Form 8-K SOUTH JERSEY INDUSTRIES For: Jul 14

Exhibit 10.1

South Jersey Industries, Inc.

$400,000,000

$100,000,000 Senior Notes, Series 2022A, due July 14, 2027

$100,000,000 Senior Notes, Series 2022B, due July 14, 2029

$120,000,000 Senior Notes, Series 2022C, due July 14, 2032

$80,000,000 Senior Notes, Series 2022D, due July 14, 2034

Note Purchase Agreement

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Dated as of July 14, 2022

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Table of Contents

 

South Jersey Industries, Inc.

1 South Jersey Plaza

Folsom, New Jersey  08037

$100,000,000 Senior Notes, Series 2022A, due July 14, 2027

$100,000,000 Senior Notes, Series 2022B, due July 14, 2029

$120,000,000 Senior Notes, Series 2022C, due July 14, 2032

$80,000,000 Senior Notes, Series 2022D, due July 14, 2034

Dated as of July 14, 2022

To Each of the Purchasers Listed in

Schedule A Hereto:

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

South Jersey Industries, Inc., a New Jersey corporation (together with any successor thereto that becomes a party hereto pursuant to Section 10.2, the “Company”), agrees with each of the Purchasers as follows:

 

 

Section 1.1.          Description of Notes.  The Company will authorize the issue and sale of its (a) $100,000,000 Senior Notes, Series 2022A, due July 14, 2027 (the “Series 2022A Notes”), (b) $100,000,000 Senior Notes, Series 2022B, due July 14, 2029 (the “Series 2022B Notes”), (c) $120,000,000 Senior Notes, Series 2022C, due July 14, 2032 (the “Series 2022C Notes”), and (d) $80,000,000 Senior Notes, Series 2022D, due July 14, 2034 (the “Series 2022D Notes”).  The Series 2022A Notes, the Series 2022B Notes, the Series 2022C Notes, and the Series 2022D Notes, as amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time pursuant to Section 17 and including any such notes issued in substitution therefor pursuant to Section 13, are collectively referred to herein as the “Notes”).  The Series 2022A Notes, the Series 2022B Notes, the Series 2022C Notes, and the Series 2022D Notes shall be substantially in the forms set out in Exhibit 1(a), Exhibit 1(b), Exhibit 1(c), and Exhibit 1(d), respectively.  Certain capitalized and other terms used in this Agreement are defined in Schedule B; and references to a “Schedule” or an “Exhibit” are, unless otherwise specified, to a Schedule or an Exhibit attached to this Agreement.

 

Section 1.2.          Interest Rate.

 

(b)         The Series 2022B Notes shall bear interest (computed on the basis of a 360‑day year of twelve 30‑day months) on the unpaid principal thereof from the date of issuance at the rate of 5.44% per annum payable semi‑annually in arrears on the 14th day of January and July in each year and at maturity, commencing on January 14, 2023, until such principal sum shall have become due and payable.

 

(c)         The Series 2022C Notes shall bear interest (computed on the basis of a 360‑day year of twelve 30‑day months) on the unpaid principal thereof from the date of issuance at the rate of 5.60% per annum payable semi‑annually in arrears on the 14th day of January and July in each year and at maturity, commencing on January 14, 2023, until such principal sum shall have become due and payable.

 

(d)         The Series 2022D Notes shall bear interest (computed on the basis of a 360‑day year of twelve 30‑day months) on the unpaid principal thereof from the date of issuance at the rate of 5.60% per annum payable semi‑annually in arrears on the 14th day of January and July in each year and at maturity, commencing on January 14, 2023, until such principal sum shall have become due and payable.

 

 

Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Company will issue and sell to each Purchaser and each Purchaser will purchase from the Company, at the Closings provided for in Section 3, Notes in the principal amount and of the Series specified opposite such Purchaser’s name in Schedule A at the purchase price of 100% of the principal amount thereof.  The Purchasers’ obligations hereunder are several and not joint obligations, and no Purchaser shall have any liability to any Person for the performance or non‑performance of any obligation by any other Purchaser hereunder.

 

 

The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the issuance of (i) $50,000,000 of the Series 2022A Notes, (ii) $50,000,000 of the Series 2022B Notes, (iii) $60,000,000 of the Series 2022C Notes, and (iv) $40,000,000 of the Series 2022D Notes will be made at the offices of Chapman and Cutler LLP, 320 South Canal Street, Chicago, Illinois 60606 at 10:00 a.m., Chicago time, on July 14, 2022 or on such other Business Day thereafter on or prior to July 29, 2022, as may be agreed upon by the Company and the Purchasers (the “First Closing”).  The issuance of (i) $50,000,000 of the Series 2022A Notes, (ii) $50,000,000 of the Series 2022B Notes, (iii) $60,000,000 of the Series 2022C Notes, and (iv) $40,000,000 of the Series 2022D Notes will be made at the offices of Chapman and Cutler LLP, 320 South Canal Street, Chicago, Illinois 60606 at 10:00 a.m., Chicago time, on September 15, 2022 or on such other Business Day thereafter on or prior to September 30, 2022, as may be agreed upon by the Company and the Purchasers (the “Second Closing”; the “First Closing” and the “Second Closing” shall be each referred to individually as a “Closing”).  At each Closing, the Company will deliver to each Purchaser the Notes of the applicable Series to be purchased by such Purchaser in the form of a single Note (or such greater number of Notes in denominations of at least $100,000 as such Purchaser may request) dated the date of such Closing and registered in such Purchaser’s name (or in the name of its nominee), against delivery by such Purchaser to the Company or its order of immediately available funds in the amount of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of immediately available funds for the account of the Company to an account specified pursuant to Section 4.10 hereof.  If at any Closing the Company shall fail to tender such Notes to any Purchaser as provided above in this Section 3, or any of the conditions specified in Section 4 with respect to such Closing shall not have been fulfilled to such Purchaser’s reasonable satisfaction, such Purchaser shall, at its election, be relieved of all further obligations to purchase Securities under this Agreement, without thereby waiving any rights such Purchaser may have by reason of such failure or such nonfulfillment.

 

Each Purchaser’s obligation to purchase and pay for the Notes to be sold to such Purchaser at each Closing is subject to the fulfillment to such Purchaser’s reasonable satisfaction, prior to or at such Closing, of the following conditions, provided, however, the fulfillment of the condition to Closing set forth in Section 4.11 shall be to the reasonable satisfaction of only the Purchasers of the Series 2022D Notes:

 

Section 4.1.         Representations and Warranties.  The representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement shall be correct when made and at the time of such Closing.

 

Section 4.2.        Performance; No Default.  The Company shall have performed and complied with all agreements and conditions contained in this Agreement required to be performed or complied with by it prior to or at the applicable Closing.  From the date of this Agreement until the applicable Closing, before and after giving effect to the issue and sale of the Notes (and the application of the proceeds thereof as contemplated by Section 5.14), no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing and no Change in Control shall have occurred.  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary shall have entered into any transaction since the date of the Presentation that would have been prohibited by Section 10 had such Section applied since such date.

 

Section 4.3.          Compliance Certificates.

 

(a)         Officer’s Certificate.  The Company shall have delivered to such Purchaser at the applicable Closing an Officer’s Certificate, dated the date of such Closing, certifying that the conditions specified in Sections 4.1, 4.2, and 4.9 have been fulfilled.

 

(b)         Secretary’s Certificate.  The Company shall have delivered to such Purchaser at the applicable Closing a certificate of its Secretary or Assistant Secretary, dated the date of such Closing, certifying as to the resolutions attached thereto and other corporate proceedings relating to the authorization, execution and delivery of the Notes to be issued at such Closing and this Agreement.

Section 4.4.        Opinions of Counsel.  Such Purchaser shall have received opinions in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Purchaser, dated the date of such Closing (a) from Cozen O’Connor, counsel for the Company, covering the matters set forth in Exhibit 4.4(a) and covering such other matters incident to the transactions contemplated hereby as such Purchaser or its counsel may reasonably request (and the Company hereby instructs its counsel to deliver such opinion to the Purchasers) and (b) from Chapman and Cutler LLP, the Purchasers’ special counsel in connection with such transactions, substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit 4.4(b) and covering such other matters incident to such transactions as such Purchaser may reasonably request.

 

Section 4.5.          Purchase Permitted By Applicable Law, Etc.  On the date of such Closing, such Purchaser’s purchase of the applicable Notes shall (a) be permitted by the laws and regulations of each jurisdiction to which such Purchaser is subject, without recourse to provisions (such as Section 1405(a)(8) of the New York Insurance Law) permitting limited investments by insurance companies without restriction as to the character of the particular investment, (b) not violate any applicable law or regulation (including, without limitation, Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System), and (c) not subject such Purchaser to any tax, penalty or liability under or pursuant to any applicable law or regulation, which law or regulation was not in effect on the date hereof.  If requested by such Purchaser, such Purchaser shall have received an Officer’s Certificate certifying as to such matters of fact as such Purchaser may reasonably specify to enable such Purchaser to determine whether such purchase is so permitted.

 

Section 4.6.         Sale of Other Notes.  Contemporaneously with the applicable Closing, the Company shall sell to each other Purchaser and each other Purchaser shall purchase the Notes to be purchased by it at such Closing as specified in Schedule A.

 

Section 4.7.       Payment of Special Counsel Fees.  Without limiting Section 15.1, the Company shall have paid on or before each Closing the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of the Purchasers’ special counsel referred to in Section 4.4 to the extent reflected in a statement of such counsel rendered to the Company at least one (1) Business Day prior to such Closing, as applicable.

 

Section 4.8.          Private Placement Number.  A Private Placement Number issued by the PPN CUSIP Unit of CUSIP Global Services (in cooperation with the SVO) shall have been obtained for each Series of Notes.

 

Section 4.9.          Changes in Corporate Structure.  The Company shall not have changed its jurisdiction of incorporation or been a party to any merger or consolidation or succeeded to all or any substantial part of the liabilities of any other entity, at any time following the date of the most recent financial statements referred to in Schedule 5.5.

 

Section 4.10.       Funding Instructions.  At least five (5) Business Days prior to the date of each Closing, each Purchaser shall have received written instructions signed by a Responsible Officer on letterhead of the Company confirming the information specified in Section 3 including (a) the name and address of the transferee bank, (b) such transferee bank’s ABA number/Swift Code/IBAN, and (c) the account name and number into which the purchase price for the Notes is to be deposited, which account shall be fully opened and able to receive micro deposits in accordance with this Section at least five (5) Business Days prior to the date of such Closing.  Each Purchaser has the right, but not the obligation, upon written notice (which may be by email) to the Company, to elect to deliver a micro deposit (less than $51.00) to the account identified in the written instructions no later than two (2) Business Days prior to the date of such Closing.  If a Purchaser delivers a micro deposit, a Responsible Officer must verbally verify the receipt and amount of the micro deposit to such Purchaser on a telephone call initiated by such Purchaser prior to the date of such Closing.  The Company shall not be obligated to return the amount of the micro deposit, nor will the amount of the micro deposit be netted against the Purchaser’s purchase price of the Notes.

Section 4.11.        List of Prospective Green Investments.  The Company shall have delivered to the Purchasers of the Series 2022D Notes at the First Closing a list of existing and prospective Green Investments to which the Company expects to allocate all or a portion of the net proceeds of the Series 2022D Notes (the “Green Projects”), together with a certification by a Responsible Officer of the Company that the Green Projects have not been allocated to other financings that have a use of proceeds similar to Green Investments.  For the avoidance of doubt, the Company may replace any Green Project at any time with other Green Investments (which shall then be Green Projects) upon providing the then holders of Series 2022D Notes an updated list and certification that such Green Projects are not allocated to other financings that have a use of proceeds similar to Green Investments.

 

Section 4.12.       Proceedings and Documents.  All corporate and other proceedings in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and all documents and instruments incident to such transactions shall be reasonably satisfactory to such Purchaser and its special counsel with respect to such Closing, and such Purchaser and its special counsel shall have received all such counterpart originals or certified or other copies of such documents as such Purchaser or such special counsel may reasonably request.

 

 

The Company represents and warrants to each Purchaser at a Closing that, as of the date of this Agreement and such Closing:

 

Section 5.1.         Organization; Power and Authority.  The Company is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of New Jersey, and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required by law, other than those jurisdictions as to which the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  The Company has the corporate power and authority to own or hold under lease the properties it purports to own or hold under lease, to transact the business it transacts and proposes to transact, to execute and deliver this Agreement and the Notes and to perform the provisions hereof and thereof.

 

Section 5.2.        Authorization, Etc.  This Agreement and the Notes have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company, and this Agreement constitutes, and upon execution and delivery thereof each Note will constitute, a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its respective terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by (a) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and (b) general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

Section 5.3.        Disclosure.  The Company, through its agents, KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. and PNC Capital Markets LLC, has delivered to each Purchaser a copy of an Investor Presentation, dated June 2022 (the “Presentation”), relating to the transactions contemplated hereby.  The Presentation, together with the other Disclosure Documents, fairly describes, in all material respects, the general nature of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries.  This Agreement, the Presentation and the documents, certificates or other writings delivered to the Purchasers by or on behalf of the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and identified in Schedule 5.3, and the financial statements listed in Schedule 5.5 (this Agreement, the Presentation and such documents, certificates or other writings and such financial statements referred to above delivered to the Purchasers prior to this Agreement being referred to, collectively, as the “Disclosure Documents”), taken as a whole, do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances under which they were made.  Except as disclosed in the Disclosure Documents (which, for the avoidance of doubt includes disclosure of the potential IIF Acquisition), since December 31, 2021, there has been no change in the financial condition, operations, business or properties of the Company or any Subsidiary except changes that individually or in the aggregate would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  There is no fact known to the Company that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect that has not been set forth herein or in the Disclosure Documents.

 

Section 5.4.          Organization and Ownership of Shares of Subsidiaries; Affiliates.  (a) Schedule 5.4 contains (except as noted therein) complete and correct lists (i) of the Company’s significant Subsidiaries (as provided on such Schedule), showing, as to each such Subsidiary, the correct name thereof, the jurisdiction of its organization, and the percentage of shares of each class of its capital stock or similar equity interests outstanding owned by the Company and each other Subsidiary and (ii) of the Company’s Affiliates, other than Subsidiaries.

 

(b)        All of the outstanding shares of capital stock or similar equity interests of each Subsidiary shown in Schedule 5.4 as being owned by the Company and its Subsidiaries have been validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and are owned by the Company or another Subsidiary free and clear of any Lien (except as otherwise disclosed in Schedule 5.4).

 

(c)         Each Subsidiary identified in Schedule 5.4 is a corporation or other legal entity duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation or other legal entity and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required by law, other than those jurisdictions as to which the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  Each such Subsidiary has the corporate or other power and authority to own or hold under lease the properties it purports to own or hold under lease and to transact the business it transacts and proposes to transact.

(d)        No Subsidiary is a party to, or otherwise subject to any legal, regulatory, contractual or other restriction (other than this Agreement, the agreements listed on Schedule 5.4, limitations on regulated utilities, such as South Jersey Gas Company or Elizabethtown Gas, to pay dividends under regulations promulgated or orders issued by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and customary limitations imposed by corporate law or similar statutes) restricting the ability of such Subsidiary to pay dividends out of profits or make any other similar distributions of profits to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that owns outstanding shares of capital stock or similar equity interests of such Subsidiary.

 

Section 5.5.        Financial Statements; Material Liabilities.  The Company has delivered to each Purchaser copies of the Consolidated financial statements of the Company and its Subsidiaries listed on Schedule 5.5.  All of such financial statements (including in each case the related schedules and notes) fairly present in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the respective dates specified therein and the consolidated results of their operations and cash flows for the respective periods so specified and have been prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the periods involved except as set forth in the notes thereto (subject, in the case of any interim financial statements, to normal year‑end adjustments).  The Company and its Subsidiaries do not have any Material liabilities that are not disclosed on such financial statements or otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure Documents or in Schedule 5.15(a).

 

Section 5.6.        Compliance with Laws, Other Instruments, Etc.  The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the Notes will not (a) contravene, result in any breach of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation of any Lien in respect of any property of the Company or any Subsidiary under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan, purchase or credit agreement, lease, corporate charter or bylaws, or any other Material agreement or instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or by which the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties may be bound or affected, (b) conflict with or result in a breach of any of the terms, conditions or provisions of any order, judgment, decree, or ruling of any court, arbitrator or Governmental Authority applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary, or (c) violate any provision of any statute or other rule or regulation of any Governmental Authority applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

Section 5.7.       Governmental Authorizations, Etc.  No consent, approval or authorization of, or registration, filing or declaration with, any Governmental Authority is required in connection with the execution, delivery or performance by the Company of this Agreement or the Notes.

 

Section 5.8.         Litigation; Observance of Agreements, Statutes and Orders.  (a) There are no actions, suits, investigations or proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company or any Subsidiary or any property of the Company or any Subsidiary in any court or before any arbitrator of any kind or before or by any Governmental Authority that, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(b)         Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is (i) in default under any term of any agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound, (ii) in violation of any order, judgment, decree or ruling of any court, arbitrator or Governmental Authority, or (iii) in violation of any applicable law, ordinance, rule or regulation of any Governmental Authority (including, without limitation, Environmental Laws, the USA Patriot Act or any of the other laws and regulations that are referred to in Section 5.16), which default or violation, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Section 5.9.          Taxes.  The Company and its Subsidiaries have filed all tax returns that are required to have been filed in any jurisdiction, and have paid all taxes shown to be due and payable on such returns and all other taxes and assessments levied upon them or their properties, assets, income or franchises, to the extent such taxes and assessments have become due and payable and before they have become delinquent, except for any taxes and assessments (a) the amount of which is not individually or in the aggregate Material or (b) the amount, applicability or validity of which is currently being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and with respect to which the Company or a Subsidiary, as the case may be, has established adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP.  The Company knows of no basis for any other tax or assessment that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Company and its Subsidiaries in respect of federal, state or other taxes for all fiscal periods are adequate.  The federal income tax liabilities of the Company and its Subsidiaries have been finally determined (whether by reason of completed audits or the statute of limitations having run) for all fiscal years up to and including the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013.

 

Section 5.10.    Title to Property; Leases.  The Company and its Subsidiaries have good and sufficient title to their respective properties that, individually or in the aggregate, are Material, including all such properties reflected in the most recent audited balance sheet referred to in Section 5.5 or purported to have been acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary after said date (except as sold or otherwise disposed of in the ordinary course of business), in each case free and clear of Liens prohibited by this Agreement.  To the Company’s knowledge, all leases that, individually or in the aggregate, are Material are valid and subsisting and are in full force and effect in all material respects.

 

Section 5.11.       Licenses, Permits, Etc.  (a) The Company and its Subsidiaries own or possess all licenses, permits, franchises, authorizations, patents, copyrights, proprietary software, service marks, trademarks and trade names, or rights thereto, that individually or in the aggregate are Material, without known conflict with the rights of others, except for those conflicts that would not be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(b)       To the Company’s knowledge, no product of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries infringes in any material respect any license, permit, franchise, authorization, patent, copyright, proprietary software, service mark, trademark, trade name or other right owned by any other Person.

 

(c)         To the Company’s knowledge, there is no Material violation by any Person of any right of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to any patent, copyright, proprietary software, service mark, trademark, trade name or other right owned or used by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

Section 5.12.       Compliance with ERISA.  (a)  Each Plan operated and administered by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate has been operated and administered in compliance with all applicable laws except for such instances of noncom-pliance as have not resulted in and would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.  Neither the Company nor any ERISA Affiliate has incurred any liability pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or the penalty or excise tax provisions of the Code relating to “employee benefit plans” (as defined in Section 3 of ERISA), which liability has resulted or would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, and no event, transaction or condition has occurred or exists that would reasonably be expected to result in the incurrence of any such liability by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate, or in the imposition of any Lien on any of the rights, properties or assets of the Company or any ERISA Affiliate, in either case pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or to Section 430(k) of the Code or to any such penalty or excise tax provisions under the Code or federal law or Section 4068 of ERISA or by the granting of a security interest in connection with the amendment of a Plan, other than such aforementioned liabilities, penalties, excise taxes or Liens as would not be individually or in the aggregate Material.

 

(b)        The present value of the aggregate benefit liabilities under each of the Plans (other than Multiemployer Plans), determined as of the end of such Plan’s most recently ended plan year on the basis of the actuarial assumptions specified for funding purposes in such Plan’s most recent actuarial valuation report, did not exceed the aggregate current value of the assets of such Plan allocable to such benefit liabilities.  The term “benefit liabilities” has the meaning specified in Section 4001 of ERISA and the terms “current value” and “present value” have the meanings specified in Section 3 of ERISA.

 

(c)        The Company and its ERISA Affiliates have not incurred withdrawal liabilities (and are not subject to contingent withdrawal liabilities) under Sections 4201 or 4204 of ERISA in respect of Multiemployer Plans that individually or in the aggregate are Material.

 

(d)         The expected postretirement benefit obligation (determined as of the last day of the Company’s most recently ended fiscal year in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 715‑60, without regard to liabilities attributable to continuation coverage mandated by Section 4980B of the Code) of the Company and its Subsidiaries is not Material.

 

(e)        The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the issuance and sale of the Notes hereunder will not involve any transaction that is subject to the prohibitions of Section 406 of ERISA or in connection with which a tax could be imposed pursuant to Section 4975(c)(1)(A)‑(D) of the Code.  The representation by the Company to the Purchasers in the first sentence of this Section 5.12(e) is made in reliance upon and subject to the accuracy of each Purchaser’s representation in Section 6.2 as to the sources of the funds to be used to pay the purchase price of the Notes to be purchased by such Purchaser.

 

Section 5.13.       Private Offering by the Company.  Neither the Company nor anyone acting on its behalf has offered the Notes or any similar Securities for sale to, or solicited any offer to buy any of the same from, or otherwise approached or negotiated in respect thereof with, any Person other than the Purchasers and not more than sixty-five (65) other institutional investors, each of which has been offered the Notes in connection with a private sale for investment.  Neither the Company nor anyone acting on its behalf has taken, or will take, any action that would subject the issuance or sale of the Notes to the registration requirements of Section 5 of the Securities Act or to the registration requirements of any securities or blue sky laws of any applicable jurisdiction.

Section 5.14.       Use of Proceeds; Margin Regulations.  The Company will apply the net proceeds of the sale of (a) the Notes (other than the Series 2022D Notes) to fund capital expenditures, to repay Indebtedness, and for general corporate purposes and (b) the Series 2022D Notes to finance or refinance, in whole or in part, one or more new or existing Green Investments; provided, however, that pending the full allocation of an amount equal to the net proceeds of the Series 2022D Notes and deployment thereof, such net proceeds will be managed in alignment with the Company’s normal liquidity practices and in accordance with clause (a) of this Section 5.14.  The proceeds of the Notes will be in compliance with all laws referenced in Section 5.16.  No part of the proceeds from the sale of the Notes hereunder will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of buying or carrying any margin stock within the meaning of Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (12 CFR 221), or for the purpose of buying or carrying or trading in any Securities under such circumstances as to involve the Company in a violation of Regulation X of said Board (12 CFR 224) or to involve any broker or dealer in a violation of Regulation T of said Board (12 CFR 220).  Margin stock does not constitute more than 5% of the value of the Consolidated assets of the Company, and the Company does not have any present intention that margin stock will constitute more than 5% of the value of such assets.  As used in this Section, the terms “margin stock” and “purpose of buying or carrying” shall have the meanings assigned to them in said Regulation U.

Section 5.15.      Existing Indebtedness.  (a) Except as described therein, Schedule 5.15(a) sets forth a complete and correct list of all outstanding Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the date indicated on such Schedule (including a description of the obligors and obligees, principal amount outstanding and collateral therefor, if any, and Guaranty thereof, if any), since which date there has been no Material change in the amounts, interest rates, sinking funds, installment payments or maturities of the Indebtedness of the Company or its Subsidiaries.  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default and no waiver of default is currently in effect, in the payment of any principal or interest on any Indebtedness of the Company or such Subsidiary and no event or condition exists with respect to any Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary (other than (i) the IIF Acquisition and the transactions contemplated thereby and (ii) the repayment of Indebtedness with the proceeds of the sale of the Notes) that would permit (or that with notice or the lapse of time, or both, would permit) one or more Persons to cause such Indebtedness to become due and payable before its stated maturity or before its regularly scheduled dates of payment.

 

(b)         Except as disclosed in Schedule 5.15(b), neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has agreed or consented to cause or permit in the future (upon the happening of a contingency or otherwise) any of its property, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, to be subject to a Lien not permitted by Section 10.4.

(c)         Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is a party to, or otherwise subject to any provision contained in, any instrument evidencing Indebtedness of the Company or such Subsidiary, any agreement relating thereto or any other agreement (including, but not limited to, its charter or other organizational document) which limits the amount of, or otherwise imposes restrictions on the incurring of, Indebtedness of the Company, except as specifically indicated in Schedule 5.15(c).

 

Section 5.16.          Foreign Assets Control Regulations, Etc.  (a) Neither the Company nor any Controlled Entity (i) is a Blocked Person, (ii) has been notified that its name appears or may in the future appear on a State Sanctions List, or (iii) has been notified that it is a target of sanctions that have been imposed by the United Nations or the European Union.

 

(b)        Neither the Company nor any Controlled Entity (i) to the Company’s knowledge, has violated, been found in violation of, or been charged or convicted under, any applicable U.S. Economic Sanctions Laws, Anti‑Money Laundering Laws or Anti‑Corruption Laws or (ii) to the Company’s knowledge, is under investigation by any Governmental Authority for possible violation of any U.S. Economic Sanctions Laws, Anti‑Money Laundering Laws or Anti‑Corruption Laws.

 

(c)          No part of the proceeds from the sale of the Notes hereunder:

 

(i)         constitutes or will constitute funds obtained on behalf of any Blocked Person or will otherwise be used by the Company or any Controlled Entity, directly or indirectly, (A) in connection with any investment in, or any transactions or dealings with, any Blocked Person, (B) for any purpose that would cause any Purchaser to be in violation of any U.S. Economic Sanctions Laws, or (C) otherwise in violation of any U.S. Economic Sanctions Laws;

 

(ii)          will be used, directly or indirectly, in violation of, or cause any Purchaser to be in violation of, any applicable Anti‑Money Laundering Laws; or

 

(iii)       will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of making any improper payments, including bribes, to any official of a Governmental Authority or commercial counterparty in order to obtain, retain or direct business or obtain any improper advantage, in each case which would be in violation of, or cause any Purchaser to be in violation of, any applicable Anti‑Corruption Laws.

 

(d)         The Company has established procedures and controls which it reasonably believes are adequate (and otherwise comply with applicable law) to ensure that the Company and each Controlled Entity is and will continue to be in compliance with all applicable U.S. Economic Sanctions Laws, Anti‑Money Laundering Laws and Anti‑Corruption Laws.

 

Section 5.17.       Status under Certain Statutes.  The Company and its Subsidiaries are exempt from, or not subject to, regulation under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005, as amended, the ICC Termination Act of 1995, as amended, or the Federal Power Act, as amended, except for Marina Energy, LLC and certain other Subsidiaries of the Company which are subject to the Federal Power Act and, where required, maintain market-based rate authority.

Section 5.18.        Environmental Matters.  (a) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has knowledge of any claim or has received any notice of any claim, and no proceeding has been instituted raising any claim against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective real properties now or formerly owned, leased or operated by any of them or other assets, alleging any damage to the environment or violation of any Environmental Laws, except, in each case, such as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(b)       Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has knowledge of any facts which would give rise to any claim, public or private, of violation of Environmental Laws or damage to the environment emanating from, occurring on or in any way related to real properties now or formerly owned, leased or operated by any of them or to other assets or their use, except, in each case, such as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(c)         Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has stored any Hazardous Materials on real properties now or formerly owned, leased or operated by any of them and has not disposed of any Hazardous Materials in a manner contrary to any Environmental Laws in each case in any manner that would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(d)       All buildings on all real properties now owned, leased or operated by the Company or any Subsidiary are in compliance with applicable Environmental Laws, except where failure to comply would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Section 5.19.        Notes Rank Pari Passu.  The obligations of the Company under this Agreement and the Notes rank pari passu in right of payment with all other senior unsecured Indebtedness (actual or contingent) of the Company, including, without limitation, all senior unsecured Indebtedness of the Company described in Schedule 5.15(a) hereto.

 

 

Section 6.1.          Purchase for Investment.  Each Purchaser severally represents that it is purchasing the Notes for its own account or for one or more separate accounts maintained by such Purchaser or for the account of one or more pension or trust funds and not with a view to the distribution thereof, provided that the disposition of the property of such Purchaser or such pension or trust funds shall at all times be within the control of such Purchaser or such pension or trust funds.  Each Purchaser understands that the Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act and may be resold only if registered pursuant to the provisions of the Securities Act or if an exemption from registration is available, except under circumstances where neither such registration nor such an exemption is required by law, and that the Company is not required to register the Notes.  Each Purchaser understands that the Notes are being offered and sold in reliance upon specific exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and state securities laws and that the Company is relying upon the truth and accuracy of the representations, warranties, agreements, acknowledgements and understandings set forth herein in order to determine the applicability of such exemptions and the suitability of such Purchaser to acquire the Notes.

Section 6.2.         Source of Funds.  Each Purchaser severally represents that at least one of the following statements is an accurate representation as to each source of funds (a “Source”) to be used by such Purchaser to pay the purchase price of the Notes to be purchased by such Purchaser hereunder:

 

(a)          the Source is an “insurance company general account” (as the term is defined in the United States Department of Labor’s Prohibited Transaction Exemption (“PTE”) 95‑60) in respect of which the reserves and liabilities (as defined by the annual statement for life insurance companies approved by the NAIC (the “NAIC Annual Statement”)) for the general account contract(s) held by or on behalf of any employee benefit plan together with the amount of the reserves and liabilities for the general account contract(s) held by or on behalf of any other employee benefit plans maintained by the same employer (or affiliate thereof as defined in PTE 95‑60) or by the same employee organization in the general account do not exceed 10% of the total reserves and liabilities of the general account (exclusive of separate account liabilities) plus surplus as set forth in the NAIC Annual Statement filed with such Purchaser’s state of domicile; or

 

(b)           the Source is a separate account that is maintained solely in connection with such Purchaser’s fixed contractual obligations under which the amounts payable, or credited, to any employee benefit plan (or its related trust) that has any interest in such separate account (or to any participant or beneficiary of such plan (including any annuitant)) are not affected in any manner by the investment performance of the separate account; or

 

(c)         the Source is either (i) an “insurance company pooled separate account,” within the meaning of PTE 90‑1, or (ii) a “bank collective investment fund,” within the meaning of PTE 91‑38, and, except as disclosed by such Purchaser to the Company in writing pursuant to this clause (c), no employee benefit plan or group of plans maintained by the same employer or employee organization beneficially owns more than 10% of all assets allocated to such pooled separate account or collective investment fund; or

 

(d)         the Source constitutes assets of an “investment fund” (within the meaning of Part VI of PTE 84‑14 (the “QPAM Exemption”)) managed by a “qualified professional asset manager” or “QPAM” (within the meaning of Part VI of the QPAM Exemption), no employee benefit plan’s assets that are managed by the QPAM in such investment fund, when combined with the assets of all other employee benefit plans established or maintained by the same employer or by an “affiliate” (within the meaning of Part VI(c)(1) of the QPAM Exemption) of such employer or by the same employee organization and managed by such QPAM, represent more than 20% of the total client assets managed by such QPAM, the conditions of Part I(c) and (g) of the QPAM Exemption are satisfied, neither the QPAM nor a Person controlling or controlled by the QPAM maintains an ownership interest in the Company that would cause the QPAM and the Company to be “related” within the meaning of Part VI(h) of the QPAM Exemption and (i) the identity of such QPAM and (ii) the names of any employee benefit plans whose assets in the investment fund, when combined with the assets of all other employee benefit plans established or maintained by the same employer or by an affiliate (within the meaning of Part VI(c)(1) of the QPAM Exemption) of such employer or by the same employee organization, represent 10% or more of the assets of such investment fund, have been disclosed to the Company in writing pursuant to this clause (d); or

(e)          the Source constitutes assets of a “plan(s)” (within the meaning of Part IV(h) of PTE 96‑23 (the “INHAM Exemption”)) managed by an “in‑house asset manager” or “INHAM” (within the meaning of Part IV(a) of the INHAM Exemption), the conditions of Part I(a), (g) and (h) of the INHAM Exemption are satisfied, neither the INHAM nor a Person controlling or controlled by the INHAM (applying the definition of “control” in Part IV(d)(3) of the INHAM Exemption) owns a 10% or more interest in the Company and (i) the identity of such INHAM and (ii) the name(s) of the employee benefit plan(s) whose assets constitute the Source have been disclosed to the Company in writing pursuant to this clause (e); or

 

(f)           the Source is a governmental plan; or

 

(g)          the Source is one or more employee benefit plans, or a separate account or trust fund comprised of one or more employee benefit plans, each of which has been identified to the Company in writing pursuant to this clause (g); or

 

(h)         the Source does not include “plan assets” of any employee benefit plan, other than a plan exempt from the coverage of Title I of ERISA.

 

As used in this Section 6.2, the terms “employee benefit plan,” “governmental plan,” and “separate account” shall have the respective meanings assigned to such terms in Section 3 of ERISA.

 

Section 6.3.          Purchaser Status; Experience.  Each Purchaser separately represents that such Purchaser is, and on the date of the applicable Closing will be, an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act.  Such Purchaser, either alone or together with its representatives, has such knowledge, sophistication and experience in business and financial matters so as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment in the Notes, and has so evaluated the merits and risks of such investment.  Such Purchaser is able to bear the economic risk of an investment in the Notes and is able to afford a complete loss of such investment.

 

Section 6.4.          Access to Information.  Each Purchaser (acting individually or through an advisor) separately acknowledges that such Purchaser has reviewed the Disclosure Documents and has been afforded (a) the opportunity to ask such questions as it has deemed necessary of, and to receive answers from, representatives of the Company concerning the terms and conditions of the offering of the Notes and the risks of investing in the Notes; (b) access to information about the Company and its financial condition, results of operations, business, properties, management and prospects sufficient to enable it to evaluate its investment; and (c) the opportunity to obtain such additional information that the Company possesses or can acquire without unreasonable effort or expense that is necessary to make an informed investment decision with respect to the investment.

 

Section 7.1.          Financial and Business Information.  The Company shall deliver to each Purchaser that is an Institutional Investor and each holder of Notes that is an Institutional Investor:

 

(a)          Quarterly Statements — within 60 days (or, as long as the Company is subject to the filing requirements of the SEC, such shorter period as is 15 days greater than the period applicable to the filing of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10‑Q (“Form 10‑Q”) with the SEC) after the end of each quarterly fiscal period in each fiscal year of the Company (other than the last quarterly fiscal period of each such fiscal year), copies of:

 

(i)            a consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such quarter; and

 

(ii)          consolidated statements of income, changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its Subsidiaries, for such quarter and (in the case of the second and third quarters) for the portion of the fiscal year ending with such quarter,

 

setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding periods in the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail, prepared in accordance with GAAP applicable to quarterly financial statements generally, and certified by a Senior Financial Officer as fairly presenting, in all material respects, the financial position of the companies being reported on and their results of operations and cash flows, subject to changes resulting from year‑end adjustments, provided that delivery within the time period specified above of copies of the Company’s Form 10‑Q prepared in compliance with the requirements therefor and filed with the SEC shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of this Section 7.1(a), and provided, further, that the Company shall be deemed to have made such delivery of such Form 10‑Q if it shall have timely made such Form 10‑Q available on “EDGAR” or on, or through a link on, the website of the Company and shall have given each Institutional Investor that is a holder of a Note prior notice of such availability on EDGAR or on or through the website of the Company in connection with each delivery (such availability and notice thereof being referred to as “Electronic Delivery”);

 

(b)          Annual Statements — within 120 days (or, as long as the Company is subject to the filing requirements of the SEC, such shorter period as is 15 days greater than the period applicable to the filing of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10‑K (“Form 10‑K”) with the SEC) after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, copies of:

 

(i)            a consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such year; and

 

(ii)          consolidated statements of income, changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its Subsidiaries for such year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail, prepared in accordance with GAAP, and accompanied by an opinion thereon (without a “going concern” or similar qualification or exception and without any qualification or exception as to the scope of the audit on which such opinion is based) of independent public accountants of recognized national standing, which opinion shall state that such financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the companies being reported upon and their results of operations and cash flows and have been prepared in conformity with GAAP, and that the examination of such accountants in connection with such financial statements has been made in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, and that such audit provides a reasonable basis for such opinion in the circumstances, and provided that the delivery within the time period specified above of the Company’s Form 10‑K for such fiscal year (together with the Company’s annual report to shareholders, if any, prepared pursuant to Rule 14a‑3 under the Exchange Act) prepared in accordance with the requirements therefor and filed with the SEC, shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of this Section 7.1(b), provided, further, that the Company shall be deemed to have made such delivery of such Form 10‑K (together with the Company’s annual report to shareholders, if any, prepared pursuant to Rule 14a‑3 under the Exchange Act) if it shall have timely made Electronic Delivery thereof;

 

(c)          SEC and Other Reports — except for the filings referred to in Section 7.1(a) and (b) above, promptly upon their becoming available, one copy of (i) each financial statement (including, without limitation, any consolidating financial statements), report, notice or proxy statement sent by the Company or any Subsidiary to its principal lending banks as a whole (excluding information sent to such banks in the ordinary course of administration of a bank facility, such as information relating to pricing and borrowing availability) or to its public Securities holders generally, and (ii) each regular or periodic report, each registration statement (without exhibits except as expressly requested by such Purchaser or holder), and each prospectus and all amendments thereto filed by the Company or any Subsidiary with the SEC and of all press releases and other statements made available generally by the Company or any Subsidiary to the public concerning developments that are Material, provided that the Company shall be deemed to have made such delivery of such information if it shall have timely made Electronic Delivery thereof;

 

(d)         Notice of Default or Event of Default — promptly, and in any event within five Business Days after a Responsible Officer becomes aware of the existence of any Default or Event of Default or that any Person has given any notice or taken any action with respect to a claimed default hereunder or that any Person has given any notice or taken any action with respect to a claimed default of the type referred to in Section 11(f) hereof, a written notice specifying the nature and period of existence thereof and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto;

 

(e)         ERISA Matters — promptly, and in any event within ten Business Days after a Responsible Officer becomes aware of any of the following, a written notice setting forth the nature thereof and the action, if any, that the Company or an ERISA Affiliate proposes to take with respect thereto:

(i)           with respect to any Plan (other than any Multiemployer Plan) that is subject to Title IV of ERISA, any reportable event, as defined in Section 4043(c) of ERISA and the regulations thereunder, for which notice thereof has not been waived pursuant to such regulations as in effect on the date hereof; or

 

(ii)         the taking by the PBGC of steps to institute, or the threatening by the PBGC of the institution of, proceedings under Section 4042 of ERISA for the termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, any such Plan, or the receipt by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate of a notice from a Multiemployer Plan that such action has been taken by the PBGC with respect to such Multiemployer Plan; or

 

(iii)         any event, transaction or condition that could result in the incurrence of any liability by the Company or any ERISA Affili-ate pursuant to Title I or Title IV of ERISA or the penalty or excise tax provisions of the Code relating to employee benefit plans, or in the imposition of any Lien on any of the rights, properties or assets of the Company or any ERISA Affiliate pursuant to Title I or Title IV of ERISA or such penalty or excise tax provisions, if such liability or Lien, taken together with any other such liabilities or Liens then existing, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(f)          Notices from Governmental Authority — promptly, and in any event within 30 days of receipt thereof, copies of any notice to the Company or any Subsidiary from any federal or state Governmental Authority relating to any order, ruling, statute or other law or regulation that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and

 

(g)        Requested Information — with reasonable promptness, such other data and information relating to the business, operations, affairs, financial condition, assets or properties of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (including, but without limitation, actual copies of the Company’s Form 10‑Q and Form 10‑K) or relating to the ability of the Company to perform its obligations hereunder and under the Notes as from time to time may be reasonably requested by any such holder of Notes.

 

Section 7.2.         Officer’s Certificate.  Each set of financial statements delivered to a Purchaser or holder of Notes pursuant to Section 7.1(a) or Section 7.1(b) shall be accompanied by a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer (which, in the case of Electronic Delivery of any such financial statements, shall be by separate concurrent delivery of such certificate to each holder of Notes) setting forth:

 

(a)         Covenant Compliance — the information (including detailed calculations) required in order to establish whether the Company was in compliance with the requirements of Sections 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, and 10.7, inclusive, during the quarterly or annual period covered by the statements then being furnished (including with respect to each such Section, where applicable, the calculations of the maximum or minimum amount, ratio or percentage, as the case may be, permissible under the terms of such Sections, and the calculation of the amount, ratio or percentage then in existence); and

(b)          Event of Default — a statement that such Senior Financial Officer has reviewed the relevant terms hereof and has made, or caused to be made, under his or her supervision, a review of the transactions and conditions of the Company and its Subsidiaries from the beginning of the quarterly or annual period covered by the statements then being furnished to the date of the certificate and that such review shall not have disclosed the existence during such period of any condition or event that constitutes a Default or an Event of Default or, if any such condition or event existed or exists (including, without limitation, any such event or condition resulting from the failure of the Company or any Subsidiary to comply with any Environmental Law), specifying the nature and period of existence thereof and what action the Company shall have taken or proposes to take with respect thereto.

 

Section 7.3.         Visitation.  The Company shall permit the representatives of each Purchaser that is an Institutional Investor and each holder of Notes that is an Institutional Investor:

 

(a)         No Default — if no Default or Event of Default then exists, at the expense of such holder and upon reasonable prior notice to the Company, to visit the principal executive office of the Company, to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Company and its Subsidiaries with the Company’s officers to the extent they are reasonably available, and (with the consent of the Company, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld) to visit the other offices and properties of the Company and each Subsidiary, all at such reasonable times and as often as may be reasonably requested in writing; and

 

(b)          Default — if a Default or Event of Default then exists and is continuing, at the expense of the Company to visit and inspect any of the offices or properties of the Company or any Subsidiary, to examine all their respective books of account, records, reports and other papers, to make copies and extracts therefrom, and to discuss their respective affairs, finances and accounts with their respective officers and independent public accountants (and by this provision the Company authorizes said accountants to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Company and its Subsidiaries), all at such times and as often as may be reasonably requested.

 

 

Section 8.1.         Maturity.

 

(a)          As provided therein, the entire unpaid principal balance of the Series 2022A Notes shall be due and payable on July 14, 2027.

 

(b)          As provided therein, the entire unpaid principal balance of the Series 2022B Notes shall be due and payable on July 14, 2029.

 

(c)          As provided therein, the entire unpaid principal balance of the Series 2022C Notes shall be due and payable on July 14, 2032.

(d)         As provided therein, the entire unpaid principal balance of the Series 2022D Notes shall be due and payable on July 14, 2034.

 

Section 8.2.        Optional Prepayments with and without Make‑Whole Amount.  (a)  At any time prior to June 14, 2027, the Company may, at its option, upon notice as provided below, prepay all, or from time to time any part of, the Series 2022A Notes at 100% of the principal amount so prepaid, together with interest accrued thereon to the date of such prepayment, plus the Make‑Whole Amount determined for the prepayment date with respect to such principal amount (provided that, if such prepayment is in part, then such partial prepayment shall be in a minimum aggregate principal amount of $1,000,000).  On and after June 14, 2027, the Company may, at its option, upon notice as provided below, prepay at any time all the Series 2022A Notes, at 100% of the principal amount so prepaid, together with interest accrued thereon to the date of such prepayment, but without payment of the Make‑Whole Amount.

 

(b)  At any time prior to May 14, 2029, the Company may, at its option, upon notice as provided below, prepay all, or from time to time any part of, the Series 2022B Notes at 100% of the principal amount so prepaid, together with interest accrued thereon to the date of such prepayment, plus the Make‑Whole Amount determined for the prepayment date with respect to such principal amount (provided that, if such prepayment is in part, then such partial prepayment shall be in a minimum aggregate principal amount of $1,000,000).  On and after May 14, 2029, the Company may, at its option, upon notice as provided below, prepay at any time all the Series 2022B Notes, at 100% of the principal amount so prepaid, together with interest accrued thereon to the date of such prepayment, but without payment of the Make‑Whole Amount.

 

(c)  At any time prior to April 14, 2032, the Company may, at its option, upon notice as provided below, prepay all, or from time to time any part of, the Series 2022C Notes at 100% of the principal amount so prepaid, together with interest accrued thereon to the date of such prepayment, plus the Make‑Whole Amount determined for the prepayment date with respect to such principal amount (provided that, if such prepayment is in part, then such partial prepayment shall be in a minimum aggregate principal amount of $1,000,000).  On and after April 14, 2032, the Company may, at its option, upon notice as provided below, prepay at any time all the Series 2022C Notes, at 100% of the principal amount so prepaid, together with interest accrued thereon to the date of such prepayment, but without payment of the Make‑Whole Amount.

 

(d)  At any time prior to April 14, 2034, the Company may, at its option, upon notice as provided below, prepay all, or from time to time any part of, the Series 2022D Notes at 100% of the principal amount so prepaid, together with interest accrued thereon to the date of such prepayment, plus the Make‑Whole Amount determined for the prepayment date with respect to such principal amount (provided that, if such prepayment is in part, then such partial prepayment shall be in a minimum aggregate principal amount of $1,000,000).  On and after April 14, 2034, the Company may, at its option, upon notice as provided below, prepay at any time all the Series 2022D Notes, at 100% of the principal amount so prepaid, together with interest accrued thereon to the date of such prepayment, but without payment of the Make‑Whole Amount.

(e)  With respect to Sections 8.2(a), 8.2(b), 8.2(c), and 8.2(d) above, if a Default or an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing at the time such notice is provided or on the prepayment date or if a Default or an Event of Default would result from the making of such prepayment, such prepayment shall be pro rata to the holders of all Notes then outstanding.

 

(f)  The Company will give each holder of Notes written notice of each optional prepayment under this Section 8.2 not less than ten (10) days and not more than sixty (60) days prior to the date fixed for such prepayment unless the Company and the Required Holders of the Series to be repaid agree to another time period pursuant to Section 17.  Each such notice shall specify such date (which shall be a Business Day), the aggregate principal amount of the Notes of each Series to be prepaid on such date, the principal amount of each Note of each Series held by such holder to be prepaid (determined in accordance with Section 8.3), and the interest to be paid on the prepayment date with respect to such principal amount being prepaid, and, if applicable, shall be accompanied by a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer as to the estimated Make‑Whole Amount due with respect to each Series of Notes to be prepaid in connection with such prepayment (calculated as if the date of such notice were the date of the prepayment), setting forth the details of such computation.  If applicable, two (2) Business Days prior to such prepayment, the Company shall deliver to each holder of Notes a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer specifying the calculation of such Make‑Whole Amount as of the specified prepayment date.

 

Section 8.3.        Allocation of Partial Prepayments.  In the case of each partial prepayment of the Notes of a Series pursuant to Section 8.2, the principal amount of the Notes of such Series to be prepaid shall be allocated among all of the Notes of such Series at the time outstanding in proportion, as nearly as practicable, to the respective unpaid principal amounts thereof not theretofore called for prepayment, provided that if a Default or an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing at the time such notice is provided or on the prepayment date or if a Default or an Event of Default would result from the making of such prepayment, such prepayment shall be pro rata to the holders of all Notes then outstanding.

 

Section 8.4.          Maturity; Surrender, Etc.In the case of each prepayment of Notes pursuant to this Section 8, the principal amount of each Note to be prepaid shall mature and become due and payable on the date fixed for such prepayment (which shall be a Business Day), together with interest on such principal amount accrued to such date and the applicable Make‑Whole Amount, if any.  From and after such date, unless the Company shall fail to pay such principal amount when so due and payable, together with the interest and, as applicable, any Make‑Whole Amount, interest on such principal amount shall cease to accrue.  Any Note paid or prepaid in full shall be surrendered to the Company and cancelled and shall not be reissued, and no Note shall be issued in lieu of any prepaid principal amount of any Note.

 

Section 8.5.          Purchase of Notes.  The Company will not and will not permit any Affiliate to purchase, redeem, prepay or otherwise acquire, directly or indirectly, any of the outstanding Notes of any Series except (a) upon the payment or prepayment of the Notes of such Series in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and the applicable Notes or (b) pursuant to a written offer to purchase outstanding Notes of such Series made by the Company or an Affiliate pro rata to the holders of the Notes of such Series upon the same terms and conditions.  A failure by a holder of Notes to respond within fifteen Business Days to any such offer made pursuant to this Section 8.5 shall be deemed to constitute a rejection of such offer by such holder.  If the holders of more than 50% of the principal amount of the Notes of a Series then outstanding accept such offer, the Company shall promptly notify the remaining holders of Notes of such Series of such fact and the expiration date for the acceptance by holders of Notes of such Series of such offer shall be extended by the number of days necessary to give each such remaining holder of Notes of such Series at least five (5) Business Days from its receipt of such notice to accept such offer.  The Company will promptly cancel all Notes acquired by it or any Affiliate pursuant to any payment, prepayment or purchase of Notes pursuant to any provision of this Agreement and no Notes may be issued in substitution or exchange for any such Notes.

Section 8.6.          Make‑Whole Amount for the Notes.

 

“Make‑Whole Amount” means, with respect to any Note, an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the Discounted Value of the Remaining Scheduled Payments with respect to the Called Principal of such Note over the amount of such Called Principal, provided that the Make‑Whole Amount may in no event be less than zero.  For the purposes of determining the Make‑Whole Amount, the following terms have the following meanings:

 

“Called Principal” means, with respect to any Note, the principal of such Note that is to be prepaid pursuant to Section 8.2 or has become or is declared to be immediately due and payable pursuant to Section 12.1, as the context requires.

 

“Discounted Value” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, the amount obtained by discounting all Remaining Scheduled Payments with respect to such Called Principal from their respective scheduled due dates to the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, in accordance with accepted financial practice and at a discount factor (applied on the same periodic basis as that on which interest on the Notes of such Series is payable) equal to the Reinvestment Yield with respect to such Called Principal.

 

“Reinvestment Yield” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, 0.5% over the yield to maturity implied by the yield(s) reported as of 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the second Business Day preceding the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, on the display designated as “Page PX1” (or such other display as may replace Page PX1) on Bloomberg Financial Markets for the most recently issued actively traded on‑the‑run U.S. Treasury securities (“Reported”) having a maturity equal to the Remaining Average Life of such Called Principal as of such Settlement Date.  If there are no such U.S. Treasury securities Reported having a maturity equal to such Remaining Average Life, then such implied yield to maturity will be determined by (a) converting U.S. Treasury bill quotations to bond equivalent yields in accordance with accepted financial practice and (b) interpolating linearly between the yields Reported for the applicable most recently issued actively traded on‑the‑run U.S. Treasury securities with the maturities (i) closest to and greater than such Remaining Average Life and (ii) closest to and less than such Remaining Average Life.  The Reinvestment Yield shall be rounded to the number of decimal places as appears in the interest rate of the applicable Note.

If such yields are not Reported or the yields Reported as of such time are not ascertainable (including by way of interpolation), then “Reinvestment Yield” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, 0.5% over the yield to maturity implied by the U.S. Treasury constant maturity yields reported, for the latest day for which such yields have been so reported as of the second Business Day preceding the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, in Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15 (or any comparable successor publication) for the U.S. Treasury constant maturity having a term equal to the Remaining Average Life of such Called Principal as of such Settlement Date.  If there is no such U.S. Treasury constant maturity having a term equal to such Remaining Average Life, such implied yield to maturity will be determined by interpolating linearly between (a) the U.S. Treasury constant maturity so reported with the term closest to and greater than such Remaining Average Life and (b) the U.S. Treasury constant maturity so reported with the term closest to and less than such Remaining Average Life.  The Reinvestment Yield shall be rounded to the number of decimal places as appears in the interest rate of the applicable Note.

 

“Remaining Average Life” means, with respect to any Called Principal, the number of years obtained by dividing (a) such Called Principal into (b) the sum of the products obtained by multiplying (i) the principal component of each Remaining Scheduled Payment with respect to such Called Principal by (ii) the number of years, computed on the basis of a 360‑day year composed of twelve 30‑day months and calculated to two decimal places, that will elapse between the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal and the scheduled due date of such Remaining Scheduled Payment.

 

“Remaining Scheduled Payments” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, all payments of such Called Principal and interest thereon that would be due after the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal if no payment of such Called Principal were made prior to its scheduled due date, provided that if such Settlement Date is not a date on which interest payments are due to be made under the terms of the applicable Note, then the amount of the next succeeding scheduled interest payment will be reduced by the amount of interest accrued to such Settlement Date and required to be paid on such Settlement Date pursuant to Section 8.4 or Section 12.1, as the context requires.

 

“Settlement Date” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, the date on which such Called Principal is to be prepaid pursuant to Section 8.2 or has become or is declared to be immediately due and payable pursuant to Section 12.1, as the context requires.

 

Section 8.7.       Change in Control Triggering Event. (a) Notice of Change in Control Triggering Event. The Company will, within fifteen (15) Business Days after any Responsible Officer has knowledge of the occurrence of any Change in Control Triggering Event give written notice of such Change in Control Triggering Event to each holder of Notes.  If a Change in Control Triggering Event has occurred, such notice shall contain and constitute an offer to prepay the Notes as described in Section 8.7(b) and shall be accompanied by the certificate described in Section 8.7(e).

 

(b)        Offer to Prepay Notes.  The offer to prepay Notes contemplated by Section 8.7(a) shall be an offer to prepay, in accordance with and subject to this Section 8.7, all, but not less than all, of the Notes held by each holder (in this case only, “holder” in respect of any Note registered in the name of a nominee for a disclosed beneficial owner shall mean such beneficial owner) on a date specified in such offer (the “Proposed Prepayment Date”).  The Proposed Prepayment Date shall be a Business Day and such date shall be not less than 20 days and not more than thirty (30) days after the date of such offer (if the Proposed Prepayment Date shall not be specified in such offer, the Proposed Prepayment Date shall be the 30th day after the date of such offer).

(c)         Acceptance; Rejection.  A holder of Notes may accept or reject the offer to prepay made pursuant to this Section 8.7 by causing a notice of such acceptance or rejection to be delivered to the Company at least five Business Days prior to the Proposed Prepayment Date.  A failure by a holder of Notes to respond to an offer to prepay made pursuant to this Section 8.7 shall be deemed to constitute a rejection of such offer by such holder.

 

(d)         Prepayment.  Prepayment of the Notes to be prepaid pursuant to this Section 8.7 shall be at 100% of the principal amount of such Notes, together with interest on such Notes accrued to the date of prepayment.  The prepayment shall be made on the Proposed Prepayment Date.

 

(e)        Officer’s Certificate. Each offer to prepay the Notes pursuant to this Section 8.7 shall be accompanied by a certificate, executed by a Senior Financial Officer of the Company and dated the date of such offer, specifying: (i) the Proposed Prepayment Date; (ii) that such offer is made pursuant to this Section 8.7; (iii) the principal amount of each Note offered to be prepaid; (iv) the interest that would be due on each Note offered to be prepaid, accrued to the Proposed Prepayment Date; (v) that the conditions of this Section 8.7 have been fulfilled; and (vi) in reasonable detail, the nature and date or proposed date of the Change in Control Triggering Event.

 

(f)         Effect on Required Payments.  The amount of each payment of the principal of the Notes made pursuant to this Section 8.7 shall be applied against and reduce each of the then remaining principal payments due pursuant to Section 8.1 by a percentage equal to the aggregate principal amount of the Notes so paid divided by the aggregate principal amount of the Notes outstanding immediately prior to such payment.

 

(g)        “Change in Control” Defined.  “Change in Control” means the occurrence of either of the following: (i) any entity, person (within the meaning of Section 14(d) of the Exchange Act) or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act) which theretofore was the beneficial owner (as defined in Rule 13d‑3 under the Exchange Act) of less than 20% of the Company’s then outstanding common stock either (A) acquires shares of common stock of the Company in a transaction or series of transactions that results in such entity, person or group directly or indirectly owning beneficially 20% or more of the outstanding common stock of the Company, or (B) acquires, by proxy or otherwise, the right to vote for the election of directors, for any merger, combination or consolidation of the Company or any of its direct or indirect Subsidiaries, or, for any other matter or question, more than 20% of the then outstanding voting securities of the Company; or (ii) 20% or more of the members of the board of directors of the Company fail to consist of Continuing Directors.

For purposes of this Section 8.7(g), the IIF Acquisition shall not constitute a Change in Control.  In the event the IIF Acquisition is consummated, from and after the consummation of the IIF Acquisition, the definition of Change in Control shall be changed to be the first to occur of any of the following:

 

(i) at any time prior to a Qualifying IPO, the IIF Group collectively ceases to own beneficially (within the meaning of Rule 13d-5 of the Exchange Act as in effect on the date hereof), directly or indirectly, equity interests representing at least a majority of the aggregate ordinary voting power represented by the issued and outstanding equity interests in Boardwalk;

 

(ii) at any time on or after a Qualifying IPO, the acquisition by any person or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or Section 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act as in effect on the date hereof), including any group acting for the purpose of acquiring, holding or disposing of Securities (within the meaning of Rule 13d-5(b)(1) under the Exchange Act as in effect on the date hereof) of outstanding voting equity interests of Boardwalk and such person or group owns, directly or indirectly, beneficially more of the total voting power of all of the outstanding voting equity interests of Boardwalk collectively owned, directly or indirectly, beneficially by the IIF Group; or

 

(iii) at any time after the consummation of the IIF Acquisition, the Company ceases to be a direct or indirect Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of Boardwalk.

 

 

From the date of this Agreement and thereafter, so long as any of the Notes are outstanding, the Company covenants that:

 

Section 9.1.        Compliance with Law.  Without limiting Section 10.6, the Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, comply with all laws, ordinances or governmental rules or regulations to which each of them is subject, including, without limitation, ERISA, Environmental Laws, the USA Patriot Act and the other laws and regulations that are referred to in Section 5.16, and will obtain and maintain in effect all licenses, certificates, permits, franchises and other governmental authorizations necessary to the ownership of their respective properties or to the conduct of their respective businesses, in each case to the extent necessary to ensure that non‑compliance with such laws, ordinances or governmental rules or regulations or failures to obtain or maintain in effect such licenses, certificates, permits, franchises and other governmental authorizations would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Section 9.2.        Insurance.  The Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, maintain, with financially sound and reputable insurers, insurance with respect to their respective properties and businesses against such casualties and contingencies, of such types, on such terms and in such amounts (including deductibles, co‑insurance and self‑insurance, if adequate reserves are maintained with respect thereto) as is customary in the case of entities of established reputations engaged in the same or a similar business and similarly situated.

 

Section 9.3.        Maintenance of Properties.  The Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, maintain and keep, or cause to be maintained and kept, their respective properties in good repair, working order and condition (other than ordinary wear and tear), so that the business carried on in connection therewith may be properly conducted at all times, provided that this Section shall not prevent the Company or any Subsidiary from discontinuing the operation and the maintenance of any of its properties if such discontinuance is desirable in the conduct of its business and the Company has concluded that such discontinuance would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

Section 9.4.          Payment of Taxes and Claims.  The Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, file all tax returns required to be filed in any jurisdiction and to pay and discharge all taxes shown to be due and payable on such returns and all other taxes, assessments, governmental charges, or levies imposed on them or any of their properties, assets, income or franchises, to the extent the same have become due and payable and before they have become delinquent and all claims for which sums have become due and payable that have or might become a Lien on properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, provided that neither the Company nor any Subsidiary need pay any such tax, assessment, charge, levy or claim if (a) the amount, applicability or validity thereof is contested by the Company or such Subsidiary on a timely basis in good faith and in appropriate proceedings, and the Company or a Subsidiary has established adequate reserves therefor in accordance with GAAP on the books of the Company or such Subsidiary or (b) the nonpayment of all such taxes, assessments, charges, levies and claims in the aggregate would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Section 9.5.         Corporate Existence, Etc.  Subject to Section 10.2, the Company will at all times preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence.  Subject to Sections 10.2 and 10.3, the Company will at all times preserve and keep in full force and effect the corporate existence of each of its Subsidiaries (unless merged into the Company or a Wholly‑Owned Subsidiary) and all rights and franchises of the Company and its Subsidiaries unless, in the good faith judgment of the Company, the termination of or failure to preserve and keep in full force and effect such corporate existence, right or franchise would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Section 9.6.        Books and Records.  The Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, maintain proper books of record and account in conformity with GAAP and all applicable requirements of any Governmental Authority having legal or regulatory jurisdiction over the Company or such Subsidiary, as the case may be, in all material respects.

 

Section 9.7.         Ownership.  The Company will own, at all times, directly or indirectly, 100% of the Capital Stock having voting rights of South Jersey Gas Company and Elizabethtown Gas.

 

Section 9.8.          Subsidiary Guarantors.  (a) The Company will cause any Subsidiary that (i) at any time is a party to any Principal Credit Facility or (ii) guarantees Indebtedness in respect of any Principal Credit Facility, to enter into a subsidiary guaranty agreement reasonably acceptable to the Required Holders providing for a guaranty of the obligations of the Company under the Notes and this Agreement (a “Subsidiary Guaranty”) and to deliver to each of the holders of the Notes (substantially concurrently with the incurrence of any such guaranty obligation pursuant to any Principal Credit Facility) the following items:

(A)       a certificate signed by an authorized Responsible Officer of the Company making representations and warranties substantially to the effect of those contained in Sections 5.4, 5.6, and 5.7, with respect to such Subsidiary and the Subsidiary Guaranty, as applicable; and

 

(B)        an opinion of counsel for the Company addressed to each of the holders of the Notes reasonably satisfactory to the Required Holders, substantially to the effect that the Subsidiary Guaranty by such Person has been duly authorized, executed and delivered and that the Subsidiary Guaranty constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of such Person enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and subject to other usual and customary limitations,

 

provided, that notwithstanding anything contained in this Section 9.8(a) to the contrary, the Company shall be under no obligation to require any such Subsidiary that becomes a party to a Principal Credit Facility to become a Subsidiary Guarantor in respect of this Agreement and the Notes to the extent (x) such Subsidiary’s obligations under all Principal Credit Facilities consist solely of direct borrowings with recourse only to such Subsidiary and (y) such Subsidiary does not guarantee or otherwise become liable at any time, whether as a borrower or an additional or co-borrower or otherwise, for or in respect of Indebtedness of the Company or any other Subsidiary under any Principal Credit Facility.

 

(b)         The holders of the Notes agree to discharge and release any Subsidiary Guarantor from any Subsidiary Guaranty upon the written request of the Company, provided that (i) such Subsidiary Guarantor has been released and discharged (or will be released and discharged concurrently with the release of such Subsidiary Guarantor under the Subsidiary Guaranty) as an obligor and guarantor under and in respect of each Principal Credit Facility and the Company so certifies to the holders of the Notes in a certificate of a Responsible Officer, (ii) at the time of such release and discharge, the Company shall deliver a certificate of a Responsible Officer to the holders of the Notes stating that no Default or Event of Default exists, and (iii) if any fee or other form of consideration is given to any holder of Indebtedness of the Company for the purpose of such release, the holders of the Notes shall receive equivalent consideration.

 

Section 9.9.       Notes to Rank Pari Passu.  The Notes and all obligations under this Agreement are and at all times shall remain direct obligations of the Company ranking pari passu as against the assets of the Company with all other Notes from time to time issued and outstanding hereunder without any preference among themselves and pari passu with all Indebtedness outstanding under any Principal Credit Facility and all other present and future unsecured Indebtedness (actual or contingent) of the Company which is not expressed to be subordinate or junior in rank to any other unsecured Indebtedness of the Company.

Section 9.10.       Annual Report to Holders of Series 2022D Notes.  (a) The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to allocate the net proceeds of the Series 2022D Notes to Green Investments as soon as practicable and, where feasible, within the first 12 to 24 months after issuance of the Series 2022D Notes; provided, however, if the Company is unable to so allocate the net proceeds of the Series 2022D Notes to Green Investments within 24 months after issuance of the Series 2022D Notes, the Company and the Series 2022D Required Holders shall cooperate in good faith to mutually agree upon a plan to allocate such additional net proceeds no later than 30 months after the issuance of the Series 2022D Notes.  In the case of divestment of a Green Project or if a Green Project no longer meets the eligibility criteria of a Green Investment, the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to reallocate the net proceeds of the Series 2022D Notes that were allocated to such Green Project to other Green Investments.

 

(b)  As long as any Series 2022D Notes remain outstanding, within 120 days of the end of each fiscal year of the Company (beginning with the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022), the Company will provide to each holder of Series 2022D Notes (i) an Officer’s Certificate setting forth the amount of such net proceeds that have been allocated to one or more Green Investments, either individually or by category (until the net proceeds from the sale of the Series 2022D Notes have been fully allocated) and (ii) either (A) a copy of the Company’s Environmental, Social and Governance Report (“ESG Report”) for the fiscal year just ended, provided that such ESG Report provides a differentiated breakdown for the Green Investments allocated to the Series 2022D Notes or (B) an estimate of the CO₂ gas emission reduction for such year associated with the Green Investments allocated to the Series 2022D Notes over the relevant period; provided that if the foregoing information is not readily available at the times required to be reported to the holders of the Series 2022D Notes, the Company and the Series 2022D Required Holders shall cooperate in good faith to mutually agree on an alternative reporting obligation with respect to the Green Investments.

 

(c)  For the avoidance of doubt and notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, any failure by the Company to comply with Section 9.10(a) shall not constitute a Default or Event of Default under the Series 2022D Notes or this Agreement.  If the Company fails to comply with Section 9.10(a), the Company shall offer to prepay a portion of the Series 2022D Notes equal to the amount by which the net proceeds of the Series 2022D exceeds the amount of such net proceeds that the Company allocated to Green Investments using commercially reasonable efforts within 30 months of the issuance of the Series 2022D Notes.  Such offer to prepay such portion of the Series 2022D Notes shall be made pro rata to each holder of Series 2022D Notes.  Such prepayment shall be at 100% of the principal amount of such Series 2022D Notes, together with interest on such Series 2022D Notes accrued to the date of prepayment.  Such offer to prepay shall follow the procedures set forth in Sections 8.7(b) and (c), mutatis mutandis.  Failure to prepay any Series 2022D Notes required to be prepaid pursuant to this Section 9.10(c) shall constitute an Event of Default.

 

 

From the date of this Agreement and thereafter, so long as any of the Notes are outstanding, the Company covenants that:

Section 10.1.       Transactions with Affiliates.  The Company will not and will not permit any Subsidiary to enter into directly or indirectly any Material transaction or group of related Material transactions (including without limitation the purchase, lease, sale or exchange of properties of any kind or the rendering of any service) with any Affiliate (other than the Company or another Subsidiary), except in the ordinary course and pursuant to the reasonable requirements of the Company’s or such Subsidiary’s business and upon fair and reasonable terms no less favorable to the Company or such Subsidiary than would be obtainable in a comparable arm’s‑length transaction with a Person not an Affiliate.

 

Section 10.2.        Merger, Consolidation, Etc.  The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, consolidate with or merge with any other Person or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of its assets in a single transaction or series of transactions to any Person; provided that:

 

(a)          any Subsidiary of the Company may (i) consolidate with or merge with, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of its assets in a single transaction or series of transactions to (A) the Company or a Subsidiary so long as in any merger or consolidation involving the Company, the Company shall be the surviving or continuing entity or (B) any other Person so long as the survivor of any such merger or consolidation is a Subsidiary, or (ii) convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of its assets in compliance with the provisions of Section 10.3; and

 

(b)         the foregoing restriction does not apply to the consolidation or merger of the Company with, or the conveyance, transfer or lease of substantially all of the assets of the Company in a single transaction or series of transactions to, any Person so long as:

 

(i)           the successor formed by such consolidation or the survivor of such merger or the Person that acquires by conveyance, transfer or lease all or substantially all of the assets of the Company as an entirety, as the case may be (the “Successor Corporation”), shall be (A) the Company or (B) a solvent entity organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America or any State thereof (including the District of Columbia);

 

(ii)          if the Company is not the Successor Corporation, such Successor Corporation shall have executed and delivered to each holder of Notes its assumption of the due and punctual performance and observance of each covenant and condition of this Agreement and the Notes (pursuant to such agreements and instruments as shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Required Holders), and the Successor Corporation shall have caused to be delivered to each holder of Notes an opinion of nationally recognized independent counsel or other independent counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Required Holders, to the effect that all agreements or instruments effecting such assumption are enforceable in accordance with their terms (subject to usual and customary limitations); and

 

(iii)          immediately before and after giving effect to such transaction no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.

No such conveyance, transfer or lease of substantially all of the assets of the Company shall have the effect of releasing the Company or any successor corporation or limited liability company that shall theretofore have become such in the manner prescribed in this Section 10.2 from its liability under this Agreement or the Notes.

 

Section 10.3.       Sale of Assets.  The Company will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, sell, lease or otherwise dispose of any Substantial Part (as defined below) of the assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries; provided, however, that the Company or any Subsidiary may sell, lease or otherwise dispose of assets constituting a Substantial Part of the assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries if such assets are sold in an arms’ length transaction and, at such time and after giving effect thereto, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing and an amount equal to the net proceeds received from such sale, lease or other disposition (but only with respect to that portion of such assets that exceeds the definition of “Substantial Part” set forth below) shall be used within 365 days of such sale, lease or disposition, in any combination:

 

(a)          to acquire productive assets used or useful in carrying on the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries and having a value at least equal to the value of such assets sold, leased or otherwise disposed of; and/or

 

(b)          to prepay or retire Senior Indebtedness of the Company and/or its Subsidiaries, provided that the Company shall offer to prepay each outstanding Note in a principal amount, which equals the Ratable Portion for such Note, in accordance with Section 8.2, but without payment of any Make‑Whole Amount.

 

A sale, lease or other disposition of assets shall be deemed to be a “Substantial Part” of the assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries if the book value of such assets, when added to the book value of all other assets sold, leased or otherwise disposed of by the Company and its Subsidiaries during any period of twelve (12) consecutive months, exceeds 10% of Consolidated Total Assets (Consolidated Total Assets to be determined as of the end of the fiscal year of the Company immediately preceding such sale, lease or other disposition after giving pro forma effect to the acquisition and the sale or other disposition of all assets by the Company and its Subsidiaries occurring from and after such fiscal year end to the date of determination); provided that there shall be excluded from any determination of a “Substantial Part” any (i) sale or disposition of assets in the ordinary course of business of the Company and its Subsidiaries, (ii) any transfer of assets from the Company to any Subsidiary or from any Subsidiary to the Company or a Subsidiary, and (iii) any sale or transfer of property acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary after the date of this Agreement to any Person within 365 days following the acquisition or construction of such property by the Company or any Subsidiary if the Company or a Subsidiary shall concurrently with such sale or transfer, lease such property, as lessee.

 

Section 10.4.       Liens.  The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly create, incur, assume or permit to exist (upon the happening of a contingency or otherwise) any Lien securing Indebtedness for borrowed money on or with respect to any property or asset (including, without limitation, any document or instrument in respect of goods or accounts receivable) of the Company or any such Subsidiary, whether now owned or held or hereafter acquired, or any income or profits therefrom, or assign or otherwise convey any right to receive income or profits (other than assignments and conveyances constituting dispositions of assets permitted under Section 10.3), except:

(a)          Liens for taxes, assessments or other governmental charges which are not yet due and payable or the payment of which is not at the time required by Section 9.4;

 

(b)         carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s and other like Liens imposed by law, arising in the ordinary course of business and securing obligations that are not overdue by more than thirty (30) days or are being contested by the Company or such Subsidiary on a timely basis in good faith and in appropriate proceedings;

 

(c)        any attachment or judgment Lien, unless the judgment it secures shall not, within ninety (90) days after entry thereof, have been discharged or execution thereof stayed pending appeal, or shall not have been discharged within ninety (90) days after the expiration of such stay;

 

(d)        deposits or pledges to secure bids, tenders, contracts (other than contracts for the payment of money), leases, statutory obligations (including workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other social security laws or regulations), surety and appeal bonds, and other obligations of like nature arising in the ordinary course of such Person’s business, including, without limitation, deposits and pledges of funds securing Permitted Commodity Hedging Obligations;

 

(e)         rights of way, zoning restrictions, easements and similar encumbrances affecting such Person’s real property which do not materially interfere with the use of such property;

 

(f)          licenses, leases or subleases granted to other Persons in the ordinary course of business and not interfering in any material respect with the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries;

 

(g)         customary bankers’ Liens and rights of setoff arising, in each case, by operation of law and incurred on deposits made in the ordinary course of business;

 

(h)           Liens on property or assets of any Subsidiary securing Indebtedness owing to the Company or to another Subsidiary;

 

(i)           Liens on property or assets securing the Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary as of the date of this Agreement and reflected in Schedule 5.15(a);

 

(j)           any Lien created to secure all or part of the purchase price, or to secure Indebtedness incurred or assumed to pay all or any part of the purchase price or cost of construction, of property (or any improvement thereon) acquired or constructed by the Company or a Subsidiary after the date of this Agreement, provided that (i) any such Lien shall extend solely to the item or items of such property (or improvement thereon) so acquired or constructed and, if required by the terms of the instrument originally creating such Lien, other property (or improvement thereon) which is an improvement to or is acquired or constructed property (or improvement thereon) or which is real property being improved by such acquired or constructed property (or improvement thereon), and (ii) any such Lien shall be created contemporaneously with, or within 180 days after, the acquisition or construction of such property;

(k)          any Lien existing on property of a Person immediately prior to its being consolidated with or merged into the Company or a Subsidiary or its becoming a Subsidiary, or any Lien existing on any property acquired by the Company or a Subsidiary at the time such property is so acquired (whether or not the Indebtedness secured thereby shall have assumed), provided that (i) no such Lien shall have been created or assumed in contemplation of such consolidation or merger or such Person’s becoming a Subsidiary or such acquisition of property, and (ii) each such Lien shall extend solely to the item or items of property so acquired and, if required by the terms of the instrument originally creating such Lien, other property which is an improvement to or is acquired for specific use in connection with such acquired property;

 

(l)          any Lien renewing, extending or refunding any Lien permitted by paragraphs (i), (j), or (k) of this Section 10.4, provided that (i) the principal amount of Indebtedness secured by such Lien immediately prior to such extension, renewal or refunding is not increased or the maturity thereof reduced, (ii) such Lien is not extended to any other property, and (iii) immediately before and after such extension, renewal or refunding, no Default or Event of Default exists;

 

(m)        Liens on the property of (i) South Jersey Gas pursuant to the SJG Mortgage; (ii) Elizabethtown Gas pursuant to the Elizabethtown Mortgage; and (iii) any other Regulated Utility Subsidiary of the Company pursuant to a Subsidiary Mortgage, which Liens shall provide collateral for amounts due under securities issued thereunder (or notes related to the SJG Mortgage); so long as in each case the securities are issued in accordance with limitations of the SJG Mortgage, the Elizabethtown Mortgage, or the applicable Subsidiary Mortgage; and

 

(n)          other Liens not otherwise permitted by paragraphs (a) through (m) securing Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries, provided that the aggregate outstanding principal amount of Indebtedness secured by all Liens permitted by this Section 10.4(n) shall not exceed 15% of Consolidated Net Worth, provided further, notwithstanding the foregoing, no such Liens may secure any obligations under or pursuant to any Principal Credit Facility within the provisions of this Section 10.4(n) unless concurrently therewith the Company shall cause the Notes to be secured, equally and ratably with such obligations pursuant to documentation in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Required Holders.

 

Section 10.5.        Line of Business.  The Company will not and will not permit any Subsidiary to engage in any business if, as a result, the general nature of the business in which the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, would then be engaged would be substantially changed from the general nature of the business in which the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, are engaged on the date of this Agreement as described in the Disclosure Documents.

Section 10.6.       Economic Sanctions, Etc.  The Company will not, and will not permit any Controlled Entity to (a) become (including by virtue of being owned or controlled by a Blocked Person), own or control a Blocked Person or (b) directly or indirectly have any investment in or engage in any dealing or transaction (including any investment, dealing or transaction involving the proceeds of the Notes) with any Person if such investment, dealing or transaction (i) would cause any Purchaser or holder or any Affiliate of such Purchaser or holder to be in violation of, or subject to sanctions under, any law or regulation applicable to such holder, or (ii) is prohibited by or subject to sanctions under any U.S. Economic Sanctions Laws.

 

Section 10.7.       Ratio of Indebtedness to Consolidated Total Capitalization.  The Company will, unless the Required Holders shall otherwise consent in writing, maintain at the end of each fiscal quarter a ratio of Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis (solely with respect to Pre-Funded Acquisition Debt, calculated net of the proceeds thereof held as cash and cash equivalents held on the balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries) to Consolidated Total Capitalization of not more than 0.70 to 1.00.

 

 

An “Event of Default” shall exist if any of the following conditions or events shall occur and be continuing:

 

(a)         the Company defaults in the payment of any principal or Make‑Whole Amount, if any, on any Note when the same becomes due and payable, whether at maturity or at a date fixed for prepayment or by declaration or otherwise; or

 

(b)         the Company defaults in the payment of any interest on any Note for more than five Business Days after the same becomes due and payable; or

 

(c)          the Company defaults in the performance of or compliance with any term contained in Section 7.1(d) or Section 10; or

 

(d)         the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor defaults in the performance of or compliance with any term contained herein (other than those referred to in Sections 9.10(a) and 11(a), (b), and (c)) or in any Subsidiary Guaranty and such default is not remedied within 30 days (or 90 days in the case of Section 9.10(b)) after the earlier of (i) a Responsible Officer obtaining actual knowledge of such default and (ii) the Company receiving written notice of such default from any holder of a Note (any such written notice to be identified as a “notice of default” and to refer specifically to this Section 11(d)); or

 

(e)         any representation or warranty made in writing by or on behalf of the Company, any Subsidiary Guarantor (if applicable) or by any officer of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor (if applicable) in this Agreement or any Subsidiary Guaranty or in any writing furnished in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby or by any Subsidiary Guaranty proves to have been false or incorrect in any material respect on the date as of which made; or

(f)         (i) the Company or any Subsidiary is in default (as principal or as guarantor or other surety) in the payment of any principal of or premium or make‑whole amount or interest on any Indebtedness that is outstanding in an aggregate principal amount of at least $50,000,000 beyond any period of grace provided with respect thereto, or (ii) the Company or any Subsidiary is in default in the performance of or compliance with any term of any evidence of any Indebtedness in an aggregate outstanding principal amount of at least $50,000,000 or of any mortgage, indenture or other agreement relating thereto or any other condition exists, and as a consequence of such default or condition such Indebtedness has become, or has been declared (or one or more Persons are entitled to declare such Indebtedness to be), due and payable before its stated maturity or before its regularly scheduled dates of payment, or (iii) as a consequence of the occurrence or continuation of any event or condition (other than the passage of time or the right of the holder of Indebtedness to convert such Indebtedness into equity interests or the right of the Company or a Subsidiary to repay such Indebtedness prior to its stated maturity), (A) the Company or any Subsidiary has become obligated to purchase or repay Indebtedness before its regular maturity or before its regularly scheduled dates of payment in an aggregate outstanding principal amount of at least $50,000,000 or (B) one or more Persons have the right to require the Company or any Subsidiary so to purchase or repay such Indebtedness, provided, however, that a requirement to purchase or prepay such Indebtedness as a result of change of control in connection with the IIF Acquisition shall not constitute an Event of Default under this Section 11(f)(iii); or

 

(g)         the Company or any Subsidiary (i) is generally not paying, or admits in writing its inability to pay, its debts as they become due, (ii) files, or consents by answer or otherwise to the filing against it of a petition for relief or reorganization or arrangement or any other petition in bankruptcy, for liquidation or to take advantage of any bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar law of any jurisdiction, (iii) makes an assignment for the benefit of its creditors, (iv) consents to the appointment of a custodian, receiver, trustee or other officer with similar powers with respect to it or with respect to any substantial part of its property, (v) is adjudicated as insolvent or to be liquidated, or (vi) takes corporate action for the purpose of any of the foregoing; or

 

(h)          a court or Governmental Authority of competent jurisdiction enters an order appointing, without consent by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, a custodian, receiver, trustee or other officer with similar powers with respect to it or with respect to any substantial part of its property, or constituting an order for relief or approving a petition for relief or reorganization or any other petition in bankruptcy or for liquidation or to take advantage of any bankruptcy or insolvency law of any jurisdiction, or ordering the dissolution, winding‑up or liquidation of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any such petition shall be filed against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and such petition shall not be dismissed within sixty (60) days; or

(i)          a final judgment or judgments at any one time outstanding for the payment of money aggregating in excess of $50,000,000 (except to the extent covered by independent third‑party insurance as to which the insurer acknowledges in writing that such judgment or judgments are covered by such insurance) are rendered against one or more of the Company and its Subsidiaries and which judgments are not, within sixty (60) days after entry thereof, bonded, discharged or stayed pending appeal, or are not discharged within sixty (60) days after the expiration of such stay; or

 

(j)           to the extent applicable, any provision of any Subsidiary Guaranty after delivery thereof shall for any reason cease to be a legally valid, binding and enforceable obligation or contract of a Subsidiary Guarantor (other than upon a release of any Subsidiary Guarantor from a Subsidiary Guaranty in accordance with the terms of Section 9.8 hereof), or any Subsidiary Guarantor or any party by, through or on account of any such Subsidiary Guarantor, challenges the validity, binding nature or enforceability of any such Subsidiary Guaranty; or

 

(k)           if (i) any Plan shall fail to satisfy the minimum funding standards of ERISA or the Code for any plan year or part thereof or a waiver of such standards or extension of any amortization period is sought or granted under Section 412 of the Code, (ii) a notice of intent to terminate any Plan shall have been or is reasonably expected to be filed with the PBGC or the PBGC shall have instituted proceedings under Section 4042 of ERISA to terminate or appoint a trustee to administer any Plan or the PBGC shall have notified the Company or any ERISA Affiliate that a Plan may become a subject of any such proceedings, (iii) the aggregate “amount of unfunded benefit liabilities” (within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(18) of ERISA) for which the Company or any ERISA Affiliate is obligated under all Plans, determined in accordance with Title IV of ERISA, shall exceed $50,000,000, (iv) the Company or any ERISA Affiliate shall have incurred or is reasonably expected to incur any liability (other than for premium payments due to the PBGC) pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or the penalty or excise tax provisions of the Code relating to employee benefit plans, (v) the Company or any ERISA Affiliate withdraws from any Multiemployer Plan, or (vi) the Company or any Subsidiary establishes or amends any employee welfare benefit plan that provides post‑employment welfare benefits in a manner that would increase the liability of the Company or any Subsidiary thereunder; and any such event or events described in clauses (i) through (vi) above, either individually or together with any other such event or events, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

As used in this Section 11(k), the terms “employee benefit plan” and “employee welfare benefit plan” shall have the respective meanings assigned to such terms in Section 3 of ERISA.

 

 

Section 12.1.        Acceleration.  (a)  If an Event of Default with respect to the Company described in Section 11(g) or (h) (other than an Event of Default described in clause (i) of Section 11(g) or described in clause (vi) of Section 11(g) by virtue of the fact that such clause encompasses clause (i) of Section 11(g)) has occurred, all the Notes then outstanding shall automatically become immediately due and payable.

(b)         If any other Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, any holder or holders of more than 50% in aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding may at any time during the continuation of such Event of Default, at its or their option, by notice or notices to the Company, declare all of the Notes then outstanding to be immediately due and payable.

 

(c)         If any Event of Default described in Section 11(a) or (b) has occurred and is continuing, any holder or holders of Notes at the time outstanding affected by such Event of Default may at any time during the continuation of such Event of Default, at its or their option, by notice or notices to the Company, declare all of the Notes held by it or them to be immediately due and payable.

 

Upon any Notes becoming due and payable under this Section 12.1, whether automatically or by declaration, such Notes will forthwith mature and the entire unpaid principal amount of such Notes, plus (x) all accrued and unpaid interest thereon (including, but not limited to, interest accrued thereon at the Default Rate) and (y) the Make‑Whole Amount, if any, determined in respect of such principal amount (to the full extent permitted by applicable law), shall all be immediately due and payable, in each and every case without presentment, demand, protest or further notice, all of which are hereby waived.  The Company acknowledges, and the parties hereto agree, that each holder of a Note has the right to maintain its investment in the Notes free from repayment by the Company (except as herein specifically provided for) and that the provision for payment of a Make‑Whole Amount, if any, by the Company in the event that the Notes are prepaid or are accelerated as a result of an Event of Default, is intended to provide compensation for the deprivation of such right under such circumstances.

 

Section 12.2.       Other Remedies.  If any Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, and irrespective of whether any Notes have become or have been declared immediately due and payable under Section 12.1, the holder of any Note at the time outstanding may proceed to protect and enforce the rights of such holder by an action at law, suit in equity or other appropriate proceeding, whether for the specific performance of any agreement contained herein or in any Note or Subsidiary Guaranty, or for an injunction against a violation of any of the terms hereof or thereof, or in aid of the exercise of any power granted hereby or thereby or by law or otherwise.

 

Section 12.3.       Rescission.  At any time after any Notes have been declared due and payable pursuant to Section 12.1(b) or (c), the holders of not less than 51% in principal amount of the Notes then outstanding, by written notice to the Company, may rescind and annul any such declaration and its consequences if (a) the Company has paid all overdue interest on the Notes, all principal of and any applicable Make‑Whole Amount on any Notes that are due and payable and are unpaid other than by reason of such declaration, and all interest on such overdue principal and Make‑Whole Amount, if any, and (to the extent permitted by applicable law) any overdue interest in respect of the Notes, at the Default Rate, (b) neither the Company nor any other Person shall have paid any amounts which have become due solely by reason of such declaration, (c) all Events of Default and Defaults, other than non‑payment of amounts that have become due solely by reason of such declaration, have been cured or have been waived pursuant to Section 17, and (d) no judgment or decree has been entered for the payment of any monies due pursuant hereto or to the Notes.  No rescission and annulment under this Section 12.3 will extend to or affect any subsequent Event of Default or Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

Section 12.4.       No Waivers or Election of Remedies, Expenses, Etc.  No course of dealing and no delay on the part of any holder of any Note in exercising any right, power or remedy shall operate as a waiver thereof or otherwise prejudice such holder’s rights, powers or remedies.  No right, power or remedy conferred by this Agreement, any Subsidiary Guaranty or by any Note upon any holder thereof shall be exclusive of any other right, power or remedy referred to herein or therein or now or hereafter available at law, in equity, by statute or otherwise.  Without limiting the obligations of the Company under Section 15, the Company will pay to the holder of each Note on demand such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover all reasonable costs and expenses of such holder incurred in any enforcement or collection under this Section 12, including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees, expenses and disbursements.

 

 

Section 13.1.      Registration of Notes.  The Company shall keep at its principal executive office a register for the registration and registration of transfers of Notes.  The name and address of each holder of one or more Notes, each transfer thereof and the name and address of each transferee of one or more Notes shall be registered in such register.  If any holder of one or more Notes is a nominee, then (a) the name and address of the beneficial owner of such Note or Notes shall also be registered in such register as an owner and holder thereof and (b) at any such beneficial owner’s option, either such beneficial owner or its nominee may execute any amendment, waiver or consent pursuant to this Agreement.  Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer, the Person in whose name any Note shall be registered shall be deemed and treated as the owner and holder thereof for all purposes hereof, and the Company shall not be affected by any notice or knowledge to the contrary.  The Company shall give to any holder of a Note that is an Institutional Investor promptly upon request therefor, a complete and correct copy of the names and addresses of all registered holders of Notes.

 

Section 13.2.       Transfer and Exchange of Notes.  Upon surrender of any Note to the Company at the address and to the attention of the designated officer (all as specified in Section 18(iii)), for registration of transfer or exchange (and in the case of a surrender for registration of transfer accompanied by a written instrument of transfer duly executed by the registered holder of such Note or such holder’s attorney duly authorized in writing and accompanied by the relevant name, address and other information for notices of each transferee of such Note or part thereof), within ten Business Days thereafter, the Company shall execute and deliver, at the Company’s expense (except as provided below), one or more new Notes (as requested by the holder thereof) in exchange therefor, in an aggregate principal amount equal to the unpaid principal amount of the surrendered Note.  Each such new Note shall be payable to such Person as such holder may request and shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit 1(a) or 1(b), as the case may be.  Each such new Note shall be dated and bear interest from the date to which interest shall have been paid on the surrendered Note or dated the date of the surrendered Note if no interest shall have been paid thereon.  The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any stamp tax or governmental charge imposed in respect of any such transfer of Notes.  Notes shall not be transferred in denominations of less than $1,000,000, provided that if necessary to enable the registration of transfer by a holder of its entire holding of Notes, one Note may be in a denomination of less than $1,000,000.  Any transferee, by its acceptance of a Note registered in its name (or the name of its nominee), shall be deemed to have made the representations set forth in Section 6.

Section 13.3.       Replacement of Notes.  Upon receipt by the Company at the address and to the attention of the designated officer (all as specified in Section 18(iii)) of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Company of the ownership of and the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of any Note (which evidence shall be, in the case of an Institutional Investor, notice from such Institutional Investor of such ownership and such loss, theft, destruction or mutilation), and

 

(a)           in the case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the Company (provided that if the holder of such Note is, or is a nominee for, an original Purchaser or another holder of a Note with a minimum net worth of at least $50,000,000 or a Qualified Institutional Buyer, such Person’s own unsecured agreement of indemnity shall be deemed to be satisfactory), or

 

(b)           in the case of mutilation, upon surrender and cancellation thereof,

 

within ten Business Days thereafter, the Company at its own expense shall execute and deliver, in lieu thereof, a new Note, dated and bearing interest from the date to which interest shall have been paid on such lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated Note or dated the date of such lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated Note if no interest shall have been paid thereon.

 

 

Section 14.1.       Place of Payment.  Subject to Section 14.2, payments of principal, Make‑Whole Amount, if any, and interest becoming due and payable on the Notes shall be made in New York, New York at the principal office of Bank of America, N.A. in such jurisdiction.  The Company may at any time, by notice to each holder of a Note, change the place of payment of the Notes so long as such place of payment shall be either the principal office of the Company in such jurisdiction or the principal office of a bank or trust company in such jurisdiction.

 

Section 14.2.      Home Office Payment.  So long as any Purchaser or its nominee shall be the holder of any Note, and notwithstanding anything contained in Section 14.1 or in such Note to the contrary, the Company will pay all sums becoming due on such Note for principal, Make‑Whole Amount, if any, interest and all other amounts due hereunder by the method and at the address specified for such purpose below such Purchaser’s name in Schedule A, or by such other method or at such other address as such Purchaser shall have from time to time specified to the Company in writing for such purpose, without the presentation or surrender of such Note or the making of any notation thereon, except that upon written request of the Company made concurrently with or reasonably promptly after payment or prepayment in full of any Note, such Purchaser shall surrender such Note for cancellation, reasonably promptly after any such request, to the Company at its principal executive office or at the place of payment most recently designated by the Company pursuant to Section 14.1.  Prior to any sale or other disposition of any Note held by a Purchaser or its nominee, such Purchaser will, at its election, either endorse thereon the amount of principal paid thereon and the last date to which interest has been paid thereon or surrender such Note to the Company in exchange for a new Note or Notes pursuant to Section 13.2.  The Company will afford the benefits of this Section 14.2 to any Institutional Investor that is the direct or indirect transferee of any Note purchased by a Purchaser under this Agreement and that has made the same agreement relating to such Note as the Purchasers have made in this Section 14.2.

Section 14.3.      FATCA Information.  By acceptance of any Note, the holder of such Note agrees that such holder will with reasonable promptness duly complete and deliver to the Company, or to such other Person as may be reasonably requested by the Company, from time to time (a) in the case of any such holder that is a United States Person, such holder’s United States tax identification number or other forms reasonably requested by the Company necessary to establish such holder’s status as a United States Person under FATCA and as may otherwise be necessary for the Company to comply with its obligations under FATCA and (b) in the case of any such holder that is not a United States Person, such documentation prescribed by applicable law (including as prescribed by section 1471(b)(3)(C)(i) of the Code) and such additional documentation as may be necessary for the Company to comply with its obligations under FATCA and to determine that such holder has complied with such holder’s obligations under FATCA or to determine the amount (if any) to deduct and withhold from any such payment made to such holder.  Nothing in this Section 14.3 shall require any holder to provide information that is confidential or proprietary to such holder unless the Company is required to obtain such information under FATCA and, in such event, the Company shall treat any such information it receives as confidential.

 

 

Section 15.1.       Transaction Expenses.  Whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated, the Company will pay all reasonable costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees of one special counsel and, if reasonably required by the Required Holders, one local or other counsel) incurred (a) by the Purchasers in connection with such transactions and (b) by the holders of the Notes in connection with any amendments, waivers or consents under or in respect of this Agreement, any Subsidiary Guaranty or the Notes (whether or not such amendment, waiver or consent becomes effective), including, without limitation: (i) the reasonable costs and expenses incurred in enforcing or defending (or determining whether or how to enforce or defend) any rights under this Agreement, any Subsidiary Guaranty or the Notes or in responding to any subpoena or other legal process or informal investigative demand issued in connection with this Agreement, any Subsidiary Guaranty or the Notes, or by reason of being a holder of any Note, (ii) the reasonable costs and expenses, including financial advisors’ fees, incurred in connection with the insolvency or bankruptcy of the Company or any Subsidiary or in connection with any work‑out or restructuring of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Notes and any Subsidiary Guaranty, and (iii) the reasonable costs and expenses incurred in connection with the initial filing of this Agreement and all related documents and financial information with the SVO provided, that such costs and expenses under this clause (iii) shall not exceed $5,000.  The Company will pay, and will save each Purchaser and each other holder of a Note harmless from, all claims in respect of any fees, costs or expenses, if any, of brokers and finders (other than those, if any, retained by a Purchaser or other holder in connection with its purchase or sale of any Notes).

Section 15.2.       Certain Taxes.  The Company agrees to pay all stamp, documentary or similar taxes or fees which may be payable in respect of the execution and delivery or the enforcement of this Agreement or any Subsidiary Guaranty or the execution and delivery (but not the transfer) or the enforcement of any of the Notes in the United States or any other jurisdiction where the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor has assets or of any amendment of, or waiver or consent under or with respect to, this Agreement or any Subsidiary Guaranty or of any of the Notes, and to pay any value added tax due and payable in respect of reimbursement of costs and expenses by the Company pursuant to this Section 15, and will save each holder of a Note to the extent permitted by applicable law harmless against any loss or liability resulting from nonpayment or delay in payment of any such tax or fee required to be paid by the Company hereunder.

 

Section 15.3.       Tax Withholding.  Except as otherwise required by applicable law, the Company agrees that it will not withhold from any applicable payment to be made to a holder of a Note that is not a United States Person any tax so long as such holder shall have delivered to the Company (in such number of copies as shall be requested) on or about the date on which such holder becomes a holder under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Company), executed copies of IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E (or any successor form), as applicable, as well as the applicable “U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate” substantially in the form attached as Exhibit 15.3, in both cases correctly completed and executed.

 

Section 15.4.       Survival.  The obligations of the Company under this Section 15 will survive the payment or transfer of any Note, the enforcement, amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, any Subsidiary Guaranty or the Notes, and the termination of this Agreement.

 

 

All representations and warranties contained herein shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Notes, the purchase or transfer by any Purchaser of any Note or portion thereof or interest therein and the payment of any Note, and may be relied upon by any subsequent holder of a Note, regardless of any investigation made at any time by or on behalf of such Purchaser or any other holder of a Note.  All statements contained in any certificate or other instrument delivered by or on behalf of the Company pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed representations and warranties of the Company under this Agreement.  Subject to the preceding sentence, this Agreement, the Notes and any Subsidiary Guaranty embody the entire agreement and understanding between each Purchaser and the Company and supersede all prior agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter hereof.

 

Section 17.1.     Requirements.  This Agreement (other than Section 9.10 and terms defined therein, the last sentence of Section 17.1, and the definitions of “Green Investments,” “Green Projects,” and “Series 2022D Required Holders”) and the Notes may be amended, and the observance of any term hereof or of the Notes may be waived (either retroactively or prospectively), with (and only with) the written consent of the Company and the Required Holders, except that (a) no amendment or waiver of any of the provisions of Section 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 21 hereof, or any defined term (as it is used in any of such Sections), will be effective as to any Purchaser unless consented to by such Purchaser in writing, and (b) no amendment or waiver may, without the written consent of each Purchaser and the holder of each Note at the time outstanding, (i) subject to the provisions of Section 12 relating to acceleration or rescission, change the amount or time of any prepayment or payment of principal of, or reduce the rate or change the time of payment or method of computation of interest or of the Make‑Whole Amount on, the Notes, if any, (ii) change the percentage of the principal amount of the Notes the holders of which are required to consent to any such amendment or waiver or the principal amount of the Notes that the Purchasers are to purchase pursuant to Section 2 upon the satisfaction of the conditions to an Closing that appear in Section 4, or (iii) amend any of Sections 8 (except as set forth in the first sentence of Section 8.2(f), 11(a), 11(b), 12, 17, or 20.  For the avoidance of doubt, Section 9.10 and terms defined therein, this last sentence of Section 17.1, and the definitions of “Green Investments,” “Green Projects,” and “Series 2022D Required Holders” may be amended, and the observance of any term thereof may be waived (either retroactively or prospectively), with (and only with) the written consent of the Company and the Series 2022D Required Holders.

 

Section 17.2.       Solicitation of Holders of Notes.

 

(a)         Solicitation. The Company will provide each Purchaser and holder of Notes with sufficient information, sufficiently far in advance of the date a decision is required, to enable such holder to make an informed and considered decision with respect to any proposed amendment, waiver or consent in respect of any of the provisions hereof or of the Notes or any Subsidiary Guaranty.  The Company will deliver executed or true and correct copies of each amendment, waiver or consent effected pursuant to the provisions of this Section 17 or any Subsidiary Guaranty to each holder of outstanding Notes promptly following the date on which it is executed and delivered by, or receives the consent or approval of, the requisite holders of Notes.

 

(b)         Payment. The Company will not directly or indirectly pay or cause to be paid any remuneration, whether by way of supplemental or additional interest, fee or otherwise (other than legal fees or other related expenses), or grant any security or provide other credit support, to any Purchaser or holder of Notes as consideration for or as an inducement to the entering into by any Purchaser or holder of Notes of any waiver or amendment of any of the terms and provisions hereof or of any Subsidiary Guaranty or any Note unless such remuneration is concurrently paid, or security is concurrently granted or other credit support concurrently provided, on the same terms, ratably to each Purchaser and holder of Notes then outstanding even if such Purchaser or holder did not consent to such waiver or amendment.

 

(c)         Consent in Contemplation of Transfer.  Any consent made pursuant to this Section 17 or any Subsidiary Guaranty by a holder of Notes that has transferred or has agreed to transfer its Notes to the Company, any Subsidiary or any Affiliate of the Company and has provided or has agreed to provide such written consent as a condition to such transfer shall be void and of no force or effect except solely as to such holder, and any amendments effected or waivers granted or to be effected or granted that would not have been or would not be so effected or granted but for such consent (and the consents of all other holders of Notes that were acquired under the same or similar conditions) shall be void and of no force or effect except solely as to such holder.

Section 17.3.      Binding Effect, Etc.  Any amendment or waiver consented to as provided in this Section 17 or in any Subsidiary Guaranty applies equally to all Purchasers and holders of Notes and is binding upon them and upon each future holder of any Note and upon the Company without regard to whether such Note has been marked to indicate such amendment or waiver.  No such amendment or waiver will extend to or affect any obligation, covenant, agreement, Default or Event of Default not expressly amended or waived or impair any right consequent thereon.  No course of dealing between the Company and any Purchaser or holder of any Note nor any delay in exercising any rights hereunder or under any Note shall operate as a waiver of any rights of any holder of such Note or any Subsidiary Guaranty.

 

Section 17.4.        Notes Held by Company, Etc. Solely for the purpose of determining whether the Purchasers and holders of the requisite percentage of the aggregate principal amount of Notes then outstanding approved or consented to any amendment, waiver or consent to be given under this Agreement, any Subsidiary Guaranty or the Notes, or have directed the taking of any action provided herein or in any Subsidiary Guaranty or the Notes to be taken upon the direction of the Purchasers and holders of a specified percentage of the aggregate principal amount of Notes then outstanding, Notes directly or indirectly owned by the Company or any of its Affiliates shall be deemed not to be outstanding.

 

 

Except for Electronic Communications, all notices and communications provided for hereunder shall be in writing and sent (a) by facsimile, if the sender on the same day sends a confirming copy of such notice by a recognized overnight delivery service (charges prepaid), (b) by registered or certified mail with return receipt requested (postage prepaid), (c) by a recognized overnight delivery service (with charges prepaid), or (d) by posting to IntraLinks® or a similar service reasonably acceptable to the Required Holders if the sender on the same day sends or causes to be sent notice of such posting by email or in accordance with clause (a), (b), or (c) above.  Any such notice must be sent:

 

(i)           if to any Purchaser or its nominee, to such Purchaser or nominee at the address specified for such communications in Schedule A, or at such other address as such Purchaser or nominee shall have specified to the Company in writing,

 

(ii)          if to any other holder of any Note, to such holder at such address as such other holder shall have specified to the Company in writing, or

 

(iii)         if to the Company, to the Company at its address set forth at the beginning hereof to the attention of Treasurer, or at such other address as the Company shall have specified to the holder of each Note in writing.

 

Notices under this Section 18 will be deemed given only when actually received.

 

This Agreement and all documents relating thereto, including, without limitation, (a) consents, waivers and modifications that may hereafter be executed, (b) documents received by any Purchaser at a Closing (except the Notes themselves), and (c) financial statements, certificates and other information previously or hereafter furnished to any Purchaser, may be reproduced by such Purchaser by any photographic, photostatic, electronic, digital, or other similar process and such Purchaser may destroy any original document so reproduced.  The Company agrees and stipulates that, to the extent permitted by applicable law, any such reproduction shall be admissible in evidence as the original itself in any judicial or administrative proceeding (whether or not the original is in existence and whether or not such reproduction was made by such Purchaser in the regular course of business) and any enlargement, facsimile or further reproduction of such reproduction shall likewise be admissible in evidence.  This Section 19 shall not prohibit the Company or any other holder of Notes from contesting any such reproduction to the same extent that it could contest the original, or from introducing evidence to demonstrate the inaccuracy of any such reproduction.

 

 

For the purposes of this Section 20, “Confidential Information” means information delivered to any Purchaser or a holder of a Note by or on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary in connection with the transactions contemplated by or otherwise pursuant to this Agreement, any Subsidiary Guaranty or the Notes that is proprietary in nature and that was clearly marked or labeled or otherwise adequately identified when received by such Purchaser or holder as being confidential information of the Company or such Subsidiary, provided that such term does not include information that (a) was publicly known or otherwise known to such Purchaser or holder prior to the time of such disclosure without an obligation of confidentiality, (b) subsequently becomes publicly known through no act or omission by such Purchaser or holder or any person acting on such Purchaser’s or holder’s behalf, (c) otherwise becomes known to such Purchaser or holder other than through disclosure by the Company or any Subsidiary, or (d) constitutes financial statements delivered to such Purchaser or holder under Section 7.1 that are otherwise publicly available.  Each Purchaser and holder will maintain the confidentiality of such Confidential Information in accordance with procedures adopted by such Purchaser or holder in good faith to protect confidential information of third parties delivered to such Purchaser or holder and shall use such information only for purposes of monitoring its investment in the Notes, provided that such Purchaser or holder may deliver or disclose Confidential Information to (i) its directors, officers, employees, agents, attorneys, trustees and affiliates (to the extent such disclosure reasonably relates to the administration of the investment represented by its Notes and who agree to hold confidential the Confidential Information substantially in accordance with the terms of this Section 20), (ii) its auditors, financial advisors and other professional advisors who agree to hold confidential the Confidential Information substantially in accordance with the terms of this Section 20, (iii) any other holder of any Note, (iv) any Institutional Investor to which it sells or offers to sell such Note or any part thereof or any participation therein (if such Person has agreed in writing prior to its receipt of such Confidential Information to be bound by the provisions of this Section 20), (v) any Person from which it offers to purchase any security of the Company (if such Person has agreed in writing prior to its receipt of such Confidential Information to be bound by the provisions of this Section 20), (vi) any federal or state regulatory authority having jurisdiction over such Purchaser, (vii) the NAIC or the SVO or, in each case, any similar organization, or any nationally recognized rating agency that requires access to information about such Purchaser’s or holder’s investment portfolio, or (viii) any other Person to which such delivery or disclosure may be necessary or appropriate (w) to effect compliance with any law, rule, regulation or order applicable to such Purchaser, (x) in response to any subpoena or other legal process, (y) in connection with any litigation to which such Purchaser or holder is a party, or (z) if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, to the extent such Purchaser or holder may reasonably determine such delivery and disclosure to be necessary or appropriate in the enforcement or for the protection of the rights and remedies under such Purchaser’s or holder’s Notes and this Agreement.  Each holder of a Note, by its acceptance of a Note, will be deemed to have agreed to be bound by and to be entitled to the benefits of this Section 20 as though it were a party to this Agreement.  On reasonable request by the Company in connection with the delivery to any holder of a Note of information required to be delivered to such holder under this Agreement or requested by such holder (other than a holder that is a party to this Agreement or its nominee), such holder will enter into an agreement with the Company embodying the provisions of this Section 20.

In the event that as a condition to receiving access to information relating to the Company or its Subsidiaries in connection with the transactions contemplated by or otherwise pursuant to this Agreement, any Purchaser or holder of a Note is required to agree to a confidentiality undertaking (whether through IntraLinks, another secure website, a secure virtual workspace or otherwise) which is different from this Section 20, this Section 20 shall not be amended thereby and, as between such Purchaser or such holder and the Company, this Section 20 shall supersede any such other confidentiality undertaking.

 

 

Each Purchaser shall have the right to substitute any one of its Affiliates or another Purchaser or any one of such other Purchaser’s Affiliates (a “Substitute Purchaser”) as the purchaser of the Notes that it has agreed to purchase hereunder, by written notice to the Company, which notice shall be signed by both such Purchaser and such Substitute Purchaser, shall contain such Substitute Purchaser’s agreement to be bound by this Agreement and shall contain a confirmation by such Substitute Purchaser of the accuracy with respect to it of the representations set forth in Section 6.  Upon receipt of such notice, any reference to such Purchaser in this Agreement (other than in this Section 21), shall be deemed to refer to such Substitute Purchaser in lieu of such original Purchaser.  In the event that such Substitute Purchaser is so substituted as a Purchaser hereunder and such Substitute Purchaser thereafter transfers to such original Purchaser all of the Notes then held by such Substitute Purchaser, upon receipt by the Company of notice of such transfer, any reference to such Substitute Purchaser as a “Purchaser” in this Agreement (other than in this Section 21), shall no longer be deemed to refer to such Substitute Purchaser, but shall refer to such original Purchaser, and such original Purchaser shall again have all the rights of an original holder of the Notes under this Agreement.

 

Section 22.1.       Successors and Assigns.  All covenants and other agreements contained in this Agreement by or on behalf of any of the parties hereto bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and permitted assigns (including, without limitation, any subsequent holder of a Note) whether so expressed or not; provided, however, the provisions of Section 7 hereof and any other provision of this Agreement that relates only to Institutional Investors shall only apply to Institutional Investors.

 

Section 22.2.        Payments Due on Non‑Business Days.  Anything in this Agreement or the Notes to the contrary notwithstanding (but without limiting the requirement in Section 8.4 that the notice of any optional prepayment specify a Business Day as the date fixed for such prepayment), any payment of principal of or Make‑Whole Amount, or interest on any Note that is due on a date other than a Business Day shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day without including the additional days elapsed in the computation of the interest payable on such next succeeding Business Day; provided that if the maturity date of any Note is a date other than a Business Day, the payment otherwise due on such maturity date shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day and shall include the additional days elapsed in the computation of interest payable on such next succeeding Business Day.

 

Section 22.3.       Accounting Terms.  All accounting terms used herein which are not expressly defined in this Agreement have the meanings respectively given to them in accordance with GAAP.  Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, (a) all computations made pursuant to this Agreement shall be made in accordance with GAAP, and (b) all financial statements shall be prepared in accordance with GAAP.  For purposes of determining compliance with the covenants set out in this Agreement, any election by the Company to measure any financial liability using fair value (as permitted by Accounting Standard Codification Topic No. 825‑10‑25 – Recognition, subsection Fair Value Option or any similar accounting standard) shall be disregarded and such determination shall be made by valuing indebtedness at 100% of the outstanding principal thereof.  Notwithstanding any other provision of herein to the contrary, the determination of whether a lease constitutes a capital lease or an operating lease, and whether obligations arising under a lease are required to be capitalized on the balance sheet of the lessee thereunder and/or recognized as interest expense, shall be determined by reference to GAAP as in effect on the date of this Agreement.

 

Section 22.4.       Severability.  Any provision of this Agreement that is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall (to the full extent permitted by law) not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction.

 

Section 22.5.       Construction, Etc.  Each covenant contained herein shall be construed (absent express provision to the contrary) as being independent of each other covenant contained herein, so that compliance with any one covenant shall not (absent such an express contrary provision) be deemed to excuse compliance with any other covenant.  Where any provision herein refers to action to be taken by any Person, or which such Person is prohibited from taking, such provision shall be applicable whether such action is taken directly or indirectly by such Person.

For the avoidance of doubt, all Schedules and Exhibits attached to this Agreement shall be deemed to be a part hereof.

 

Section 22.6.       Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original but all of which together shall constitute one instrument.  Each counterpart may consist of a number of copies hereof, each signed by less than all, but together signed by all, of the parties hereto.

 

Section 22.7.       Governing Law.  This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with, and the rights of the parties shall be governed by, the law of the State of New York excluding choice‑of‑law principles of the law of such State that would permit the application of the laws of a jurisdiction other than such State.

 

Section 22.8.       Jurisdiction and Process; Waiver of Jury Trial.  (a) The Company irrevocably submits to the non‑exclusive jurisdiction of any New York State or federal court sitting in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, over any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the Notes.  To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Company irrevocably waives and agrees not to assert, by way of motion, as a defense or otherwise, any claim that it is not subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the laying of the venue of any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court and any claim that any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

 

(b)         The Company consents to process being served by or on behalf of any holder of Notes in any suit, action or proceeding of the nature referred to in Section 22.8(a) by mailing a copy thereof by registered or certified mail (or any substantially similar form of mail), postage prepaid, return receipt requested, to it at its address specified in Section 18 or at such other address of which such holder shall then have been notified pursuant to said Section.  The Company agrees that such service upon receipt (i) shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon it in any such suit, action or proceeding and (ii) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, be taken and held to be valid personal service upon and personal delivery to it.  Notices hereunder shall be conclusively presumed received as evidenced by a delivery receipt furnished by the United States Postal Service or any reputable commercial delivery service.

 

(c)          Nothing in this Section 22.8 shall affect the right of any holder of a Note to serve process in any manner permitted by law, or limit any right that the holders of any of the Notes may have to bring proceedings against the Company in the courts of any appropriate jurisdiction or to enforce in any lawful manner a judgment obtained in one jurisdiction in any other jurisdiction.

 

(d)          The parties hereto hereby waive trial by jury in any action brought on or with respect to this Agreement, the Notes or any other document executed in connection herewith or therewith.

Section 22.9.       Priority Indebtedness.  The Notes and all obligations of the Company under this Agreement shall constitute “Priority Indebtedness” under the Company’s Subordinated Indenture dated as of April 23, 2018, as amended, with U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee, pursuant to which the Company issued its $200,000,000 5.625% Junior Subordinated Notes due 2079.

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PRESS RELEASE

 

Inaugural sustainability-focused private placement bond tranche for South Jersey Industries

 

SJI is a US-based energy infrastructure holding company headquartered in Folsom, NJ that delivers energy services to customers through two primary subsidiaries: SJI Utilities, Inc. and SJI Energy Enterprises, Inc.

 

On July 14, 2022, SJI entered a Note Purchase Agreement, arranged by KeyBanc Capital Markets and PNC, providing for the issuance in a private placement of $400 million aggregate principal amount of senior unsecured fixed rate notes in four series.  One of those series consists of notes in an aggregate principal amount of $80 million (the “Green Bonds”), whose net proceeds are required to be used for sustainable projects under a self-certification framework using Key Performance Indicators and parameters aligned with Denham Sustainable Infrastructure Credit.  Of such amount, $200 million, including $40 million of Green Bonds, were issued on July 14, 2022.  The remaining 200 million of notes, including $40 million of Green Bonds, are expected to be issued on September 15, 2022.

 

Eligibility criteria for the Green Bonds cover a range of assets, including renewables, green hydrogen production, distribution, transmission or storage, biogas production, and upgrades or retrofits intended to reduce energy consumption through smart grids and other technologies.

 

The transaction marks an important milestone from Denham’s Sustainable Infrastructure Credit Platform, having now committed to six transactions since its first investment in December 2021.

 

Jorge Camiña, Partner and Head of Sustainable Infrastructure Credit at Denham Capital, added:

 

“We are thrilled to provide this Green Bond investment to support SJI’s vision to advance towards a clean energy future and achieve carbon-neutral operations by 2040.

 

Sustainability is at the forefront of our Sustainable Infrastructure Credit platform commitment. SJI’s plans in decarbonization initiatives, renewable energy investments and energy efficiency measures align with Denham’s drive to support and invest in the supply of safe, reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy.”

 

Steven Cocchi, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at South Jersey Industries Inc., added:

 

“SJI has historically been committed to providing our customers and communities with safe, reliable, affordable, clean energy. We are proud to partner with Denham Capital and look forward to utilizing the Green Bonds to continue to invest in innovative technologies to advance our mission to provide a clean energy future for our 700,000+ families and businesses who rely on us each day.”

 

About Denham Capital

 

Denham Capital is a global sustainable infrastructure, energy and resources focused investment firm, with more than $12 billion of invested and committed capital across multiple fund vehicles since inception. Specializing in private equity, infrastructure and debt, Denham invests in sectors that are essential to economic growth. Denham’s investments help deliver the sustainable infrastructure, energy and mineral resources needed for everyday life and the energy transition. The Denham team comprises sector specialists with expertise that enables Denham to build, develop and exit valuable renewable power, energy storage, water infrastructure and resources assets. With an ongoing focus on opportunities in the global energy transition, Denham recognizes the need to build a low carbon economy and seeks to invest increasingly in companies and projects which share our vision for sustainable growth and long-term value creation. For more information, visit https://www.denhamcapital.com/sustainable-infrastructure

About SJI

 

SJI (NYSE: SJI), an energy infrastructure holding company based in Folsom, NJ, delivers energy services to customers through two primary subsidiaries:  SJI Utilities (SJIU) and SJI Energy Enterprises (SJIEE).  SJIU houses the company’s regulated natural gas utility operations, delivering safe, reliable and affordable natural gas to more than 700,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers across New Jersey via its South Jersey Gas and Elizabethtown Gas subsidiaries. SJIEE houses the company’s non-utility operations primarily focused on clean energy development and decarbonization via renewable energy production and energy management activities.  Visit sjindustries.com for more information about SJI and its subsidiaries.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release includes statements that are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements regarding SJI’s future expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, financial conditions, assumptions or future events or performance that are not historical facts. This information may involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements.

All statements about SJI, other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding guidance, industry prospects, future results of operations or financial position, strategy, financing needs, or future capital expenditures, should be considered forward-looking statements made in good faith by SJI, as applicable, and are intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this release, or any other documents, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “goal,” “intend,” “objective,” “plan,” “project,” “seek,” “strategy,” “target,” “will” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of SJI’s management at the time that these statements were prepared and are inherently uncertain. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties, as well as other risks and uncertainties that could cause SJI’s actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements, are described in greater detail under the heading “Item 1A. Risk Factors” on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and in any other SEC filings made by SJI.  SJI cautions that these risks and factors are not exclusive, and undue reliance should not be put on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and SJI does not undertake any obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, new information, future events, changes in its expectations or other circumstances that exist after the date as of which the forward-looking statements were made.

Contact Details

 

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