Exhibit 99
execution copy
PG&E Corporation
One Market Street, Spear Tower, Suite 2400
San Francisco, Ca 94105
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED WAIVER AND AMENDMENT AGREEMENT
August 30, 2002
Lehman Commercial Paper Inc.,
as Administrative Agent
745 Seventh Avenue, 25th Floor,
New York, NY 10019
The Lenders listed on Annex A hereto
Re: Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of June 25, 2002, by and among PG&E Corporation, as borrower, the lenders party thereto, Lehman Commercial Paper Inc., as administrative agent, and Lehman Brothers Inc., as lead arranger and book manager (as amended, the “Credit Agreement”) and the Tranche A Interest Reserve Account Control Agreement and the Tranche B Interest Reserve Account Control Agreement
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This Second Amended and Restated Waiver and Amendment Agreement (“Waiver and Amendment Agreement”) amends and restates the Amended and Restated Waiver and Amendment Agreement, dated August 22, 2002, among the parties thereto.
Reference is made to the Credit Agreement. Capitalized terms used herein but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Credit Agreement. Pursuant to Section 6.14 of the Credit Agreement, NEG, Inc. is required to maintain a rating of at least BBB- by Standard & Poor’s (“S&P”) or Baa3 by Moody’s on its long-term unsecured debt obligations (the “Debt Obligations”). On July 31, 2002, S&P announced that the Debt Obligations had been downgraded below the level required by Section 6.14 and on August 5, 2002, Moody’s announced that the Debt Obligations had been downgraded below the level required by Section 6.14 (the “Downgrades”).
Pursuant to the terms of certain waiver letter agreements, dated August 1, 2002 and August 16, 2002 and August 22, 2002, among the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders signatories thereto, the Lenders agreed to waive any Default or Event of Default under Section 6.14 arising from the Downgrades which waiver shall apply until, and only until, the Waiver Expiration Date (as defined in the August 22, 2002 Amended and Restated Waiver and Amendment Agreement). On the date hereof, the Borrower is repaying the Tranche A Loan in full. The Borrower hereby requests that the Tranche B Lenders agree to extend the waiver of any such Default or Event of Default under Section 6.14 from August 30, 2002 until and only until the earlier of the following dates (the “Waiver Expiration Date”): (a) October 4, 2002 or (b) the date of the failure by the Borrower to perform or observe any term, covenant or agreement set forth in this Waiver and Amendment Agreement.
The parties to this Waiver and Amendment Agreement hereby agree that none of the waivers, restrictions and other provisions of this Waiver and Amendment Agreement shall be binding upon them with respect to any discussions concerning any future proposed waivers related to the Credit Agreement or to any future proposed amendment to the Credit Agreement or any of the related documents unless any such discussion is specifically agreed to in writing.
In consideration of the foregoing:
“provided, further, that if a Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing such Net Sale Proceeds of Asset Sales by NEG, Inc. or any Subsidiary of NEG, Inc. are not required to be applied in accordance with Section 3.2(h) if they are (i) applied to repay Indebtedness of NEG, Inc. or any NEG Subsidiary or (ii) reinvested in the business of NEG, Inc. or any NEG Subsidiary to the extent specified in Part II of the Business Plan”
“(xv) Liens on assets of NEG, Inc. or any of its Subsidiaries to secure Indebtedness permitted under Section 7.4(xi).”
“(x) NEG, Inc. and any of its Subsidiaries may sell any of their assets provided (i) such sale is to a non-affiliate and is on arms-length terms and (ii) the transaction cannot reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or result in a Material Adverse Change to Borrower or LLC (the parties acknowledge that a sale at below book value will not, in and of itself, necessarily have a Material Adverse Effect or cause a Material Adverse Change).”
“and (iv) any Subsidiary of NEG, Inc. may pay a stock dividend to its immediate parent provided such dividend cannot reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or result in an Material Adverse Change to Borrower or LLC.”
“(xi) Indebtedness of NEG, Inc. or of any of its Subsidiaries in an aggregate amount not to exceed $250,000,000.”
“(b) with respect to the Tranche B Loan, (i) as to the Base Rate Loan, 9.00% per annum (ii) as to the Eurodollar Loan, 10.00% per annum.”
The Collateral Agent agrees that on September 9, 2002 and again on September 23, 2002 it shall deliver to the Tranche B Lenders written notice of the amounts held in the Tranche B Interest Reserve Account.
For purposes of this Waiver and Amendment Agreement, “subsidiary” shall mean, with respect to any Person, any corporation, partnership or other entity of which any of the securities or other ownership interests are directly or indirectly owned or controlled by such Person or one or more subsidiaries of such Person or by such Person and one or more subsidiaries of such Person.
Each of the parties hereto by its execution and delivery of this Waiver and Amendment Agreement consents to the amendments as set forth herein in accordance with Section 9.10 of the Credit Agreement.
The Borrower and LLC acknowledge and agree that none of the signatories to this Waiver and Amendment Agreement is waving any other Default or Event of Default or any other provision in the Credit Agreement and except as expressly provided herein, nothing in this Waiver and Amendment Agreement shall constitute a course of dealing between the parties, or constitute a modification or amendment of any other provision of the Credit Agreement and the provisions of the Credit Agreement and the other Financing Documents are and shall remain in full force and effect.
The Borrower and LLC hereby unconditionally and irrevocably acquit and fully forever release and discharge the undersigned Lenders, their participants, and the Lenders’ and their participants’ respective subsidiaries, affiliates, members, partners, officers, employees, representatives, agents, managers, counsel, directors, successors and assigns, both present and former, from any and all actions, cause of action, claims, demands, remedies, suits, damages and liabilities of whatever kind or nature, in law or in equity, now known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected to the extent that any of the foregoing arises from any action or failure to act on or prior to the date hereof and relates to or arises out of this Waiver and Amendment Agreement, the Credit Agreement or any other Financing Documents or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby (“Released Claims”). The Borrower covenants and agrees that neither it nor any of the Covered Parties shall commence, and in any way, prosecute or cause to be commenced or prosecuted against any of the Persons mentioned above any action or other proceeding based upon any of the Released Claims.
The Borrower also acknowledges, ratifies and affirms the validity and enforceability of the Credit Agreement and all liens and security interests granted thereunder or under any of the Security Documents to the Lenders as collateral security for its obligations and indebtedness owing under the Loan Documents (the “Obligations”) and acknowledges that all such liens and security interests and all collateral pledged as security for the Obligations continue to be and remain collateral for the Obligations from and after the date hereof.
In furtherance to the rights of the Lenders under Section 6.2 of the Credit Agreement, the Borrower shall, and shall cause NEG, Inc. and other members of the NEG Group to be available, at the request of any of the Lenders, to discuss with the Lenders, at any time and from time to time, the affairs, finances and accounts of the Borrower, NEG, Inc. and other members of the NEG Group (including without limitation, any guarantee or financial support with respect to the operation or business of NEG, Inc. or any other member of the NEG Group and any action or proposed action for the Borrower, NEG, Inc. or any member of the NEG Group with respect thereto in connection with the Downgrades).
This Waiver and Amendment Agreement hereby amends Section 7 of the Tranche B Interest Reserve Account Control Agreement by adding the following sentence at the end thereof: “The Collateral Agent agrees that it shall not amend or consent to any amendment to any terms or provisions of the Tranche B Interest Reserve Account Control Agreement without the consent of the required Tranche B Lenders.”
This Waiver and Amendment Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the law of the State of New York without regard to the conflict of law rules thereof (other than Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations Law). This Waiver and Amendment Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by the different parties hereto on separate counterparts, each of which when so executed and delivered by facsimile or otherwise shall be an original, but all of which shall together constitute on and the same instrument.
This Waiver and Amendment Agreement shall become effective as of the date hereof when the Borrower, LLC, the Collateral Agent, and the required Tranche B Lenders shall have executed and delivered this Waiver and Amendment Agreement, and received a fully executed counterpart copy, by facsimile or otherwise, of this Waiver and Amendment Agreement, and Officer’s Certificate of the Borrower described above.
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Very truly yours, |
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Agreed and Accepted: |
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Lenders: |
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WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY |
Date:
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DK ACQUISITION PARTNERS, L.P. |
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WATERSHED CAPITAL INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS, L.P. |
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Collateral Agent: |