A. Calculation of Payments. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Plan (including, without limitation, Article XIII(E) hereof), if a Change in Control (as defined in Section C of this Article XV) shall occur, the following shall be paid, in cash, no later than the tenth (10th) day following such Change in Control:
(i) amounts which have already been determined to be payable pursuant to Article IX hereof, based on Energy East's Percentile Ranking for any completed Performance Cycle which preceded the Change in Control, which amounts have not yet been paid (or deferred pursuant to procedures established in accordance with Article XIII(E) hereof),
(ii) if, at the time of the Change in Control, the Energy East Board has not yet determined Energy East's Percentile Ranking with respect to the Performance Cycle ending on the December 31 immediately preceding the Change in Control, amounts determined by the Energy East Board to be payable, based on its calculation (in accordance with the provisions of the preceding Articles hereof) of Energy East's Percentile Ranking with respect to the Performance Cycle ending on the December 31 immediately preceding the Change in Control, and
(iii) amounts, which might otherwise subsequently be determined by the Energy East Board to be payable for the Performance Cycles existing on the date on which the Change in Control occurs, calculated based on an assumed Percentile Ranking of 50%.
(iv) for purposes of the incentive awards payable pursuant to paragraph (iii) of this Section A, the calculation of the payments shall be made using the "Change-in-Control Price" of Energy East's common stock. For this purpose, "Change-in-Control Price" means the higher of (x) the highest reported sales price, regular way, of a share of Energy East's common stock in any transaction reported on the New York Stock Exchange Composite Tape or other national exchange on which such shares are listed or on the NASDAQ during the 60-day period prior to and including the date of a Change in Control or (y) if the Change in Control is the result of a tender or exchange offer or approval of a merger or consolidation, the highest price per share of common stock paid or to be paid in such tender or exchange offer or merger or consolidation. To the extent that the consideration paid in any such transaction described above consists all or in part of securities or other non-cash consideration, the value of such securitie s or other non-cash consideration shall be determined based on the public trading value of such property or, if such property is not publicly traded, by the Energy East Board based on reasonable assumptions.
B. Forfeitures After a Change in Control. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, following a Change in Control, the Plan shall continue in full force and effect, and a Participant shall be entitled to receive incentive award payments for outstanding Performance Shares and Dividend Performance Shares with respect to any Performance Cycle that begins before and ends after the Change in Control, equal to the excess of (i) the amount determined in accordance with Articles IX and X hereof over (ii) the amount previously paid with respect to such Performance Cycle pursuant to paragraph (iii) of Section A above.
C. Definition of a Change in Control. A "Change in Control" shall be deemed to have occurred if the conditions set forth in any one of the following paragraphs shall have been satisfied:
(i) any Person (as defined in this Section C) is or becomes the Beneficial Owner (as defined in this Section C), directly or indirectly, of securities of Energy East (not including in the securities beneficially owned by such Person any securities acquired directly from Energy East or its affiliates) representing 25% or more of the combined voting power of Energy East's then outstanding securities; or
(ii) during any period of two consecutive years (not including any period prior to May 1, 1998), individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the Energy East Board and any new director (other than a director designated by a Person who has entered into an agreement with Energy East to effect a transaction described in paragraph (i), (iii) or (iv) of this Change in Control definition or a director whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with respect to the election or removal of directors or other actual or threatened solicitations of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a Person other than the Energy East Board) whose election by the Energy East Board or nomination for election by Energy East's stockholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of the period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved, cease fo r any reason to constitute a majority thereof; or
(iii) the shareholders of Energy East approve a merger or consolidation of Energy East with any other corporation, other than (x) a merger or consolidation which would result in the voting securities of Energy East outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity), in combination with the ownership of any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of Energy East or any of its subsidiaries, at least 75% of the combined voting power of the voting securities of Energy East or such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation, or (y) a merger or consolidation effected to implement a recapitalization of Energy East (or similar transaction) in which no Person acquires more than 50% of the combined voting power of Energy East's then outstanding securities; or
(iv) the shareholders of Energy East approve a plan of complete liquidation of Energy East or an agreement for the sale or disposition by Energy East of all or substantially all of Energy East's assets.
For purposes of the definition of Change in Control in this Section C:
"Beneficial Owner" shall have the meaning defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act.
"Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time.
"Person" shall have the meaning given in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act, as modified and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) thereof; however, a Person shall not include (i) Energy East or any of its subsidiaries, (ii) a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of Energy East or any of its subsidiaries, (iii) an underwriter temporarily holding securities pursuant to an offering of such securities, or (iv) a corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of Energy East in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of Energy East.