Exhibit 1
$200,000,000 Series L 7 1/8% Senior Notes
due October 1, 2007
ALABAMA POWER COMPANY
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
September 21, 1999
Chase Securities Inc.
Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.
Warburg Dillon Read LLC
BNY Capital Markets, Inc.
CIBC Oppenheimer Corp.
c/o Chase Securities Inc.
270 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10017
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Alabama Power Company, an Alabama corporation (the "Company"),
confirms its agreement (the "Agreement") with Chase Securities Inc., acting as
the representative (the "Representative") of the underwriters named in Schedule
I hereto (the "Underwriters", which term shall include any underwriter
substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 10 hereof), with respect to the
sale by the Company and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and
not jointly, of $200,000,000 principal amount of the Series L 7 1/8% Senior
Notes due October 1, 2007 (the "Senior Notes") as set forth in Schedule I
hereto.
The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make
a public offering of the Senior Notes as soon as the Underwriters deem advisable
after this Agreement has been executed and delivered. The Senior Notes will be
issued pursuant to an indenture, dated as of December 1, 1997, as heretofore
supplemented (the "Base Indenture"), between the Company and The Chase Manhattan
Bank, as trustee (the "Trustee"), as supplemented by a twelfth supplemental
indenture to the Base Indenture relating to the Senior Notes (the "Supplemental
Indenture," and together with the Base Indenture and any other amendments or
supplements thereto, the "Indenture"), between the Company and the Trustee.
SECTION 1. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. The Company represents and warrants
to the Underwriters as follows:
(a) A registration statement on Form S-3, as amended (File Nos. 333-67453,
333-67453-01, 333-67453-02 and 333-67453-03), in respect of the Senior
Notes and certain other securities has been prepared and filed in
accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the "1933 Act"), with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "Commission"); such registration statement, as amended, and any
post-effective amendment thereto, each in the form heretofore delivered
or to be delivered to the Underwriters, has been declared effective by
the Commission in such form (except that copies of the registration
statement, as amended, and any post-effective amendment delivered to
the Underwriters need not include exhibits but shall include all
documents incorporated by reference therein); and no stop order
suspending the effectiveness of such registration statement has been
issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or, to the
best knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission (any
preliminary prospectus, as supplemented by a preliminary prospectus
supplement, included in such registration statement or filed with the
Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) of the rules and regulations of the
Commission under the 1933 Act, being hereinafter called a "Preliminary
Prospectus"); such registration statement, as it became effective,
including the exhibits thereto and all documents incorporated by
reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 at the time such
registration statement became effective, being hereinafter called the
"Registration Statement"; the prospectus relating to the Senior Notes,
in the form in which it was included in the Registration Statement at
the time it became effective, being hereinafter called the
"Prospectus"; any reference herein to any Preliminary Prospectus or the
Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents
incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under
the 1933 Act, as of the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or
Prospectus, as the case may be; any reference to any amendment or
supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be
deemed to refer to and include any documents filed after the date of
such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be, under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act"), and
incorporated by reference in such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus,
as the case may be; any reference to any amendment to the Registration
Statement shall be deemed to refer to and include any annual report of
the Company filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the 1934 Act
after the effective date of the Registration Statement that is
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement; and the
Prospectus as amended or supplemented in final form by a prospectus
supplement relating to the Senior Notes in the form in which it is
filed with the Commission, pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act
in accordance with Section 3(e) hereof, including any documents
incorporated by reference therein as of the date of such filing, being
hereinafter called the "Final Supplemented Prospectus".
(b) The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement
or Prospectus, when they were filed with the Commission, complied in
all material respects with the applicable provisions of the 1934 Act
and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and as of
such time of filing, when read together with the Prospectus, none of
such documents contained an untrue statement of a material fact or
omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and any
further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the
Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto, when such
documents are filed with the Commission, will comply in all material
respects with the applicable provisions of the 1934 Act and the rules
and regulations of the Commission thereunder and, when read together
with the Prospectus as it otherwise may be amended or supplemented,
will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under
which they were made, not misleading, except that the Company makes no
warranty or representation to the Underwriters with respect to: (A) any
statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with
information furnished in writing to the Company by the Underwriters
expressly for use in the Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus or the
Final Supplemented Prospectus; or (B) any information set forth in the
Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus or the Final Supplemented
Prospectus under the caption "Description of the Series L Senior Notes
- Book-Entry Only Issuance -- The Depository Trust Company."
(c) The Registration Statement and the Prospectus and the Final
Supplemented Prospectus and any further amendments or supplements to
the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, when any such
post-effective amendments are declared effective or supplements are
filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will comply, in all
material respects with the applicable provisions of the 1933 Act, the
1934 Act, the 1939 Act (hereinafter defined) and the General Rules and
Regulations of the Commission thereunder and do not and will not, (i)
as of the applicable effective date as to the Registration Statement
and any amendment thereto and (ii) as of the applicable filing date as
to the Final Supplemented Prospectus and any Prospectus as further
amended or supplemented, contain an untrue statement of a material fact
or omit 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 the Company makes no warranties
or representations with respect to (A) that part of the Registration
Statement which shall constitute the Statements of Eligibility (Form
T-1) (collectively, the "Form T-1") under the Trust Indenture Act of
1939, as amended (the "1939 Act"), (B) statements or omissions made in
the Registration Statement or the Final Supplemented Prospectus in
reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing
to the Company by the Underwriters expressly for use therein or (C) any
information set forth in the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the
caption "Description of the Series L Senior Notes - Book-Entry Only
Issuance -- The Depository Trust Company."
(d) With respect to the Registration Statement, the conditions for use of
Form S-3, as set forth in the General Instructions thereof, have been
satisfied.
(e) Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the
Registration Statement and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, except as
otherwise stated therein, there has been no material adverse change in
the business, properties or financial condition of the Company.
(f) The Company is a corporation duly organized and existing 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 and to own and operate
the properties used by it in such business, to enter into and perform
its obligations under this Agreement and the Indenture and to issue and
sell the Senior Notes to the Underwriters.
(g) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the
Company.
(h) The Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and, on the
Closing Date, will have been duly executed and delivered by the
Company, and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery of the
Indenture by the Trustee, the Indenture will, on the Closing Date,
constitute a valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable
against the Company in accordance with its terms except to the extent
that enforcement thereof may be limited by (1) bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, receivership, liquidation, fraudulent conveyance,
moratorium or other similar laws affecting creditors' rights generally
or (2) general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement
is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity) (the "Enforceability
Exceptions"); the Indenture will conform in all material respects to
all statements relating thereto contained in the Final Supplemented
Prospectus; and, on the Closing Date, the Indenture will have been duly
qualified under the 1939 Act.
(i) The issuance and delivery of the Senior Notes have been duly authorized
by the Company and, on the Closing Date, the Senior Notes will have
been duly executed by the Company and, when authenticated in the manner
provided for in the Indenture and delivered against payment therefor as
described in the Final Supplemented Prospectus, will constitute valid
and legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the
Company in accordance with their terms, except to the extent that
enforcement thereof may be limited by the Enforceability Exceptions,
will be in the form contemplated by, and entitled to the benefits of,
the Indenture and will conform in all material respects to all
statements relating thereto in the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
(j) The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this
Agreement, the Indenture and the Senior Notes and the consummation by
the Company of the transactions contemplated herein and therein and
compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder and thereunder
shall have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on
the part of the Company and do not and will not result in any violation
of the charter or bylaws of the Company, and do not and will not
conflict with, or result in a breach of any of the terms or provisions
of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or
imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or
assets of the Company under (A) any contract, indenture, mortgage, loan
agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the
Company is a party or by which it may be bound or to which any of its
properties may be subject (except for conflicts, breaches or defaults
which would not, individually or in the aggregate, be materially
adverse to the Company or materially adverse to the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement), or (B) any existing applicable law,
rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any government,
governmental instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, or any
regulatory body or administrative agency or other governmental body
having jurisdiction over the Company, or any of its properties.
(k) No authorization, approval, consent or order of any court or
governmental authority or agency is necessary in connection with the
issuance and sale by the Company of the Senior Notes or the
transactions by the Company contemplated in this Agreement, except (A)
such as may be required under the 1933 Act or the rules and regulations
thereunder; (B) such as may be required under the Public Utility
Holding Company Act of 1935, as amended (the "1935 Act"); (C) the
qualification of the Indenture under the 1939 Act; (D) the approval of
the Alabama Public Service Commission (the "Alabama Commission"); and
(E) such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or
qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky
laws.
SECTION 2. SALE AND DELIVERY TO THE UNDERWRITERS; CLOSING.
(a) On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and
subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell
to each Underwriter, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to
purchase from the Company, the principal amount of Senior Notes set forth in
Schedule I to this Agreement opposite the name of such Underwriter (plus any
additional amount of Senior Notes that such Underwriter may become obligated to
purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof), at a price equal to
99.346% of the principal amount thereof.
(b) Payment for and delivery of certificates for the Senior Notes shall be made
at the offices of Troutman Sanders LLP, 600 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta,
Georgia 30308 at 10:00 A.M., Atlanta time, on September 30, 1999 (unless
postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10) or such other time,
place or date as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company
(such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called the "Closing
Date"). Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer in federal funds
at the Closing Date against delivery of the Senior Notes to the Representative.
It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized the Representative, for
its account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the
principal amount of the Senior Notes which it has agreed to purchase. The
Representative, individually and not as Representative of the Underwriters, may
(but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the principal amount of the
Senior Notes to be purchased by any Underwriter whose payment has not been
received by the Closing Date, but such payment shall not relieve such
Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.
The delivery of the Senior Notes shall be made in fully
registered form, registered in the name of CEDE & CO., to the offices of The
Depository Trust Company in New York, New York or its designee, and the
Underwriters shall accept such delivery.
The certificate(s) for the Senior Notes will be made available
for examination by the Underwriters not later than 12:00 Noon, New York time, on
the last business day prior to the Closing Date.
SECTION 3. COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY. The Company covenants with the
Underwriters as follows:
(a) The Company, on or prior to the Closing Date, will deliver to the
Underwriters conformed copies of the Registration Statement as
originally filed and of all amendments thereto, heretofore or hereafter
made, including any post-effective amendment (in each case including
all exhibits filed therewith, and including unsigned copies of each
consent and certificate included therein or filed as an exhibit
thereto, except exhibits incorporated by reference, unless specifically
requested). As soon as the Company is advised thereof, it will advise
the Representative orally of the issuance of any stop order under the
1933 Act with respect to the Registration Statement, or the institution
of any proceedings therefor, of which the Company shall have received
notice, and will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any
such stop order and to secure the prompt removal thereof, if issued.
The Company will deliver to the Underwriters conformed copies of the
Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Final Supplemented
Prospectus and of all supplements and amendments thereto (in each case
without exhibits) and, from time to time, as many copies of the
Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus as the Underwriters
may reasonably request for the purposes contemplated by the 1933 Act or
the 1934 Act.
(b) The Company will furnish the Underwriters with copies of each amendment
and supplement to the Final Supplemented Prospectus relating to the
offering of the Senior Notes in such quantities as the Underwriters may
from time to time reasonably request. If, during the period (not
exceeding nine months) when the delivery of a prospectus shall be
required by law in connection with the sale of any Senior Notes by an
Underwriter, any event relating to or affecting the Company, or of
which the Company shall be advised in writing by the Underwriters,
shall occur, which in the opinion of the Company or of Underwriters'
counsel should be set forth in a supplement to or an amendment of the
Final Supplemented Prospectus, as the case may be, in order to make the
Final Supplemented Prospectus not misleading in the light of the
circumstances when it is delivered, or if for any other reason it shall
be necessary during such period to amend or supplement the Final
Supplemented Prospectus or to file under the 1934 Act any document
incorporated by reference in the Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus
in order to comply with the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, the Company
forthwith will (i) notify the Underwriters to suspend solicitation of
purchases of the Senior Notes and (ii) at its expense, make any such
filing or prepare and furnish to the Underwriters a reasonable number
of copies of a supplement or supplements or an amendment or amendments
to the Final Supplemented Prospectus which will supplement or amend the
Final Supplemented Prospectus so that, as supplemented or amended, it
will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Final Supplemented
Prospectus is delivered, not misleading or which will effect any other
necessary compliance. In case any Underwriter is required to deliver a
prospectus in connection with the sale of any Senior Notes after the
expiration of the period specified in the preceding sentence, the
Company, upon the request of such Underwriter, will furnish to such
Underwriter, at the expense of such Underwriter, a reasonable quantity
of a supplemented or amended prospectus, or supplements or amendments
to the Final Supplemented Prospectus, complying with Section 10(a) of
the 1933 Act. During the period specified in the second sentence of
this subsection, the Company will continue to prepare and file with the
Commission on a timely basis all documents or amendments required under
the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder; provided, that
the Company shall not file such documents or amendments without also
furnishing copies thereof prior to such filing to the Underwriters and
Dewey Ballantine LLP.
(c) The Company will endeavor, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to
qualify the Senior Notes for offering and sale under the applicable
securities laws of such states and the other jurisdictions of the
United States as the Underwriters may designate; provided, however,
that the Company shall not be obligated to qualify as a foreign
corporation in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to
file a consent to service of process or to file annual reports or to
comply with any other requirements in connection with such
qualification deemed by the Company to be unduly burdensome.
(d) The Company will make generally available to its security holders as
soon as practicable but not later than 45 days after the close of the
period covered thereby, an earnings statement of the Company (in form
complying with the provisions of Rule 158 of the rules and regulations
under the 1933 Act) covering a twelve-month period beginning not later
than the first day of the Company's fiscal quarter next following the
"effective date" (as defined in Rule 158) of the Registration
Statement.
(e) As soon as practicable after the date of this Agreement, and in any
event within the time prescribed by Rule 424 under the 1933 Act, to
file the Final Supplemented Prospectus with the Commission and to
advise the Underwriters of such filing and to confirm such advice in
writing.
SECTION 4. PAYMENT OF EXPENSES. The Company will pay all expenses incidental to
the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including but not
limited to, the expenses of (i) the printing and filing of the Registration
Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto, (ii) the
preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificate(s) for the Senior Notes,
(iii) the fees and disbursements of the Company's counsel and accountants, (iv)
the qualification of the Senior Notes under securities laws in accordance with
the provisions of Section 3(c) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable
fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith
and in connection with the preparation of any blue sky survey (such fees and
disbursements of counsel shall not exceed $3,500), (v) the printing and delivery
to the Underwriters of copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed
and of each amendment thereto and of the Prospectus, the Final Supplemented
Prospectus, and any amendments or supplements thereto, (vi) the printing and
delivery to the Underwriters of copies of any blue sky survey, (vii) the fee of
the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. in connection with its
review of the offering contemplated by this Agreement, if applicable, (viii) the
fees and expenses of the Trustee, including the fees and disbursements of
counsel for the Trustee in connection with the Indenture and the Senior Notes,
(ix) any fees payable in connection with the rating of the Senior Notes, (x) the
cost and charges of any transfer agent or registrar and (xi) the cost of
qualifying the Senior Notes with The Depository Trust Company.
Except as otherwise provided in Section 9 hereof, the
Underwriters shall pay all other expenses incurred by them in connection with
their offering of the Senior Notes including fees and disbursements of their
counsel, Dewey Ballantine LLP.
SECTION 5. CONDITIONS OF UNDERWRITERS' OBLIGATIONS. The obligations of the
Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Senior Notes are subject to
the following conditions:
(a) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement shall be in effect on the Closing Date and no proceedings for
that purpose shall be pending before, or to the knowledge of the
Company threatened by, the Commission on such date. If filing of the
Final Supplemented Prospectus, or any supplement thereto, is required
pursuant to Rule 424, the Final Supplemented Prospectus, and any such
supplement, shall have been filed in the manner and within the time
period required by Rule 424.
(b) Any required orders of the Commission permitting the transactions
contemplated hereby substantially in accordance with the terms and
conditions hereof shall be in full force and effect and shall contain
no provision unacceptable to the Underwriters or the Company (but all
provisions of such order or orders heretofore entered, copies of which
have heretofore been delivered to the Underwriters, are deemed
acceptable to the Underwriters and the Company and all provisions of
such order or orders hereafter entered shall be deemed acceptable to
the Underwriters and the Company unless within 24 hours after receiving
a copy of any such order any party to this Agreement shall give notice
to the other parties to the effect that such order contains an
unacceptable provision).
(c) On the Closing Date the Underwriters shall have received:
(1) The opinion, dated the Closing Date, of Balch & Bingham LLP,
general counsel for the Company, substantially in the form
attached hereto as Schedule II-A.
(2) The opinion, dated the Closing Date, of Troutman Sanders LLP,
counsel for the Company, substantially in the form attached
hereto as Schedule II-B.
(3) The opinion, dated the Closing Date, of Cravath, Swaine &
Moore, counsel to the Trustee, substantially in the form
attached hereto as Schedule III.
(4) The opinion, dated as of the Closing Date, of Dewey Ballantine
LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, substantially in the form
attached hereto as Schedule IV.
(5) At the Closing Date, there shall not have been, since the date
hereof or since the respective dates as of which information
is given in the Registration Statement and the Final
Supplemented Prospectus, any material adverse change in the
business, properties or financial condition of the Company,
whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and
the Underwriters shall have received a certificate of the
President or any Vice President of the Company, and dated as
of the Closing Date, to the effect that (i) there has been no
such material adverse change, (ii) the representations and
warranties in Section 1 hereof are true and correct with the
same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of
the Closing Date, (iii) the Company has complied with all
agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be
performed or satisfied on or prior to the Closing Date, and
(iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for
that purpose have been initiated or, to the knowledge of the
Company, threatened by the Commission.
(6) On the Closing Date, the Underwriters shall have received from
Arthur Andersen LLP a letter dated the Closing Date to the
effect that: (A) they are independent public accountants with
respect to the Company within the meaning of the 1933 Act and
the rules and regulations under the 1933 Act; (B) in their
opinion, the financial statements audited by them and
incorporated by reference in the Prospectus comply as to form
in all material respects with the applicable accounting
requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations
under the 1934 Act; and (C) on the basis of certain limited
procedures performed through a specified date not more than
five business days prior to the date of such letter, namely
(i) reading the minute books of the Company; (ii) performing
the procedures specified by the American Institute of
Certified Public Accountants ("AICPA") for a review of interim
financial information as described in Statement on Auditing
Standards No. 71, "Interim Financial Information", on the
unaudited financial statements, if any, of the Company
incorporated in the Prospectus and on the unaudited financial
statements of the Company referred to in (3) and (5) below;
and (iii) making inquiries of certain officials of the Company
who have responsibility for financial and accounting matters
regarding such unaudited financial statements or any specified
unaudited amounts derived therefrom (it being understood that
the foregoing procedures do not constitute an audit performed
in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and
they would not necessarily reveal matters of significance with
respect to the comments made in such letter, and accordingly
that Arthur Andersen LLP make no representations as to the
sufficiency of such procedures for the Underwriters'
purposes), nothing came to their attention that caused them to
believe that: (1) any material modifications should be made to
the unaudited condensed financial statements, if any
incorporated in the Prospectus, for them to be in conformity
with generally accepted accounting principles; (2) such
unaudited condensed financial statements do not comply as to
form in all material respects with the applicable accounting
requirements of the 1934 Act as it applies to Form 10-Q and
the related published rules and regulations thereunder; (3)
the unaudited amounts for Operating Revenues, Income Before
Interest Charges and Net Income After Dividends on Preferred
Stock and the unaudited Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges
and Earnings to Fixed Charges Plus Preferred Dividends
Requirements (Pre-Income Tax Basis) set forth in the
Prospectus do not agree with the amounts set forth in or
derived from the unaudited financial statements for the same
period or were not determined on a basis substantially
consistent with that of the corresponding audited amounts or
ratios included or incorporated by reference in Registration
Statement; (4) as of a specified date not more than five
business days prior to the date of delivery of such letter,
there has been any change in the capital stock or long-term
debt of the Company or any decrease in net assets as compared
with amounts shown in the latest audited balance sheet
incorporated in the Prospectus, except in each case for
changes or decreases which (i) the Prospectus discloses have
occurred or may occur, (ii) are occasioned by the declaration
of dividends, (iii) are occasioned by draw-downs under
existing pollution control financing arrangements, (iv) are
occasioned by draw-downs and regularly scheduled payments of
capitalized lease obligations, (v) are occasioned by the
purchase or redemption of bonds or stock to satisfy mandatory
or optional redemption provisions relating thereto, or (vi)
are disclosed in such letter; and (5) the unaudited amounts
for Operating Revenues, Income Before Interest Charges and Net
Income After Dividends Preferred Stock and the unaudited
Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges Plus Preferred Dividend
Requirements (Pre-Income Tax Basis) for any twelve month
period ending on the most recent March 31, June 30, September
30 or December 31 subsequent to the financial statements
referred to in (3) above, which, if available, shall be set
forth in such letter, do not agree with the amounts set forth
in or derived from the unaudited financial statements for the
same period or were not determined on a basis substantially
consistent with that of the corresponding audited amounts or
ratios included or incorporated by reference in the
Prospectus.
(7) On the Closing Date, counsel for the Underwriters shall have
been furnished with such documents and opinions as it may
reasonably require for the purpose of enabling it to pass upon
the issuance and sale of the Senior Notes as herein
contemplated and related proceedings, or in order to evidence
the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or
the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained;
and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with
the issuance and sale of the Senior Notes as herein
contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to
the Underwriters and Dewey Ballantine LLP, counsel for the
Underwriters.
(8) That no amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement
or the Final Supplemented Prospectus filed subsequent to the
date of this Agreement (including any filing made by the
Company pursuant to Section 13 or 14 of the 1934 Act) shall be
unsatisfactory in form to Dewey Ballantine LLP or shall
contain information (other than with respect to an amendment
or supplement relating solely to the activity of the
Underwriters) which, in the reasonable judgment of the
Representative, shall materially impair the marketability of
the Senior Notes.
(9) The Company shall have performed its obligations when and as
provided under this Agreement.
If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been
fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated
by the Underwriters by notice to the Company at any time prior to the Closing
Date, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other
party except as provided in Sections 4, 7 and 9(b) hereof.
SECTION 6. CONDITIONS OF THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE COMPANY.
The obligations of the Company shall be subject to the
conditions set forth in the first sentence of Section 5(a) and in Section 5(b).
In case such conditions shall not have been fulfilled, this Agreement may be
terminated by the Company by mailing or delivering written notice thereof to the
Underwriters. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to
any other party except as otherwise provided in Sections 4, 7 and 9(b) hereof.
SECTION 7. INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each of the Underwriters
and each person, if any, who controls any such Underwriter within the meaning of
Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20(a) of the 1934 Act, against any and all
losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which they or any
of them may become subject under the 1933 Act, 1934 Act or otherwise, and to
reimburse any such Underwriter and such controlling person or persons, if any,
for any legal or other expenses incurred by them in connection with defending
any actions, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or actions
arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement
of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration
Statement, the Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus or, if the
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 by reference, in any Preliminary Prospectus, the
Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus as
so amended or supplemented, 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, Prospectus or Final Supplemented Prospectus in reliance upon and in
conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by, or through
the Representative on behalf of, the Underwriters for use therein and except
that this indemnity with respect to the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus
or the Final Supplemented Prospectus, if the Company shall have furnished any
amendment or supplement thereto, shall not inure to the benefit of any
Underwriter (or of any person controlling such Underwriter) on account of any
losses, claims, damages, liabilities or actions arising from the sale of the
Senior Notes to any person if a copy of the Preliminary Prospectus, the
Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus (exclusive of documents
incorporated therein by reference pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3), as the same
may then be amended or supplemented, shall not have been sent or given by or on
behalf of such Underwriter to such person with or prior to the written
confirmation of the sale involved and the untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement or omission or alleged omission was corrected in the Preliminary
Prospectus, the Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus as supplemented
or amended at the time of such confirmation. 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 7, 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 7. 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 agrees severally and not jointly, 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 7(a) hereof, but only with respect to alleged
untrue statements or omissions made in the Registration Statement, the
Preliminary Prospectus, the 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 such Underwriter for use
therein.
SECTION 8. 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 9. TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT.
(a) The Representative 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,
(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 or emergency affecting the United States, in
any such case provided for in clauses (i) through (iv) with the result that, in
the reasonable judgement of the Underwriters, the marketability of the Senior
Notes shall have been materially impaired.
(b) If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters 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 4 and 7.
SECTION 10. DEFAULT BY AN UNDERWRITER
If an Underwriter shall fail on the Closing Date to purchase
the Senior Notes that it is obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the
"Defaulted Securities"), the non-defaulting Underwriter shall have the right,
within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for the non-defaulting
Underwriter, 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 non-defaulting Underwriter 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 Underwriter shall be
obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof, 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 non-defaulting Underwriter 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 or Final Supplemented Prospectus or in any other documents or
arrangements.
SECTION 11. 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 Representative at Chase Securities Inc., 270 Park Avenue, New
York, New York 10017, Attention: William Rogers, except that notices pursuant to
Section 7 shall be given to the Representative at 1 Chase Manhattan Plaza, 26th
Floor, New York, New York 10081, Attention: Legal Department; notices to the
Company shall be mailed to 600 North 18th Street, 17th floor, Birmingham,
Alabama 35291, Attention: Corporate Secretary, with a copy to Southern Company
Services, Inc., 270 Peachtree Street, N.W., Atlanta, Georgia 30303, Attention:
Charles N. Eldred.
SECTION 12. 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 7 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 legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or
corporation. No purchaser of Senior Notes from the Underwriters shall be deemed
to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.
SECTION 13. 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 14. 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.
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 between the Underwriters and the Company in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours,
ALABAMA POWER COMPANY
By: ______________________________
Title:
CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,
as of the date first above written
CHASE SECURITIES INC.,
as Representative of the Underwriters
By:___________________________
Title:
SCHEDULE I
Principal Amount of
NAME OF UNDERWRITER Senior Notes
Chase Securities Inc. $120,000,000
Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. $ 30,000,000
Warburg Dillon Read LLC $ 30,000,000
BNY Capital Markets, Inc. $ 10,000,000
CIBC Oppenheimer Corp. $ 10,000,000
------------
TOTAL $200,000,000
============
Schedule II-A
[Letterhead of Balch & Bingham LLP]
September __, 1999
Chase Securities Inc.
Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.
Warburg Dillon Read LLC
BNY Capital Markets, Inc.
CIBC Oppenheimer Corp.
c/o Chase Securities Inc.
270 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10017
ALABAMA POWER COMPANY
Series L 7 1/8 % Senior Notes
Due October 1, 2007
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as general counsel to Alabama Power Company (the
"Company") in connection with (i) the Company's issuance of $200,000,000
aggregate principal amount of its Series L 7 1/8% Senior Notes due October 1,
2007 (the "Notes") pursuant to a Senior Note Indenture dated as of December 1,
1997, by and between the Company and The Chase Manhattan Bank, as trustee (the
"Trustee"), as heretofore supplemented and as further supplemented by the
Twelfth Supplemental Indenture dated as of __________ __, 1999 (collectively,
the "Indenture"); and (ii) the purchase by you of the Notes pursuant to the
terms of an Underwriting Agreement dated September __, 1999, among the Company
and you (the "Underwriters") (the "Underwriting Agreement"). This opinion is
being delivered to you pursuant to Section 5(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 (Nos. 333-67453, 333-67453-01,
333-67453-02 and 333-67453-03) pertaining to the Notes (the "Registration
Statement") filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), and
the prospectus dated ________, 199_ as supplemented by a final prospectus
supplement dated __________, 199_ (the "Final Supplemented Prospectus"), which
pursuant to Form S-3 incorporates by reference the Annual Report on Form 10-K of
the Company for the fiscal year ended __________________, 199_, the Quarterly
Reports on Form 10-Q of the Company for the quarters ended ____________ and the
Current Reports on Form 8-K of the Company dated __________ (the "Exchange Act
Documents"), each as filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the "Exchange Act").
In addition, we have examined, and have relied as to matters
of fact upon, the documents delivered to you at the closing (except 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.
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 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 and 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 the sale of the Notes; the issuance and the 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 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; and the Notes conform as to legal matters in all
material respects to the description thereof in the Final Supplemented
Prospectus.
6. The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act
of 1939, as amended (the "Trust Indenture Act").
We have not independently verified the accuracy, completeness
or fairness of the statements made or included in the Registration Statement,
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 and in the Final Supplemented Prospectus in the second paragraph
under the caption "Experts". In the course of the preparation by the Company of
the Registration Statement, 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 and with
representatives of Arthur Andersen LLP. Based upon our examination of the
Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act
Documents, our investigations made in connection with the preparation of the
Registration Statement, 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, as of its effective date, and
the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as of __________, 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 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, as of the date of filing of the
Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1998
(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, or that the Final Supplemented Prospectus
(including the Exchange Act Documents) contains any untrue statement therein of
a material fact or omits 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 Final
Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents and with respect to
information set forth in the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the caption
"Description of the Series L Senior Notes - Book-Entry Only Issuance - The
Depository Trust Company."
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
and, to the extent set forth herein, the law of the States of New York and the
federal law of the United States.
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 II-B
[Letterhead of TROUTMAN SANDERS LLP]
September __, 1998
Chase Securities Inc.
Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.
Warburg Dillon Read LLC
BNY Capital Markets, Inc.
CIBC Oppenheimer Corp.
c/o Chase Securities Inc.
270 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10017
ALABAMA POWER COMPANY
Series L 7 1/8% Senior Notes
Due October 1, 2007
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to Alabama Power Company (the
"Company") in connection with (i) the Company's issuance of $200,000,000
aggregate principal amount of its Series L 7 1/8% Senior Notes due October 1,
2007 (the "Notes") pursuant to a Senior Note Indenture dated as of December 1,
1997, by and between the Company and The Chase Manhattan Bank, as trustee (the
"Trustee"), as heretofore supplemented and as further supplemented by the
Twelfth Supplemental Indenture dated as of __________ __, 1999 (collectively,
the "Indenture"); and (ii) the purchase by you (the "Underwriters") of the Notes
pursuant to the terms of an Underwriting Agreement dated September __, 1999,
among the Company and you (the "Underwriting Agreement"). This opinion is being
delivered to you pursuant to Section 5(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 (Nos. 333-67453, 333-67453-01,
333-67453-02 and 333-67453-03) pertaining to the Notes (the "Registration
Statement") filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), and
the prospectus dated ___________, 199_ as supplemented by a final prospectus
supplement dated __________, 199_ (the "Final Supplemented Prospectus"), which
pursuant to Form S-3 incorporates by reference the Annual Report on Form 10-K of
the Company for the fiscal year ended _____________, 199_, the Quarterly Reports
on Form 10-Q of the Company for the quarters ended ____________ and the Current
Reports on Form 8-K of the Company dated _________ (the "Exchange Act
Documents"), each as filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the "Exchange Act").
In addition, we have examined, and have relied as to matters
of fact upon, the documents delivered to you at the closing (except the
certificates 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 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 incorporated and is validly existing as a
corporation in good standing 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 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 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 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 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 Arthur Andersen LLP
and with your counsel. Based upon our examination of the Registration Statement,
the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, our
investigations made in connection with the preparation of the Registration
Statement, 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, as of its effective date, and the Final
Supplemented Prospectus, as of _______________, 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 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, as of the date of filing of the
Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1998
(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, or that the Final Supplemented Prospectus
(including the Exchange Act Documents) contains any untrue statement of a
material fact or omits 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 Final
Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents and with respect to
information set forth in the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the caption
"Description of the Series L Senior Notes - Book-Entry Only Issuance - The
Depository Trust Company."
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 III
[Letterhead of Cravath, Swaine & Moore]
September __, 1999
Chase Securities Inc.
Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.
Warburg Dillon Read LLC
BNY Capital Markets, Inc.
CIBC Oppenheimer Corp.
c/o Chase Securities Inc.
270 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10017
Alabama Power Company
600 North 18th Street
Birmingham, Alabama 35291
Alabama Power Company
Series L 7 1/8% Senior Notes
Due October 1, 2007
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to 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 Twelfth
Supplemental Indenture dated as of ___________ (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 the opinion that:
i) the Bank has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a
banking corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of New York;
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 does not conflict with or constitute a breach of the charter 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,
CRAVATH, SWAINE & MOORE
Schedule IV
[Letterhead of DEWEY BALLANTINE LLP]
September __, 1999
Chase Securities Inc.
Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.
Warburg Dillon Read LLC
BNY Capital Markets, Inc.
CIBC Oppenheimer Corp.
c/o Chase Securities Inc.
270 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10017
ALABAMA POWER COMPANY
Series L 7 1/8% Senior Notes
Due October 1, 2007
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have represented you (the "Underwriters") in connection
with (i) the issuance by Alabama Power Company (the "Company") of $200,000,000
of its Series L 7 1/8% Senior Notes (the "Notes") pursuant to a Senior Note
Indenture dated as of December 1, 1997, by and between the Company and The Chase
Manhattan Bank, as trustee (the "Trustee"), as heretofore supplemented and as
further supplemented by the Twelfth Supplemental Indenture dated as of
__________ __, 1999 (collectively, the "Indenture"); and (ii) the purchase by
you of the Notes pursuant to the terms of an Underwriting Agreement dated
September __, 1999, among the Company and the Underwriters (the "Underwriting
Agreement"). This opinion is being delivered to you pursuant to Section 5(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 (Nos. 333-67453, 333-67453-01,
333-67453-02 and 333-67453-03) pertaining to the Notes (the "Registration
Statement"), filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), and
the prospectus dated ________, 199_, as supplemented by a final prospectus
supplement dated _________ (the "Final Supplemented Prospectus"), which pursuant
to Form S-3 incorporates by reference the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the
Company for the fiscal year ended ________________, 199_, the Quarterly Reports
on Form 10-Q of the Company for the quarters ended _________ the Current Reports
on Form 8-K of the Company, dated __________ (the "Exchange Act Documents"),
each as filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
"Exchange Act").
In addition, we have examined, and have relied as to matters
of fact upon, the documents delivered to you at the closing (except 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 incorporated and is validly
existing as a corporation in good standing 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 and 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 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 Underwriter 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 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 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 Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, we
participated in conferences with certain officers and employees of the Company,
with representatives of Arthur Andersen LLP and with counsel to the Company.
Based upon our examination of the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented
Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, our investigations made in connection
with the preparation of the Registration Statement and the Final Supplemented
Prospectus and our participation in the conferences referred to above, (i) we
are of the opinion that the Registration Statement, as of its effective date,
and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as of ___________, 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 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, as of the date of filing
of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December
31, 1998 (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, or that the Final Supplemented
Prospectus (including the Exchange Act Documents) contains any untrue statement
of a material fact or omits 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 Final
Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents and with respect to
information set forth in the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the caption
"Description of the Series L 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 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 5 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