Exhibit 5(b)
[Letterhead of Bracewell LLP]
June 3, 2020
Kentucky Utilities Company
One Quality Street
Lexington, Kentucky 40507
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as special counsel to Kentucky Utilities Company (the “Company”) in connection with the issuance and sale by the Company of $500,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of the Company’s First Mortgage Bonds, 3.300% Series due 2050 (the “Bonds”). The Bonds are covered by the Registration Statement on FormS-3 (RegistrationNo. 333-223142-01, the “Registration Statement”), filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Act”), and related prospectus, dated February 22, 2018, as supplemented by the prospectus supplement dated May 19, 2020 relating to the offer and sale of the Bonds (as so supplemented, the “Prospectus”).
The Bonds are being issued under an Indenture, dated as of October 1, 2010, of the Company to The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as heretofore amended and supplemented and as further supplemented by Supplemental Indenture No. 8 thereto (the “Supplemental Indenture”), dated as of May 15, 2020, providing for the Bonds (such Indenture, as so supplemented, being referred to herein as the “Indenture”). The Bonds are being sold pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, dated May 19, 2020 (the “Underwriting Agreement”), between the Company and Barclays Capital, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets, Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc., as representatives of the several underwriters named therein.
We have reviewed and are familiar with the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Indenture (including the Supplemental Indenture and the Officer’s Certificate pursuant to Section 301 of the Indenture establishing certain terms of the Bonds, and the form of Bond), the Underwriting Agreement and such other documents, corporate proceedings and other matters as we have considered relevant or necessary as a basis for our opinion in this letter. In such review, we have assumed the accuracy and completeness of all agreements, documents, records, certificates and other materials submitted to us, the conformity with the originals of all such materials submitted to us as copies (whether or not certified and including facsimiles), the authenticity of the originals of such materials and all materials submitted to us as originals, the genuineness of all signatures and the legal capacity of all natural persons. We understand that the Registration Statement has become effective under the Act and we assume that such effectiveness has not been terminated or rescinded.
On the basis of the assumptions and subject to the qualifications and limitations set forth herein, we are of the opinion that, when the Bonds have been executed and delivered by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in the manner provided for in the Indenture, and have been delivered against payment therefor as contemplated in the Underwriting Agreement, the Bonds will be valid and legally binding obligations of the Company.
The enforceability of obligations of the Company under the Bonds and the Indenture is subject to the effect of any applicable bankruptcy (including, without limitation, fraudulent conveyance and preference), insolvency, reorganization, rehabilitation, moratorium or similar laws and decisions relating to or affecting the enforcement of mortgagees’ and other creditors’ rights generally, and to general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), including, without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing, and the possible unavailability of specific performance or injunctive relief. Such principles are of general application, and in applying such principles a court, among other things, might decline to order parties to perform covenants. We express no opinion (a) as to the enforceability of provisions in the Bonds or the Indenture regarding waiver, delay, extension or omission of notice or enforcement of rights or remedies, waivers of defenses or waivers of benefits of stay, extension, moratorium, redemption, statutes of limitations or other benefits provided by operation of law or (b) as to the validity, binding effect or enforceability of
