Exhibit 3.6
LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
AGREEMENT
OF
CENTERPOINT ENERGY RESTORATION BOND
COMPANY, LLC
Effective as of September 28,
2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Page
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ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS
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1
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ARTICLE II FORMATION OF THE COMPANY
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3
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2.1
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Formation
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3
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2.2
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Name
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3
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2.3
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Place of Business
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3
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2.4
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Registered Office and Registered
Agent
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3
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2.5
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Term
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3
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2.6
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Business Purpose
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3
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ARTICLE III INITIAL MEMBER
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4
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ARTICLE IV CAPITAL OF THE COMPANY
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4
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4.1
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Common Shares and Initial
Contributions
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4
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4.2
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Additional Contributions
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5
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4.3
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Interest
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5
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ARTICLE V RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE
MEMBER
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5
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5.1
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Limitation of Member’s Responsibility,
Liability
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5
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5.2
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Return of Distributions
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5
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ARTICLE VI ACTS OF THE MEMBER
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5
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6.1
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Action by the Member With a Meeting
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5
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6.2
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Action by the Member Without a
Meeting
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6
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6.3
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Waiver of Notice
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6
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6.4
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Special Prohibitions and Limitations
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6
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6.5
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Amendments to be Adopted Solely by the
Managers
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6
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6.6
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Amendments
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7
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ARTICLE VII RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF
MANAGERS
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7
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7.1
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Management
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7
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7.2
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Number and Qualifications
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7
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7.3
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Powers of the Managers
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7
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7.4
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Initial Manager
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7
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7.5
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Place of Meetings
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7
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7.6
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Meetings of Managers
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7
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7.7
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Quorum
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7
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7.8
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Attendance and Waiver of Notice
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8
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7.9
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Action by Managers Without a Meeting
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8
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7.10
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Compensation of Managers
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8
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7.11
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Committees
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8
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7.12
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Liability of Managers
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8
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ARTICLE VIII INDEMNIFICATION
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9
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8.1
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Indemnification
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9
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8.2
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Advancement or Reimbursement of
Expenses
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9
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8.3
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Nonexclusivity and Survival of
Indemnification
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9
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8.4
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Insurance
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10
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ARTICLE IX ALLOCATIONS AND
DISTRIBUTIONS
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10
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9.1
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Allocations
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10
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9.2
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Distributions
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10
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ARTICLE X ACCOUNTING PERIOD, RECORDS AND
REPORTS
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10
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10.1
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Accounting Period
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10
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10.2
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Records, Audits and Reports
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10
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ARTICLE XI TAX MATTERS
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10
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11.1
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Tax Returns and Elections
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10
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11.2
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State, Local or Foreign Income Taxes
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11
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ARTICLE XII RESTRICTIONS ON
TRANSFERABILITY
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11
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ARTICLE XIII DISSOLUTION AND
TERMINATION
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11
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13.1
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Dissolution
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11
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13.2
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Effect of Dissolution
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11
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13.3
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Winding Up, Liquidating and Distribution of
Assets
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11
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13.4
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Certificate of Cancellation
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12
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13.5
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Return of Contribution
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12
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ARTICLE XIV MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
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12
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14.1
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Notices
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12
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14.2
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Books of Account and Records
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13
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14.3
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Application of Delaware Law
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13
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14.4
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Waiver of Action for Partition
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13
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14.5
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Execution of Additional Instruments
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13
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14.6
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Headings
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13
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14.7
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Waivers
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13
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14.8
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Rights and Remedies Cumulative
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13
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14.9
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Severability
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13
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14.10
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Heirs, Successors and Assigns
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13
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14.11
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Creditors
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14
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14.12
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Counterparts
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14
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-ii-
LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY AGREEMENT
This Limited Liability Company
Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made and executed to be
effective as of September 28, 2009, by CenterPoint Energy
Houston Electric, LLC, a Texas limited liability company
(“CenterPoint Houston”).
WHEREAS, a certificate of formation
of CenterPoint Energy Restoration Bond Company, LLC (the
“Company”), has been filed with the Secretary of State
of the State of Delaware; and
WHEREAS, it is desired that the
orderly management of the affairs of the Company be provided
for;
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
The following terms used in this
Agreement shall have the following meanings (unless otherwise
expressly provided herein):
“Agreement” shall mean
this Agreement as originally executed and as it may be amended from
time to time hereafter.
“Bonds” shall have the
meaning given such term in Section 2.6.
“Capital Contribution”
shall mean any contribution to the capital of the Company in cash
or property by the Member whenever made.
“Certificate of
Formation” shall mean the Certificate of Formation of the
Company filed with and endorsed by the Secretary of State of the
State of Delaware, as such certificate may be amended from time to
time hereafter.
“Code” shall mean the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or corresponding
provisions of subsequent superseding federal revenue
laws.
“Common Interest” shall
have the meaning given such term in Section 4.1.
“Common Share” shall
mean an undivided portion of all of the rights, duties, obligations
and ownership interests in the Company.
“Delaware Act” shall
mean the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act, as the same may be
amended from time to time hereafter.
“Entity” shall mean any
foreign or domestic general partnership, limited partnership,
limited liability company, corporation, joint enterprise, trust,
business trust, employee benefit plan, cooperative or
association.
“Financing Order” shall
mean and include the financing order issued by the PUCT on
August 26, 2009 in Docket No. 37200 and any subsequent
financing order issued by the PUCT to the Member pursuant to which
the Member transfers its rights and interests thereunder to the
Company in connection with the issuance of a separate series of
Bonds.
“Fiscal Year” shall mean
the Company’s fiscal year, which shall be determined by the
Managers in accordance with Section 706(b) of the
Code.
“Governmental Authority”
shall mean any court or any federal or state regulatory body,
administrative agency or governmental instrumentality.
“Manager” shall mean any
of the managers of the Company duly appointed or elected to serve
in such capacity under Delaware law and this Agreement.
“Member” shall mean each
Person who executes a counterpart of this Agreement as a Member and
each Person who may hereafter become a Member pursuant to Article
XII; but shall not include any Member that ceases to be a
Member.
“Person” shall mean any
individual or Entity, and any heir, executor, administrator, legal
representative, successor or assign of such “Person”
where the context so admits.
“Public Utility Regulatory
Act” means the Texas Public Utility Regulatory Act, as
codified in Title II of the Texas Utilities Code.
“PUCT” shall mean the
Public Utility Commission of Texas or any successor entity
thereto.
“System Restoration
Property” shall mean the rights and interests of CenterPoint
Houston or its successor under a Financing Order, once those rights
are first transferred to the Company or pledged in connection with
the issuance of the related series of Bonds, including the right to
impose, collect and receive through system restoration charges
payable by retail electric customers within CenterPoint
Houston’s certificated service area as it existed on the date
of such Financing Order, an amount sufficient to cover the
qualified costs of CenterPoint Houston authorized in such Financing
Order, the right to receive system restoration charges in amounts
and at times sufficient to pay principal and interest and make
other deposits in connection with such related series of Bonds and
all revenues and collections resulting from system restoration
charges. System Restoration Property is known as “transition
property” the Public Utility Regulatory Act.
“Treasury Regulations”
shall mean regulations, including proposed or temporary
regulations, promulgated under the Code. References herein to
specific provisions of proposed or temporary regulations shall
include analogous provisions of final Treasury Regulations or other
successor Treasury Regulations.
-2-
ARTICLE II
FORMATION OF THE COMPANY
2.1 Formation . On
August 6, 2009, the Certificate of Formation of the Company
was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware
pursuant to the Delaware Act.
2.2 Name . The name of the
Company is CenterPoint Energy Restoration Bond Company, LLC. If the
Company shall conduct business in any jurisdiction other than the
State of Delaware, it shall register the Company or its trade name
with the appropriate authorities in such state in order to have the
legal existence of the Company recognized.
2.3 Place of Business . The
Company may locate its places of business and registered office at
any place or places as the Managers may from time to time deem
advisable.
2.4 Registered Office and
Registered Agent . The Company’s registered office shall
be at the office of its registered agent at 1209 Orange Street,
Wilmington, Delaware 19801, and the name of its initial registered
agent at such address shall be The Corporation Trust
Company.
2.5 Term . The Company and
this Agreement shall continue until the earliest of (a) such
time as all of the Company’s assets have been sold or
otherwise disposed of or (b) such time as the Company’s
existence has been terminated as otherwise provided herein or in
the Delaware Act.
2.6 Business Purpose . The
nature of the business or purpose to be conducted or promoted by
the Company is to engage exclusively in the following business and
financial activities:
(a) to authorize, issue, sell and
deliver one or more series or classes of system restoration bonds
(as defined in the Public Utility Regulatory Act) (the
“Bonds”) and, in connection therewith, to enter into
any agreement or document providing for the authorization,
issuance, sale and delivery of the Bonds;
(b) to purchase, acquire, own, hold,
administer, service, and enter into agreements for the servicing
of, finance, manage, sell, assign, pledge, collect amounts due on
and otherwise deal with the System Restoration Property and other
assets to be acquired in connection therewith and any proceeds or
rights associated therewith;
(c) to negotiate, authorize,
execute, deliver, assume the obligations under, and perform its
duties under, any agreement, instrument or document relating to the
activities set forth in clauses (a) and (b) above;
provided, that each party to any such agreement under which
material obligations are imposed upon the Company shall covenant
that it shall not, prior to the date which is one year and one day
after the termination of the indenture providing for the Bonds and
the payment in full of each series of Bonds and any other amounts
owed under such indenture, acquiesce, petition or otherwise invoke
or cause the Company to invoke the process of any court or
Governmental Authority for the purpose of commencing or sustaining
a
-3-
case against the Company under any federal or
state bankruptcy, insolvency or similar law or appointing a
receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, custodian, sequestrator or
other similar official of the Company or any substantial part of
the property of the Company; or ordering the winding up or
liquidation of the affairs of the Company; and provided, further,
that the Company shall be permitted to incur additional
indebtedness or other liabilities payable to service providers and
trade creditors in the ordinary course of business in connection
with the foregoing activities;
(d) to invest proceeds from the
System Restoration Property and its other assets and any capital
and income of the Company in accordance with the applicable
agreements or instruments entered into in connection with the
issuance of the Bonds or as otherwise determined by the Managers
and not inconsistent with this Section or such applicable
agreements or instruments;
(e) to do such other things and
carry on any other activities which the Managers determine to be
necessary, convenient or incidental to any of the foregoing
purposes, and have and exercise all of the powers and rights
conferred upon limited liability companies formed pursuant to the
Delaware Act that are related or incidental to any of the
foregoing; and
(f) to enter into and perform all
agreements or instruments entered into in connection with the
issuance of the Bonds and all documents, certificates or financing
statements contemplated thereby or related thereto, all without any
further act, vote or approval of the Member, any Manager or other
Person notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the
Delaware Act or applicable law, rule or regulation. The foregoing
authorization shall not be deemed a restriction on the powers of
the Member or any Manager to enter into other agreements on behalf
of the Company.
ARTICLE III
INITIAL MEMBER
The name and place of business of
the initial Member are as follows:
CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric,
LLC
1111 Louisiana
Houston, Texas 77002
ARTICLE IV
CAPITAL OF THE COMPANY
4.1 Common Shares and Initial
Contributions .
(a) A class of equity interests
denominated the “Common Shares” is hereby designated as
the sole class of equity interests of the Company. Each issued and
outstanding Common Share shall at any time represent that undivided
portion of all of the rights, duties, obligations and ownership
interests in the Company in proportion to the total number of
Common Shares outstanding at such time.
-4-
(b) The Company will issue to the
initial Member 1,000 Common Shares (together, the “Common
Interest”) upon payment of $1,000 to the Company from the
Initial Member, which shall be deemed to be the initial Capital
Contribution of the initial Member. Upon receipt of such initial
Capital Contribution and execution of this Agreement by the Member,
such Common Shares shall be validly issued and outstanding, fully
paid and nonassessable.
4.2 Additional Contributions
. The Member shall not be required to make additional Capital
Contributions unless, and except on such terms as, the Managers and
the Member unanimously agree.
4.3 Interest . No interest
shall be paid by the Company on Capital Contributions.
ARTICLE V
RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE
MEMBER
5.1 Limitation of Member’s
Responsibility, Liability . The Member shall not perform any
act on behalf of the Company, incur any expense, obligation or
indebtedness of any nature on behalf of the Company, or in any
manner participate in the management of the Company or receive or
be credited with any amounts, except as specifically contemplated
hereunder. The Member shall not be personally liable for any amount
in excess of its Capital Contribution, and shall not be liable for
any of the debts or losses of the Company, except to the extent
that a liability of the Company is founded upon or results from an
unauthorized act or activity of the Member. In addition, the
Member’s liability shall be limited as set forth in the
Delaware Act and other applicable law hereafter in
effect.
5.2 Return of Distributions .
In accordance with Section 18-607 of the Delaware Act, the
Member will be obligated to return any distribution from the
Company only as provided by applicable law.
ARTICLE VI
ACTS OF THE MEMBER
6.1 Action by the Member With a
Meeting . The Member may act by voting the Common Interest at a
meeting, which may be called by the Member or any Manager, and
which may b