material respects with the terms of such orders; and no other order, consent or other authorization or approval of any Alabama or United States governmental body (other than in connection or in compliance with the provisions of the securities or “blue sky” laws of any jurisdiction, as to which we express no opinion) is legally required for the issuance and sale of the Notes in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement.
4. The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Trustee, constitutes a valid and legally binding instrument of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to the qualifications that the enforceability of the Company's obligations under the Indenture may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Indenture conforms as to legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
5. The Notes have been duly authorized and executed by the Company and, when authenticated by the Trustee in the manner provided in the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to the qualifications that the enforceability of the Company's obligations under the Notes may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Notes conform as to legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
6. The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
We have not independently verified the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements made or included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents and take no responsibility therefor, except as and to the extent set forth in paragraphs 4 and 5 above. In the course of the preparation by the Company of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, we participated in conferences with certain officers and employees of the Company, with other counsel for the Company, with representatives of Deloitte & Touche LLP and with your counsel. Based upon our examination of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, our investigations made in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents and our participation in the conferences referred to above, (i) we are of the opinion that the Registration Statement, on the date of
the Underwriting Agreement and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as of January 13, 2006, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and that the Exchange Act Documents, as of their respective dates of filing with the Commission, complied as to form in all material respects with the relevant requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, except that in each case we express no opinion as to the financial statements or other financial or statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents, and (ii) nothing came to our attention which gives us reason to believe that the Registration Statement, on the date of the Underwriting Agreement (including the Exchange Act Documents on file with the Commission as of such date), contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, that the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or that the Final Supplemented Prospectus (including the Exchange Act Documents) contained, as of its date, or contains, on the date hereof, any untrue statement therein of a material fact or omitted, as of its date, or omits, on the date hereof, to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that in each case we express no opinion or belief with respect to the financial statements or other financial or statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents and with respect to information set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the captions “Description of the Series EE Senior Notes - Book-Entry-Only Issuance - The Depository Trust Company” or “The Policy and the Insurer” or under the caption “Experts” appearing on pages S-13 and S-14 thereof or in Appendix A thereto.
We are members of the State Bar of Alabama and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any law other than the laws of such State, the federal law of the United States and, to the extent set forth herein, the law of the State of New York.
This opinion is rendered to you in connection with the above-described transaction. This opinion may not be relied upon by you for any other purpose, or relied upon by or furnished to any other person without our prior written consent, except that Troutman Sanders LLP and Dewey Ballantine LLP may rely on this opinion in giving their opinions pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement insofar as such opinion relates to matters of Alabama law.
Yours very truly,
BALCH & BINGHAM LLP
Schedule IV-B
[Letterhead of TROUTMAN SANDERS LLP]
January __, 2006
Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P.
12555 Manchester Road
St. Louis, Missouri 63131
as Representative of the Several Underwriters |
ALABAMA POWER COMPANY
Series EE 5.75% Senior Insured Quarterly Notes
due January 15, 2036
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to Alabama Power Company (the “Company”) in connection with (i) the Company's issuance of $100,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its Series EE 5.75% Senior Insured Quarterly Notes due January 15, 2036 (the “Notes”) pursuant to a Senior Note Indenture dated as of December 1, 1997, by and between the Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank), as trustee (the “Trustee”), as heretofore supplemented and as further supplemented by the Thirty-First Supplemental Indenture dated as of January 18, 2006 (collectively, the “Indenture”); and (ii) the purchase by the Underwriters (as defined herein) of the Notes pursuant to the terms of an Underwriting Agreement dated January 13, 2006 (the “Underwriting Agreement”), among the Company and the Underwriters named in Schedule I thereto (the “Underwriters”) for whom you are acting as representative (the “Representative”). This opinion is being delivered to the Representative pursuant to Section 6(c)(2) thereof.
All capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.
In rendering the opinions expressed below, we have examined the registration statement on Form S-3 (File Nos. 333-126348, 333-126348-01, 333-126348-02 and 333-126348-03) pertaining to the Notes and certain other securities filed by the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), as it became effective under the Act (the “Registration Statement”); the Company’s prospectus dated July 19, 2005 (the “Basic Prospectus”) as supplemented by a preliminary prospectus supplement dated January 10, 2006 (the “Pricing Prospectus”), filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Act, which, pursuant to Form S-3, incorporates by reference the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004, the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q of the Company for the quarters ended March 31, 2005, June 30, 2005 and September 30, 2005 and the Current Reports on Form 8-K of the Company dated February 21, 2005, March 8, 2005, May 5, 2005, June 10, 2005, August 29, 2005, October 10, 2005 and January 10, 2006 (the “Pricing Exchange Act Documents”), and a prospectus supplement dated January 13, 2006 (together with the Basic Prospectus, the “Final Supplemented Prospectus”), filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Act, which, pursuant to Form S-3, incorporates by reference the Pricing Exchange Act Documents and the Current Reports on Form 8-K of the Company dated January 11, 2006 and January 13, 2006 (the “Exchange Act Documents”), each as filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”); and the Indenture. We have also examined the free writing prospectus prepared by the Company and filed with the Commission on January 13, 2006 pursuant to Rule 433 of the Act (the “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”). The documents listed in Schedule III to the Underwriting Agreement, taken together, are collectively referred to as the “Pricing Disclosure Package.”
In addition, we have examined, and have relied as to matters of fact upon, the documents delivered to you at the closing (except the certificate representing the Notes, of which we have examined a specimen), and we have made such other and further investigations as we deemed necessary to express the opinions hereinafter set forth. In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures (other than those of the Company), the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents.
The Indenture and the Underwriting Agreement are herein referred to collectively as the “Agreements.”
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion, relying as to matters of Alabama law upon the opinion dated the date hereof rendered to you by Balch & Bingham LLP and relying as to matters of New York law upon the opinion dated the date hereof rendered to you by Dewey Ballantine LLP, that:
1. The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing and in good standing as a corporation under the laws of the State of Alabama and has due corporate authority to carry on the public utility business in which it is engaged, to own and operate the properties used by it in such business and to enter into and perform its obligations under the Agreements and the Notes.
2. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Underwriting Agreement have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action, and the Underwriting Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company.
3. All orders, consents or other authorizations or approvals of the Alabama Public Service Commission and the Commission legally required for the issuance and sale of the Notes have been obtained; such orders are sufficient for the issuance and sale of the Notes; the issuance and sale of the Notes conform in all material respects with the terms of such orders; and no other order, consent or other authorization or approval of any Alabama or United States governmental body (other than in connection or in compliance with the provisions of the securities or “blue sky” laws of any jurisdiction, as to which we express no opinion) is legally required for the issuance and sale of the Notes in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement.
4. The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Trustee, constitutes a valid and legally binding instrument of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to the qualifications that the enforceability of the Company's obligations under the Indenture may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Indenture conforms as to legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
5. The Notes have been duly authorized and executed by the Company and, when authenticated by the Trustee in the manner provided in the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to the qualifications that the enforceability of the Company's obligations under the Notes may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Notes conform as to legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
6. The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
We have not independently verified the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements made or included in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents and take no responsibility therefor, except as and to the extent set forth in paragraphs 4 and 5 above. In the course of the preparation by the Company of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, we participated in conferences with certain officers and employees of the Company, with other counsel for the Company, with representatives of Deloitte & Touche LLP and with your counsel. Based upon our examination of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, our investigations made in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents and our participation in the conferences referred to above, (i) we are of the opinion that the Registration Statement, on the date of the Underwriting Agreement and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as of January 13, 2006, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and that the Exchange Act Documents, as of their respective dates of filing with the Commission, complied as to form in all material respects with the relevant requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, except that in each case we express no opinion as to the financial statements or other financial or statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents, and (ii) nothing came to our attention which gives us reason to believe that the Registration Statement, on the date of the Underwriting Agreement (including the Exchange Act Documents on file with the Commission as of such date), contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, that the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or that the Final Supplemented Prospectus (including the Exchange Act Documents) contained, as of its date, or contains, on the date hereof, any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, as of its date, or omits, on the date hereof, to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that in each case we express no opinion or belief with respect to the financial statements or other financial or statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents and with respect to information set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the caption “Description of the Series EE Senior Notes - Book-Entry-Only Issuance - The Depository Trust Company” or “The Policy and the Insurer” or under the caption “Experts” appearing on pages S-13 and S-14 thereof or in Appendix A thereto.
We are members of the State Bar of Georgia and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any law other than the law of the State of Georgia and the federal law of the United States and, to the extent set forth herein, the laws of the States of Alabama and New York.
This opinion is rendered to you in connection with the above-described transaction. This opinion may not be relied upon by you for any other purpose, or relied upon by or furnished to any other person without our prior written consent.
Yours very truly,
TROUTMAN SANDERS LLP
Schedule V
[Letterhead of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP]
Alabama Power Company
Series EE 5.75% Senior Insured Quarterly Notes due January 15, 2036
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank) (the “Bank”) in connection with (a) the Senior Note Indenture, dated as of December 1, 1997, as heretofore supplemented (the “Original Indenture”), between Alabama Power Company (the “Company”) and the Bank, as Trustee, and (b) the Thirty-First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of January 18, 2006 (together with the Original Indenture, herein called the “Indenture”), between the Company and the Bank, as Trustee.
In that connection, we have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such documents, records and other instruments as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for the purpose of this opinion, including copies of the Indenture and certain resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Bank.
Based upon the foregoing, we are of opinion that:
(i) Based solely on a certificate from the Comptroller of the Currency, the Bank is a national banking association formed under the laws of the United States and is authorized thereunder to transact the business of banking;
(ii) the Bank has the corporate trust power and authority to execute, deliver and perform its duties under the Indenture, has duly executed and delivered the Indenture, and, insofar as the laws governing the trust powers of the Bank are concerned and assuming due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Company, the Indenture constitutes a legal, valid and binding agreement of the Bank, enforceable against the Bank in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally from time to time in effect and to general principles of equity (including, without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing), regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law;
(iii) the execution, delivery and performance by the Bank of the Indenture do not conflict with or constitute a breach of the articles of association or bylaws of the Bank; and
(iv) no approval, authorization or other action by, or filing with, any governmental authority of the United States of America or the State of New York having jurisdiction over the trust powers of the Bank is required in connection with the execution and delivery by the Bank of the Indenture or the performance by the Bank of its duties thereunder, except such as have been obtained, taken or made.
We are admitted to practice only in the State of New York, and we express no opinion as to matters governed by any laws other than the laws of the State of New York and the Federal law of the United States of America. We are furnishing this opinion to you solely for your benefit. This opinion is not to be relied upon by any other person or used, circulated, quoted or otherwise referred to for any other purpose.
Very truly yours,
Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P.
12555 Manchester Road | |
| St. Louis, Missouri 63131 | |
as Representative of the Several Underwriters |
| | | |
Alabama Power Company
600 North 18th Street | |
| Birmingham, AL 35291 |
| | |
Schedule VI
[Letterhead of DEWEY BALLANTINE LLP]
January __, 2006
Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P.
12555 Manchester Road
St. Louis, Missouri 63131
as Representative of the Several Underwriters |
ALABAMA POWER COMPANY
Series EE 5.75% Senior Insured Quarterly Notes
due January 15, 2036
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have represented the Underwriters (hereinafter defined) in connection with (i) the issuance and sale by Alabama Power Company (the “Company”) of $100,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its Series EE 5.75% Senior Insured Quarterly Notes due January 15, 2036 (the “Notes”) pursuant to a Senior Note Indenture dated as of December 1, 1997, by and between the Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank), as trustee (the “Trustee”), as heretofore supplemented and as further supplemented by the Thirty-First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of January 18, 2006 (collectively, the “Indenture”); and (ii) the purchase by the Underwriters of the Notes pursuant to the terms of an Underwriting Agreement dated January 13, 2006 (the “Underwriting Agreement”), among the Company and the underwriters named in Schedule I thereto (the “Underwriters”) for whom you are acting as representative (the “Representative”). This opinion is being delivered to the Representative pursuant to Section 6(c)(4) thereof.
All capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.
In rendering the opinions expressed below, we have examined the registration statement on Form S-3 (File Nos. 333-126348, 333-126348-01, 333-126348-02 and 333-126348-03) pertaining to the Notes and certain other securities filed by the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), as it became effective under the Act (the “Registration Statement”); the Company’s prospectus dated July 19, 2005 (the “Basic Prospectus”) as supplemented by a preliminary prospectus supplement dated January 10, 2006 (the “Pricing Prospectus”), filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Act, which, pursuant to Form S-3, incorporates by reference the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004, the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q of the Company for the quarters ended March 31, 2005, June 30, 2005 and September 30, 2005 and the Current Reports on Form 8-K of the Company dated February 21, 2005, March 8, 2005, May 5, 2005, June 10, 2005, August 29, 2005, October 10, 2005 and January 10, 2006 (the “Pricing Exchange Act Documents”), and a prospectus supplement dated January 13, 2006 (together with the Basic Prospectus, the “Final Supplemented Prospectus”), filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Act, which, pursuant to Form S-3, incorporates by reference the Pricing Exchange Act Documents and the Current Reports on Form 8-K of the Company dated January 11, 2006 and January 13, 2006 (the “Exchange Act Documents”), each as filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”); and the Indenture. We have also examined the free writing prospectus prepared by the Company and filed with the Commission on January 13, 2006 pursuant to Rule 433 of the Act (the “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”). The documents listed in Schedule III to the Underwriting Agreement, taken together, are collectively referred to as the “Pricing Disclosure Package.”
In addition, we have examined, and have relied as to matters of fact upon, the documents delivered to you at the closing (except the certificate representing the Notes, of which we have examined a specimen), and we have made such other and further investigations as we deemed necessary to express the opinions hereinafter set forth. In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents.
The Indenture and the Underwriting Agreement are herein referred to as the “Agreements.”
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion, relying as aforesaid and as to all matters covered hereby which are governed by or dependent upon the law of the State of Alabama upon the opinion of Balch & Bingham LLP dated the date hereof and addressed to you, that:
1. The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing and in good standing as a corporation under the laws of the State of Alabama and has due corporate authority to carry on the public utility business in which it is engaged, to own and operate the properties used by it in such business and to enter into and perform its obligations under the Agreements and the Notes.
2. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Underwriting Agreement have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action, and the Underwriting Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company.
3. All orders, consents or other authorizations or approvals of the Alabama Public Service Commission and the Commission legally required for the issuance and sale of the Notes have been obtained; such orders are sufficient for the issuance and sale of the Notes; the issuance and sale of the Notes conform in all material respects with the terms of such orders; and no other order, consent or other authorization or approval of any Alabama or United States governmental body (other than in connection or in compliance with the provisions of the securities or “blue sky” laws of any jurisdiction, as to which we express no opinion) is legally required for the issuance and sale of the Notes in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement.
4. The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Trustee, constitutes a valid and legally binding instrument of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to the qualifications that the enforceability of the Company's obligations under the Indenture may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Indenture conforms as to legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
5. The Notes have been duly authorized and executed by the Company and, when authenticated by the Trustee in the manner provided in the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to the qualifications that the enforceability of the Company's obligations under the Notes may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Notes conform as to legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
6. The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
We have not independently verified the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements made or included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents and take no responsibility therefor, except as and to the extent set forth in paragraphs 4 and 5 above. In the course of the preparation by the Company of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, we participated in conferences with certain officers and employees of the Company, with representatives of Deloitte & Touche LLP and with counsel to the Company. Based upon our examination of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, our investigations made in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Final Supplemented Prospectus and our participation in the conferences referred to above, (i) we are of the opinion that the Registration Statement, on the date of the Underwriting Agreement and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as of January 13, 2006, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and that the Exchange Act Documents, as of their respective dates of filing with the Commission, complied as to form in all material respects with the relevant requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, except that in each case we express no opinion as to the financial statements or other financial or statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents, and (ii) nothing came to our attention which gives us reason to believe that the Registration Statement, on the date of the Underwriting Agreement (including the Exchange Act Documents on file with the Commission as of such date), contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, that the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or that the Final Supplemented Prospectus (including the Exchange Act Documents) contained, as of its date, or contains, on the date hereof, any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, as of its date, or omits, on the date hereof, to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that in each case we express no opinion or belief with respect to the financial statements or other financial or statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents and with respect to information set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the caption “Description of the Series EE Senior Notes - Book-Entry-Only Issuance - The Depository Trust Company” or “The Policy and the Insurer” or under the caption “Experts” appearing on pages S-13 and S-14 thereof or in Appendix A thereto.
We are members of the State Bar of New York and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any law other than the law of the State of New York and the federal law of the United States and, to the extent set forth herein, the law of the State of Alabama.
This opinion is rendered solely to you in connection with the above matter. This opinion may not be relied upon by you for any other purpose or relied upon by or furnished to any other person without our prior written consent except that Balch & Bingham LLP and Troutman Sanders LLP may rely on this opinion in giving their opinions pursuant to Section 6 of the Underwriting Agreement, insofar as such opinions relate to matters of New York law, and Balch & Bingham LLP may rely on this opinion in giving its opinion pursuant to Sections 102, 302 and 904 of the Indenture insofar as such opinion relates to matters of New York law.
Very truly yours,
DEWEY BALLANTINE LLP
Schedule VII
[Letterhead of XL CAPITAL ASSURANCE INC.]
January __, 2006
To Each of the Addressees Listed
on the Attached Schedule A
ALABAMA POWER COMPANY
Series FF 5.75% Senior Insured Quarterly Notes
due January 15, 2036
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I am [Associate] General Counsel of XL Capital Assurance Inc., a New York stock insurance corporation (the “Corporation”), and have acted as counsel to the Corporation in connection with the issuance of Financial Guaranty Insurance Policy No. [ ] (the “Policy”) relating to the above-captioned notes (the “Notes”).
In so acting, I have examined a copy of (a) the Policy, (b) the Insurance Agreement, dated as of [ ] (the “Insurance Agreement”), among [ ], (c) information under the heading “The Policy and The Insurer” and “Experts” appearing on pages S-13 and S-14 contained in the Prospectus of Alabama Power Company dated July 19, 2005, as supplemented by a Preliminary Prospectus Supplement dated January 10, 2006 and a Prospectus Supplement dated January__, 2006 relating to the Notes (together with the Prospectus and the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, the “Final Supplemented Prospectus”) and (d) such other relevant documents as I have deemed necessary.
Based upon the foregoing, I am of the following opinion: |
1. | The Corporation is a stock insurance corporation, duly incorporated and validly existing under the laws of the State of New York and is licensed and authorized to issue the Policy and to perform its obligations under the Policy under the laws of the State of New York. |
2. | The Policy and the Insurance Agreement (collectively, the “Insurance Documents”) have been duly executed, and the Policy, and assuming due authorization, execution and delivery of the Insurance Agreement by the parties thereto (other than the Corporation) and the Insurance Agreement are valid and binding obligations of the Corporation enforceable in accordance with their terms except that the enforcement of the Insurance Documents may be limited by laws relating to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, receivership and other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and the enforceability of rights to indemnification under the Insurance Agreement may be subject to limitations of public policy under applicable securities laws. |
3. | The execution, delivery and performance by the Corporation of its obligations under the Insurance Documents do not contravene any provision of the charter or by-laws of the Corporation. The execution, delivery and performance by the Corporation of its obligations under the Insurance Documents do not, to the extent that either of the following would affect the validity or enforceability of any of the Insurance Documents, (a) contravene any law or government regulation or order presently binding on the Corporation or (b) contravene any provision of or constitute a default under any indenture, contract or other instrument to which the Corporation is a party or by which the Corporation is bound. |
4. | The Policy is exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”). |
5. | The information in the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the heading “The Policy and The Insurer” is limited and does not purport to provide the scope of disclosure required to be included in a prospectus with respect to a registrant under the Act in connection with a public offering and sale of securities of such registrant. Within such limited scope of disclosure, however, there has not come to my attention any information that would cause me to believe that the description of the Corporation referred to above, as of the date of the Final Supplemented Prospectus and as of the date hereof, contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, as of its date, or omits, on the date hereof, to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (except that no opinion is rendered with respect to any financial statements or other financial information contained or referred to therein). |
I am qualified to practice law in the State of New York and do not purport to be an expert on, or to express any opinion concerning, any law other than the laws of the State of New York and the federal laws of the United States of America.
This opinion is being delivered to you in connection with the issuance of the Policy and the execution of the other Insurance Documents and may not be relied upon for any other purposes or by any other person without my express written consent.
Schedule A
Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P.
St. Louis, Missouri
as Representative of the Several Underwriters |
Alabama Power Company
Birmingham, Alabama
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
New York, New York
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