offer involving DTE Energy, which, under certain circumstances, could encourage a potentially interested purchaser to negotiate with the board of directors rather than pursue a non-negotiated takeover attempt, including one that shareholders might favor, and could reduce the market value of our common stock.
DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
The following description, together with any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes certain material terms and provisions of the debt securities we may offer under this prospectus and the related indenture. We will issue the debt securities under an amended and restated indenture, dated as of April 9, 2001, as supplemented or amended from time to time, which we refer to as the “indenture,” between DTE Energy and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as successor trustee. We refer to The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., or any successor or additional trustee, in its capacity as trustee under the indenture, as the “trustee” for purposes of this section. The indenture may, but need not, have separate trustees for senior and subordinated debt securities.
This summary of the indenture and the debt securities relates to terms and conditions applicable to the debt securities generally. The particular terms of any series of debt securities will be summarized in the applicable prospectus supplement. If indicated in the prospectus supplement, the terms of any series may differ from the terms summarized below.
Because the descriptions of provisions of the indenture below are summaries, they do not describe every aspect of the indenture. The summaries below are subject to, and are qualified in their entirety by reference to, all provisions of the indenture, including the definitions therein of certain terms. We have filed a copy of the indenture as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. We encourage you to read the indenture for provisions that may be important to you. Wherever we refer to particular articles, sections or defined terms of the indenture, those articles, sections or defined terms are incorporated herein by reference, and the statement in connection with which such reference is made is qualified in its entirety by such reference. The indenture contains, and the debt securities, when issued, will contain, additional important terms and provisions. We will describe the particular terms of the debt securities offered by any prospectus supplement and the extent, if any, to which such general provisions may apply to the debt securities so offered in the prospectus supplement relating to those debt securities.
The indenture does not limit the amount of debt securities we may issue under it, and it provides that additional debt securities of any series may be issued up to the aggregate principal amount that we may authorize from time to time. As of December 31, 2018, approximately $5.6 billion aggregate principal amount of debt securities were issued and outstanding under the indenture.
Principal and any premium and interest in respect to the debt securities will be payable, and the debt securities will be transferable, at the corporate trust office of the trustee, unless we specify otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement. At our option, however, payment of interest may be made by check mailed to the registered holders of the debt securities at their registered addresses.
We will describe material U.S. federal income tax and other considerations relating to debt securities denominated in foreign currencies or units of two or more foreign currencies in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Unless we otherwise specify in this prospectus or in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will issue debt securities in the form of global securities, deposited with and registered in the name of The Depository Trust Company, as depositary, which we refer to as “DTC,” or its nominee. Interests in the debt securities will be shown on, and transfers thereof will be effected only through, records maintained by DTC and its participants. See “Book-Entry Securities.”
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