Registration No. 33- SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 FORM S-8 REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 ATLANTIC ENERGY, INC. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) New Jersey 22-2871471 (State or other jurisdiction of (IRS Employer incorporation or organization) Identification No.) 6801 Black Horse Pike Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey (Address of Principal 08232 Executive Offices) (Zip Code) Atlantic Energy, Inc. and Subsidiaries Employee Stock Purchase Plan (Full Title of the Plan) J.E. Franklin II, Esquire 6801 Black Horse Pike Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey 08234-4130 (609) 645-4420 (Telephone number, including area code of agent of service) It is respectfully requested that the Commission send copies of all notices, order and communications to: Joseph J. Devine, Esquire Mesirov Gelman Jaffe Cramer & Jamieson 1735 Market Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-7598 Calculation of Registration Fee Title of Securities to be Registered Amount to be Registered Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Share* Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price* Amount of Registr- ation Fee Common Stock 400,000 $ 18.00 $7,200,000 $ 2,483 *Estimated solely for the purpose of computing the registration fee, based upon the average of the high and low prices reported on the New York Stock Exchange (Composite Transactions) on July 2, 1996 in accordance with Rule 457(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. PART II INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT Item 3. INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE The following documents, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") by Atlantic Energy, Inc., a New Jersey corporation (the "Company" or the "Registrant"), are incorporated herein by reference: (a) The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1995. (b) All other reports filed by the Company with the Commission since December 31, 1995 pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "1934 Act"), including the following: (i) The Company's definitive Proxy Statement dated March 15, 1996 in connection with the Company's Annual Meeting of Shareholders; (ii) The Company's Forms 8-K dated February 23, 1996 and May 29, 1996; (iii) The Company's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 1996. (c) The description of the Company's common stock to be offered hereby which is contained in the registration statement filed under Section 12 of the 1934 Act, including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description. All documents filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the 1934 Act subsequent to the date of filing this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all of the securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold shall be deemed to be incorporated herein by reference and to be a part hereof from the date of the filing of such documents with the Commission. Item 4. DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES Inapplicable. Item 5. INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL Inapplicable. Item 6. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS Directors and officers of the Company may be indemnified against expenses and liabilities incurred by them under certain circumstances pursuant to Article VI of the By-Laws of the Company, which are filed as an exhibit to this Registration Statement and pursuant to Section 14A:3-5 of the New Jersey Business Corporation Act. The Company has insurance policies under which its directors and officers are insured against certain liabilities that may be incurred by them in their capacities as such. Item 7. EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED Inapplicable. Item 8. The following exhibits are filed herewith or incorporated herein by reference, and are part of this Registration Statement: Exhibit Number Description Method of Filing 4(i) Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Atlantic Energy, Inc. Incorporated by reference to File No. 1-9760, Form 10-Q for quarter ended September 30, 1987. 4(ii) Certificate of Amendment to the Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Atlantic Energy, Inc., filed April 30, 1992 Incorporated by reference to File No. 33-53511, Form S-8 dated May 6, 1994, [Exhibit No. 3b(ii).] 4(iii) By-Laws of Atlantic Energy, Inc., as amended July 13, 1995 Incorporated by reference to File No. 1-9760, Form 10-Q for quarter ended June 30, 1995. [Exhibit 3b(i).] 4(iv) Atlantic Energy, Inc. and Subsidiaries Employee Stock Purchase Plan Filed herewith. 5 Opinion of J.E. Franklin, II, Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel to the Company Filed herewith. 23(a) Independent Auditors' Consent Filed herewith. 23(b) Consent of J.E. Franklin, II Incorporated in Exhibit 5 above. 24 Powers of Attorney Filed herewith. Item 9. UNDERTAKINGS A. Rule 415 Offering The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes: (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement: (i) to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933; (ii) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement; and (iii) to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registra- tion statement or any material change in such information in the registration statement; provided, however, that paragraphs (A)(1)(i) and (A)(1)(ii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post- effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement. (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering. B. Filings Incorporating Subsequent Exchange Documents by Reference The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. C. Filing of Registration Statement on Form S-8 Insofar as indemnification for the liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers, and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for Indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the Township of Egg Harbor, the State of New Jersey, on the 8th day of July, 1996. ATLANTIC ENERGY, INC. By: /s/ J. L. Jacobs J. L. Jacobs, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities indicated. Signature (i) Principal Executive Officer By: /s/ J. L. Jacobs Date: July 8, 1996 J. L. Jacobs Title: Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer (ii) Principal Financial and Accounting Officer By: /s/ M. J. Barron Date: July 8, 1996 M. J. Barron Title: Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (iii) A Majority of the Directors: Gerald A. Hale* Matthew Holden, Jr.* Cyrus H. Holley* J.L. Jacobs* Kathleen MacDonnell* Richard B. McGlynn* Bernard J. Morgan* Harold J. Raveche* By: /s/ J. E. Franklin, II Date: July 8, 1996 J. E. Franklin, II, Attorney-in-Fact