Exhibit 1(a)
OHIO
POWER COMPANY
Selling Agency Agreement
____________, ____
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Dear Sirs:
Ohio Power Company, an Ohio corporation (the
"Company"), confirms its agreement with each of you with respect to
the issue and sale by the Company of up to $____________ aggregate
principal amount of its [Unsecured Notes] (the "Notes"). The Notes
will be issued under the Indenture dated as of September 1, 1997,
between the Company and Bankers Trust Company, as trustee (the
"Trustee"), as previously supplemented and as it may be from time
to time further supplemented by one or more supplemental indentures
(said Indenture, as previously supplemented and as it may be
further supplemented, being hereafter referred to as the
"Indenture"). The Notes will be issued in minimum denominations of
[$25] and in integral multiples thereof, will be issued only in
fully registered form and will have the annual interest rates,
maturities and, if appropriate, other terms set forth in a
supplement to the Prospectus referred to below. The Notes will be
issued, and the terms thereof established, in accordance with the
Indenture and, in the case of Notes sold pursuant to Section 2(a)
hereof, the [Unsecured Notes] Administrative Procedures attached
hereto as Exhibit A (the "Procedures"). The Procedures may only be
amended by written agreement of the Company and you after notice
to, and with the approval of, the Trustee. For purposes of this
Agreement, the term "Agent" shall refer to any one of you and any
Additional Agent as defined and as provided for in Section 2(a)
acting solely in the capacity as agent for the Company pursuant to
Section 2(a) and not as principal (collectively, the "Agents"), the
term the "Purchaser" shall refer to one of you acting solely as
principal pursuant to Section 2(b) and not as agent, and the term
"you" shall refer to you collectively whether at any time any of
you is acting in both such capacities or in either such
capacity.
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1.
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Representations and
Warranties . The Company represents and warrants to, and
agrees with, you as set forth below in this Section 1. Certain
terms used in this Section 1 are defined in paragraph (d)
hereof.
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(a)
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The Company meets the requirements for use of
Form S-3 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"),
and has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission") a registration statement on such Form S-3 (File
Number: 333-_____), including a basic prospectus, which has become
effective, for the registration under the Act of $____________
aggregate principal amount of Unsecured Notes (the "Notes"). Such
registration statement meets the requirements set forth in Rule
415(a)(1)(ix) or (x) under the Act and complies in all other
material respects with said Rule. The Company will file with the
Commission pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b)
under the Act a supplement to the form of prospectus included in
such registration statement relating to the Notes and the plan of
distribution thereof (the "Prospectus Supplement"). In connection
with the sale of Notes the Company proposes to file with the
Commission pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b)
under the Act further supplements to the Prospectus Supplement
specifying the interest rates, maturity dates and, if appropriate,
other terms of the Notes sold pursuant hereto or the offering
thereof.
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(b)
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As of the Execution Time, on the Effective
Date, when any supplement to the Prospectus is filed with the
Commission, as of the date of any Terms Agreement (as defined in
Section 2(b)) and at the date of delivery by the Company of any
Notes sold hereunder (a "Closing Date"), (i) the Registration
Statement, as amended as of any such time, and the Prospectus, as
supplemented as of any such time, will comply in all material
respects with the applicable requirements of the Act, the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"),
and the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the "Trust
Indenture Act"), and the respective rules under the Act, the
Exchange Act and the Trust Indenture Act; (ii) the Registration
Statement, as amended as of any such time, did not or will not
contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state
any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in
order to make the statements therein not misleading; and (iii) the
Prospectus, as supplemented as of any such time, will not contain
any 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; provided, however, that the Company makes no
representations or warranties as to (i) those parts of the
Registration Statement which shall constitute a Statement of
Eligibility (Form T-1) of the Trustee under the Trust Indenture Act
or (ii) the information contained in or omitted from the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus (or any supplement
thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with information
furnished in writing to the Company by any of you expressly for use
in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (or any supplement
thereto).
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(c)
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As of the time any Notes are issued and sold
hereunder, the Indenture will constitute a legal, valid and binding
instrument enforceable against the Company in accordance with its
terms and such Notes will have been duly authorized, executed,
authenticated and, when paid for by the purchasers thereof, will
constitute legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company
entitled to the benefits of the Indenture, except as the
enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency,
fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar
laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally, or
general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in
equity or at law), and an implied covenant of good faith and fair
dealing.
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(d)
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The terms which follow, when used in this
Agreement, shall have the meanings indicated. The term "the
Effective Date" shall mean each date that the Registration
Statement and any post-effective amendment or amendments thereto
became or become effective. "Execution Time" shall mean the date
and time that this Agreement is executed and delivered by the
parties hereto. "Basic Prospectus" shall mean the form of basic
prospectus relating to the Securities contained in the Registration
Statement at the Effective Date. "Prospectus" shall mean the Basic
Prospectus as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement.
"Registration Statement" shall mean the Registration Statement
referred to in paragraph (a) above, including incorporated
documents, exhibits and financial statements, as amended at the
Execution Time. "Rule 415" and "Rule 424" refer to such rules under
the Act. Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the
Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement 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 which were filed
under the Exchange Act on or before the Effective Date or the issue
date of the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the
Prospectus, as the case may be; and any reference herein to the
terms "amend", "amendment" or "supplement" with respect to the
Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus
Supplement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and
include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the
Effective Date or the issue date of the Basic Prospectus, the
Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, deemed
to be incorporated therein by reference.
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(e)
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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.
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(f)
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Since the respective dates as of which
information is given in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, there has been no
material adverse change in the business, properties or financial
condition of the Company.
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(g)
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This Agreement has been duly authorized,
executed and delivered by the Company.
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(h)
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The consummation by the Company of the
transactions contemplated herein 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 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.)
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(i)
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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 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 Public Utilities Commission of Ohio; and
(E) such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or
qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue
Sky laws.
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2.
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Appointment of Agents; Solicitation by
the Agents of Offers to Purchase; Sales of Notes to a
Purchaser .
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(a)
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Subject to the terms and conditions set forth
herein, the Company hereby authorizes each of the Agents to act as
its agent to solicit offers for the purchase of all or part of the
Notes from the Company.
On the basis of the representations and
warranties, and subject to the terms and conditions set forth
herein, each of the Agents agrees, as agent of the Company, to use
its reasonable best efforts to solicit offers to purchase the Notes
from the Company upon the terms and con-di-tions set forth in the
Prospectus (and any supplement thereto) and in the Procedures.
The Company reserves the right, in its sole
discretion, to instruct the Agents to suspend at any time, for any
period of time or permanently, the solicitation of offers to
purchase the Notes. Upon receipt of instructions from the Company,
the Agents will forthwith suspend solicitation of offers to
purchase Notes from the Company until such time as the Company has
advised them that such solicitation may be resumed.
The Company expressly reserves the right, upon
fifteen business days' prior written notice to each Agent, to
appoint other persons, partnerships or corporations ("Additional
Agents") to act as its agent to solicit offers for the purchase of
Notes; provided, each Additional Agent shall be named in a
prospectus supplement or pricing supplement and shall either
execute this Agreement and become a party hereto or shall enter
into an agency agreement with the Company on terms substantially
similar to those contained herein; thereafter the term Agent as
used in this Agreement shall mean each Agent and each such
Additional Agent.
The Company agrees to pay each Agent a
commission, on the Closing Date with respect to each sale of Notes
by the Company as a result of a solicitation made by such Agent, in
an amount equal to that percentage specified in Schedule I hereto
of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes sold by the Company.
Such commission shall be payable as specified in the
Procedures.
Subject to the provisions of this Section and
to the Procedures, offers for the purchase of Notes may be
solicited by an Agent as agent for the Company at such time and in
such amounts as such Agent deems advisable. The Company may from
time to time offer Notes for sale otherwise than through an Agent;
provided, however, that so long as this Agreement shall be in
effect the Company shall not solicit or accept offers to purchase
Notes through any agent other than an Agent.
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(b)
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Subject to the terms and conditions stated
herein, whenever the Company and any Agent determine that the
Company shall sell Notes directly to such Agent as principal, each
such sale of Notes shall be made in accordance with the terms of
this Agreement and, unless otherwise agreed by the Company and such
Agent, any supplemental agreement relating thereto between the
Company and the Purchaser. Each such supplemental agreement (which
may be an oral or written agreement) is herein referred to as a
"Terms Agreement". Each Terms Agreement shall describe (whether
orally or in writing) the Notes to be purchased by the Purchaser
pursuant thereto, and shall specify the aggregate principal amount
of such Notes, the maturity date of such Notes, the rate at which
interest will be paid on such Notes, the dates on which interest
will be paid on such Notes and the record date with respect to each
such payment of interest, the Closing Date for the purchase of such
Notes, the place of delivery of the Notes and payment therefor, the
method of payment and any requirements for the delivery of the
opinions of counsel, the certificates from the Company or its
officers, or a letter from the Company's independent public
accountants, pursuant to Section 6(b). Any such Terms Agreement may
also specify the period of time referred to in Section 4(m). Any
written Terms Agreement may be in the form attached hereto as
Exhibit B. The Purchaser's commitment to purchase Notes shall be
deemed to have been made on the basis of the representations and
warranties of the Company herein contained and shall be subject to
the terms and conditions herein set forth.
The Company also may sell Notes to any Agent,
acting as principal, at a discount to be agreed upon at the time of
sale, for resale to one or more investors or to another
broker-dealer (acting as principal for purposes of resale) at
varying prices related to prevailing market prices at the time of
such resale as determined by such Agent. An Agent may resell a Note
purchased by it as principal to another broker-dealer at a
discount, provided such discount does not exceed the commission or
discount received by such Agent from the Company in connection with
the original sale of such Note.
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(c)
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The Company, however, expressly reserves the
right to place the Notes itself privately or through a negotiated
underwritten transaction with one or more underwriters without
notice to any Agent and without any opportunity for any Agent to
solicit offers for the purchase of the Notes. In such event, no
commission will be payable to the Agents.
Delivery of the Notes sold to the Purchaser
pursuant to any Terms Agreement shall be made not later than the
Closing Date agreed to in such Terms Agreement, against payment of
funds to the Company in the net amount due to the Company for such
Notes by the method and in the form set forth in the Procedures
unless otherwise agreed to between the Company and the Purchaser in
such Terms Agreement.
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3.
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Offering and Sale of Notes.
Each Agent and the Company agree to perform the respective duties
and obligations specifically provided to be performed by them in
the Procedures.
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4.
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Agreements. The Company
agrees with you that:
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(a)
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Prior to the termination of any offering of
the Notes, the Company will not file any amendment of the
Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus (except for
(i) periodic or current reports filed under the Exchange Act; (ii)
a supplement relating to any offering of Notes providing solely for
the specification of or a change in the maturity dates, interest
rates, issuance prices or other similar terms of any Notes or (iii)
a supplement relating to an offering of Securities other than the
Notes) unless the Company has furnished each of you a copy for your
review prior to filing and given each of you a reasonable
opportunity to comment on any such proposed amendment or
supplement. Subject to the foregoing sentence, the Company will
cause each supplement to the Prospectus to be filed with the
Commission pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b)
within the time period prescribed and will provide evidence
satisfactory to you of such filing. The Company will promptly
advise each of you (i) when the Prospectus, and any supplement
thereto, shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule
424(b); (ii) when, prior to the termination of the offering of the
Notes, any amendment of the Registration Statement shall have been
filed or become effective; (iii) of any request by the Commission
for any amendment of the Registration Statement or supplement to
the Prospectus or for any additional information; (iv) of the
issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the institution or
threatening of any proceeding for that purpose; and (v) of the
receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the
suspension of the qualification of the Notes for sale in any
jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for
such purpose. The Company will use every reasonable effort to
prevent the issuance of any such stop order and, if issued, to
obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.
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(b)
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If, at any time when a prospectus relating to
the Notes is required to be delivered under the Act, any event
occurs as a result of which the Prospectus as then supplemented
would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein,
in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend the Registration
Statement or to supplement the Prospectus to comply with the Act or
the Exchange Act or the respective rules thereunder, the Company
promptly will (i) notify each of you to suspend solicitation of
offers to purchase Notes (and, if so notified by the Company, each
of you shall forthwith suspend such solicitation and cease using
the Prospectus as then supplemented); (ii) prepare and file with
the Commission, subject to the first sentence of paragraph (a) of
this Section 4, an amendment or supplement which will correct such
statement or omission or effect such compliance; and (iii) supply
any supplemented Prospectus to each of you in such quantities as
you may reasonably request. If such amendment or supplement, and
any documents, certificates and opinions furnished to each of you
pursuant to paragraph (g) of this Section 4 in connection with the
preparation or filing of such amendment or supplement are
satisfactory in all respects to you, you will, upon the filing of
such amendment or supplement with the Commission and upon the
effectiveness of an amendment to the Registration Statement, if
such an amendment is required, resume your obligation to use your
reasonable best efforts to solicit offers to purchase Notes
hereunder
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(c)
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The Company, during the period when a
prospectus relating to the Notes is required to be delivered under
the Act, will file promptly all documents required to be filed with
the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the
Exchange Act and will furnish to each of you copies of such
documents. In addition, on or prior to the date on which the
Company makes any announcement to the general public concerning
earnings or concerning any other event which is required to be
described, or which the Company proposes to describe, in a document
filed pursuant to the Exchange Act, the Company will furnish to
each of you the information contained or to be contained in such
announcement. The Company also will furnish to each of you copies
of all other press releases or announcements to the general public.
The Company will immediately notify each of you of any downgrading
in the rating of the Notes or any other Unsecured Notes of the
Company, or any proposal to downgrade the rating of the Notes or
any other Unsecured Notes of the Company, by any "nationally
recognized statistical rating organization" (as defined for
purposes of Rule 436(g) under the Act), as soon as the Company
learns of any such downgrading or proposal to downgrade.
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(d)
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As soon as practicable, the Company will make
generally available to its security holders and to each of you an
earning statement or statements of the Company which will satisfy
the provisions of Section 11(a) of the
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