Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable Prospectus Supplement, the Indenture does not afford the holders the right to tender debt securities to TransAlta for repurchase or provide for any increase in the rate or rates of interest at which the debt securities will bear interest, in the event TransAlta should become involved in a highly leveraged transaction or in the event of a change in control of TransAlta.
Debt securities may be issued under the Indenture bearing no interest or interest at a rate below the prevailing market rate at the time of issuance, and may be offered and sold at a discount below their stated principal amount. The Canadian and United States federal income tax consequences and other special considerations applicable to any such discounted debt securities or other debt securities offered and sold at par which are treated as having been issued at a discount for Canadian and/or United States federal income tax purposes will be described in the applicable Prospectus Supplement.
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable Prospectus Supplement, TransAlta may, without the consent of the holders thereof reopen a previous issue of a series of debt securities and issue additional debt securities of such series.
Ranking and Other Indebtedness
Unless otherwise indicated in an applicable Prospectus Supplement, the debt securities will be unsecured obligations and will rank equally with all of TransAlta’s other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness. TransAlta conducts a significant amount of its operations through its subsidiaries. The debt securities issued under this Prospectus will be structurally subordinated to all existing and future liabilities, including trade payables and other indebtedness of our subsidiaries.
Form, Denominations and Exchange
Debt securities of a series are issuable as registered securities in denominations of US$1,000 and integral multiples of US$1,000 or in such other denominations as may be set out in the terms of the debt securities of any particular series (Section 3.2). The Indenture also provides that debt securities of a series may be issuable in global form (Section 3.1).
Registered securities of any series will be exchangeable for other registered securities of the same series and of a like aggregate principal amount and tenor of different authorized denominations (Section 3.5).
The applicable Prospectus Supplement may indicate the places to register a transfer of debt securities. Except for certain restrictions set forth in the Indenture, no service charge will be made for any registration of transfer or exchange of the debt securities, but the Corporation may, in certain instances, require a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charges payable in connection with these transactions (Section 3.5).
We shall not be required to: (i) issue, register the transfer of or exchange debt securities of any series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before any selection of debt securities of that series to be redeemed and ending at the close of business on the day of mailing of the relevant notice of redemption; (ii) register the transfer of or exchange any registered security, or portion thereof, called for redemption, except the unredeemed portion of any registered security being redeemed in part; or (iii) issue, register the transfer of or exchange any debt securities which have been surrendered for repayment at the option of the holder, except the portion, if any, thereof not to be so repaid (Section 3.5).
Under limited circumstances, we may issue debt securities in bearer form, in which case the applicable Prospectus Supplement will contain information regarding form, denomination and exchange of those bearer securities.
Payment
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable Prospectus Supplement, payment of principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on debt securities (other than global securities) will be made at the office or agency of
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