes.
Non-United States Holders
This section describes the tax consequences to a non-United States holder. You are a non-United States holder if you are the beneficial owner of a senior note (other than a partnership, including an entity treated as a partnership for United States federal income tax purposes) and are not a United States holder for United States federal income tax purposes.
Payment of Interest
A non-United States holder generally will not be subject to United States federal withholding tax with respect to payments of principal and interest on the senior notes, provided that (i) the non-United States holder does not actually or constructively own 10 percent or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of our stock entitled to vote, (ii) the non-United States holder is not for United States federal income tax purposes a controlled foreign corporation related to us (directly or indirectly) through stock ownership, and (iii) the beneficial owner of the senior notes certifies to us or the fiscal and paying agent (on Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN or applicable form) under penalties of perjury as to its status as a non-United States holder and complies with applicable identification procedures. Special rules apply to partnerships, estates and trusts and, in certain circumstances, certifications as to foreign status and other matters may be required to be provided by partners and beneficiaries thereof.
Sale, Exchange or Retirement of Senior Notes
A non-United States holder of a senior note generally will not be subject to United States federal income tax on any gain realized upon the sale, exchange, retirement or other disposition of a senior note, unless the non-United States holder is an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year of sale, retirement or other disposition and certain other conditions are met. In such case, the non-United States holder generally will be subject to a 30 percent tax on any capital gain recognized on the disposition of the senior notes, after being offset by certain United States source capital losses.
United States Trade or Business
If a non-United States holder of a senior note is engaged in a trade or business in the United States and income or gain from the senior note is effectively connected with the conduct of such trade or business, the non-United States holder will be exempt from withholding tax if appropriate certification has been provided, but will generally be subject to regular United States federal income tax on such income and gain in the same manner as if it were a United States holder. In addition, if such non-United States holder is a foreign corporation, it may be subject to a branch profits tax equal to 30 percent (or lower applicable treaty rate) of its effectively connected earnings and profits for the taxable year, subject to adjustments.
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Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act
Sections 1471 through 1474 of the United States Internal Revenue Code, the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act or FATCA provisions, impose a 30% United States withholding tax on certain types of payments made to certain foreign entities. Failure to comply with the additional certification, information reporting and other specified requirements imposed under FATCA could result in United States withholding tax being imposed on payments of interest and principal under the senior notes and sales proceeds of the senior notes held by or through a foreign entity. United States Treasury Regulations provide that FATCA withholding generally will apply to (i) payments of interest and principal made after June 30, 2014, (ii) gross proceeds from the sale, exchange or retirement of debt obligations paid after December 31, 2016, and (iii) certain foreign pass-thru payments received with respect to debt obligations held through foreign financial institutions after the later of December 31, 2016 and the date that final regulations defining the term foreign pass-thru payments are issued. However, the FATCA provisions do not apply to debt obligations issued on or prior to June 30, 2014, such as the senior notes. Therefore, the FATCA provisions only would apply to payments under the senior notes if there were a significant modification of the senior notes after June 30, 2014. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding FATCA and its effect on them.
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting
In general, payments of interest and the proceeds of sale, exchange, retirement or other disposition of the senior notes payable by a United States paying agent or other United States intermediary will be subject to information reporting. With respect to a non-United States holder, we must report annually to the Internal Revenue Service and to each non-United States holder the amount of any interest paid to such holder regardless of whether any tax was actually withheld. Copies of the information returns reporting such interest payments to a non-United States holder and the amount of any tax withheld also may be made available to the tax authorities in the country in which the non-United States holder resides under the provisions of an applicable income tax treaty. In addition, backup withholding at the then applicable rate (currently 28 percent) will generally apply to these payments if:
| in the case of a United States holder, the holder fails to provide an accurate taxpayer identification number, fails to certify that the holder is not subject to backup withholding or fails to report all interest and dividends required to be shown on its United States federal income tax returns; or |
| in the case of a non-United States holder, the holder fails to provide the certification on Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN or applicable form or otherwise does not provide evidence of exempt status. |
Certain United States holders (including, among others, corporations) are not subject to information reporting or backup withholding. Any amount paid as backup withholding will be creditable against the holders United States federal income tax liability and may entitle the holder to a refund, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the Internal Revenue Service. Holders of the senior notes should consult their tax advisors as to their qualification for exemption from backup withholding and the procedure for obtaining such an exemption.
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Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in an underwriting agreement between us and the underwriters named below, for whom Barclays Capital Inc., BNP Paribas Securities Corp. and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. are acting as representatives, we have agreed to sell to each of the underwriters, and each of the underwriters has severally and not jointly agreed to purchase from us, the principal amount of senior notes set forth opposite its name below.
Underwriter |
Principal Amount | |||
Barclays Capital Inc. |
$ | 105,000,000 | ||
BNP Paribas Securities Corp. |
105,000,000 | |||
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. |
105,000,000 | |||
Drexel Hamilton, LLC |
17,500,000 | |||
Great Pacific Securities |
17,500,000 | |||
|
|
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Total |
$ | 350,000,000 | ||
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The underwriters have agreed, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the underwriting agreement, to purchase all of the senior notes if any of the senior notes are purchased.
The underwriters propose to offer the senior notes directly to the public at the respective public offering prices specified on the cover page to this prospectus supplement and may also offer the senior notes to certain dealers at the respective public offering prices less a concession not to exceed 0.35% of the principal amount of the senior notes. The underwriters may allow, and these dealers may reallow, concession to certain brokers and dealers not to exceed 0.25% of the principal amount of the senior notes. After the initial offering of the senior notes, the underwriters may change the offering prices and concessions.
The senior notes have no established trading market. We currently have no intention to list the senior notes on any securities exchange or automated dealer quotation system. The underwriters may make a market in the senior notes after completion of the offering, but will not be obligated to make a market in the senior notes and may discontinue such market making at any time without notice. No assurance can be given as to the liquidity of the trading market for the senior notes or that an active public market for the senior notes will develop. If an active public trading market for the senior notes does not develop, the market price and liquidity of the senior notes may be adversely affected.
We will agree to indemnify the several underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or to contribute to payments which the underwriters may be required to make in respect thereof.
We estimate our expenses for this offering, other than the underwriting discounts and commissions, to be approximately $700,000.
We will agree with the underwriters not to, during the period three business days from the date of the underwriting agreement, sell, offer to sell, grant any option for the sale of, or otherwise dispose of any debt securities other than the senior notes, without the prior written consent of each of Barclays Capital Inc., BNP Paribas Securities Corp. and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. This agreement will not apply to issuances of commercial paper or other debt securities with scheduled maturities of less than one year and the sale or remarketing of tax-exempt bonds issued by a governmental authority or body for our benefit.
In order to facilitate the offering, the underwriters may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the senior notes. Specifically, the underwriters may over-allot in connection with the offering, creating short positions in the senior notes for their own accounts. In addition, to cover over-allotments or to stabilize the price of the senior notes, the underwriters may bid for, and purchase, senior notes in the open market. The underwriters may reclaim selling concessions allowed to an underwriter or dealer for distributing
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senior notes in the offering if the underwriters repurchase previously distributed senior notes in transactions to cover short positions, in stabilization transactions or otherwise. Any of these activities may stabilize or maintain the market price of the senior notes above independent market levels. The underwriters are not required to engage in these activities, and may end any of these activities at any time without notice.
The underwriters also may impose a penalty bid. This occurs when a particular underwriter repays to the underwriters a portion of the underwriting discount received by it because the representatives have repurchased notes sold by or for the account of such underwriter in stabilizing or short covering transactions.
In general, purchases of a security for the purpose of stabilization or to reduce a short position could cause the price of the security to be higher than it might be in the absence of such purchases. The imposition of a penalty bid might also have an effect on the price of a security to the extent that it were to discourage resales of the security.
Neither we nor any underwriter makes any representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of the senior notes. In addition, neither we nor any underwriter makes any representation that the underwriters will engage in such transactions or that such transactions once commenced will not be discontinued without notice.
The underwriters and their respective affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. Certain of the underwriters and their affiliates have engaged and may in the future engage in transactions with, and, from time to time, have performed and may perform investment banking, corporate trust and/or commercial banking services for, us and certain of our affiliates in the ordinary course of business, for which they have received and will receive customary compensation. In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriters and their respective affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments including serving as counterparties to certain derivative and hedging arrangements and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of the issuer. Certain of the underwriters or their affiliates that have a lending relationship with us may routinely hedge their credit exposure to us consistent with their customary risk management policies. Typically, these underwriters and their affiliates would hedge such exposure by entering into transactions which consist of either the purchase of credit default swaps or the creation of short positions in our securities, including potentially the notes offered hereby. Any such credit default swaps or short positions could adversely affect future trading prices of the notes offered hereby. The underwriters and their respective affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments. Barclays Capital Inc. and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. or their affiliates are dealers under our commercial paper program. Additionally, affiliates of one or more of the underwriters are part of a consortium of banks that participates in our revolving credit facility or the Utilitys revolving credit facility and may also hold our debt securities.
Selling Restrictions
Notice to Prospective Investors in the European Economic Area
In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a Relevant Member State), each underwriter has represented and agreed that with effect from and including the date on which the Prospectus Directive is implemented in that Relevant Member State (the Relevant Implementation Date) it has not made and will not make an offer of senior notes which are the subject of the offering contemplated by this prospectus supplement to the public in that Relevant Member State other than:
(a) | to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Directive; |
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(b) | to fewer than 100 or, if the Relevant Member State has implemented the relevant provision of the 2010 PD Amending Directive, 150, natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive), as permitted under the Prospectus Directive, subject to obtaining the prior consent of the relevant Dealer or Dealers nominated by the issuer for any such offer; or |
(c) | in any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive, |
provided that no such offer of senior notes shall require the issuer or any underwriter to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 16 of the Prospectus Directive.
This prospectus supplement has been prepared on the basis that any offer of senior notes in any Relevant Member State will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Directive from the requirement to publish a prospectus for offers of the senior notes. Accordingly any person making or intending to make an offer in that Relevant Member State of senior notes which are the subject of the offering contemplated in this prospectus supplement may only do so in circumstances in which no obligation arises for the Company or any of the underwriters to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive in relation to such offer. Neither the Company nor the underwriters have authorized, nor do they authorize, the making of any offer of senior notes in circumstances in which an obligation arises for the Company or the underwriters to publish a prospectus for such offer.
For the purposes of this provision, the expression an offer of senior notes to the public in relation to any senior notes in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the senior notes to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe the senior notes, as the same may be varied in that Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Member State, the expression Prospectus Directive means Directive 2003/71/EC (and amendments thereto, including the 2010 PD Amending Directive, to the extent implemented in the Relevant Member State), and includes any relevant implementing measure in the Relevant Member State and the expression 2010 PD Amending Directive means Directive 2010/73/EU.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the United Kingdom
This communication is only being distributed to and is only directed at (i) persons who are outside the United Kingdom or (ii) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the Order) or (iii) high net worth companies, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as relevant persons). The senior notes are only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire such senior notes will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus or any of their contents.
Each underwriter has represented, warranted and agreed that:
1.1 | it has only communicated or caused to be communicated and will only communicate or cause to be communicated an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (the FSMA)) received by it in connection with the issue or sale of the senior notes in circumstances in which Section 21(1) of the FSMA would not, if the issuer was not an authorised person apply to the issuer; and |
1.2 | it has complied and will comply with all applicable provisions of the FSMA with respect to anything done by it in relation to the senior notes in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom. |
Notice to Residents of Canada
The senior notes may be sold only to purchasers purchasing as principal that are both accredited investors as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus and Registration Exemptions and permitted clients as
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defined in National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations. Any resale of the senior notes must be made in accordance with an exemption from the prospectus requirements and in compliance with the registration requirements of applicable securities laws.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Hong Kong
The senior notes may not be offered or sold by means of any document other than (i) in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap.32, Laws of Hong Kong), or (ii) to professional investors within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap.571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder, or (iii) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a prospectus within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap.32, Laws of Hong Kong), and no advertisement, invitation or document relating to the senior notes may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to senior notes which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to professional investors within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Singapore
This prospectus supplement has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus supplement and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the senior notes may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the senior notes be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the SFA), (ii) to a relevant person, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions, specified in Section 275 of the SFA or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA.
Where the senior notes are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 by a relevant person which is: (a) a corporation (which is not an accredited investor) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or (b) a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary is an accredited investor, shares, debentures and units of shares and debentures of that corporation or the beneficiaries rights and interest in that trust shall not be transferable for 6 months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the senior notes under Section 275 except: (1) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the SFA or to a relevant person, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions, specified in Section 275 of the SFA; (2) where no consideration is given for the transfer; or (3) by operation of law.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Japan
The senior notes have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan (the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law) and each underwriter has agreed that it will not offer or sell any senior notes, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any resident of Japan (which term as used herein means any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan), or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to a resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law and any other applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines of Japan.
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The notes have been accepted for clearance through DTC and have been assigned the following identification number:
CUSIP Number | ||||
Senior notes |
69331C AF5 |
The validity of the senior notes will be passed upon for us by Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, San Francisco, California. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, New York, New York represents the underwriters. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP has in the past performed, and continues to perform, legal services in connection with federal regulatory and transactional matters for us and our affiliates.
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PROSPECTUS
PG&E Corporation
Debt Securities, Common Stock, Preferred Stock,
Depositary Shares, Warrants to Purchase Debt Securities,
Common Stock and Preferred Stock,
Securities Purchase Contracts and Securities Purchase Units
We may offer and sell an indeterminate amount of securities from time to time in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer.
Each time we sell securities, we will provide a supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the offering and the terms of the offered securities. The supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should carefully read this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement before you invest in any of our securities.
See Risk Factors on page 1 for information on certain risks related to the purchase of our securities.
None of the Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities commission or any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
February 11, 2014
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This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, using a shelf registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may from time to time sell an indeterminate principal amount of securities in one or more offerings.
This prospectus provides you with only a general description of the securities that we may offer. This prospectus does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, as permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC. For additional information regarding us and the offered securities, please refer to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Each time we sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that contains specific information about the offering and the terms of the offered securities. The prospectus supplement also may add, delete, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should rely only on the information in the applicable prospectus supplement if this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement are inconsistent. Before purchasing any securities, you should carefully read both this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, together with the additional information described under the section of this prospectus titled Where You Can Find More Information. In particular, you should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described under the section titled Risk Factors or otherwise included in any applicable prospectus supplement or incorporated by reference in this prospectus before you decide whether to purchase the securities. These risks and uncertainties, together with those not known to us or those that we may deem immaterial, could impair our business and ultimately affect our ability to make payments on the securities.
You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and in any applicable prospectus supplement. We have not authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. Neither we nor any underwriter, dealer or agent will make an offer to sell the securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information in this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement is accurate only as of the dates on their covers. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
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We are an energy-based holding company headquartered in San Francisco, California that conducts its business principally through Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a public utility serving more than 15 million people throughout 70,000 square miles in northern and central California. The Utility generates revenues mainly through the sale and delivery of electricity and natural gas to customers.
Our executive offices are located at 77 Beale Street, P.O. Box 770000, San Francisco, California 94177, and our telephone number is (415) 973-1000.
When used in this prospectus and unless otherwise specified, the term Utility refers to our subsidiary, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, and the terms we, our, us and the Company refer to PG&E Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries.
Investing in our securities involves risk. Please see risk factors described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports filed with the SEC, which are all incorporated by reference in this prospectus. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider these risks as well as other information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or the applicable supplement to this prospectus. The risks and uncertainties described are not the only ones facing us. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations, financial results and the value of our securities.
This prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement contain forward-looking statements that are necessarily subject to various risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on current estimates, expectations and projections about future events, and assumptions regarding these events and managements knowledge of facts as of the date of this prospectus. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other matters, estimated losses, including penalties and fines, associated with various investigations; forecasts of costs we will incur to make safety and reliability improvements, including natural gas transmission costs that we will not recover through rates; forecasts of capital expenditures; estimates and assumptions used in critical accounting policies, including those related to environmental remediation, litigation, third-party claims, and other liabilities; and the level of future equity or debt issuances. These statements are also identified by words such as assume, expect, intend, plan, project, believe, estimate, predict, anticipate, may, should, would, could, forecast, potential and similar expressions. We are not able to predict all the factors that may affect future results. Some of the factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, or from historical results, include, but are not limited to:
| when and how the pending California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) investigations and enforcement matters related to the natural gas system operating practices of the Utility and the Utilitys natural gas transmission pipeline rupture and fire that occurred on September 9, 2010 in San Bruno, California (the San Bruno accident) are concluded, including the ultimate amount of fines the Utility will be required to pay to the State General Fund, the amount of natural gas transmission costs the Utility will be prohibited from recovering, and the cost of any remedial actions the Utility may be ordered to perform; |
| the outcome of the pending federal criminal investigation related to the San Bruno accident, including the ultimate amount of civil or criminal fines or penalties, if any, the Utility may be required to pay, and the impact of remedial measures the Utility is required to take such as the appointment of an independent monitor; |
| whether we and the Utility are able to repair the reputational harm that we and it have suffered, and may suffer in the future, due to the negative publicity surrounding the San Bruno accident and the decisions to be issued in the pending investigations, including any charge or finding of criminal liability; |
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| the outcomes of ratemaking proceedings, such as the 2014 general rate case, the 2015 gas transmission and storage rate case, and the transmission owner rate cases; |
| the amount and timing of additional common stock issuances by us, the proceeds of which are contributed as equity to maintain the Utilitys authorized capital structure as the Utility incurs charges and costs that it cannot recover through rates, including costs and fines associated with natural gas matters and the pending investigations; |
| the outcome of future regulatory investigations, citations, or other proceedings, that may be commenced relating to the Utilitys compliance with laws, rules, regulations, or orders applicable to the operation, inspection, and maintenance of its electric and gas facilities; |
| the impact of environmental remediation laws, regulations, and orders; the ultimate amount of costs incurred to discharge the Utilitys known and unknown remediation obligations; the extent to which the Utility is able to recover environmental compliance and remediation costs in rates or from other sources; and the ultimate amount of environmental remediation costs the Utility incurs but does not recover, such as the remediation costs associated with the Utilitys natural gas compressor station site located near Hinkley, California; |
| the impact of new legislation or Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations, recommendations, policies, decisions, or orders relating to the nuclear industry, including operations, seismic design, security, safety, relicensing, the storage of spent nuclear fuel, decommissioning, cooling water intake, or other issues; and whether the Utility decides to request that the NRC resume processing the Utilitys renewal application for the two Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant operating licenses, and if so, whether the NRC grants the renewal; |
| the impact of weather-related conditions or events, climate change, natural disasters, acts of terrorism, war, or vandalism (including cyber-attacks), and other events, that can cause unplanned outages, reduce generating output, disrupt the Utilitys service to customers, or damage or disrupt the facilities, operations, or information technology and systems owned by the Utility, its customers, or third parties on which the Utility relies; and subject the Utility to third-party liability for property damage or personal injury, or result in the imposition of civil, criminal, or regulatory penalties on the Utility; |
| the impact of environmental laws and regulations aimed at the reduction of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases, and whether the Utility is able to continue recovering associated compliance costs, such as the cost of emission allowances and offsets under cap-and-trade regulations and the cost of renewable energy procurement; |
| changes in customer demand for electricity and natural gas resulting from unanticipated population growth or decline in the Utilitys service area, general and regional economic and financial market conditions, the extent of municipalization of the Utilitys electric or gas distribution facilities, changing levels of direct access customers who procure electricity from alternative energy providers, changing levels of customers who purchase electricity from governmental bodies that act as community choice aggregators, and the development of alternative energy technologies including self-generation, storage and distributed generation technologies; |
| the adequacy and price of electricity, natural gas, and nuclear fuel supplies; the extent to which the Utility can manage and respond to the volatility of energy commodity prices; the ability of the Utility and its counterparties to post or return collateral in connection with price risk management activities; and whether the Utility is able to recover timely its energy commodity costs through rates; |
| whether the Utilitys information technology, operating systems and networks, including the advanced metering system infrastructure, customer billing, financial, and other systems, can continue to function accurately while meeting regulatory requirements; whether the Utility is able to protect its operating systems |
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and networks from damage, disruption, or failure caused by cyber-attacks, computer viruses, or other hazards; whether the Utilitys security measures are sufficient to protect confidential customer, vendor, and financial data contained in such systems and networks; and whether the Utility can continue to rely on third-party vendors and contractors that maintain and support some of the Utilitys operating systems; |
| the extent to which costs incurred in connection with third-party claims or litigation can be recovered through insurance, rates, or from other third parties; including the timing and amount of insurance recoveries related to third party claims arising from the San Bruno accident; |
| our ability and the Utilitys ability to access capital markets and other sources of debt and equity financing in a timely manner on acceptable terms; |
| changes in credit ratings which could result in increased borrowing costs especially if we or the Utility were to lose our or its investment grade credit ratings; |
| the impact of federal or state laws or regulations, or their interpretation, on energy policy and the regulation of utilities and their holding companies, including how the CPUC interprets and enforces the financial and other conditions imposed on us when we became the Utilitys holding company, and whether the ultimate outcome of the pending investigations relating to the Utilitys natural gas operations affects the Utilitys ability to make distributions to us, and, in turn, our ability to pay dividends; |
| the outcome of federal or state tax audits and the impact of any changes in federal or state tax laws, policies, or regulations; and |
| the impact of changes in GAAP, standards, rules, or policies, including those related to regulatory accounting, and the impact of changes in their interpretation or application. |
For more information about the more significant risks that could affect the outcome of these forward-looking statements and our and the Utilitys future financial condition and results of operations, you should read the sections of the documents incorporated herein by reference titled Risk Factors, as well as the important factors set forth under the heading Risk Factors in the applicable supplement to this prospectus.
You should read this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplements, the documents that we incorporate by reference into this prospectus, the documents that we have included as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and the documents that we refer to under the section of this prospectus titled Where You Can Find More Information completely and with the understanding that our actual future results could be materially different from what we expect when making the forward-looking statement. We qualify all our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this prospectus, the date of the document incorporated by reference or the date of any applicable prospectus supplement. Except as required by applicable laws or regulations, we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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The following table sets forth our Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Earnings to Combined Fixed Charges and Preferred Stock Dividends for the periods indicated:
Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||
2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | ||||||||||||||||
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges |
2.07 | x | 2.13 | x | 2.39 | x | 2.93 | x | 2.91 | x | ||||||||||
Ratio of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred stock dividends |
2.07 | x | 2.13 | x | 2.39 | x | 2.93 | x | 2.91 | x |
For the purpose of computing the ratios of earnings to fixed charges and ratios of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred stock dividends, earnings represent income from continuing operations adjusted for income taxes, fixed charges (excluding capitalized interest), and pre-tax earnings required to cover the preferred stock dividends of consolidated subsidiaries. Fixed charges include interest on long-term debt and short-term borrowings (including a representative portion of rental expense), amortization of bond premium, discount and expense, interest on capital leases, allowance for funds used during construction related to the cost of debt, and earnings required to cover the preferred stock dividends of consolidated subsidiaries. Fixed charges exclude interest on tax liabilities. Preferred stock dividends represent the deductible dividends and pre-tax earnings that are required to pay the dividends on outstanding preferred securities. Currently, we do not have any shares of our preferred stock outstanding.
Each prospectus supplement will describe the uses of the proceeds from the issuance of the securities offered by that prospectus supplement.
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The following is a general description of the terms and provisions of the securities we may offer and sell by this prospectus. These summaries are not meant to be a complete description of each security. This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement will contain the material terms and conditions for each security. The accompanying prospectus supplement may add, update or change the terms and conditions of the securities as described in this prospectus.
Holding Company Structure
We conduct our operations primarily through our subsidiaries and substantially all of our consolidated assets are held by our subsidiaries. Accordingly, our cash flow and our ability to meet our obligations under the debt securities are largely dependent upon the earnings of our subsidiaries and the distribution or other payment of these earnings to us in the form of dividends or loans or advances and repayment of loans and advances from us. Our subsidiaries are separate and distinct legal entities and have no obligation to pay any amounts due on the debt securities or to make any funds available for payment of amounts due on these debt securities.
Because we are a holding company, our obligations under the debt securities will be structurally subordinated to all existing and future liabilities of our subsidiaries. Therefore, our rights and the rights of our creditors, including the rights of the holders of the debt securities and any debt securities guarantees, to participate in the assets of any subsidiary upon the liquidation or reorganization of the subsidiary will be subject to the prior claims of the subsidiarys creditors. To the extent that we may ourselves be a creditor with recognized claims against any of our subsidiaries, our claims would still be effectively subordinated to any security interest in, or mortgages or other liens on, the assets of the subsidiary and would be subordinated to any indebtedness or other liabilities of the subsidiary that are senior to the claims held by us. As of December 31, 2013, the Utility had approximately $12.7 billion of long-term debt (excluding the current portion of long-term debt). We expect the Utility will continue to incur substantial additional amounts of indebtedness in the future.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SENIOR NOTES
Set forth below is a description of the general terms of the senior notes. The following description does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, the senior note indenture between us and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the Senior Note Indenture Trustee), as supplemented by supplemental indentures establishing the senior notes of each series. The senior note indenture was filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the registration statement on Form S-3 we filed on February 11, 2014. The senior note indenture, as supplemented from time to time, is referred to as the Senior Note Indenture. The terms of the senior notes will include those stated in the Senior Note Indenture and those made a part of the Senior Note Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, which we refer to as the Trust Indenture Act. Certain capitalized terms used in this prospectus are defined in the Senior Note Indenture.
In this section, references to we, our, ours and us refer only to PG&E Corporation, excluding unless otherwise expressly stated or the context requires, its subsidiaries.
General
The senior notes will be issued as unsecured senior debt securities under the Senior Note Indenture and will rank equally with all other unsecured and unsubordinated debt of the Company. The senior notes will be effectively subordinated to all secured debt of the Company. As of December 31, 2013, on an unconsolidated basis, we had no secured debt outstanding. The Senior Note Indenture does not limit the aggregate principal amount of senior notes that may be issued under the Senior Note Indenture and provides that senior notes may be issued from time to time in one or more series pursuant to a supplemental indenture to the Senior Note Indenture. The Senior Note Indenture gives us the ability to reopen a previous series of senior notes and issue additional senior notes of such series, unless otherwise provided.
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Provisions of a Particular Series
The prospectus supplement applicable to each series of senior notes will specify, among other things:
| the title of such senior notes; |
| any limit on the aggregate principal amount of such senior notes; |
| the date or dates on which the principal of such senior notes is payable, including the maturity date, or the method or means by which those dates will be determined, and our right, if any, to extend those dates and the duration of any such extension; |
| the rate or rates at which such senior notes shall bear interest, if any, or any method by which such rate or rates will be determined, the date or dates from which such interest will accrue, the interest payment dates on which such interest shall be payable, the regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date, and the right, if any, to extend the interest payment periods and the duration of any such extension; |
| the place or places where the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on such senior notes shall be payable, the methods by which registration of transfer of senior notes and exchanges of senior notes may be effected, and by which notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of such senior notes may be made, given, furnished, filed or served; |
| the period or periods within which, or date or dates on which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions on which the senior notes may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at our option; |
| our obligation, if any, to redeem, purchase or repay such senior notes pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of the holder and the terms and conditions upon which the senior notes will be so redeemed, purchased or repaid; |
| the denominations in which such senior notes shall be issuable; |
| the currency or currencies in which the principal, premium, if any, and interest on the senior notes will be payable if other than U.S. dollars and the method for determining the equivalent amount in U.S. dollars; |
| if the amount payable in respect of principal of or any premium or interest on any senior notes may be determined with reference to an index or formula, the manner in which such amount will be determined; |
| any deletions from, modifications of or additions to the Events of Default or covenants of the Company as provided in the Senior Note Indenture pertaining to such senior notes; |
| whether such senior notes shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of a global security and, if so, the name of the depositary for any global securities; |
| any non-applicability of Section 1007 of the Senior Note Indenture (Limitation on Liens) to the senior notes of such series or any exceptions or modifications of such section with respect to the senior notes of such series; and |
| any other terms of such senior notes. |
The Senior Note Indenture does not contain provisions that afford holders of senior notes protection in the event of a highly leveraged transaction involving us.
Registration and Transfer
We shall not be required to (i) issue, register the transfer of or exchange senior notes of any series during a period of 15 days immediately preceding the date notice is given identifying the senior notes of such series called
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for redemption, or (ii) issue, register the transfer of or exchange any senior notes so selected for redemption, in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any senior note being redeemed in part.
Payment and Paying Agent
Unless otherwise indicated in an applicable prospectus supplement, payment of principal of any senior notes will be made only against surrender to the Paying Agent of such senior notes. Principal of and interest on senior notes will be payable, subject to any applicable laws and regulations, at the office of such Paying Agent or Paying Agents as we may designate from time to time, except that, at our option, payment of any interest may be made by wire transfer or by check mailed to the address of the person entitled to an interest payment as such address shall appear in the Security Register with respect to the senior notes. Payment of interest on senior notes on any interest payment date will be made to the person in whose name the senior notes (or predecessor security) are registered at the close of business on the record date for such interest payment.
Unless otherwise indicated in an applicable prospectus supplement, the Senior Note Indenture Trustee will act as Paying Agent with respect to the senior notes. The Company may at any time designate additional Paying Agents or rescind the designation of any Paying Agents or approve a change in the office through which any Paying Agent acts.
All moneys paid by us to a Paying Agent for the payment of the principal of or interest on the senior notes of any series which remain unclaimed at the end of two years after such principal or interest shall have become due and payable will be repaid to the Company, and the holder of such senior notes will from that time forward look only to the Company for payment of such principal and interest.
Limitation on Liens
Unless otherwise specified in a prospectus supplement for senior notes of a series, the following covenant shall apply to the senior notes of that series.
So long as any senior notes remain outstanding, we will not secure any indebtedness with a lien on any shares of the common stock of any of our Significant Subsidiaries, which shares of common stock we directly own from the date of the indenture or thereafter, unless we equally secure all senior notes. However, this restriction does not apply to or prevent:
(1) | any lien on capital stock existing on the date on which senior notes are originally issued, |
(2) | any lien on capital stock at the time we acquire that capital stock, or within 365 days after that time, to secure all or a portion of the purchase price of that capital stock, or |
(3) | any lien on capital stock existing at the time we acquire that capital stock (whether or not we assume the obligations secured by the lien and whether or not the lien was created in contemplation of the acquisition), or |
(4) | any extensions, renewals or replacements of the liens described in the two bullet points above, or of any indebtedness secured by those liens; provided, that, |
| the principal amount of indebtedness secured by those liens immediately after the extension, renewal or replacement may not exceed the principal amount of indebtedness secured by those liens immediately before the extension, renewal or replacement, and |
| the extension, renewal or replacement lien is limited to no more than the same proportion of all shares of capital stock as were covered by the lien that was extended, renewed or replaced, or |
(5) | any lien arising in connection with court proceedings; provided, that, either |
| the execution or enforcement of that lien is effectively stayed and the claims secured by that lien are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, |
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| the payment of that lien is covered in full by insurance (subject to customary deductible amounts) and the insurance company has not denied or contested coverage, or |
| so long as that lien is adequately bonded, any appropriate legal proceedings that have been duly initiated for the review of the corresponding judgment, decree or order have not been fully terminated or the periods within which those proceedings may be initiated have not expired. |
Liens on any shares of the common stock of any of our Significant Subsidiaries, other than liens described in (1) through (5) above, are referred to in this prospectus as Restricted Liens. The foregoing limitation does not apply to the extent that we create any Restricted Liens to secure indebtedness that, together with all of our other indebtedness secured by Restricted Liens, does not at the time exceed 10% of our Net Tangible Assets on a consolidated basis, as determined by us as of a month end not more than 90 days prior to the closing or consummation of the proposed transaction.
For this purpose, Net Tangible Assets means the total amount of our assets determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, less (i) the sum of our consolidated current liabilities determined in accordance with GAAP and (ii) the amount of our consolidated assets classified as intangible assets determined in accordance with GAAP, including but not limited to, such items as goodwill, trademarks, trade names, patents, and unamortized debt discount and expense and regulatory assets carried as an asset on our consolidated balance sheet.
For this purpose, Significant Subsidiary means any direct, majority owned subsidiary of us that is a significant subsidiary as defined in Regulation S-X promulgated by the SEC.
Any pledge of the Utilitys common stock to secure the notes could require approval of the CPUC. In addition, even with a valid pledge of the Utilitys common stock, foreclosure under the indenture may be subject to applicable regulatory requirements, including approval by the CPUC if it were determined that the foreclosure or the sale of the pledged Utility common stock would constitute a transfer of control of the Utility. California law gives the CPUC broad discretion to define control for these purposes and such a determination would depend upon the facts and circumstances existing at the time. Accordingly, the ability to foreclose on and dispose of the Utility common stock may be restricted or delayed by applicable regulatory requirements.
Consolidation, Merger and Sale
We shall not consolidate with or merge into any other person or convey, transfer or lease our properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any person, unless:
| such other person is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, association, company, joint stock company or business trust organized and existing under the laws of the United States, any state in the United States or the District of Columbia and such other person expressly assumes, by supplemental indenture executed and delivered to the Senior Note Indenture Trustee, the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on all the senior notes and the performance of every covenant of the Senior Note Indenture on the part of the Company to be performed or observed; |
| immediately after giving effect to such transactions, no Event of Default, and no event which, after notice or lapse of time or both, would become an Event of Default, shall have happened and be continuing; and |
| we have delivered to the Senior Note Indenture Trustee an officers certificate and an opinion of counsel, each stating that such transaction complies with the provisions of the Senior Note Indenture governing consolidation, merger, conveyance, transfer or lease and that all conditions precedent to the transaction have been complied with. |
Notwithstanding the foregoing, we may merge or consolidate with or transfer all or substantially all of our assets to an affiliate that has no significant assets or liabilities and was formed solely for the purpose of changing
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our jurisdiction of organization or our form of organization; provided that the amount of our indebtedness is not increased; and provided, further that the successor assumes all of our obligations under the Senior Note Indenture.
Modification
The Senior Note Indenture contains provisions permitting us and the Senior Note Indenture Trustee, with the consent of the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding senior notes of each series that is affected, to modify the Senior Note Indenture or the rights of the holders of the senior notes of such series; provided, that no such modification may, without the consent of the holder of each outstanding senior note that is affected:
| change the stated maturity of the principal of, or any installment of principal of or interest on, any senior note, or reduce the principal amount of any senior note or the rate of interest on any senior note or any premium payable upon the redemption of any senior note, or change the method of calculating the rate of interest of any senior note, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after the stated maturity of any senior note (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the redemption date); or |
| reduce the percentage of principal amount of the outstanding senior notes of any series, the consent of whose holders is required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of whose holders is required for any waiver (of compliance with certain provisions of the Senior Note Indenture or certain defaults under the Senior Note Indenture and their consequences) provided for in the Senior Note Indenture; or |
| modify any of the provisions of the Senior Note Indenture relating to supplemental indentures, waiver of past defaults, or waiver of certain covenants, except to increase any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of the Senior Note Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the holder of each outstanding senior note that is affected. |
In addition, we and the Senior Note Indenture Trustee may execute, without the consent of any holders of senior notes, any supplemental indenture for certain other usual purposes, including the creation of any new series of senior notes.
Events of Default
The Senior Note Indenture provides that any one or more of the following described events with respect to the senior notes of any series, which has occurred and is continuing, constitutes an Event of Default with respect to the senior notes of such series:
| failure for 30 days to pay interest on the senior notes of such series, when due on an interest payment date other than at maturity or upon earlier redemption; or |
| failure to pay principal or premium, if any, or interest on the senior notes of such series when due at maturity or upon earlier redemption; or |
| failure for three Business Days to deposit any sinking fund payment when due by the terms of a senior note of such series; or |
| failure to observe or perform any other covenant or warranty of ours in the Senior Note Indenture (other than a covenant or warranty which has expressly been included in the Senior Note Indenture solely for the benefit of one or more series of senior notes other than such series) for 90 days after written notice to us from the Senior Note Indenture Trustee or to us and the Senior Note Indenture Trustee from the holders of at least 33% in principal amount of the outstanding senior notes of such series; or |
| certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of the Company. |
The holders of not less than a majority in aggregate outstanding principal amount of the senior notes of any series have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to
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the Senior Note Indenture Trustee with respect to the senior notes of such series. If a Senior Note Indenture Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the senior notes of any series, then the Senior Note Indenture Trustee or the holders of not less than 33% in aggregate outstanding principal amount of the senior notes of such series may declare the principal amount of the senior notes due and payable immediately by notice in writing to us (and to the Senior Note Indenture Trustee if given by the holders), and upon any such declaration such principal amount shall become immediately due and payable. At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to the senior notes of any series has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained as provided in Article Five of the Senior Note Indenture, the holders of not less than a majority in aggregate outstanding principal amount of the senior notes of such series may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if the default has been cured or waived and the Company has paid or deposited with the Senior Note Indenture Trustee a sum sufficient to pay all matured installments of interest and principal due otherwise than by acceleration and all sums paid or advanced by the Senior Note Indenture Trustee, including reasonable compensation and expenses of the Senior Note Indenture Trustee.
The holders of not less than a majority in aggregate outstanding principal amount of the senior notes of any series may, on behalf of the holders of all the senior notes of such series, waive any past default with respect to such series, except (i) a default in the payment of principal or interest or (ii) a default in respect of a covenant or provision which under Article Nine of the Senior Note Indenture cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the holder of each outstanding senior note of such series affected.
Satisfaction and Discharge
Any senior note, or any portion of the principal amount thereof, will be deemed to have been paid for purposes of the Senior Note Indenture, and our entire indebtedness in respect of the senior notes will be deemed to have been satisfied and discharged, if certain conditions are satisfied, including an irrevocable deposit with the trustee or any paying agent (other than us) in trust of:
| money in an amount which will be sufficient; or |
| in the case of a deposit made prior to the maturity of the senior notes or portions thereof, eligible obligations (as described below) which do not contain provisions permitting the redemption or other prepayment thereof at the option of the issuer thereof, the principal of and the interest on which when due, without any regard to reinvestment thereof, will provide monies which, together with the money, if any, deposited with or held by the trustee or the paying agent, will be sufficient; or |
| a combination of either of the two items described in the two preceding bullet points which will be sufficient; |
to pay when due the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, due and to become due on the senior notes or portions thereof.
This discharge of the senior notes through the deposit with the trustee of cash or eligible obligations generally will be treated as a taxable disposition for U.S. federal income tax purposes by the holders of those senior notes. Prospective investors in the senior notes should consult their own tax advisors as to the particular U.S. federal income tax consequences applicable to them in the event of such discharge.
For this purpose, eligible obligations for U.S. dollar-denominated senior notes, means securities that are direct obligations of, or obligations unconditionally guaranteed by, the United States, entitled to the benefit of the full faith and credit thereof, or depositary receipts issued by a bank as custodian with respect to these obligations or any specific interest or principal payments due in respect thereof held by the custodian for the account of the holder of a depository receipt.
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Information Concerning the Senior Note Indenture Trustee
The Senior Note Indenture Trustee, prior to an Event of Default with respect to senior notes of any series, undertakes to perform, with respect to senior notes of such series, only such duties as are specifically set forth in the Senior Note Indenture and, in case an Event of Default with respect to senior notes of any series has occurred and is continuing, shall exercise, with respect to senior notes of such series, the same degree of care as a prudent individual would exercise in the conduct of his or her own affairs. Subject to such provision, the Senior Note Indenture Trustee is under no obligation to exercise any of the powers vested in it by the Senior Note Indenture at the request of any holder of senior notes of any series, unless offered reasonable indemnity by such holder against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by the Senior Note Indenture Trustee. The Senior Note Indenture Trustee is not required to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of its duties if the Senior Note Indenture Trustee reasonably believes that repayment or adequate indemnity is not reasonably assured to it.
We and certain of our subsidiaries may maintain deposit accounts and banking relationships with the Senior Note Indenture Trustee. The Senior Note Indenture Trustee and certain of its affiliates may also serve as trustee under other indentures pursuant to which securities of the Company and certain subsidiaries of the Company are outstanding.
The Senior Note Indenture Trustee may resign at any time with respect to the senior notes of one or more series upon written notice to us, and the Senior Note Indenture Trustee may be removed at any time by written notice delivered to it and us and signed by the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of outstanding senior notes. No resignation or removal of a Senior Note Indenture Trustee will take effect until a successor trustee accepts appointment. In addition, under certain circumstances, we may remove the Senior Note Indenture Trustee with respect to any series. We must give notice of resignation and removal of the Senior Note Indenture Trustee with respect to a series or the appointment of a successor trustee as provided in the Senior Note Indenture.
Governing Law
The Senior Note Indenture and the senior notes will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of New York.
Miscellaneous
We will have the right at all times to assign any of our rights or obligations under the Senior Note Indenture to a direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiary; provided, that, in the event of any such assignment, we will remain primarily liable for all such obligations. Subject to the foregoing, the Senior Note Indenture will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties to the Senior Note Indenture and their respective successors and assigns.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SUBORDINATED NOTES
Set forth below is a description of the general terms of the subordinated notes. The following description does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, the subordinated note indenture to be entered into between us and the trustee as named in the subordinated note indenture (the Subordinated Note Indenture Trustee), to be supplemented by a supplemental indenture to the subordinated note indenture establishing the subordinated notes of each series (the subordinated note indenture, as so supplemented, is referred to as the Subordinated Note Indenture). The form of the Subordinated Note Indenture was filed as Exhibit 4.2 to the Form 8-K we filed on March 9, 2009. The terms of the subordinated notes will include those stated in the Subordinated Note Indenture and those made a part of the Subordinated Note Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act. Certain capitalized terms used in this prospectus are defined in the Subordinated Note Indenture.
In this section, references to we, our, ours and us refer only to PG&E Corporation, excluding unless otherwise expressly stated or the context requires, its subsidiaries.
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General
The subordinated notes will be issued as unsecured junior subordinated debt securities under the Subordinated Note Indenture. The Subordinated Note Indenture does not limit the aggregate principal amount of subordinated notes that may be issued under the Subordinated Note Indenture and provides that subordinated notes may be issued from time to time in one or more series pursuant to an indenture supplemental to the Subordinated Note Indenture. The Subordinated Note Indenture gives us the ability to reopen a previous issue of subordinated notes and issue additional subordinated notes of such series, unless otherwise provided.
Provisions of a Particular Series
The prospectus supplement applicable to each series of subordinated notes will specify, among other things:
| the title of such subordinated notes; |
| any limit on the aggregate principal amount of such subordinated notes; |
| the date or dates on which the principal of such subordinated notes is payable, including the maturity date, or the method or means by which those dates will be determined, and our right, if any, to extend those dates and the duration of any such extension; |
| the rate or rates at which such subordinated notes shall bear interest, if any, or any method by which such rate or rates will be determined, the date or dates from which such interest will accrue, the interest payment dates on which such interest shall be payable, the regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date, and the right, if any, to extend the interest payment periods and the duration of any such extension; |
| the place or places where the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on such subordinated notes shall be payable, the methods by which registration of the transfer of subordinated notes and exchanges of subordinated notes may be effected, and by which notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of such subordinated notes may be made, given, furnished, filed or served; |
| the period or periods within which, or date or dates on which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions on which the subordinated notes may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at our option; |
| our obligation, if any, to redeem, purchase or repay such subordinated notes pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of the holder and the terms and conditions upon which the subordinated notes will be so redeemed, purchased or repaid; |
| the denominations in which such subordinated notes shall be issuable; |
| the currency or currencies in which the principal, premium, if any, and interest on the subordinated notes will be payable if other than U.S. dollars and the method for determining the equivalent amount in U.S. dollars; |
| if the amount payable in respect of principal of or any premium or interest on any subordinated notes may be determined with reference to an index or formula, the manner in which such amount will be determined; |
| any deletions from, modifications of or additions to the Events of Default or covenants of the Company as provided in the Subordinated Note Indenture pertaining to such subordinated notes; |
| whether such subordinated notes shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of a global security and, if so, the name of the depositary for any global securities; and |
| any other terms of such subordinated notes. |
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The Subordinated Note Indenture does not contain provisions that afford holders of subordinated notes protection in the event of a highly leveraged transaction involving the Company.
Registration and Transfer
We shall not be required to (i) issue, register the transfer of or exchange subordinated notes of any series during a period of 15 days immediately preceding the date notice is given identifying the subordinated notes of such series called for redemption, or (ii) issue, register the transfer of or exchange any subordinated notes so selected for redemption, in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any subordinated note being redeemed in part.
Payment and Paying Agent
Unless otherwise indicated in an applicable prospectus supplement, payment of principal of any subordinated notes will be made only against surrender to the Paying Agent of such subordinated notes. Principal of and interest on subordinated notes will be payable, subject to any applicable laws and regulations, at the office of such Paying Agent or Paying Agents as we may designate from time to time, except that, at our option, payment of any interest may be made by wire transfer or by check mailed to the address of the person entitled to an interest payment as such address shall appear in the Security Register with respect to the subordinated notes. Payment of interest on subordinated notes on any interest payment date will be made to the person in whose name the subordinated notes (or predecessor security) are registered at the close of business on the record date for such interest payment.
Unless otherwise indicated in an applicable prospectus supplement, the Subordinated Note Indenture Trustee will act as Paying Agent with respect to the subordinated notes. The Company may at any time designate additional Paying Agents or rescind the designation of any Paying Agents or approve a change in the office through which any Paying Agent acts.
All moneys paid by the Company to a Paying Agent for the payment of the principal of or interest on the subordinated notes of any series which remain unclaimed at the end of two years after such principal or interest shall have become due and payable will be repaid to the Company, and the holder of such subordinated notes will from that time forward look only to the Company for payment of such principal and interest.
Consolidation, Merger and Sale
We shall not consolidate with or merge into any other corporation or convey, transfer or lease our properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any person, unless:
| such other corporation or person is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the United States, any state of the United States or the District of Columbia and such other corporation or person expressly assumes, by supplemental indenture executed and delivered to the Subordinated Note Indenture Trustee, the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest (including Additional Interest) on all the subordinated notes and the performance of every covenant of the Subordinated Note Indenture on the part of the Company to be performed or observed; |
| immediately after giving effect to such transactions, no Event of Default, and no event which, after notice or lapse of time or both, would become an Event of Default, shall have happened and be continuing; and |
| the Company has delivered to the Subordinated Note Indenture Trustee an officers certificate and an opinion of counsel, each stating that such transaction complies with the provisions of the Subordinated Note Indenture governing consolidation, merger, conveyance, transfer or lease and that all conditions precedent to the transaction have been complied with. |
Notwithstanding the foregoing, we may merge or consolidate with or transfer all or substantially all of our assets to an affiliate that has no significant assets or liabilities and was formed solely for the purpose of changing our
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jurisdiction of organization or our form of organization; provided that the amount of our indebtedness is not increased; and provided, further that the successor assumes all of our obligations under the Subordinated Note Indenture.
Subordination
The subordinated notes are subordinated and junior in right of payment to all Senior Indebtedness (as defined below) of the Company. No payment of principal of (including redemption payments, if any), or premium, if any, or interest on (including Additional Interest (as defined below)) the subordinated notes may be made if:
| any Senior Indebtedness is not paid when due and any applicable grace period with respect to such default has ended with such default not being cured or waived or otherwise ceasing to exist; or |
| the maturity of any Senior Indebtedness has been accelerated because of a default; or |
| notice has been given of the exercise of an option to require repayment, mandatory payment or prepayment or otherwise. |
Upon any payment or distribution of our assets to creditors upon any liquidation, dissolution, winding-up, reorganization, assignment for the benefit of creditors, marshalling of assets or liabilities, or any bankruptcy, insolvency or similar proceedings of the Company, the holders of Senior Indebtedness shall be entitled to receive payment in full of all amounts due or to become due on or in respect of all Senior Indebtedness before the holders of the subordinated notes are entitled to receive or retain any payment or distribution. Subject to the prior payment of all Senior Indebtedness, the rights of the holders of the subordinated notes will be subrogated to the rights of the holders of Senior Indebtedness to receive payments and distributions applicable to such Senior Indebtedness until all amounts owing on the subordinated notes are paid in full.
The term Senior Indebtedness means, with respect to us:
| any payment due in respect of our indebtedness, whether outstanding at the date of execution of the Subordinated Note Indenture or incurred, created or assumed after such date, (a) in respect of money borrowed (including any financial derivative, hedging or futures contract or similar instrument) and (b) evidenced by securities, debentures, bonds, notes or other similar instruments issued by us that, by their terms, are senior or senior subordinated debt securities; |
| all capital lease obligations; |
| all obligations issued or assumed as the deferred purchase price of property, all conditional sale obligations and all obligations of the Company under any title retention agreement (but excluding trade accounts payable arising in the ordinary course of business and long-term purchase obligations); |
| all obligations for the reimbursement of any letter of credit, bankers acceptance, security purchase facility or similar credit transaction; |
| all obligations of the type referred to in first four bullet points above of other persons the payment of which we are responsible or liable as obligor, guarantor or otherwise; and |
| all obligations of the type referred to in the first four bullet points above of other persons secured by any lien on any property or asset of the Company (whether or not such obligation is assumed by the Company), except for (1) any such indebtedness that is by its terms subordinated to or that ranks equally with the subordinated notes and (2) any unsecured indebtedness between or among us or our affiliates. Such Senior Indebtedness shall continue to be Senior Indebtedness and be entitled to the benefits of the subordination provisions contained in the Subordinated Note Indenture irrespective of any amendment, modification or waiver of any term of such Senior Indebtedness. |
The Subordinated Note Indenture does not limit the aggregate amount of Senior Indebtedness that we may issue. As of December 31, 2013, on an unconsolidated basis, our Senior Indebtedness aggregated approximately $610 million.
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Additional Interest
Additional Interest is defined in the Subordinated Note Indenture as (i) such additional amounts as may required so that the net amounts received and retained by a holder of subordinated notes (if the holder is a Securities Trust formed to issue Trust Securities, the proceeds of which are used to purchase subordinated notes of one or more series) after paying taxes, duties, assessments or governmental charges of whatever nature (other than withholding taxes) imposed by the United States or any other taxing authority will not be less than the amounts the holder would have received had no such taxes, duties, assessments or other governmental charges been imposed; and (ii) any interest due and not paid on an interest payment date, together with interest on such interest due from such interest payment date to the date of payment, compounded quarterly, on each interest payment date.
Certain Covenants
The Company covenants in the Subordinated Note Indenture, for the benefit of the holders of each series of subordinated notes, that:
| if the Company shall have given notice of its election to extend an interest payment period for such series of subordinated notes and such extension shall be continuing; |
| if the Company shall be in default with respect to its payment or other obligations under the guarantee with respect to the Trust Securities, if any, related to such series of subordinated notes; or |
| if an Event of Default under the Subordinated Note Indenture with respect to such series of subordinated notes shall have occurred and be continuing, (a) the Company shall not declare or pay any dividend or make any distributions with respect to, or redeem, purchase, acquire or make a liquidation payment with respect to, any of its capital stock, and (b) the Company shall not make any payment of interest, principal or premium, if any, on or repay, repurchase or redeem any debt securities (including guarantees other than the guarantee with respect to the series of Trust Securities, if any, related to such series of subordinated notes) issued by the Company which rank equally with or junior to the subordinated notes. |
None of the foregoing, however, shall restrict:
| any of the actions described in the preceding sentence resulting from any reclassification of the Companys capital stock or the exchange or conversion of one class or series of the Companys capital stock for another class or series of the Companys capital stock; or |
| the purchase of fractional interests in shares of the Companys capital stock pursuant to the conversion or exchange provisions of such capital stock or the security being converted or exchanged. |
Modification
The Subordinated Note Indenture contains provisions permitting us and the Subordinated Note Indenture Trustee, with the consent of the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding subordinated notes of each series that is affected, to modify the Subordinated Note Indenture or the rights of the holders of the subordinated notes of such series; provided, that no such modification may, without the consent of the holder of each outstanding subordinated note that is affected:
| change the stated maturity of the principal of, or any installment of principal of or interest on, any subordinated note, or reduce the principal amount of any subordinated note or the rate of interest (including Additional Interest) of any subordinated note or any premium payable upon the redemption of any subordinated note, or change the method of calculating the rate of interest on any subordinated note, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after the stated maturity of any subordinated note (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the redemption date); or |
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| reduce the percentage of principal amount of the outstanding subordinated notes of any series, the consent of whose holders is required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of whose holders is required for any waiver (of compliance with certain provisions of the Subordinated Note Indenture or certain defaults under the Subordinated Note Indenture and their consequences) provided for in the Subordinated Note Indenture; or |
| modify any of the provisions of the Subordinated Note Indenture relating to supplemental indentures, waiver of past defaults, or waiver of certain covenants, except to increase any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of the Subordinated Note Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the holder of each outstanding subordinated note that is affected; or |
| modify the provisions of the Subordinated Note Indenture with respect to the subordination of the subordinated notes in a manner adverse to such holder. |
In addition, we and the Subordinated Note Indenture Trustee may execute, without the consent of any holders of subordinated notes, any supplemental indenture for certain other usual purposes, including the creation of any new series of subordinated notes.
Events of Default
The Subordinated Note Indenture provides that any one or more of the following described events with respect to the subordinated notes of any series, which has occurred and is continuing, constitutes an Event of Default with respect to the subordinated notes of such series:
| failure for 30 days to pay interest on the subordinated notes of such series, including any Additional Interest (as defined in clause (ii) of the definition of Additional Interest in the Subordinated Note Indenture) on such unpaid interest, when due on an interest payment date other than at maturity or upon earlier redemption; provided, however, that a valid extension of the interest payment period by the Company shall not constitute a default in the payment of interest for this purpose; or |
| failure for 30 days to pay Additional Interest (as defined in clause (i) of the definition of Additional Interest in the Subordinated Note Indenture); or |
| failure to pay principal or premium, if any, or interest, including Additional Interest (as defined in clause (ii) of the definition of Additional Interest in the Subordinated Note Indenture), on the subordinated notes of such series when due at maturity or upon earlier redemption; or |
| failure for three Business Days to deposit any sinking fund payment when due by the terms of a subordinated note of such series; or |
| failure to observe or perform any other covenant or warranty of the Company in the Subordinated Note Indenture (other than a covenant or warranty which has expressly been included in the Subordinated Note Indenture solely for the benefit of one or more series of subordinated notes other than such series) for 90 days after written notice to the Company from the Subordinated Note Indenture Trustee or to the Company and the Subordinated Note Trustee from the holders of at least 33% in principal amount of the outstanding subordinated notes of such series; or |
| certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of the Company. |
The holders of not less than a majority in aggregate outstanding principal amount of the subordinated notes of any series have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Subordinated Note Indenture Trustee with respect to the subordinated notes of such series. If a Subordinated Note Indenture Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the subordinated notes of any series, then the Subordinated Note Indenture Trustee or the holders of not less than 33% in aggregate outstanding principal amount of the subordinated notes of such series may declare the principal amount of the
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subordinated notes due and payable immediately by notice in writing to the Company (and to the Subordinated Note Indenture Trustee if given by the holders), and upon any such declaration such principal amount shall become immediately due and payable. At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to the subordinated notes of any series has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained as provided in Article Five of the Subordinated Note Indenture, the holders of not less than a majority in aggregate outstanding principal amount of the subordinated notes of such series may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if the default has been cured or waived and the Company has paid or deposited with the Subordinated Note Indenture Trustee a sum sufficient to pay all matured installments of interest (including any Additional Interest) and principal due otherwise than by acceleration and all sums paid or advanced by the Subordinated Note Indenture Trustee, including reasonable compensation and expenses of the Subordinated Note Indenture Trustee.
The holders of not less than a majority in aggregate outstanding principal amount of the subordinated notes of any series may, on behalf of the holders of all the subordinated notes of such series, waive any past default with respect to such series, except (i) a default in the payment of principal or interest or (ii) a default in respect of a covenant or provision which under Article Nine of the Subordinated Note Indenture cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the holder of each outstanding subordinated note of such series affected.
Satisfaction and Discharge
Any subordinated note, or any portion of the principal amount thereof, will be deemed to have been paid for purposes of the indenture, and our entire indebtedness in respect of the subordinated notes will be deemed to have been satisfied and discharged if certain conditions are satisfied, including an irrevocable deposit with the trustee or any paying agent (other than us) in trust of:
| money in an amount which will be sufficient; or |
| in the case of a deposit made prior to the maturity of the subordinated notes or portions thereof, eligible obligations (as described below) which do not contain provisions permitting the redemption or other prepayment thereof at the option of the issuer thereof, the principal of and the interest on which when due, without any regard to reinvestment thereof, will provide monies which, together with the money, if any, deposited with or held by the trustee or the paying agent, will be sufficient; or |
| a combination of either of the two items described in the two preceding bullet points which will be sufficient; |
to pay when due the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, due and to become due on the subordinated notes or portions thereof.
This discharge of the subordinated notes through the deposit with the trustee of cash or eligible obligations generally will be treated as a taxable disposition for U.S. federal income tax purposes by the holders of those subordinated notes. Prospective investors in the subordinated notes should consult their own tax advisors as to the particular U.S. federal income tax consequences applicable to them in the event of such discharge.
For this purpose, eligible obligations for U.S. dollar-denominated subordinated notes, means securities that are direct obligations of, or obligations unconditionally guaranteed by, the United States, entitled to the benefit of the full faith and credit thereof, or depositary receipts issued by a bank as custodian with respect to these obligations or any specific interest or principal payments due in respect thereof held by the custodian for the account of the holder of a depository receipt.
Information Concerning the Subordinated Note Indenture Trustee
The Subordinated Note Indenture Trustee, prior to an Event of Default with respect to subordinated notes of any series, undertakes to perform, with respect to subordinated notes of such series, only such duties as are specifically set forth in the Subordinated Note Indenture and, in case an Event of Default with respect to
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subordinated notes of any series has occurred and is continuing, shall exercise, with respect to subordinated notes of such series, the same degree of care as a prudent individual would exercise in the conduct of his or her own affairs. Subject to such provision, the Subordinated Note Indenture Trustee is under no obligation to exercise any of the powers vested in it by the Subordinated Note Indenture at the request of any holder of subordinated notes of any series, unless offered reasonable indemnity by such holder against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by the Subordinated Note Indenture Trustee. The Subordinated Note Indenture Trustee is not required to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of its duties if the Subordinated Note Indenture Trustee reasonably believes that repayment or adequate indemnity is not reasonably assured to it.
The Subordinated Note Indenture Trustee may serve as Senior Note Indenture Trustee, as Property Trustee and as Guarantee Trustee under the Trust Agreement relating to the Preferred Securities of a Trust. The Company and certain of its subsidiaries may maintain deposit accounts and banking relationships with the Subordinated Note Indenture Trustee. The Subordinated Note Indenture Trustee and certain of its affiliates may also serve as trustee under other indentures pursuant to which securities of the Company and certain subsidiaries of the Company are outstanding.
Governing Law
The Subordinated Note Indenture and the subordinated notes will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of New York.
Miscellaneous
We will have the right at all times to assign any of our rights or obligations under the Subordinated Note Indenture to a direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of ours; provided, that, in the event of any such assignment, we will remain primarily liable for all such obligations. Subject to the foregoing, the Subordinated Note Indenture will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties to the Subordinated Note Indenture and their respective successors and assigns.
DESCRIPTION OF COMMON STOCK AND PREFERRED STOCK
Unless indicated differently in a prospectus supplement, this section describes the terms of our common stock and preferred stock. The following description is only a summary and is qualified in its entirety by reference to applicable law, our restated articles of incorporation and our bylaws. Copies of our restated articles of incorporation and bylaws are incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
General
Our restated articles of incorporation authorize the issuance of 800,000,000 shares of common stock and 85,000,000 shares of preferred stock. As of February 10, 2014, there were approximately 457,729,386 shares of our common stock, no par value, outstanding and no shares of preferred stock outstanding. All outstanding shares of our common stock are fully paid and nonassessable.
Common Stock
We may issue our common stock from time to time upon such terms and for such consideration as may be determined by our board of directors. Such further issuances, up to the aggregate amounts authorized by our restated articles of incorporation, will not require approval by our shareholders. We may also issue common stock from time to time under dividend reinvestment and employee benefit plans.
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Except as otherwise provided by law, holders of our common stock have voting rights on the basis of one vote per share on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of shareholders, subject to any class or series voting rights of holders of our preferred stock. Our shareholders may not cumulate votes in elections of directors. As a result, the holders of our common stock and (if issued) preferred stock entitled to exercise more than 50% of the voting rights in an election of directors can elect all of the directors to be elected if they choose to do so. In such event, the holders of the remaining common stock and preferred stock voting for the election of directors will not be able to elect any persons to the board of directors.
Holders of our common stock, subject to any prior rights or preferences of preferred stock outstanding, have equal rights to receive dividends if and when declared by our board of directors out of funds legally available therefor.
In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up and after payment of all prior claims, holders of our common stock would be entitled to receive any of our remaining assets, subject to any preferential rights of holders of outstanding shares of preferred stock.
Holders of our common stock have no preemptive rights to subscribe for additional shares of common stock or any of our other securities, nor do holders of our common stock have any redemption or conversion rights.
Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PCG.
The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC.
Preferred Stock
Our board of directors is authorized, pursuant to our restated articles of incorporation, to issue up to 85,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix and determine the number of shares of preferred stock of any series, to determine the designation of any such series, to increase or decrease the number of shares of any such series subsequent to the issue of shares of that series, and to determine or alter the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions granted to or imposed upon any such series. Currently there are no shares of our preferred stock outstanding.
Prior to the issuance of shares of each series of our preferred stock, our board of directors is required to adopt resolutions and file a certificate of determination with the Secretary of State of the State of California. The certificate of determination will fix for each series the designation and number of shares and the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of the shares including, but not limited to, the following:
| the title and stated value of the preferred stock; |
| voting rights, if any, of the preferred stock; |
| any rights and terms of redemption (including sinking fund provisions); |
| the dividend rate(s), period(s) and/or payment date(s) or method(s) of calculation applicable to the preferred stock; |
| whether dividends are cumulative or non-cumulative and, if cumulative, the date from which dividends on the preferred stock will accumulate; |
| the relative ranking and preferences of the preferred stock as to dividend rights and rights upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs; |
| the terms and conditions, if applicable, upon which the preferred stock will be convertible into our common stock, including the conversion price (or manner of calculation) and conversion period; |
| the provision for redemption, if applicable, of the preferred stock; |
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| the provisions for a sinking fund, if any, for the preferred stock; |
| liquidation preferences; |
| any limitations on issuance of any class or series of preferred stock ranking senior to or on a parity with the class or series of preferred stock as to dividend rights and rights upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs; and |
| any other specific terms, preferences, rights, limitations or restrictions of the preferred stock. |
All shares of preferred stock will, when issued, be fully paid and nonassessable and will not have any preemptive or similar rights.
In addition to the terms listed above, we will set forth in a prospectus supplement the following terms relating to the class or series of preferred stock being offered:
| the number of shares of preferred stock offered, the liquidation preference per share and the offering price of the preferred stock; |
| the procedures for any auction and remarketing, if any, for the preferred stock; |
| any listing of the preferred stock on any securities exchange; and |
| a discussion of any material and/or special United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the preferred stock. |
Until our board of directors determines the rights of the holders of a series of preferred stock, we cannot predict the effect of the issuance of any shares of preferred stock upon the rights of holders of our common stock. However, the effect could include one or more of the following:
| restricting dividends on our common stock; |
| diluting the voting power of our common stock; |
| impairing the liquidation rights of our common stock; or |
| delaying or preventing a change in control of us without further action by our shareholders. |
Rank
If issued, the preferred stock would rank, with respect to dividends and upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up:
| senior to all classes or series of our common stock and to all of our equity securities ranking junior to the preferred stock; |
| on a parity with all of our equity securities the terms of which specifically provide that the equity securities rank on a parity with the preferred stock; and |
| junior to all of our equity securities the terms of which specifically provide that the equity securities rank senior to the preferred stock. |
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This section describes the general terms of the warrants that we may offer and sell by this prospectus. This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement will contain the material terms and conditions for each warrant. The accompanying prospectus supplement may add, update or change the terms and conditions of the warrants as described in this prospectus. In this section, references to we, our and us mean PG&E Corporation excluding, unless otherwise expressly stated or the context otherwise requires, its subsidiaries.
General
We may issue warrants to purchase debt securities, preferred stock or common stock. Warrants may be issued independently or together with any securities and may be attached to or separate from those securities. The warrants will be issued under warrant agreements to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as warrant agent, all of which will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to the warrants we are offering. The warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the warrants and will not have any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders or beneficial owners of warrants. A copy of the warrant agreement will be filed with the SEC in connection with the offering of the warrants.
Debt Warrants
We may issue warrants for the purchase of our debt securities. As explained below, each debt warrant will entitle its holder to purchase debt securities at an exercise price set forth in, or to be determinable as set forth in, the related prospectus supplement. Debt warrants may be issued separately or together with debt securities.
The debt warrants are to be issued under debt warrant agreements to be entered into between us and one or more banks or trust companies, as debt warrant agent, as will be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the debt warrants being offered by the prospectus supplement and this prospectus. A copy of the debt warrant agreement, including a form of debt warrant certificate representing the debt warrants, will be filed with the SEC in connection with the offering of the debt warrants.
The particular terms of each issue of debt warrants, the debt warrant agreement relating to the debt warrants and the debt warrant certificates representing debt warrants will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement, including, as applicable:
| the title of the debt warrants; |
| the initial offering price; |
| the title, aggregate principal amount and terms of the debt securities purchasable upon exercise of the debt warrants; |
| the currency or currency units in which the offering price, if any, and the exercise price are payable; |
| the title and terms of any related debt securities with which the debt warrants are issued and the number of the debt warrants issued with each debt security; |
| the date, if any, on and after which the debt warrants and the related debt securities will be separately transferable; |
| the principal amount of debt securities purchasable upon exercise of each debt warrant and the price at which that principal amount of debt securities may be purchased upon exercise of each debt warrant; |
| if applicable, the minimum or maximum number of warrants that may be exercised at any one time; |
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| the date on which the right to exercise the debt warrants will commence and the date on which the right will expire; |
| if applicable, a discussion of United States federal income tax, accounting or other considerations applicable to the debt warrants; |
| whether the debt warrants represented by the debt warrant certificates will be issued in registered or bearer form and, if registered, where they may be transferred and registered; |
| antidilution provisions of the debt warrants, if any; |
| redemption or call provisions, if any, applicable to the debt warrants; and |
| any additional terms of the debt warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the debt warrants. |
Debt warrant certificates will be exchangeable for new debt warrant certificates of different denominations and, if in registered form, may be presented for registration of transfer and debt warrants may be exercised at the corporate trust office of the debt warrant agent or any other office indicated in the related prospectus supplement. Before the exercise of debt warrants, holders of debt warrants will not be entitled to payments of principal, premium, if any, or interest, if any, on the debt securities purchasable upon exercise of the debt warrants, or to enforce any of the covenants in the applicable indenture.
Equity Warrants
We may issue warrants for the purchase of our equity securities such as our preferred stock or common stock. As explained below, each equity warrant will entitle its holder to purchase equity securities at an exercise price set forth in, or to be determinable as set forth in, the related prospectus supplement. Equity warrants may be issued separately or together with equity securities.
The equity warrants are to be issued under equity warrant agreements to be entered into between us and one or more banks or trust companies, as equity warrant agent, as will be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the equity warrants being offered by the prospectus supplement and this prospectus. A copy of the equity warrant agreement, including a form of equity warrant certificate representing the equity warranty, will be filed with the SEC in connection with the offering of the equity warrants.
The particular terms of each issue of equity warrants, the equity warrant agreement relating to the equity warrants and the equity warrant certificates representing equity warrants will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement, including, as applicable:
| the title of the equity warrants; |
| the initial offering price; |
| the aggregate number of equity warrants and the aggregate number of shares of the equity security purchasable upon exercise of the equity warrants; |
| the currency or currency units in which the offering price, if any, and the exercise price are payable; |
| if applicable, the designation and terms of the equity securities with which the equity warrants are issued, and the number of equity warrants issued with each equity security; |
| the date, if any, on and after which the equity warrants and the related equity security will be separately transferable; |
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| if applicable, the minimum or maximum number of the warrants that may be exercised at any one time; |
| the date on which the right to exercise the equity warrants will commence and the date on which the right will expire; |
| if applicable, a discussion of United States federal income tax, accounting or other considerations applicable to the equity warrants; |
| antidilution provisions of the equity warrants, if any; |
| redemption or call provisions, if any, applicable to the equity warrants; and |
| any additional terms of the equity warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the equity warrants. |
Holders of equity warrants will not be entitled, solely by virtue of being holders, to vote, to consent, to receive dividends, to receive notice as shareholders with respect to any meeting of shareholders for the election of directors or any other matter, or to exercise any rights whatsoever as a holder of the equity securities purchasable upon exercise of the equity warrants.
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES PURCHASE CONTRACTS AND SECURITIES PURCHASE UNITS
This section describes the general terms of the securities purchase contracts and securities purchase units that we may offer and sell by this prospectus. This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement will contain the material terms and conditions for each securities purchase contract and securities purchase unit. The accompanying prospectus supplement may add, update or change the terms and conditions of the securities purchase contracts and securities purchase units as described in this prospectus. In this section, references to we, our and us mean PG&E Corporation excluding, unless otherwise expressly stated or the context otherwise requires, its subsidiaries.
Stock Purchase Contracts and Stock Purchase Units
We may issue stock purchase contracts, representing contracts obligating holders to purchase from or sell to us, and obligating us to sell to or purchase from the holders, a specified number of shares of common stock or preferred stock at a future date or dates, or a variable number of shares of common stock or preferred stock for a stated amount of consideration. The price per share and the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock may be fixed at the time the stock purchase contracts are issued or may be determined by reference to a specific formula set forth in the stock purchase contracts. Any such formula may include antidilution provisions to adjust the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock issuable pursuant to the stock purchase contracts upon certain events.
The stock purchase contracts may be issued separately or as a part of units consisting of a stock purchase contract and, as security for the holders obligations to purchase or sell the shares under the stock purchase contracts, either
| our senior debt securities or subordinated debt securities or |
| debt obligations of third parties, including U.S. Treasury securities. |
The stock purchase contracts may require us to make periodic payments to the holders of the stock purchase units or vice versa, and such payments may be unsecured or prefunded on some basis. The stock purchase contracts may require holders to secure their obligations in a specified manner and in certain circumstances we may deliver newly issued prepaid stock purchase contracts upon release to a holder of any collateral securing such holders obligations under the original stock purchase contract.
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Debt Purchase Contracts and Debt Purchase Units
We may issue debt purchase contracts, representing contracts obligating holders to purchase from us, and obligating us to sell to the holders, a specified principal amount of debt securities at a future date or dates. The purchase price and the interest rate may be fixed at the time the debt purchase contracts are issued or may be determined by reference to a specific formula set forth in the debt purchase contracts.
The debt purchase contracts may be issued separately or as a part of units consisting of debt purchase contracts and, as security for the holders obligations to purchase the securities under the debt purchase contracts, either
| our senior debt securities or subordinated debt securities or |
| debt obligations of third parties, including U.S. Treasury securities. |
The debt purchase contracts may require us to make periodic payments to the holders of the debt purchase units or vice versa, and such payments may be unsecured or prefunded on some basis. The debt purchase contracts may require holders to secure their obligations in a specified manner and in certain circumstances we may deliver newly issued prepaid debt purchase contracts upon release to a holder of any collateral securing such holders obligations under the original debt purchase contract.
The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the general terms of any purchase contracts or purchase units and, if applicable, prepaid purchase contracts. The description in the prospectus supplement will not purport to be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to
| the purchase contracts, |
| the collateral arrangements and depositary arrangements, if applicable, relating to such purchase contracts or purchase units and |
| if applicable, the prepaid purchase contracts and the document pursuant to which such prepaid purchase contracts will be issued. |
Material United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the purchase contracts and the purchase units will also be discussed in the applicable prospectus supplement.
DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITARY SHARES
This section describes the general terms of the depositary shares we may offer and sell by this prospectus. This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement will contain the material terms and conditions for the depositary shares. The accompanying prospectus supplement may add, update, or change the terms and conditions of the depositary shares as described in this prospectus. In this section, reference to we, our and us mean PG&E Corporation excluding, unless otherwise expressly stated or the context requires, its subsidiaries.
General
We may, at our option, elect to offer depositary shares, each representing a fraction (to be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of preferred stock) of a share of a particular class or series of preferred stock as described below. In the event we elect to do so, depositary receipts evidencing depositary shares will be issued to the public.
The shares of any class or series of preferred stock represented by depositary shares will be deposited under a deposit agreement among us, a depositary selected by us and the holders of the depositary receipts. The depositary will be a bank or trust company having its principal office in the United States and having a combined
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capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000. Subject to the terms of the deposit agreement, each owner of a depositary share will be entitled, in proportion to the applicable fraction of a share of preferred stock represented by such depositary share, to all the rights and preferences of the shares of preferred stock represented by the depositary share, including dividend, voting, redemption and liquidation rights.
The depositary shares will be evidenced by depositary receipts issued pursuant to the deposit agreement. Depositary receipts will be distributed to those persons purchasing the fractional shares of the related class or series of preferred shares in accordance with the terms of the offering described in the related prospectus supplement.
Pending the preparation of definitive depositary receipts, the depositary may, upon our written order, issue temporary depositary receipts substantially identical to, and entitling the holders thereof to all the rights pertaining to, the definitive depositary receipts but not in definitive form. Definitive depositary receipts will be prepared without unreasonable delay, and temporary depositary receipts will be exchangeable for definitive depositary receipts without charge to the holder.
Dividends and Other Distributions
The depositary will distribute all cash dividends or other cash distributions received for the preferred stock to the entitled record holders of depositary shares in proportion to the number of depositary shares that the holder owns on the relevant record date; provided, however, that if we or the depositary is required by law to withhold an amount on account of taxes, then the amount distributed to the holders of depositary shares shall be reduced accordingly. The depositary will distribute only an amount that can be distributed without attributing to any holder of depositary shares a fraction of one cent. The depositary will add the undistributed balance to and treat it as part of the next sum received by the depositary for distribution to holders of the depositary shares.
If there is a non-cash distribution, the depositary will distribute property received by it to the entitled record holders of depositary shares, in proportion, insofar as possible, to the number of depositary shares owned by the holders, unless the depositary determines, after consultation with us, that it is not feasible to make such distribution. If this occurs, the depositary may, with our approval, sell such property and distribute the net proceeds from such sale to the holders. The deposit agreement also will contain provisions relating to how any subscription or similar rights that we may offer to holders of the preferred stock will be available to the holders of the depositary shares.
Withdrawal of Shares
Upon surrender of the depositary receipts at the corporate trust office of the depositary, unless the related depositary shares have previously been called for redemption, converted or exchanged into our other securities, the holder of the depositary shares evidenced thereby is entitled to delivery of the number of whole shares of the related class or series of preferred stock and any money or other property represented by such depositary shares. Holders of depositary receipts will be entitled to receive whole shares of the related class or series of preferred stock on the basis set forth in the prospectus supplement for such class or series of preferred stock, but holders of such whole shares of preferred stock will not thereafter be entitled to exchange them for depositary shares. If the depositary receipts delivered by the holder evidence a number of depositary shares in excess of the number of depositary shares representing the number of whole shares of preferred stock to be withdrawn, the depositary will deliver to such holder at the same time a new depositary receipt evidencing such excess number of depositary shares. In no event will fractional shares of preferred stock be delivered upon surrender of depositary receipts to the depositary.
Conversion, Exchange and Redemption
If any class or series of preferred stock underlying the depositary shares may be converted or exchanged, each record holder of depositary receipts representing the shares of preferred stock being converted or exchanged will have the right or obligation to convert or exchange the depositary shares represented by the depositary receipts.
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Whenever we redeem or convert shares of preferred stock held by the depositary, the depositary will redeem or convert, at the same time, the number of depositary shares representing the preferred stock to be redeemed or converted. The depositary will redeem the depositary shares from the proceeds it receives from the corresponding redemption of the applicable series of preferred stock. The depositary will mail notice of redemption or conversion to the record holders of the depositary shares that are to be redeemed between 30 and 60 days before the date fixed for redemption or conversion. The redemption price per depositary share will be equal to the applicable fraction of the redemption price per share on the applicable class or series of preferred stock. If less than all the depositary shares are to be redeemed, the depositary will select which shares are to be redeemed by lot on a pro rata basis or by any other equitable method as the depositary may decide.
After the redemption or conversion date, the depositary shares called for redemption or conversion will no longer be outstanding. When the depositary shares are no longer outstanding, all rights of the holders will end, except the right to receive money, securities or other property payable upon redemption or conversion.
Voting the Preferred Stock
When the depositary receives notice of a meeting at which the holders of the particular class or series of preferred stock are entitled to vote, the depositary will mail the particulars of the meeting to the record holders of the depositary shares. Each record holder of depositary shares on the record date may instruct the depositary on how to vote the shares of preferred stock underlying the holders depositary shares. The depositary will try, if practical, to vote the number of shares of preferred stock underlying the depositary shares according to the instructions. We will agree to take all reasonable action requested by the depositary to enable it to vote as instructed.
Amendment and Termination of the Deposit Agreement
We and the depositary may agree at any time to amend the deposit agreement and the depositary receipt evidencing the depositary shares. Any amendment that (a) imposes or increases certain fees, taxes or other charges payable by the holders of the depositary shares as described in the deposit agreement or (b) otherwise materially adversely affects any substantial existing rights of holders of depositary shares, will not take effect until such amendment is approved by the holders of at least a majority of the depositary shares then outstanding. Any holder of depositary shares that continues to hold its shares after such amendment has become effective will be deemed to have agreed to the amendment.
We may direct the depositary to terminate the deposit agreement by mailing a notice of termination of holders of depositary shares at least 30 days prior to termination. The depositary may terminate the deposit agreement if 90 days have elapsed after the depositary delivered written notice of its election to resign and a successor depositary is not appointed. In addition, the deposit agreement will automatically terminate if:
| the depositary has redeemed all related outstanding depositary shares; |
| all outstanding shares of preferred stock have been converted into or exchanged for common stock; or |
| we have liquidated, terminated or wound up our business and the depositary has distributed the preferred stock of the relevant series to the holders of the related depositary shares. |
Reports and Obligations
The depositary will forward to the holders of depositary shares all reports and communications from us that are delivered to the depositary and that we are required by law, the rules of an applicable securities exchange or our amended and restated articles of incorporation to furnish to the holders of the preferred stock. Neither we nor the depositary will be liable if the depositary is prevented or delayed by law or any circumstances beyond its control in performing its obligations under the deposit agreement. The deposit agreement limits our obligations to
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performance in good faith of the duties stated in the deposit agreement. The depositary assumes no obligation and will not be subject to liability under the deposit agreement except to perform such obligations as are set forth in the deposit agreement without negligence or bad faith. Neither we nor the depositary will be obligated to prosecute or defend any legal proceeding connected with any depositary shares or class or series of preferred stock unless the holders of depositary shares requesting us to do so furnish us with a satisfactory indemnity. In performing our obligations, we and the depositary may rely and act upon the advice of our counsel or accountants, on any information provided to us by a person presenting shares for deposit, any holder of a receipt, or any other document believed by us or the depositary to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties.
Payment of Fees and Expenses
We will pay all fees, charges and expenses of the depositary, including the initial deposit of the preferred stock and any redemption of the preferred stock. Holders of depositary shares will pay taxes and governmental charges and any other charges as are stated in the deposit agreement for their accounts.
Resignation and Removal of Depositary
At any time, the depositary may resign by delivering notice to us, and we may remove the depositary at any time. Resignations or removals will take effect upon the appointment of a successor depositary and its acceptance of the appointment. The successor depositary must be appointed within 90 days after the delivery of the notice of resignation or removal and must be a bank or trust company having its principal office in the United States and having a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000.
Book-Entry, Delivery and Form
Unless we indicate differently in a prospectus supplement, the common stock, preferred stock, warrants, stock purchase contracts, stock purchase units or depositary shares (the securities) initially will be issued in book entry form and represented by one or more global notes or global securities (collectively, global securities). The global securities will be deposited with, or on behalf of, The Depositary Trust Company, New York, New York, as depositary (DTC), and registered in the name of Cede & Co., the nominee of DTC. Unless and until it is exchanged for individual certificates evidencing securities under the limited circumstances described below, a global security may not be transferred except as a whole by the depositary to its nominee or by the nominee to the depositary, or by the depositary or its nominee to a successor depositary or to a nominee of the successor depositary.
DTC has advised us that it is:
| a limited-purpose trust company organized under the New York Banking Law; |
| a banking organization within the meaning of the New York Banking Law; |
| a member of the Federal Reserve System; |
| a clearing corporation within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code; and |
| a clearing agency registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. |
DTC holds securities that its participants deposit with DTC. DTC also facilitates the settlement among its participants of securities transactions, including transfers and pledges, in deposited securities through electronic computerized book-entry changes in participants accounts, which eliminates the need for physical movement of securities certificates. Direct participants in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, including underwriters, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other organizations. DTC is a wholly owned
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subsidiary of The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC). DTCC is the holding company for DTC National Securities Clearing Corporation, all of which are registered clearing agencies. DTC is owned by the users of its regulated subsidiaries. Access to the DTC system is also available to others, referred to as indirect participants, that clear transactions through or maintain a custodial relationship with a direct participant either directly or indirectly. The rules applicable to DTC and its participants are on file with the SEC.
Purchases of securities within the DTC system must be made by or through direct participants, which will receive a credit for those securities on DTCs records. The ownership interest of the actual purchaser of a security, which we sometimes refer to as a beneficial owner, is in turn recorded on the direct and indirect participants records. Beneficial owners of securities will not receive written confirmation from DTC of their purchases. However, beneficial owners are expected to receive written confirmations providing details of their transactions, as well as periodic statements of their holdings, from the direct or indirect participants through which they purchased securities. Transfers of ownership interests in global securities are to be accomplished by entries made on the books of participants acting on behalf of beneficial owners. Beneficial owners will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in the global securities except under the limited circumstances described below.
To facilitate subsequent transfers, all global securities deposited by direct participants with DTC will be registered in the name of DTCs partnership nominee, Cede & Co, or such other name as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. The deposit of securities with DTC and their registration in the name of Cede & Co. or such other nominee do not affect any change in beneficial ownership. DTC has no knowledge of the actual beneficial owners of the securities. DTCs records reflect only the identity of the direct participants to whose accounts the securities are credited, which may or may not be the beneficial owners. The direct and indirect participants are responsible for keeping account of their holdings on behalf of their customers.
Conveyance of notices and other communications by DTC to direct participants, by direct participants to indirect participants and by direct participants and indirect participants to beneficial owners will be governed by arrangements among them, subject to any legal requirements in effect from time to time. Beneficial owners of securities may wish to take certain steps to augment the transmission to them of notices of significant events with respect to the securities, such as redemptions, tenders, defaults, and proposed amendments to the security documents. For example, beneficial owners of securities may wish to ascertain that the nominee holding the securities for their benefit has agreed to obtain and transmit notices to beneficial owners. In the alternative, beneficial owners may wish to provide their names and addresses to the registrar and request that copies of notices be provided directly to them.
Redemption notices will be sent to DTC or its nominee. If less than all of the securities of a particular series are being redeemed, DTCs practice is to determine by lot the amount of the interest of each direct participant in such issue to be redeemed.
In any case where a vote may be required with respect to securities of a particular series, neither DTC nor Cede & Co. (nor any other DTC nominee) will give consents for or vote the global securities, unless authorized by a direct participant in accordance with DTCs procedures. Under its usual procedures, DTC will mail an omnibus proxy to us as soon as possible after the record date. The omnibus proxy assigns the consenting or voting rights of Cede & Co. to those direct participants to whose accounts the securities of such series are credited on the record date identified in a listing attached to the omnibus proxy.
Principal and interest payments on the securities will be made to Cede & Co., or such other nominee as may be requested by authorized representative of DTC. DTCs practice is to credit direct participants accounts upon receipt of funds and corresponding detail information from us or the paying agent in accordance with their respective holdings shown on DTCs records. Payments by direct and indirect participants to beneficial owners will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is the case with securities held for the account of customers in bearer form or registered in street name. Those payments will be the responsibility of participants and not of DTC, the paying agent or us, subject to any legal requirements in effect from time to time. Payment of principal and interest to Cede & Co. (or such other nominee as may otherwise be requested by an authorized
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representative of DTC) is our responsibility, disbursement of payments to direct participants is the responsibility of DTC and disbursement of payments to the beneficial owners is the responsibility of direct and indirect participants.
Except under the limited circumstances described below, purchasers of securities will not be entitled to have securities registered in their names and will not receive physical delivery of securities. Accordingly, each beneficial owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and its participants to exercise any rights under the securities and the applicable indenture.
The laws of some jurisdictions may require that some purchasers of securities take physical delivery of securities in definitive form. Those laws may impair the ability to transfer or pledge beneficial interests in securities.
DTC may discontinue providing its services as securities depository with respect to the securities at any time by giving us reasonable notice. Under such circumstances, in the event that a successor securities depository is not obtained, certificates representing the securities are required to be printed and delivered. Also, we may decide to discontinue use of the system of book-entry-only transfers through DTC (or a successor securities depository), in which event, certificates representing the securities will be printed and delivered to DTC.
We have obtained the information in this section and elsewhere in this prospectus concerning DTC and DTCs book-entry system from sources that are believed to be reliable, but we take no responsibility for the accuracy of this information.
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We may sell the debt securities, the common stock, the preferred stock, the depositary shares, the warrants, the securities purchase contracts, and the securities purchase units (which we collectively refer to as the securities) in one or more of the following ways from time to time:
| to underwriters for resale to the public or to institutional investors; |
| directly to institutional investors; or |
| through agents to the public or to institutional investors. |
The prospectus supplement with respect to the securities we may sell will set forth the terms of the offering of such securities, including the name or names of any underwriters or agents, the purchase price of such securities, and the proceeds to us from such sale, any underwriting discounts or agency fees and other items constituting underwriters or agents compensation, any initial public offering price, any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers and any securities exchange on which such securities may be listed.
If underwriters participate in the sale, such securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own account and may be resold from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices based on prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices.
Securities may be offered to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by one or more managing underwriters or directly by one or more of those firms. The specific managing underwriter or underwriters, if any, will be named in the prospectus supplement relating to the particular securities together with the members of the underwriting syndicate, if any. Unless otherwise set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase any series of the securities will be subject to certain conditions precedent and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of such series of debt securities, common stock, preferred stock, depositary shares, warrants, securities purchase contracts, and securities purchase units, if any are purchased.
We may sell securities directly or through agents we designate from time to time. The prospectus supplement will set forth the name of any agent involved in the offer or sale of securities in respect of which such prospectus supplement is delivered and any commissions payable by us to such agent. Unless otherwise indicated in a prospectus supplement, any agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment.
Any underwriters, dealers or agents participating in the distribution of securities may be deemed to be underwriters as defined in the Securities Act of 1933, and any discounts or commissions received by them on the sale or resale of securities may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act of 1933. Underwriters and agents may be entitled under agreements entered into with us to indemnification against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933. Underwriters and agents and their affiliates may engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us in the ordinary course of business.
Each series of debt securities, preferred stock, depositary shares, warrants, securities purchase contracts, and securities purchase units will be a new issue of securities and will have no established trading market. Any underwriters to whom securities are sold for public offering and sale may make a market in such securities, but such underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time without notice. The debt securities, preferred stock, depositary shares, warrants, securities purchase contracts, and securities purchase units may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange.
To facilitate a securities offering, any underwriter may engage in over-allotment, short covering transactions and penalty bids or stabilizing transactions in accordance with Regulation M under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
| Over-allotment involves sales in excess of the offering size, which creates a short position. |
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| Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying securities so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum. |
| Short covering positions involve purchases of securities in the open market after the distribution is completed to cover short positions. |
| Penalty bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a dealer when securities originally sold by the dealer are purchased in a covering transaction to cover short positions. |
These activities may cause the price of the securities to be higher than it otherwise would be. If commenced, these activities may be discontinued by the underwriters at any time.
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Certain legal matters in connection with the offered securities will be passed upon for us by Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, San Francisco, California. Certain legal matters in connection with the offered securities will be passed on for any agents, dealers or underwriters by their counsel named in the applicable prospectus supplement.
The consolidated financial statements and the related financial statement schedules, incorporated in this prospectus by reference from the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K, and the effectiveness of PG&E Corporations internal control over financial reporting have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports, which are incorporated herein by reference. Such financial statements and financial statement schedules have been so incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, information statements and other information with the SEC under File No. 001-12609. These SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov. You may also read and copy any of these SEC filings at the SECs public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington D.C. 20549.
CERTAIN DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
We have incorporated by reference into this prospectus certain information that we file with the SEC. This means that we can disclose important business, financial and other information in this prospectus by referring you to the documents containing this information.
We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any future filings we make with the SEC under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (other than information deemed to be furnished and not filed) before the termination of the offering of the securities offered hereby:
| our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013; and |
| our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 2, 2014. |
All information incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus except to the extent that the information is updated or superseded by information filed with the SEC after the date the incorporated information was filed (including later-dated reports listed above) or by the information contained in this prospectus or the applicable prospectus supplement. Any information that we subsequently file with the SEC that is incorporated by reference, as described above, will automatically update and supersede as of the date of such filing any previous information that had been part of this prospectus or the applicable prospectus supplement, or that had been incorporated herein by reference.
You may request a copy of these filings at no cost by writing or contacting us at the following address:
The Office of the Corporate Secretary
PG&E Corporation
77 Beale Street
P.O. Box 770000
San Francisco, CA 94177
Telephone: (415) 973-8200
Facsimile: (415) 973-8719
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$350,000,000
2.40% Senior Notes due March 1, 2019
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
February 24, 2014
Joint Book-Running Managers
Barclays
BNP PARIBAS
Citigroup
Co-Managers
Drexel Hamilton
Great Pacific Securities