UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 8-K CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 17, 2000 -------------- THE UNITED ILLUMINATING COMPANY (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Connecticut 1-6788 06-0571640 ----------- ------ ---------- (State, or other jurisdiction (Commission File (IRS Employer of incorporation) Number) Identification No.) 157 Church Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06506 - ----------------------------------------- ----- (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code) Registrant's telephone number, including area code (203) 499-2000 - -------------------------------------------------- -------------- None ---- (Former name or former address, if changed since last report) Item 5. Other Events. On March 17, 2000, a proposal to reorganize the Registrant's current corporate structure under an Agreement and Plan of Merger and Share Exchange was submitted to a vote of the owners of the Registrant's common stock at a special meeting of the shareowners. No other equity securities of the Registrant are issued and outstanding. Under the plan of merger and share exchange proposed, the Registrant's current corporate structure will be reorganized into a holding company structure, with the Registrant becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of UIL Holdings Corporation, and with all of the issued and outstanding shares of the Registrant's common stock being exchanged on a share-for-share basis for UIL Holdings Corporation common stock. At the special meeting of the shareowners, the proposal was approved by the affirmative vote of the owners of two-thirds of the issued and outstanding shares of the Registrant's common stock. At the close of business on January 18, 2000, the record date for the meeting, 14,334,922 shares of the Registrant's common stock were issued and outstanding, each share being entitled to one vote on the proposal. The number of share votes cast For, Against, or Abstain, and the number of shares for which no vote was cast, were as follows: NUMBER OF SHARES ---------------- For 10,060,745 Against 1,017,239 Abstain 268,332 No Vote Cast 2,988,606 In addition to the shareowner approval described above, the Registrant must obtain the approval of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, under the Federal Power Act, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, under the Atomic Energy Act, in order to complete the plan of merger and share exchange. Applications for approval have been filed with these agencies; but the Registrant cannot predict when, or if, these regulatory approvals will be obtained. SIGNATURE Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized. THE UNITED ILLUMINATING COMPANY Registrant Date: 03/22/2000 By: /s/ Robert L. Fiscus -------------- -------------------------------------- Robert L. Fiscus Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary - 2 -