Company shall furnish to the Underwriters any amendments or any supplements thereto, or shall make any filings pursuant to Section 13 or 14 of the 1934 Act which are incorporated therein by reference, in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, the Final Supplemented Prospectus as so amended or supplemented, or in any free writing prospectus used by the Company other than a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, or arise out of or are based upon any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or actions arise out of or are based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission which was made in such Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectus, Basic Prospectus, Pricing Prospectus, Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or Final Supplemented Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives for use therein. Each Underwriter agrees, within ten days after the receipt by it of notice of the commencement of any action in respect of which indemnity may be sought by it, or by any person controlling it, from the Company on account of its agreement contained in this Section 8, to notify the Company in writing of the commencement thereof but the omission of such Underwriter so to notify the Company of any such action shall not release the Company from any liability which it may have to such Underwriter or to such controlling person otherwise than on account of the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 8. In case any such action shall be brought against an Underwriter or any such person controlling such Underwriter and such Underwriter shall notify the Company of the commencement thereof as above provided, the Company shall be entitled to participate in (and, to the extent that it shall wish, including the selection of counsel, to direct) the defense thereof, at its own expense. In case the Company elects to direct such defense and select such counsel, any Underwriter or controlling person shall have the right to employ its own counsel, but, in any such case, the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Underwriter or such controlling person unless the employment of such counsel has been authorized in writing by the Company in connection with defending such action. No indemnifying party shall, without the written consent of the indemnified party, effect the settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which indemnification may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include any statement as to, or an admission of, fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party. In no event shall any indemnifying party have any liability or responsibility in respect of the settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim effected without its prior written consent.
(b) Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors and such of its officers who have signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20(a) of the 1934 Act to the same
extent and upon the same terms as the indemnity agreement of the Company set forth in Section 8(a) hereof, but only with respect to alleged untrue statements or omissions made in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Basic Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus, or such documents as amended or supplemented, in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives for use therein.
SECTION 9. REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND AGREEMENTS TO SURVIVE DELIVERY. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement, or contained in certificates of officers of the Company submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or controlling person, or by, or on behalf of the Company and shall survive delivery of the Senior Notes to the Underwriters.
SECTION 10. TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT.
(a) The Representatives may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to the Closing Date if (i) trading in securities on the New York Stock Exchange shall have been generally suspended or there shall have been a material disruption in settlement in securities generally, (ii) minimum or maximum ranges for prices shall have been generally established on the New York Stock Exchange by the Commission or by the New York Stock Exchange, (iii) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by federal or New York State authorities, or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of major hostilities in which the United States is involved, any declaration of war by the United States Congress or any other substantial national or international calamity, crisis or emergency (including, without limitation, acts of terrorism) affecting the United States, in any such case provided for in clauses (i) through (iv) with the result that, in the reasonable judgment of the Representatives, the offering, sale or delivery of the Senior Notes on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement and the Final Supplemented Prospectus shall have been materially impaired.
(b) If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Representatives pursuant to subsection (a) above or because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Company to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or if for any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations under this Agreement, then in any such case, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters for the reasonable fees and disbursements of Dewey Ballantine LLP and for the out of pocket expenses (in an amount not exceeding $10,000) reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Senior Notes and, upon such reimbursement, the Company shall be absolved from any further liability hereunder, except as provided in Sections 5 and 8.
SECTION 11. DEFAULT BY AN UNDERWRITER. If an Underwriter shall fail on the Closing Date to purchase the Senior Notes that it is obligated to purchase
17
under this Agreement (the “Defaulted Securities”), the Representatives shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth. If, however, the Representatives shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:
(a) if the principal amount of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the Senior Notes, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or
(b) if the principal amount of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the Senior Notes, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.
No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.
In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this Agreement, either the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements.
SECTION 12. NOTICES. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to the Representatives at Banc of America Securities LLC, 40 West 57th Street, NY1-040-27-03, New York, New York, Attention: High Grade Transaction Management/Legal and J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., 270 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10017, Attention: High Grade Syndicate Desk - 8th Floor; notices to the Company shall be mailed to 241 Ralph McGill Boulevard, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30308-3374, Attention: Corporate Secretary, with a copy to Southern Company Services, Inc., 30 Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard, N.W., Atlanta, Georgia 30308, Attention: Earl C. Long.
SECTION 13. PARTIES. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Section 8 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and
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legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Senior Notes from any of the Underwriters shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase. The Company acknowledges and agrees that in connection with all aspects of each transaction contemplated by this Agreement, the Company and the Underwriters have arms-length business relationships that create no fiduciary duty on the part of any party and each expressly disclaims any fiduciary or financial advisory relationship.
SECTION 14. GOVERNING LAW AND TIME. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed in said State. Except as otherwise set forth herein, specified times of day refer to New York City time.
SECTION 15. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such respective counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the Underwriters and the Company in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours,
GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
By: /s/Wayne Boston
Title: Assistant Secretary
CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,
as of the date first above written
BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC
By: /s/Peter Carbone
Title: Assistant General Counsel |
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC.
By: /s/Robert Bottamedi
as Representatives of the Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto. |
NY1 1078479v4
SCHEDULE I
Name of Underwriters | Principal Amount of Series 2007A Senior Notes | |
| | |
Banc of America Securities LLC | $100,000,000 | |
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. | 100,000,000 | |
CastleOak Securities, L.P. | 17,500,000 | |
HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. | 17,500,000 | |
Calyon Securities (USA) Inc. | 15,000,000 | |
| | |
TOTAL: | $250,000,000 | |
| |
| | | |
SCHEDULE II
PRICING TERM SHEET
(To Preliminary Prospectus Supplement dated March 6, 2007)
Issuer: | Georgia Power Company |
Security: | Series 2007A 5.65% Senior Notes due March 1, 2037 |
Ratings: | A2/A/A+ (Moody’s/Standard & Poor’s/Fitch) |
Public Offering Price: | 99.559% |
Treasury Benchmark: | 4.50% due February 15, 2036 |
Spread to Treasury: | 100 basis points |
Redemption Terms: | At any time at a discount of Treasury plus 25 basis points |
Interest Payment Dates: | March 1 and September 1 of each year beginning September 1, 2007 |
Transaction Date: | March 6, 2007 |
Expected Settlement Date: | March 13, 2007 |
Joint Lead Managers: | Banc of America Securities LLC |
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.
Co-Managers: | Calyon Securities (USA) Inc. |
| CastleOak Securities, L.P. | |
| HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. | |
| | | |
The issuer has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the issuer and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC Web site at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the issuer, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus if you request it by calling Georgia Power Company collect at 1-404-506-0759 or Banc of America Securities LLC toll-free at 1-800-294-1322 or J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. collect at 1-212-834-4533.
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SCHEDULE III
PRICING DISCLOSURE PACKAGE
1) | Prospectus dated February 28, 2007 |
2) | Preliminary Prospectus Supplement dated March 6, 2007 (which shall be deemed to include documents incorporated by reference therein) |
3) | Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses |
| a) Pricing Term Sheet attached as Schedule II hereto |
Schedule IV
[Letterhead of TROUTMAN SANDERS LLP]
____, 2007
Banc of America Securities LLC
Hearst Tower
214 N. Tryon Street
Charlotte, North Carolina 28255
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.
270 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10017
as Representatives of the Several Underwriters |
GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
Series 2007A 5.65% Senior Notes
due March 1, 2037
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to Georgia Power Company (the “Company”) in connection with (i) the Company's issuance of $250,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its Series 2007A 5.65% Senior Notes due March 1, 2037 (the “Notes”) pursuant to a Senior Note Indenture dated as of January 1, 1998, by and between the Company and The Bank of New York (as successor to 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 Twenty-Eighth Supplemental Indenture dated as of March 13, 2007 (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 March 6, 2007 (the “Underwriting Agreement”), among the Company and the Underwriters named in Schedule I thereto (the “Underwriters”) for whom you are acting as Representatives (the “Representatives”). This opinion is being delivered to the Representatives pursuant to Section 6(c)(1) 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 No. 333-140954) 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 February 28, 2007 (the “Basic Prospectus”) as
supplemented by a preliminary prospectus supplement dated March 6, 2007 (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, 2006 (the “Pricing Exchange Act Document”), and a prospectus supplement dated March 6, 2007 (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 Document and the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company dated March 6, 2007 (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 March 6, 2007 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 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 incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Georgia 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 Georgia 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 the sale of the Notes; the issuance and the sale of the Notes conform in all
2
material respects with the terms of such orders; and no other order, consent or other authorization or approval of any Georgia 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 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 Effective Date and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as of March 6, 2007, complied as to form in all material
3
respects with the relevant 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 Effective Date (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 caption “Description of the Series 2007A Senior Notes - Book-Entry-Only Issuance - The Depository Trust Company.”
The attorneys in this firm that are rendering this opinion 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, 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 Dewey Ballantine LLP may rely on this opinion in giving its opinion pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement insofar as such opinion relates to matters of Georgia law.
Yours very truly,
TROUTMAN SANDERS LLP
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Schedule V
[Letterhead of Emmet, Marvin & Martin LLP]
____, 2007
Banc of America Securities LLC
Hearst Tower
214 N. Tryon Street
Charlotte, North Carolina 28255
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.
270 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10017
as Representatives of the Several Underwriters |
Georgia Power Company
241 Ralph McGill Boulevard, N.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30308-3374
Georgia Power Company
Series 2007A 5.65% Senior Notes due March 1, 2037
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel for The Bank of New York (as successor to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank)) (“BNY”), in connection with the issuance by Georgia Power Company (the “Company”) of $250,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Series 2007A 5.65% Senior Notes due March 1, 2037 (the “Notes”). The Notes are being issued under the Senior Note Indenture dated as of January 1, 1998 (the “Original Indenture”) between the Company and BNY, as trustee (in such capacity, the “Trustee”), as heretofore supplemented and as further supplemented by the Twenty-Eighth Supplemental Indenture dated as of March 13, 2007 (the “Supplemental Indenture and, together with the Original Indenture, the “Indenture”) between the Company and the Trustee.
For purposes of this opinion, we have reviewed the Indenture and such other documents, records and papers, and satisfied ourselves as to such other matters, as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for this opinion. As to questions of fact material to this opinion, we have relied on certificates of BNY and of public officials. In such review, 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 the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies or forms and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. We have assumed that BNY has been duly incorporated and that the Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes the valid and binding agreement of, and is enforceable in accordance with its terms against, the Company.
Based upon the foregoing and subject to the qualifications below, we are of the opinion that:
1) BNY is a banking corporation validly existing under the laws of the State of New York with corporate power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under the Indenture.
2) The Supplemental Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by BNY and the Indenture constitutes a valid and binding agreement of BNY enforceable against BNY in accordance with its terms, except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and by an implied covenant of reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing.
We are members of the Bar of the State of New York and, for purposes of this opinion, do not hold ourselves out as experts on the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of New York. The opinions expressed herein are limited to matters governed by the laws of the State of New York
This opinion is solely for your benefit in connection with the issuance and sale by the Company of the Notes and may not be relied upon by you for any other purpose, or relied upon or furnished to any other person, without our prior written consent.
Very truly yours,
2
Schedule VI
[Letterhead of DEWEY BALLANTINE LLP]
____, 2007
Banc of America Securities LLC
Hearst Tower
214 N. Tryon Street
Charlotte, North Carolina 28255
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.
270 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10017
as Representatives of the Several Underwriters |
GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
Series 2007A 5.65% Senior Notes
due March 1, 2037
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have represented the Underwriters (hereinafter defined) in connection with (i) the issuance and sale by Georgia Power Company (the “Company”) of $250,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its Series 2007A 5.65% Senior Notes due March 1, 2037 (the “Notes”) pursuant to a Senior Note Indenture dated as of January 1, 1998, by and between the Company and The Bank of New York (as successor to 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 Twenty-Eighth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March 13, 2007 (collectively, the “Indenture”); and (ii) the purchase by the Underwriters of the Notes pursuant to the terms of an Underwriting Agreement dated March 6, 2007 (the “Underwriting Agreement”), among the Company and the underwriters named in Schedule I thereto (the “Underwriters”) for whom you are acting as Representatives (the “Representatives”). This opinion is being delivered to the Representatives pursuant to Section 6(c)(3) 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 No. 333-140954) 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 February 28, 2007 (the “Basic Prospectus”) as supplemented by a preliminary prospectus supplement dated March 6, 2007 (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, 2006 (the “Pricing Exchange Act Document”), and a prospectus supplement dated March 6, 2007 (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 Document and the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company dated March 6, 2007 (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 March 6, 2007 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 Georgia upon the opinion of Troutman Sanders LLP dated the date hereof and addressed to you, that:
1. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Georgia 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 Georgia 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 Georgia or United States governmental body (other than in connection or in compliance with the provisions of the securities or “blue sky” laws of any
2
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 Effective Date and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as of March 6, 2007, complied as to form in all material respects with the relevant 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
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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 Effective Date (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 2007A Senior Notes - Book-Entry-Only Issuance - The Depository Trust Company.”
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 Georgia.
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 Troutman Sanders LLP may rely on this opinion in giving its opinions pursuant to Section 6 of the Underwriting Agreement and to Sections 102, 302 and 904 of the Indenture, insofar as such opinions relate to matters of New York law.
Very truly yours,
DEWEY BALLANTINE LLP
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