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TABLE OF CONTENTS
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 29, 2015
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
NRG YIELD, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) |
46-177204 (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
211 Carnegie Center
Princeton, New Jersey 08540
(609) 524-4500
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including
area code, of registrant's principal executive offices)
David R. Hill
Executive Vice President and General Counsel
211 Carnegie Center
Princeton, New Jersey 08540
(609)524-4500
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copy to:
Gerald T. Nowak, P.C.
Paul D. Zier
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
300 North LaSalle Street
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 862-2000
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:
From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement as determined by market conditions.
If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. o
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. ý
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ý
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer" and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act (Check one):
Large accelerated filer ý | Accelerated filer o | Non-accelerated filer o (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) |
Smaller reporting company o |
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
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Title of each Class of Securities to be Registered |
Amount to be Registered(1) |
Proposed Maximum Offering Price per Share(2) |
Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(3) |
Amount of Registration Fee(4) |
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Class A Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share |
18,898,893 shares | $23.56 | $445,257,919.08 | $51,738.97 | ||||
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18,898,893 Shares
Class A Common Stock
NRG Yield, Inc.
This prospectus relates to the offer and resale by the selling stockholders identified in this prospectus of up to an aggregate of 18,898,893 shares of our Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share, which we refer to as our "Class A common stock." All of the offered shares are issuable, or may in the future become issuable, with respect to our 3.50% Convertible Senior Notes due 2019 (the "3.50% Convertible Notes") issued in connection with a private placement we completed on February 11, 2014 and March 3, 2014. The shares of Class A common stock being offered for resale by the selling stockholders pursuant to this prospectus include shares of Class A common stock issued or issuable to the selling stockholders upon conversion or otherwise on account of the 3.50% Convertible Notes.
Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "NYLD.A." On May 28, 2015, the closing sale price of our Class A common stock was $26.34 per share.
The selling stockholders may sell the securities offered by this prospectus from time to time on any exchange on which the securities are listed on terms to be negotiated with buyers. They may also sell the securities in private sales or through dealers or agents. The selling stockholders may sell the securities at prevailing market prices or at prices negotiated with buyers. The selling stockholders will be responsible for any commissions due to brokers, dealers or agents. We will be responsible for all other offering expenses. We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale by the selling stockholders of the securities offered by this prospectus.
Investment in shares of Class A common stock offered by this prospectus involves risk. See "Risk Factors" beginning on page 7 of this prospectus, in our periodic reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in any applicable prospectus supplement.
We encourage you to carefully review and consider this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement, any related free writing prospectus, as well as any documents incorporated by reference, before investing in our securities. We also encourage you to read the documents we have referred you to in the "Where You Can Find More Information" section of this prospectus for information on us and for our financial statements.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is May 29, 2015.
This prospectus is part of a Registration Statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") utilizing a "shelf" registration process. Under this shelf registration process, the selling stockholders may sell, from time to time, shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion or otherwise on account of the 3.50% Convertible Notes. Specific information about the offering may be included in a prospectus supplement, which may update or change information included in this prospectus, including the identity of the selling stockholders.
You should read both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, together with additional information described below under the caption "Incorporation by Reference." You should rely only on the information incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus. Neither we nor the selling stockholders have authorized anyone else to provide you with different or additional information. If anyone provides you with different or additional information, you should not rely on it. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell, nor a solicitation of an offer to buy, any of the securities offered in this prospectus by any person in any jurisdiction in which it is unlawful for such person to make such an offering or solicitation. Neither the delivery of this prospectus nor any sale made under this prospectus of the securities described herein shall under any circumstances imply, and you should not assume, that the information provided by this prospectus or any document incorporated by reference is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front cover of the applicable document, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or of any sale of our securities. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
This prospectus contains summaries of certain provisions contained in some of the documents described herein, but reference is made to the actual documents for complete information. All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by the actual documents. Copies of some of the documents referred to herein have been filed, will be filed or will be incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and you may obtain copies of those documents as described below under the headings "Where You Can Find More Information" and "Incorporation by Reference."
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The phrase "this prospectus" refers to this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, unless the context otherwise requires.
Several of our subsidiaries are "public utilities" (as defined in the Federal Power Act ("FPA")) subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ("FERC") because they own or operate FERC-jurisdictional facilities, including certain generation interconnection facilities and various "paper" facilities, such as wholesale power sales contracts and market-based rate tariffs. The FPA requires us either to obtain prior authorization from FERC prior to the transfer of an amount of our Class A common stock sufficient to convey direct or indirect "control" over any of our public utility subsidiaries or to qualify for a blanket authorization granted under FERC's regulations for certain types of transfers generally deemed by FERC not to convey direct or indirect "control." We intend to conduct this offering in a manner consistent with FERC's guidance on "control" and the requirements for blanket authorizations granted under FERC's regulations. Additionally, our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation prohibits any person and any of its associate or affiliate companies in the aggregate, "public utility" (as defined in the FPA), or "holding company" (as defined in the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005 ("PUHCA")) from acquiring, through this offering or in subsequent purchases other than secondary market transactions (as discussed under "BusinessRegulatory MattersFERC" and the "Regulatory Matters" section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 (our "2014 Annual Report")), an amount of our Class A common stock sufficient to convey direct or indirect "control" over any of our public utility subsidiaries without the prior written consent of our board of directors. For the purposes of this offering, "control" is defined to be a direct and/or indirect voting interest of 10% or more in any of the public utility subsidiaries of our direct subsidiary, Yield LLC. Because Yield LLC indirectly owns as much as 100% of the voting interests in certain of these public utility subsidiaries, "control" of such public utility subsidiaries would be deemed to be present if the sum of (i) the percentage ownership of an individual investor and any of its associate or affiliate companies in the aggregate of NRG's voting securities multiplied by the percentage of our outstanding voting securities held, directly or indirectly, by NRG, plus (ii) such investor's percentage ownership of our Class A common stock multiplied by the percentage of our outstanding voting securities not held, directly or indirectly, by NRG, exceeded 10%. "Control" could also be present, and pursuant to our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation, prior written consent of our board of directors would be required, if the aggregate direct and/or indirect voting interest in us held by an individual investor and any of its associate or affiliate companies together with a separate investment in another public utility subsidiary of ours not wholly-owned by Yield LLC exceeded the 10% threshold. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell any share of our Class A common stock to any person in violation of these or any other provisions of our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation.
This prospectus includes industry data and forecasts that we obtained from industry publications and surveys, public filings and internal company sources. Industry publications and surveys and forecasts generally state that the information contained therein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but there can be no assurance as to the accuracy or completeness of the included information. Statements as to our market position and market estimates are based on independent industry publications, government publications, third-party forecasts, management's estimates and assumptions about our markets and our internal research. While we are not aware of any misstatements regarding the market, industry or similar data presented herein, such data involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under the headings "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in this prospectus.
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We own or have rights to various trademarks, service marks and trade names that we use in connection with the operation of our business. This prospectus may also contain trademarks, service marks and trade names of NRG and third parties, which are the property of their respective owners. Our use or display of third parties' trademarks, service marks, trade names or products in this prospectus is not intended to, and should not be read to, imply a relationship with or endorsement or sponsorship of us. Solely for convenience, the trademarks, service marks and trade names referred to in this prospectus may appear without the ®, TM or SM symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights or the right of the applicable licensor to these trademarks, service marks and trade names.
CERTAIN TERMS USED IN THIS PROSPECTUS
Unless the context otherwise requires or as otherwise indicated, references in this prospectus to "we," "our," "the Company" and "Yield Inc." refer to NRG Yield, Inc., together with its consolidated subsidiaries, including NRG Yield LLC ("Yield LLC") and NRG Yield Operating LLC ("Yield Operating LLC").
Unless the context otherwise indicates, references within this prospectus to:
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus includes or incorporates by reference forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"). Any statements about our expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance are not historical facts and may be forward-looking. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, that are included in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus, that address activities, events or developments that we expect or anticipate to occur in the future, including such matters as projections, capital allocation, future capital expenditures, business strategy, competitive strengths, goals, future acquisitions or dispositions, operation of power generation assets, market and industry developments and the growth of our business and operations (often, but not always, through the use of words or phrases such as "will likely result," "are expected to," "will continue," "is anticipated," "estimated," "projection," "target," "goal," "objective" and "outlook"), are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance and achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. We believe these factors include but are not limited to those described under "Risk Factors" in this prospectus. See also the section captioned "Risk Factors" of our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and our most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q, which are incorporated herein by reference. These factors, risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following:
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Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they were made, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The foregoing review of factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in any forward-looking statements included in this prospectus should not be construed as exhaustive. Although we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we and our management specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, even if new information becomes available in the future or as a result of future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.
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This summary contains a general overview of the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. This summary may not contain all of the information that is important to you, and it is qualified in its entirety by the more detailed information and financial statements and related notes, as filed with the SEC and incorporated by reference in this prospectus. You should carefully consider the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, including the information set forth under the heading "Risk Factors" in this prospectus and in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and our most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q, which are incorporated herein by reference.
About NRG Yield, Inc.
We are a company formed to serve as the primary vehicle through which NRG Energy, Inc. ("NRG") (NYSE:NRG) owns, operates and acquires contracted renewable and conventional generation and thermal infrastructure assets. We intend to take advantage of favorable trends in the power generation industry including the growing construction of contracted generation that can replace aging or uneconomic facilities in competitive markets and the demand by utilities for renewable generation to meet their state's renewable portfolio standards ("RPS"). To that end, we believe that our cash flow profile, coupled with our scale, diversity and low cost business model, offers us a lower cost of capital than that of a traditional independent power producer and provide us with a significant competitive advantage to execute our growth strategy.
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Organizational Structure
The following table summarizes certain relevant aspects of our organizational structure:
Agreements with NRG
In connection with the initial public offering of Yield Inc., Yield LLC and Yield Operating LLC entered into a Management Services Agreement and Right of First Offer Agreement, as amended from time to time (the "ROFO Agreement"), with NRG. Those agreements were entered into subsequent to negotiations between affiliated parties and, consequently, may not be as favorable to us as they might have been if we had negotiated them with an unaffiliated third party. For a more comprehensive discussion of the agreements that we have entered into with NRG and certain of its affiliates, see "Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions," "Governance of the Company" and "Executive Compensation" in our Proxy Statement for our 2015 annual meeting of stockholders filed with the SEC on March 26, 2015 (the "2015 Proxy Statement"), incorporated herein by reference.
Summary of Risk Factors
We are subject to a variety of risks related to our competitive position and business strategies. Some of the more significant challenges and risks include if we are unable to replace existing or terminated offtake agreements, if we are unable to address costs or delays in the construction and operation of new plants and if we are unable to utilize various federal, state and local government incentives to acquire additional renewable assets in the future or if the terms of such incentives are
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revised in a manner that is less favorable to us. See the "Risk Factors" section of this prospectus and the risk factors incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
Corporate Information
Our principal executive offices are located at NRG Yield, Inc., 211 Carnegie Center, Princeton, New Jersey 08540. Our telephone number is (609) 524-4500. Our website is located at http://www.nrgyield.com. We make our periodic reports and other information filed with or furnished to the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, available free of charge, through our website, as soon as reasonably practicable after those reports and other information are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. Information on our website or any other website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and does not constitute a part of this prospectus. The SEC maintains an internet site at http://www.sec.gov that contains reports and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.
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The "Description of Capital Stock" section of this prospectus contains a more detailed description of our common stock.
Shares of Class A common stock offered by the selling stockholders |
18,898,893 shares of our Class A common stock. | |
Shares of Class A common stock outstanding after this offering |
53,485,143 shares of our Class A common stock, assuming the conversion of all of our outstanding 3.50% Convertible Notes. |
|
Shares of Class B common stock outstanding after this offering |
42,738,750 shares of our Class B common stock, which NRG will continue to beneficially own upon completion of this offering. |
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Shares of Class C common stock outstanding after this offering |
34,586,250 shares of our Class C common stock. |
|
Shares of Class D common stock outstanding after this offering |
42,738,750 shares of our Class D common stock, which NRG will continue to beneficially own upon completion of this offering. |
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Class A units, Class B units, Class C units and Class D units of Yield LLC outstanding after this offering |
53,485,143 Class A units of Yield LLC, 42,738,750 Class B units of Yield LLC, 34,586,250 Class C units of Yield LLC and 42,738,750 Class D units of Yield LLC. |
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Use of proceeds |
We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of the Class A common stock by the selling stockholders. |
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Voting rights |
Each share of our Class A and Class B common stock entitles its holder to one vote on all matters to be voted on by stockholders generally. Each share of our Class C and Class D common stock entitles its holder to 1/100th of one vote on all matters to be voted on by stockholders generally. Holders of our shares of Class A, Class B, Class C and Class D common stock vote together as a single class on all matters presented to stockholders for their vote or approval, except as otherwise required by law. See "Description of Capital Stock." |
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Exchange and registration rights |
Each Class B unit of Yield LLC is exchangeable for a share of our Class A common stock and each Class D unit of Yield LLC is exchangeable for a share of our Class C common stock, subject to equitable adjustments for stock splits, stock dividends and reclassifications in accordance with the terms of the Amended and Restated Exchange Agreement, dated as of May 14, 2015, by and among Yield Inc., Yield LLC and NRG. |
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When NRG exchanges a Class B unit of Yield LLC for a share of our Class A common stock, we will automatically redeem and cancel a corresponding share of our Class B common stock and the Class B unit will automatically convert into a Class A unit of Yield LLC issued to us. |
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When NRG exchanges a Class D unit of Yield LLC for a share of our Class C common stock, we will automatically redeem and cancel a corresponding share of our Class D common stock and the Class D unit will automatically convert into a Class C unit of Yield LLC issued to us. |
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Pursuant to a registration rights agreement that we have entered into with NRG, we agreed to file a registration statement for the sale of the shares of our Class A common stock or Class C common stock that are issuable upon exchange of Class B units or Class D units, respectively, of Yield LLC upon request and cause that registration statement to be declared effective by the SEC as soon as practicable thereafter. |
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Cash dividends |
Our ability to pay the regular quarterly dividend is subject to various restrictions and other factors. See "Risk FactorsWe may not be able to continue paying comparable or growing cash dividends to our holders of our Class A common stock in the future." We expect to pay a quarterly dividend on or about the 75th day following the expiration of each fiscal quarter to holders of our Class A common stock of record on or about the 60th day following the last day of such fiscal quarter. However, we do not have a legal obligation to declare or pay dividends at a specific quarterly dividend level or at all. |
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On May 8, 2015, we declared a quarterly dividend of $0.20 per share ($0.80 per share annualized) on our outstanding Class A and Class C common stock payable on June 15, 2015 to holders of record as of June 1, 2015. |
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Material federal income tax consequences to non-U.S. holders. |
For a discussion of the material federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to prospective investors who are non-U.S. holders, please read "Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders." |
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FERC-related purchase restrictions |
No purchaser of Class A common stock in this offering will be permitted to purchase an amount of our Class A common stock that would cause such purchaser and its associate or affiliate companies in the aggregate to hold a large enough voting interest to convey direct or indirect "control" over any of Yield LLC's public utility subsidiaries. See "Notice to Investors." |
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Exchange listing |
Our Class A common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") under the symbol "NYLD.A" and our Class C common stock is traded on the NYSE under the symbol "NYLD." |
The number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding after this offering is based on 34,586,250 shares of our Class A common stock, 42,738,750 shares of our Class B common stock, 34,586,250 shares of our Class C common stock and 42,738,750 shares of our Class D common stock outstanding as of May 29, 2015, assumes the conversion of all of our outstanding 3.50% Convertible Notes and excludes (i) shares of our Class A common stock reserved for issuance upon the subsequent exchange of Class B units of Yield LLC that will be outstanding immediately after this offering, (ii) shares of our Class C common stock reserved for issuance upon the subsequent exchange of Class D units of Yield LLC that will be outstanding immediately after this offering, and (iii) an aggregate of 2,000,000 shares of our Class A common stock and Class C common stock reserved for issuance under our equity-based compensation plans.
An investment in the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion or otherwise on account of the 3.50% Convertible Notes involves risks. You should carefully consider the information set forth in the section of this prospectus entitled "Risk Factors," as well as other information included in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus before deciding whether to invest in our Class A common stock.
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An investment in shares of our Class A common stock issuable upon account of the 3.50% Convertible Notes involves risks. Before deciding whether to purchase shares of our Class A common stock, you should carefully consider and evaluate the risks discussed below and the risk factors incorporated by reference into this prospectus, as well as the other information contained in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus, including the information set forth under the heading "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in this prospectus. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently believe to be immaterial may also impair our business operations.
Any of the risks discussed below or in our SEC filings incorporated by reference, and other risks we have not anticipated or discussed, could have a material impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations. In that case, the trading price of our Class A common stock could decline substantially.
Risks Inherent in an Investment in Us
We may not be able to continue paying comparable or growing cash dividends to our holders of our Class A common stock in the future.
The amount of our cash available for distribution principally depends upon the amount of cash we generate from our operations, which will fluctuate from quarter to quarter based on, among other things:
As a result of all these factors, we cannot guarantee that we will have sufficient cash generated from operations to pay a specific level of cash dividends to holders of our Class A common stock. Furthermore, holders of our Class A common stock should be aware that the amount of cash available for distribution depends primarily on our cash flow, and is not solely a function of profitability, which is affected by non-cash items. We may incur other expenses or liabilities during a period that could significantly reduce or eliminate our cash available for distribution and, in turn, impair our ability to pay dividends to holders of our Class A common stock during the period. Because we are a holding company, our ability to pay dividends on our Class A common stock is limited by restrictions on the ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other distributions to us, including restrictions under the terms of the agreements governing project-level financing. Our project-level financing agreements generally prohibit distributions from the project entities prior to COD and thereafter prohibit distributions to us unless certain specific conditions are met, including the satisfaction of financial ratios. Our Amended and Restated Credit Agreement also restricts our ability to declare and
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pay dividends if an event of default has occurred and is continuing or if the payment of the dividend would result in an event of default.
Yield LLC's cash available for distribution will likely fluctuate from quarter to quarter, in some cases significantly, due to seasonality. As result, we may cause Yield LLC to reduce the amount of cash it distributes to its members in a particular quarter to establish reserves to fund distributions to its members in future periods for which the cash distributions we would otherwise receive from Yield LLC would otherwise be insufficient to fund our quarterly dividend. If we fail to cause Yield LLC to establish sufficient reserves, we may not be able to maintain our quarterly dividend with a respect to a quarter adversely affected by seasonality.
Finally, dividends to holders of our Class A common stock are paid at the discretion of our board of directors. Our board of directors may decrease the level of or entirely discontinue payment of dividends.
We are a holding company and our only material asset is our interest in Yield LLC, and we are accordingly dependent upon distributions from NRG Yield LLC and its subsidiaries to pay dividends and taxes and other expenses.
Yield Inc. is a holding company and has no material assets other than its ownership of membership interests in Yield LLC, a holding company that has no material assets other than its interest in Yield Operating LLC, whose sole material assets are the project companies. None of Yield Inc., nor Yield LLC, nor Yield Operating LLC has any independent means of generating revenue. We intend to cause Yield Operating LLC's subsidiaries to make distributions to Yield Operating LLC and, in turn, make distributions to Yield LLC, and, in turn, to make distributions to Yield Inc. in an amount sufficient to cover all applicable taxes payable and dividends, if any, declared by us. To the extent that we need funds for a quarterly cash dividend to holders of our Class A common stock or otherwise, and Yield Operating LLC or Yield LLC is restricted from making such distributions under applicable law or regulation or is otherwise unable to provide such funds (including as a result of Yield Operating LLC's operating subsidiaries being unable to make distributions), it could materially adversely affect our liquidity and financial condition and limit our ability to pay dividends to holders of our Class A common stock.
We have a limited operating history and as a result there is no assurance we can operate on a profitable basis.
We have a limited operating history on which to base an evaluation of our business and prospects. Our prospects must be considered in light of the risks, expenses and difficulties frequently encountered by companies in their early stages of operation. We cannot assure you that we will be successful in addressing the risks we may encounter, and our failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Market interest rates may have an effect on the value of our Class A common stock.
One of the factors that influences the price of shares of our Class A common stock is the effective dividend yield of such shares (i.e., the yield as a percentage of the then market price of our shares) relative to market interest rates. An increase in market interest rates, which are currently at low levels relative to historical rates, may lead prospective purchasers of shares of our Class A common stock to expect a higher dividend yield and, our inability to increase our dividend as a result of an increase in borrowing costs, insufficient cash available for distribution or otherwise, could result in selling pressure on, and a decrease in the market price of our Class A common stock as investors seek alternative investments with higher yield.
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If we are deemed to be an investment company, we may be required to institute burdensome compliance requirements and our activities may be restricted, which may make it difficult for us to complete strategic acquisitions or effect combinations.
If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "Investment Company Act"), our business would be subject to applicable restrictions under the Investment Company Act, which could make it impracticable for us to continue our business as contemplated.
We believe our company is not an investment company under Section 3(b)(1) of the Investment Company Act because we are primarily engaged in a non-investment company business. We intend to conduct our operations so that we will not be deemed an investment company. However, if we were to be deemed an investment company, restrictions imposed by the Investment Company Act, including limitations on our capital structure and our ability to transact with affiliates, could make it impractical for us to continue our business as contemplated.
Market volatility may affect the price of our Class A common stock and the value of your investment.
The market price of our Class A common stock may fluctuate significantly in response to a number of factors, most of which we cannot predict or control, including general market and economic conditions, disruptions, downgrades, credit events and perceived problems in the credit markets; actual or anticipated variations in our quarterly operating results or dividends; changes in our investments or asset composition; write-downs or perceived credit or liquidity issues affecting our assets; market perception of NRG, our business and our assets; our level of indebtedness and/or adverse market reaction to any indebtedness we incur in the future; our ability to raise capital on favorable terms or at all; loss of any major funding source; the termination of the Management Services Agreement or additions or departures of NRG's key personnel; changes in market valuations of similar power generation companies; and speculation in the press or investment community regarding us or NRG.
Securities markets in general have experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. Any broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the trading price of our Class A common stock.
We are a "controlled company," controlled by NRG, whose interest in our business may be different the holders of our Class A common stock.
After consummation of this offering, NRG will control approximately 55.3% of our combined voting power and be able to elect all of our board of directors. As a result, we will be considered a "controlled company" for the purposes of the NYSE listing requirements. As a "controlled company," we are permitted to, and we may opt out of the NYSE listing requirements that would require (i) a majority of the members of our board of directors to be independent, (ii) that we establish a compensation committee and a nominating and governance committee, each comprised entirely of independent directors, or (iii) that the compensation of our executive officers and nominees for directors are determined or recommended to our board of directors by the independent members of our board of directors. The NYSE listing requirements are intended to ensure that directors who meet the independence standard are free of any conflicting interest that could influence their actions as directors. As further described above in "Risks Related to Our Relationship with NRG," it is possible that the interests of NRG may in some circumstances conflict with our interests and the interests of holders of our Class A common stock.
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Provisions of our charter documents or Delaware law could delay or prevent an acquisition of us, even if the acquisition would be beneficial to holders of our Class A common stock, and could make it more difficult for you to change management.
Provisions of our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control that holders of our Class A common stock may consider favorable, including transactions in which such stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares. This is because these provisions may prevent or frustrate attempts by stockholders to replace or remove members of our management. These provisions include:
Section 203 of the DGCL prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a business combination with an interested stockholder, generally a person that together with its affiliates owns or within the last three years has owned 15% of voting stock, for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. As a result of these provisions in our charter documents, the price investors may be willing to pay in the future for shares of our Class A common stock may be limited. See "Description of Capital StockAntitakeover Effects of Delaware Law and Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws."
Additionally, our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation, prohibits any person and any of its associate or affiliate companies in the aggregate, "public utility" (as defined in the FPA) or "holding company" (as defined in the PUHCA) from acquiring, through this offering or in subsequent purchases other than secondary market transactions, an amount of our Class A common stock sufficient to result in a transfer of control without the prior written consent of our board of directors. See "Notice to Investors." While we do not anticipate that this offering will result in a transfer of control over any public utility owned by us, any such change of control, in addition to prior approval from our board of directors, would require prior authorization from FERC. Similar restrictions may apply to certain purchasers of our securities which are "holding companies" under PUHCA regardless of whether our securities are purchased in this offering, subsequent offerings by us or NRG, in open market transactions or otherwise. A purchaser of our securities which is a holding company will need to determine whether a given purchase of our securities may require prior FERC approval.
You may experience dilution of your ownership interest due to the future issuance of additional shares of our Class A common stock.
We are in a capital intensive business, and may not have sufficient funds to finance the growth of our business, future acquisitions or to support our projected capital expenditures. As a result, we may require additional funds from further equity or debt financings, including tax equity financing transactions or sales of preferred shares or convertible debt to complete future acquisitions, expansions and capital expenditures and pay the general and administrative costs of our business. In the future, we may issue our previously authorized and unissued securities, resulting in the dilution of the ownership interests of purchasers of our Class A common stock offered hereby. Under our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation, we are authorized to issue 500,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, 500,000,000 shares of Class B common stock, 1,000,000,000 shares of Class C common stock,
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1,000,000,000 shares of Class D common stock and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock with preferences and rights as determined by our board of directors. The potential issuance of additional shares of common stock or preferred stock or convertible debt may create downward pressure on the trading price of our Class A common stock. We may also issue additional shares of our Class A common stock or other securities that are convertible into or exercisable for our Class A common stock in future public offerings or private placements for capital raising purposes or for other business purposes, potentially at an offering price, conversion price or exercise price that is below the offering price for our Class A common stock in this offering.
If securities or industry analysts do not publish or cease publishing research or reports about us, our business or our market, or if they change their recommendations regarding our Class A common stock adversely, the stock price and trading volume of our Class A common stock could decline.
The trading market for our Class A common stock will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts may publish about us, our business, our market or our competitors. If any of the analysts who may cover us change their recommendation regarding our Class A common stock adversely, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, the price of our Class A common stock would likely decline. If any analyst who may cover us were to cease coverage of our company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause the stock price or trading volume of our Class A common stock to decline.
Future sales of our common stock by NRG may cause the price of our Class A common stock to fall.
The market price of our Class A common stock could decline as a result of sales by NRG of such shares (issuable to NRG upon the exchange of some or all of its Yield LLC Class B units) in the market, or the perception that these sales could occur. The market price of our Class A common stock may also decline as a result of NRG disposing or transferring some or all of our outstanding Class B common stock, which disposals or transfers would reduce NRG's ownership interest in, and voting control over, us. These sales might also make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities at a time and price that we deem appropriate.
NRG and certain of its affiliates have certain demand and piggyback registration rights with respect to shares of our Class A common stock issuable upon the exchange of Yield LLC's Class B units. The presence of additional shares of our Class A common stock trading in the public market, as a result of the exercise of such registration rights may have a material adverse effect on the market price of our securities.
Risks Related to Taxation
In addition to reading the following risk factors, if you are a non-U.S. investor, please read "Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders" for a more complete discussion of the expected material federal income tax consequences of owning and disposing of shares of our Class A common stock.
Our future tax liability may be greater than expected if we do not generate NOLs sufficient to offset taxable income.
We expect to generate NOLs and NOL carryforwards that we can utilize to offset future taxable income. Based on our current portfolio of assets, which include renewable assets that benefit from an accelerated tax depreciation schedule, and subject to potential tax audits, which may result in income, sales, use or other tax obligations, we do not expect to pay significant federal income tax for a period of approximately ten years. While we expect these losses will be available to us as a future benefit, in
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the event that they are not generated as expected, successfully challenged by the IRS (in a tax audit or otherwise) or subject to future limitations as discussed below, our ability to realize these benefits may be limited. A reduction in our expected NOLs, a limitation on our ability to use such losses or future tax audits, may result in a material increase in our estimated future income tax liability and may negatively impact our liquidity and financial condition.
Our ability to use NOLs to offset future income may be limited.
Our ability to use NOLs generated in the future could be substantially limited if we were to experience an "ownership change" as defined under Section 382 of the Code. In general, an "ownership change" would occur if our "5-percent shareholders," as defined under Section 382 of the Code, collectively increased their ownership in us by more than 50 percentage points over a rolling three-year period. A corporation that experiences an ownership change will generally be subject to an annual limitation on the use of its pre-ownership change deferred tax assets equal to the equity value of the corporation immediately before the ownership change, multiplied by the long-term tax-exempt rate for the month in which the ownership change occurs. Future sales of our Class A common stock by NRG, as well as future issuances by us, could contribute to a potential ownership change.
A valuation allowance may be required for our deferred tax assets.
Our expected NOLs are reflected as a deferred tax asset as they are generated until utilized to offset income. Valuation allowances may need to be maintained for deferred tax assets that we estimate are more likely than not to be unrealizable, based on available evidence at the time the estimate is made. Valuation allowances related to deferred tax assets can be affected by changes to tax laws, statutory tax rates and future taxable income levels and based on input from our auditors, tax advisors or regulatory authorities. In the event that we were to determine that we would not be able to realize all or a portion of our net deferred tax assets in the future, we would reduce such amounts through a charge to income tax expense in the period in which that determination was made, which could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations and our ability to maintain profitability.
Distributions to holders of our Class A common stock may be taxable as dividends.
It is difficult to predict whether we will generate earnings or profits as computed for federal income tax purposes in any given tax year. If we make distributions from current or accumulated earnings and profits as computed for federal income tax purposes, such distributions will generally be taxable to holders of our Class A common stock in the current period as ordinary dividend income for federal income tax purposes. Under current law, such dividends would be eligible for the lower tax rates applicable to qualified dividend income of non-corporate taxpayers. While we expect that a portion of our distributions to holders of our Class A common stock may exceed our current and accumulated earnings and profits as computed for federal income tax purposes and therefore constitute a non-taxable return of capital distribution to the extent of a stockholder's basis in our Class A common stock, no assurance can be given that this will occur.
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We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale by the selling stockholders of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion or otherwise on account of the notes, make whole premiums or in respect of interest.
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Authorized Capitalization
Our authorized capital stock consists of:
(i) 500,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of which 34,586,250 shares are issued and outstanding;
(ii) 500,000,000 shares of Class B common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the "Class B common stock"), of which 42,738,750 shares are issued and outstanding;
(iii) 1,000,000,000 shares of Class C common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the "Class C common stock") of which 34,586,250 shares are issued and outstanding;
(iv) 1,000,000,000 shares of Class D common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the "Class D common stock"), of which 42,738,750 shares are issued and outstanding; and
(v) 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, none of which are issued and outstanding.
In addition (i) an aggregate of 2,000,000 shares of our Class A common stock and Class C common stock are reserved for issuance to our non-employee directors, (ii) an aggregate of 42,738,750 shares of our Class A common stock are reserved for issuance upon the exchange of Class B units, (iii) an aggregate of 42,738,750 shares of our Class C common stock are reserved for issuance upon the exchange of Class D units, and (iv) 18,898,893 shares of our Class A common stock are reserved for issuance upon conversion of our outstanding 3.50% Convertible Notes. Unless our board of directors determines otherwise, we will issue all shares of our capital stock in uncertificated form.
Class A Common Stock
Voting Rights
Each share of Class A common stock entitles the holder to one vote with respect to each matter presented to our stockholders on which the holders of Class A common stock are entitled to vote. Holders of shares of our Class A common stock, Class B common stock, Class C common stock and Class D common stock vote together as a single class on all matters presented to our stockholders for their vote or approval, except as otherwise required by applicable law or the listing requirements of any exchange on which shares of our common stock are listed. Holders of our Class A common stock will not have cumulative voting rights. Except in respect of matters relating to the election and removal of directors on our board of directors and as otherwise provided in our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation or required by law, all matters to be voted on by holders of our Class A common stock, Class B common stock, Class C common stock and Class D common stock must be approved by a majority, on a combined basis, of such shares present in person or by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the subject matter. In the case of election of directors, all matters to be voted on by our stockholders must be approved by a plurality of the votes entitled to be cast by all shares of our common stock on a combined basis.
Dividend Rights
Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any then outstanding preferred stock, the holders of our outstanding shares of Class A common stock are entitled to receive dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by our board of directors out of legally available funds. Dividends upon our Class A common stock may be declared by our board of directors at any regular or special meeting, and may be paid in cash, in property or in shares of capital stock. The holders of Class A common stock and Class C common stock will share ratably in all dividends as may be declared by our Board of
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Directors in respect of our outstanding common stock. Before payment of any dividend, there may be set aside out of any of our funds available for dividends, such sums as the Board of Directors deems proper as reserves to meet contingencies, or for equalizing dividends, or for repairing or maintaining any of our property or for any proper purpose, and the Board of Directors may modify or abolish any such reserve. Furthermore, because we are a holding company, our ability to pay dividends on our Class A common stock is limited by restrictions on the ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other distributions to us, including restrictions under the terms of the agreements governing our indebtedness. See "Description of Certain Other Indebtedness." See "Risk FactorsWe may not be able to continue paying comparable or growing cash dividends to our holders of our Class A common stock in the future."
Liquidation Rights
In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs, holders of our Class A common stock would be entitled to share ratably in our assets that are legally available for distribution to stockholders after payment of our debts and other liabilities and the liquidation preference of any of our outstanding shares of preferred stock, subject only to the right of the holders of shares of our Class B common stock and Class D common stock to receive payment for the par value of their shares in connection with our liquidation.
Other Rights
Holders of our Class A common stock have no preemptive, conversion or other rights to subscribe for additional shares. All outstanding shares are, and all shares offered by this prospectus will be, when sold, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. The rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of our Class A common stock are subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of any series of our preferred stock that we may designate and issue in the future.
Listing
Our Class A common stock is listed on the NYSE under the symbol "NYLD.A."
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our Class A common stock is Computershare Shareowner Services, LLC.
Class B Common Stock
Voting Rights
Each share of Class B common stock entitles the holder to one vote with respect to each matter presented to our stockholders on which the holders of Class B common stock are entitled to vote. Holders of shares of our Class A common stock, Class B common stock, Class C common stock and Class D common stock vote together as a single class on all matters presented to our stockholders for their vote or approval, except as otherwise required by applicable law or the listing requirements of any exchange on which shares of our common stock are listed. Holders of our Class B common stock will not have cumulative voting rights. Except in respect of matters relating to the election and removal of directors on our board of directors and as otherwise provided in our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation or required by law, all matters to be voted on by holders of our Class A common stock, Class B common stock, Class C common stock and Class D common stock must be approved by a majority, on a combined basis, of such shares present in person or by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the subject matter. In the case of election of directors, all matters to
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be voted on by our stockholders must be approved by a plurality of the votes entitled to be cast by all shares of our common stock on a combined basis.
Dividend and Liquidation Rights
Holders of our Class B common stock do not have any right to receive dividends, other than dividends payable solely in shares of Class B common stock in the event of payment of a dividend in shares of common stock payable to holders of our Class A common stock and Class C common stock, or to receive a distribution upon our liquidation or winding up except for their right to receive payment for the par value of their shares of Class B common stock in connection with our liquidation.
Mandatory Redemption
Shares of Class B common stock are subject to redemption at a price per share equal to par value upon the conversion of Class B units of Yield LLC to Class A units. Shares of Class B common stock so redeemed are automatically cancelled and are not available to be reissued.
Class C Common Stock
Voting Rights
Each share of Class C common stock entitles the holder to 1/100th of one vote with respect to each matter presented to our stockholders on which the holders of Class C common stock are entitled to vote. Holders of shares of our Class A common stock, Class B common stock, Class C common stock and Class D common stock vote together as a single class on all matters presented to our stockholders for their vote or approval, except as otherwise required by applicable law or the listing requirements of any exchange on which shares of our common stock are listed. Holders of shares of our Class C common stock do not have cumulative voting rights. Except in respect of matters relating to the election and removal of directors on our board of directors and as otherwise provided in our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation or required by law, all matters to be voted on by holders of shares of our Class A common stock, Class B common stock, Class C common stock and Class D common stock must be approved by a majority, on a combined basis, of such shares present in person or by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the subject matter. In the case of election of directors, all matters to be voted on by our stockholders must be approved by a plurality of the votes entitled to be cast by all shares of our common stock on a combined basis.
Dividend Rights
Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any then outstanding preferred stock, the holders of our outstanding shares of Class C common stock will be entitled to receive dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by our board of directors out of legally available funds. Dividends upon shares of our Class C common stock may be declared by our board of directors at any regular or special meeting, and may be paid in cash, in property or in shares of capital stock. The holders of shares of Class C common stock and Class A common stock will share ratably in all dividends as may be declared by our Board of Directors in respect of our outstanding common stock. Before payment of any dividend, there may be set aside out of any of our funds available for dividends, such sums as the Board of Directors deems proper as reserves to meet contingencies, or for equalizing dividends, or for repairing or maintaining any of our property or for any proper purpose, and the Board of Directors may modify or abolish any such reserve. Furthermore, because we are a holding company, our ability to pay dividends on shares of our Class C common stock will be limited by restrictions on the ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other distributions to us, including restrictions under the terms of the agreements governing our indebtedness.
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Liquidation Rights
In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs, holders of shares of our Class C common stock would be entitled to share ratably in our assets that are legally available for distribution to stockholders after payment of our debts and other liabilities and the liquidation preference of any of our outstanding shares of preferred stock, subject only to the right of the holders of shares of our Class B common stock and Class D common stock to receive payment for the par value of their shares in connection with our liquidation.
Other Rights
Holders of shares of our Class C common stock will have no preemptive, conversion or other rights to subscribe for additional shares. All shares will be, when issued, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. The rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of shares of our Class C common stock will be subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of any series of our preferred stock that we may designate and issue in the future.
Equal Status
Except as expressly provided in our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation, including with respect to voting rights, shares of Class C common stock have the same rights and privileges and rank equally, share ratably and are identical in all respects to the shares of Class A common stock as to all matters, including in the event of a liquidation or in connection with a change of control. In the event of any merger, consolidation, or other business combination requiring the approval of our stockholders entitled to vote thereon (whether or not we are the surviving entity), the holders of shares of Class C common stock shall receive the same amount and form of consideration on a per share basis as the consideration, if any, received by holders of shares of Class A common stock in connection with such merger, consolidation or combination (and if holders of shares of Class A common stock are entitled to make an election as to the amount or form of consideration that such holders shall receive in any such merger, consolidation or combination with respect to their shares of Class A common stock, then the holders of shares of Class C common stock shall be entitled to make the same election as to their shares of Class C common stock). In the event of any (i) tender or exchange offer to acquire any shares of Class A common stock or Class B common stock by any third party pursuant to an agreement to which we are a party; or (ii) any tender or exchange offer or any other redemption or repurchase by us to acquire any shares of Class A common stock or Class B common stock, the holders of shares of Class C common stock shall receive the same amount and form of consideration on a per share basis as the consideration received by holders of shares of Class A common stock (and if holders of shares of Class A common stock are entitled to make an election as to the amount or form of consideration that such holders shall receive in any such tender or exchange offer or other repurchase with respect to their shares of Class A common stock, then the holders of shares of Class C common stock shall be entitled to make the same election as to their shares of Class C common stock).
Listing
Our Class C common stock is listed on the NYSE under the symbol "NYLD."
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our Class C common stock is Computershare Shareowner Services, LLC.
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Class D Common Stock
Voting Rights
Each share of Class D common stock entitles the holder to 1/100th of one vote with respect to each matter presented to our stockholders on which the holders of Class D common stock are entitled to vote. Holders of shares of our Class A common stock, Class B common stock, Class C common stock and Class D common stock vote together as a single class on all matters presented to our stockholders for their vote or approval except as otherwise required by applicable law or the listing requirements of any exchange on which shares of our common stock are listed. Holders of shares of our Class D common stock do not have cumulative voting rights. Except in respect of matters relating to the election and removal of directors on our board of directors and as otherwise provided in our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation or required by law, all matters to be voted on by holders of shares of our Class A common stock, Class B common stock, Class C common stock, and Class D common stock must be approved by a majority, on a combined basis, of such shares present in person or by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the subject matter. In the case of election of directors, all matters to be voted on by our stockholders must be approved by a plurality of the votes entitled to be cast by all shares of our common stock on a combined basis.
Dividend and Liquidation Rights
Holders of shares of our Class D common stock do not have any right to receive dividends, other than dividends payable solely in shares of Class D common stock in the event of payment of a dividend in shares of common stock payable to holders of our Class A common stock and Class C common stock, or to receive a distribution upon our liquidation or winding up except for their right to receive payment for the par value of their shares of Class D common stock in connection with our liquidation.
Mandatory Redemption
Shares of Class D common stock are subject to redemption at a price per share equal to par value upon the conversion of Class D units of Yield LLC. Shares of Class D common stock so redeemed are automatically cancelled and are not available to be reissued.
Authorized but Unissued Capital Stock
Delaware law does not require stockholder approval for any issuance of authorized shares. However, the listing requirements of the NYSE, which would apply so long as the shares of Class A common stock and Class C common stock remain listed on the NYSE, require stockholder approval of certain issuances equal to or exceeding 20% of the then outstanding voting power or the then outstanding number of shares of Class A common stock and Class C common stock. These additional shares may be used for a variety of corporate purposes, including future public offerings, to raise additional capital or to facilitate acquisitions.
One of the effects of the existence of unissued and unreserved common stock or preferred stock may be to enable our board of directors to issue shares to persons friendly to current management, which issuance could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of our company by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise, and thereby protect the continuity of our management and possibly deprive the stockholders of opportunities to sell their shares at prices higher than prevailing market prices.
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Preferred Stock
Under our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation, we will continue to be authorized to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, none of which is issued and outstanding.
Our board of directors is authorized to provide for the issuance of shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the preferences, powers and relative, participating, optional or other special rights, and qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, including the dividend rate, conversion rights, voting rights, redemption rights and liquidation preference and to fix the number of shares to be included in any such series without any further vote or action by our stockholders. Any preferred stock so issued may rank senior to our common stock with respect to the payment of dividends or amounts upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up, or both. The issuance of preferred stock may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of our company without further action by the stockholders and may adversely affect the voting and other rights of the holders of common stock. The issuance of preferred stock with voting and conversion rights may adversely affect the voting power of the holders of common stock, including the loss of voting control to others. At present, we have no plans to issue any preferred stock.
Corporate Opportunity
As permitted under the DGCL, in our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation, we renounced any interest or expectancy in, or any offer of an opportunity to participate in, specified business opportunities that are presented to us or one or more of our officers, directors or stockholders. In recognition that directors, officers and/or employees of NRG may serve as our directors and/or officers, and NRG and its affiliates, not including us (the "NRG Entities") may engage in similar activities or lines of business that we do, our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides for the allocation of certain corporate opportunities between us and the NRG Entities. Specifically, none of the NRG Entities will have any duty to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business that we do. In the event that a director or officer of any NRG Entity who also is one of our directors or officers acquires knowledge of a potential transaction or matter which may be a corporate opportunity for any of the NRG Entities and us, we will not have any expectancy in such corporate opportunity, and the director or officer will not have any duty to present such corporate opportunity to us and may pursue or acquire such corporate opportunity for himself/herself or direct such opportunity to another person. A corporate opportunity that an officer or director of ours who is also a director or officer of any of the NRG Entities acquires knowledge of will not belong to us unless the corporate opportunity at issue is expressly offered in writing to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of ours. In addition, even if a business opportunity is presented to an officer or director of any of the NRG Entities, the following corporate opportunities will not belong to us: (1) those we are not financially able, contractually permitted or legally able to undertake; (2) those not in our line of business; (3) those of no practical advantage to us; and (4) those in which we have no interest or reasonable expectancy. Except with respect to our directors and/or officers who are also directors and/or officers of any of the NRG Entities, the corporate opportunity doctrine applies as construed pursuant to applicable Delaware laws, without limitation.
Antitakeover Effects of Delaware Law and Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws
In addition to the disproportionate voting rights that NRG will have following this offering as a result of its ownership of our Class B common stock and Class D common stock, some provisions of Delaware law contain, and our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our second amended and restated bylaws described below contain, a number of provisions which may have the effect of encouraging persons considering unsolicited tender offers or other unilateral takeover
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proposals to negotiate with our board of directors rather than pursue non-negotiated takeover attempts, which we believe may result in an improvement of the terms of any such acquisition in favor of our stockholders. However, they also give our board of directors the power to discourage acquisitions that some stockholders may favor.
Undesignated Preferred Stock
The ability to authorize undesignated preferred stock will make it possible for our board of directors to issue preferred stock with superior voting, special approval, dividend or other rights or preferences on a discriminatory basis that could impede the success of any attempt to acquire us. These and other provisions may have the effect of deferring, delaying or discouraging hostile takeovers, or changes in control or management of our company.
Meetings and Elections of Directors
Special Meetings of Stockholders. Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that a special meeting of stockholders may be called only by our board of directors by a resolution adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of the total number of directors then in office.
Elimination of Stockholder Action by Written Consent. Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our second amended and restated bylaws provide that holders of our common stock cannot act by written consent in lieu of a meeting.
Vacancies. Any vacancy occurring on our board of directors and any newly created directorship may be filled only by a majority of the directors remaining in office (even if less than a quorum), subject to the rights of holders of any series of preferred stock.
Amendments
Amendments of Certificate of Incorporation. The provisions described above under "Special Meetings of Stockholders," "Elimination of Stockholder Action by Written Consent" and "Vacancies" may be amended only by the affirmative vote of holders of at least two-thirds of the combined voting power of outstanding shares of our capital stock entitled to vote in the election of directors, voting together as a single class.
Amendment of Bylaws. Our board of directors will have the power to make, alter, amend, change or repeal our bylaws or adopt new bylaws by the affirmative vote of a majority of the total number of directors then in office.
Notice Provisions Relating to Stockholder Proposals and Nominees
Our second amended and restated bylaws also impose some procedural requirements on stockholders who wish to make nominations in the election of directors or propose any other business to be brought before an annual or special meeting of stockholders.
Specifically, a stockholder may (i) bring a proposal before an annual meeting of stockholders, (ii) nominate a candidate for election to our board of directors at an annual meeting of stockholders, or (iii) nominate a candidate for election to our board of directors at a special meeting of stockholders that has been called for the purpose of electing directors, only if such stockholder delivers timely notice to our corporate secretary. The notice must be in writing and must include certain information and comply with the delivery requirements as set forth in the bylaws.
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To be timely, a stockholder's notice must be received at our principal executive offices:
With respect to special meetings of stockholders, our second amended and restated bylaws provide that only such business shall be conducted as shall have been stated in the notice of the meeting.
Delaware Antitakeover Law
We have opted out of Section 203 of the DGCL. However, our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that in the event NRG and its affiliates cease to beneficially own at least 5% of the total voting power of all the then outstanding shares of our capital stock, we will automatically become subject to Section 203 of the DGCL. Section 203 provides that, subject to certain exceptions specified in the law, a Delaware corporation shall not engage in certain "business combinations" with any "interested stockholder" for a three-year period following the time that the stockholder became an interested stockholder unless:
Generally, a "business combination" includes a merger, asset or stock sale or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. Subject to certain exceptions, an "interested stockholder" is a person who, together with that person's affiliates and associates, owns, or within the previous three years did own, 15% or more of our voting stock.
Under certain circumstances, Section 203 makes it more difficult for a person who would be an "interested stockholder" to effect various business combinations with a corporation for a three-year period. The provisions of Section 203 may encourage companies interested in acquiring us to negotiate in advance with our board of directors because the stockholder approval requirement would be avoided if our board of directors approves either the business combination or the transaction that results in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder. These provisions also may make it more difficult to accomplish transactions that stockholders may otherwise deem to be in their best interests.
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Amendments
Any amendments to our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation, subject to the rights of holders of our preferred stock, regarding the provisions thereof summarized under "Corporate Opportunity" or "Antitakeover Effects of Delaware Law and Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws" will require the affirmative vote of at least 662/3% of the voting power of all shares of our common stock then outstanding.
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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES TO NON-U.S. HOLDERS
The following is a summary of the material United States federal income and estate tax consequences to non-U.S. holders, defined below, of the purchase, ownership and disposition of shares of our Class A common stock as of the date of this prospectus. Except where noted, this summary deals only with shares of our Class A common stock purchased in this offering that are held as capital assets by a non-U.S. holder.
Except as modified for estate tax purposes, a "non-U.S. holder" means a beneficial owner of shares of our Class A common stock that is not for United States federal income tax purposes any of the following:
This summary is based upon provisions of the Code, applicable United States Treasury regulations, rulings and judicial decisions, all as of the date of the prospectus. Those authorities are subject to different interpretations and may be changed, perhaps retroactively, so as to result in United States federal income and estate tax consequences different from those summarized below. This summary does not address all aspects of United States federal income and estate taxes and does not deal with foreign, state, local, alternative minimum or other tax considerations that may be relevant to non-U.S. holders in light of their particular circumstances. In addition, this summary does not represent a detailed description of the United States federal income and estate tax consequences applicable to you if you are subject to special treatment under the United States federal income tax laws (including if you are a United States expatriate, financial institution, insurance company, tax-exempt organization, dealer in securities, broker, "controlled foreign corporation," "passive foreign investment company," a partnership or other pass-through entity for United States federal income tax purposes (or an investor in such a pass-through entity), a person who acquired shares of our Class A common stock as compensation or otherwise in connection with the performance of services, or a person who has acquired shares of our common stock as part of a straddle, hedge, conversion transaction or other integrated investment). We cannot assure you that a change in law will not alter significantly the tax considerations that we describe in this summary.
We have not and will not seek any rulings from the IRS regarding the matters discussed below. There can be no assurance that the IRS will not take positions concerning the tax consequences of the purchase, ownership or disposition of shares of our Class A common stock that are different from those discussed below.
If any entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for United States federal income tax purposes holds shares of our Class A common stock, the tax treatment of a partner will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. If you are a partner of a partnership holding shares of our common stock, you should consult your tax advisors.
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If you are considering the purchase of shares of our Class A common stock, you should consult your own tax advisors concerning the particular United States federal income, estate and gift tax consequences to you of the ownership and disposition of the shares of our common stock, as well as the consequences to you arising under the laws of any other applicable taxing jurisdiction in light of your particular circumstances.
Dividends
We intend to pay cash distributions on shares of our Class A common stock for the foreseeable future. Distributions on our Class A common stock will constitute dividends for U.S. tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. To the extent those distributions exceed both our current and our accumulated earnings and profits, they will constitute a return of capital and will first reduce your basis in our Class A common stock (determined on a share by share basis), but not below zero, and then will be treated as gain from the sale of stock.
The gross amount of dividends paid to a non-U.S. holder generally will be subject to withholding of United States federal income tax at a 30% rate, or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty. However, dividends that are effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business carried on by a non-U.S. holder within the United States generally are not subject to the withholding tax, provided certain certification and disclosure requirements are satisfied. Instead, such dividends are generally subject to United States federal income tax on a net income basis in the same manner as if the non-U.S. holder were a United States person as defined under the Code (unless an applicable income tax treaty provides otherwise). To obtain the exemption from withholding on effectively connected income, a non-U.S. holder must provide us, our paying agent or other applicable withholding agent with a properly executed IRS Form W-8ECI (or successor form) prior to the payment of the dividend. A corporate non-U.S. holder may be subject to an additional "branch profits tax" at a 30% rate (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on its effectively connected earnings and profits attributable to such dividends.
A non-U.S. holder of shares of our Class A common stock who wishes to claim the benefit of an applicable treaty rate and avoid backup withholding, as discussed below, for dividends will be required (a) to complete IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or other applicable form) and certify under penalty of perjury that such holder is not a United States person as defined under the Code and is eligible for treaty benefits or (b) if shares of our common stock are held through certain foreign intermediaries, satisfy the relevant certification requirements of applicable United States Treasury regulations. A non-U.S. holder who provides us, our paying agent or other applicable withholding agent with an IRS Form W-8BEN, Form W-8ECI or other form must update the form or submit a new form, as applicable, if there is a change in circumstances that makes any information on such form incorrect. Special certification and other requirements apply to certain non-U.S. holders that are pass-through entities rather than corporations or individuals.
It is possible that a distribution made to a non-U.S. holder may be subject to over-withholding because, for example, at the time of the distribution we or the relevant withholding agent may not be able to determine how much of the distribution constitutes dividends or the proper documentation establishing the benefits of any applicable treaty has not been properly supplied. If there is any over-withholding on distributions made to a non-U.S. holder, such non-U.S. holder may obtain a refund of the over-withheld amount by timely filing an appropriate claim for refund with the IRS. Non-U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the applicable withholding tax rules and the possibility of obtaining a refund of any over-withheld amounts.
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Gain on Disposition of Shares of Our Class A Common Stock
Any gain realized by a non-U.S. holder on the sale, exchange, redemption or other taxable disposition of shares of our Class A common stock generally will not be subject to United States federal income tax unless:
In the case of a non-U.S. holder described in the first bullet point above, any gain will be subject to United States federal income tax on a net income basis generally in the same manner as if the non-U.S. holder were a United States person as defined under the Code (unless an applicable income tax treaty provides otherwise), and a non-U.S. holder that is a foreign corporation may be subject to the branch profits tax equal to 30% of its effectively connected earnings and profits attributable to such gain (or at such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty). In the case of a non-U.S. holder described in the second bullet point above, except as otherwise provided by an applicable income tax treaty, any gain, which may be offset by certain United States source capital losses, will be subject to a 30% tax even though the individual is not considered a resident of the United States under the Code. Such non-U.S. holder may be able to offset such tax by certain U.S. source capital losses of the non-U.S. holder (even though the individual is not considered a resident of the United States) provided the non-U.S. holder timely files U.S. federal income tax returns with respect to such losses.
We believe that we are not currently and will not become a USRPHC. However, because the determination of whether we are a USRPHC depends on the fair market value of our U.S. real property relative to the fair market value of our other business assets and because the definition of U.S. real property under the Code is not entirely clear, there can be no assurance that we are not a USRPHC now or will not become one in the future. Even if we become a USRPHC, however, as long as our Class A common stock is regularly traded on an established securities market, as to which there can be no assurance, such common stock will be treated as a U.S. real property interest only if you actually or constructively hold more than five percent of such regularly traded common stock at any time during the applicable period described above.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
We must report annually to the IRS and to you the amount of dividends paid to you and the amount of tax, if any, withheld with respect to such dividends. The IRS may make this information available to the tax authorities in the country in which you are resident.
In addition, you may be subject to information reporting requirements and backup withholding tax with respect to dividends paid on, and the proceeds of disposition of, shares of our Class A common stock, unless, generally, you certify under penalties of perjury (usually on IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E) that you are not a U.S. person or you otherwise establish an exemption. Additional rules
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relating to information reporting requirements and backup withholding tax with respect to payments of the proceeds from the disposition of shares of our Class A common stock are as follows:
Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding tax rules may be allowed as a refund or a credit against your U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the required information is timely furnished by you to the IRS.
Legislation Affecting Taxation of Class A Common Stock Held By or Through Foreign Entities
Legislation enacted March 18, 2010 generally will impose a withholding tax of 30 percent on dividend income from our Class A common stock and the gross proceeds of a disposition of our Class A common stock paid to a "foreign financial institution" (as specially defined in the Code), unless such institution enters into an agreement with the United States government to collect and provide to the United States tax authorities substantial information regarding United States account holders of such institution (which would include certain equity and debt holders of such institution, as well as certain account holders that are foreign entities with United States owners). Absent any applicable exception, this legislation also generally will impose a withholding tax of 30 percent on dividend income from our Class A common stock and the gross proceeds of a disposition of our Class A common stock paid to a foreign entity that is not a foreign financial institution unless such entity provides the withholding agent with a certification identifying the substantial United States owners of the entity, which generally includes any United States person who directly or indirectly owns more than 10 percent of the entity. Under certain circumstances, a non-U.S. holder of our Class A common stock might be eligible for refunds or credits of such taxes, and a non-U.S. holder might be required to file a United States federal income tax return to claim such refunds or credits. This legislation generally is effective for dividend payments made after June 30, 2014, and for payments made in respect of gross proceeds from sales or other dispositions after December 31, 2016. Investors are encouraged to consult with their own tax advisors regarding the implications of this legislation on their investment in our Class A common stock.
Federal Estate Tax
Shares of our Class A common stock that are owned (or treated as owned) by an individual who is not a citizen or resident of the United States (as specially defined for United States federal estate tax purposes) at the time of death will be included in such individual's gross estate for United States federal estate tax purposes, unless an applicable estate or other tax treaty provides otherwise, and, therefore, may be subject to United States federal estate tax.
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We originally issued the 3.50% Convertible Notes in a transaction exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. Selling stockholders, including their transferees, pledgees or donees or their successors (all of whom may be selling stockholders), may from time to time offer and sell pursuant to this prospectus any or all of the Class A common stock into which the 3.50% Convertible Notes are convertible or otherwise issuable on account of the notes. When we refer to the "selling stockholders" in this prospectus, we mean those persons listed in the table below, as well as their transferees, pledges or donees or their successors.
The table below sets forth the name of each selling stockholder, the number of shares of our Class A common stock issued or issuable upon conversion of the 3.50% Convertible Notes or otherwise issuable to the selling stockholder on account of the 3.50% Convertible Notes that may be offered pursuant to this prospectus. Unless set forth below, none of the selling stockholders has had within the past three years any material relationship with us or any of our predecessors or affiliates. The information is based on information provided by or on behalf of the selling stockholders to us in a selling stockholder questionnaire and is as of the date specified by the selling stockholders in such questionnaires. The selling stockholders may offer all, some or none of the Class A common stock into which the 3.50% Convertible Notes are convertible, if and when converted, as well as any other shares of our common stock issuable on account of the 3.50% Convertible Notes to the selling stockholders. We have assumed for purposes of the table below that the selling stockholders will sell all of their Class A common stock issuable upon conversion or otherwise on account of the notes pursuant to this prospectus and that any other shares of Class A common stock beneficially owned by the selling stockholders will continue to beneficially owned by them. In addition, the selling stockholders identified below may have sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of all or a portion of their 3.50% Convertible Notes since the date on which they provided the information regarding their 3.50% Convertible Notes in transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act.
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Selling Stockholder(1)
|
Principal Amount of Notes |
Percentage of Notes Outstanding |
Shares of Class A Common Stock Owned Prior to the Offering(2) |
Shares of Class A Common Stock Offered |
Shares of Class A Common Stock Owned After Completion of this Offering |
Percentage of Class A Common Stock Owned After Completion of this Offering(3) |
|||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Allianz Selection Income and Growth |
$ | 200,000 | * | 8,592 | 8,592 | | | ||||||||||||
AllianzGI Convertible Fund |
$ | 25,275,000 | 7.3 | % | 1,085,924 | 1,085,924 | | | |||||||||||
AllianzGI NFJ Dividend, Interest & Premium Strategy Fund |
$ | 2,500,000 | * | 107,410 | 107,410 | | | ||||||||||||
AQR Absolute Return Master Account, L.P. |
$ | 1,275,000 | * | 54,778 | 54,778 | | | ||||||||||||
AQR Delta Master Account, L.P. |
$ | 8,250,000 | 2.4 | % | 354,456 | 354,456 | | | |||||||||||
AQR DELTA Sapphire Fund, L.P. |
$ | 725,000 | * | 31,148 | 31,148 | | | ||||||||||||
AQR Delta XN Master Account, L.P. |
$ | 2,400,000 | * | 103,114 | 103,114 | | | ||||||||||||
AQR FundsAQR Diversified Arbitrage Fund |
$ | 17,600,000 | 5.1 | % | 756,172 | 756,172 | | | |||||||||||
AQR FundsAQR Multi-Strategy Alternative Fund |
$ | 2,925,000 | * | 125,670 | 125,670 | | | ||||||||||||
AQR Opportunistic Premium Offshore Fund, L.P. |
$ | 1,475,000 | * | 63,372 | 63,372 | | | ||||||||||||
Arkansas Teacher Retirement System |
$ | 4,820,000 | 1.4 | % | 207,088 | 207,088 | | | |||||||||||
Baptist Health South Florida Inc. |
$ | 1,460,000 | * | 62,728 | 62,728 | | | ||||||||||||
BlueMountain Credit Alternatives Master Fund L.P. |
$ | 9,100,000 | 2.6 | % | 390,976 | 390,976 | | | |||||||||||
BlueMountain Equity Alternatives Master Fund L.P. |
$ | 950,000 | * | 40,816 | 40,816 | | | ||||||||||||
BlueMountain Guadalupe Peak Fund L.P. |
$ | 440,000 | * | 18,904 | 18,904 | | | ||||||||||||
BlueMountain Kicking Horse Fund L.P. |
$ | 334,000 | * | 14,350 | 14,350 | | | ||||||||||||
BlueMountain Long/Short Credit Master Fund L.P. |
$ | 1,503,000 | * | 64,574 | 64,574 | | | ||||||||||||
BlueMountain Montenver Master Fund SCA SICAV-SIF |
$ | 1,145,000 | * | 49,194 | 49,194 | | | ||||||||||||
BlueMountain Timberline Ltd. |
$ | 528,000 | * | 22,684 | 22,684 | | | ||||||||||||
Citadel Equity Fund Ltd. |
$ | 10,000,000 | 2.9 | % | 429,644 | 429,644 | | | |||||||||||
City of Philadelphia Public Employees Retirement System |
$ | 1,095,000 | * | 47,046 | 47,046 | | | ||||||||||||
CNH CA Master Account, L.P. |
$ | 2,200,000 | * | 94,520 | 94,520 | | | ||||||||||||
Fairway Fund Limited |
$ | 829,000 | * | 35,616 | 35,616 | | | ||||||||||||
Fidelity Advisor Series I: Fidelity Advisor Equity Income FundHigh Yield & Converts Sub |
$ | 2,600,000 | * | 111,706 | 111,706 | | | ||||||||||||
Fidelity Convertible Securities Investment Trust |
$ | 24,050,000 | 7.0 | % | 1,033,292 | 1,033,292 | | | |||||||||||
Fidelity Devonshire Trust: Fidelity Equity-Income FundHigh Yield/Convertible Sub-portfolio |
$ | 10,200,000 | * | 438,236 | 438,236 | | | ||||||||||||
Fidelity Salem Street Trust: Fidelity Strategic Dividend & Income FundConvertibles Sub |
$ | 12,340,000 | 3.6 | % | 530,180 | 530,180 | | | |||||||||||
Fidelity Tactical High Income FundTactical Sub |
$ | 520,000 | * | 22,340 | 22,340 | | | ||||||||||||
Fidelity Tactical High Income Fund (valuation account for FCTHIGR/ F61500) |
$ | 520,000 | * | 22,340 | 22,340 | | | ||||||||||||
FIMM LLCMulti Asset Income Pilot PortfolioTactical Sub |
$ | 50,000 | * | 2,148 | 2,148 | | | ||||||||||||
Fore Multi Strategy Master Fund, Ltd. |
14,521,000 | 4.2 | % | 623,886 | 623,886 | | | ||||||||||||
Lockheed Martin Corporation Master Retirement Trust |
$ | 2,460,000 | * | 105,692 | 105,692 | | | ||||||||||||
Maryland State Retirement and Pension System |
$ | 205,000 | * | 8,806 | 8,806 | | | ||||||||||||
Nicholas Investment Partners, L.P. |
$ | 1,835,000 | * | 78,838 | 78,838 | | | ||||||||||||
|
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Selling Stockholder(1)
|
Principal Amount of Notes |
Percentage of Notes Outstanding |
Shares of Class A Common Stock Owned Prior to the Offering(2) |
Shares of Class A Common Stock Offered |
Shares of Class A Common Stock Owned After Completion of this Offering |
Percentage of Class A Common Stock Owned After Completion of this Offering(3) |
|||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nicholas Investment Partners Convertibles Fund LP | $ | 120,000 | * | 5,154 | 5,154 | | | ||||||||||||
Pension Reserves Investment Trust (PRIT) Fund High Yield Portfolio |
$ | 1,700,000 | * | 73,038 | 73,038 | | | ||||||||||||
Principal Funds, Inc., solely on behalf of the Global Multi-Strategy Fund (AQR investment sleeve) |
$ | 550,000 | * | 23,630 | 23,630 | | | ||||||||||||
San Diego City Employees' Retirement System |
$ | 2,145,000 | * | 92,158 | 92,158 | | | ||||||||||||
San Diego County Employees Retirement Association |
$ | 2,760,000 | * | 118,580 | 118,580 | | | ||||||||||||
Sunrise Partners Limited Partnership |
$ | 2,500,000 | * | 107,516 | 107,410 | 106 | * | ||||||||||||
Trustmark Life Insurance Company |
$ | 505,000 | * | 21,696 | 21,696 | | | ||||||||||||
Variable Insurance Products Fund: Equity-IncomeHY & Converts Sub-portfolio |
$ | 6,710,000 | 1.9 | % | 288,290 | 288,290 | | | |||||||||||
Virginia Retirement System |
$ | 3,095,000 | * | 132,974 | 132,974 | | |
Information concerning the selling stockholders may change from time to time and any changed information will be set forth in supplements to this prospectus if and when necessary. Similarly, holders of 3.50% Convertible Notes not identified in this prospectus as selling stockholders may be identified, and corresponding information regarding an offer of Class A common stock by them included, in supplements to this prospectus if and when necessary.
In addition, the conversion price, and therefore, the number of shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the notes, is subject to adjustment in certain circumstances. Accordingly, the aggregate principal amount of notes and the number of shares of common stock into which the notes are convertible may increase or decrease. The conversion rate for the 3.50% Convertible Notes initially equals 42.9644 shares of common stock per $1,000 in principal amount of 3.50% Convertible Notes. The conversion rate is subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain specified events but will not be adjusted for accrued and unpaid interest. The indenture governing the 3.50% Convertible Notes provides, among other things, that the conversion rate will be adjusted:
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In addition, upon the occurrence of a make-whole fundamental change (as defined in the indenture), we will, in certain circumstances, increase the conversion rate by a number of additional shares for a holder that elects to convert its 3.50% Convertible Notes in connection with such make-whole fundamental change. A "make-whole fundamental change" includes:
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event will the conversion rate be increased in excess of 54.7794 shares per $1,000 principal amount of 3.50% Convertible Notes as a result of a "make-whole fundamental change."
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We are registering the shares of Class A common stock issuable to the selling stockholders upon conversion of the 3.50% Convertible Notes or otherwise issued or issuable to the selling stockholders pursuant to the terms of the indenture to permit the resale of such shares of Class A common stock by the selling stockholders from time to time after the date of this prospectus. We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale by the selling stockholders of the shares of Class A common stock. We will bear all fees and expenses incident to our obligation to register the shares Class A common stock in this offering.
The selling stockholders may sell all or a portion of the shares of Class A common stock beneficially owned by them and offered hereby from time to time in one or more transactions at fixed prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of the sale, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices. These sales may be effected in transactions, which may involve crosses or block transactions. The selling stockholders may use any one or more of the following methods when selling shares of Class A common stock:
In no event may such method(s) of distribution take the form of an underwritten offering of the Registrable Securities without the prior agreement of NRG Yield, Inc.
The selling stockholders also may resell all or a portion of the shares of Class A common stock in open market transactions in reliance upon Rule 144 under the Securities Act, as permitted by that rule, or Section 4(a)(1) under the Securities Act, if available, rather than under this prospectus, provided that they meet the criteria and conform to the requirements of those provisions.
Broker-dealers engaged by the selling stockholders may arrange for other broker-dealers to participate in sales. If the selling stockholders effect such transactions by selling shares of Class A common stock to or through underwriters, broker-dealers or agents, such underwriters, broker-dealers or agents may receive commissions in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the selling stockholders or commissions from purchasers of the shares of Class A common stock for whom they may act as agent or to whom they may sell as principal. Such commissions will be in amounts to be negotiated, but, except as set forth in a supplement to this prospectus, in the case of an agency transaction will not be in excess of a customary brokerage commission in compliance with FINRA Rule 2440; and in the case of a principal transaction a markup or markdown in compliance with FINRA IM-2440.
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In connection with sales of the shares of Class A common stock or otherwise, the selling stockholders may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions, which may in turn engage in short sales of the shares of Class A common stock in the course of hedging in positions they assume. The selling stockholders may also sell shares of Class A common stock short and if such short sale shall take place after the date that this registration statement is declared effective by the SEC, the selling stockholders may deliver shares of Class A common stock covered by this prospectus to close out short positions and to return borrowed shares in connection with such short sales. The selling stockholders may also loan or pledge shares of Class A common stock to broker-dealers that in turn may sell such shares, to the extent permitted by applicable law. The selling stockholders may also enter into option or other transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions or the creation of one or more derivative securities which require the delivery to such broker-dealer or other financial institution of shares offered by this prospectus, which shares such broker-dealer or other financial institution may resell pursuant to this prospectus (as supplemented or amended to reflect such transaction). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the selling stockholders have been advised that they may not use shares registered on this registration statement to cover short sales of our Class A common stock made prior to the date the registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part, has been declared effective by the SEC.
The selling stockholders may, from time to time, pledge or grant a security interest in some or all of the shares of Class A common stock owned by them and, if they default in the performance of their secured obligations, the pledgees or secured parties may offer and sell the shares of Class A common stock from time to time pursuant to this prospectus or any amendment to this prospectus under Rule 424(b)(3) or other applicable provision of the Securities Act, amending, if necessary, the list of selling stockholders to include the pledgee, transferee or other successors in interest as selling stockholders under this prospectus. The selling stockholders also may transfer and donate the shares of Class A common stock in other circumstances in which case the transferees, donees, pledgees or other successors in interest will be the selling beneficial owners for purposes of this prospectus.
The selling stockholders and any broker-dealer or agents participating in the distribution of the shares of common stock may be deemed to be "underwriters" within the meaning of Section 2(11) of the Securities Act in connection with such sales. In such event, any commissions paid, or any discounts or concessions allowed to, any such broker-dealer or agent and any profit on the resale of the shares purchased by them may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act. Selling stockholders who are "underwriters" within the meaning of Section 2(11) of the Securities Act will be subject to the applicable prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act and may be subject to certain statutory liabilities of, including but not limited to, Sections 11, 12 and 17 of the Securities Act and Rule 10b-5 under the Exchange Act.
Each selling stockholder has informed the Company that it is not a registered broker-dealer and does not have any written or oral agreement or understanding, directly or indirectly, with any person to distribute the the Class A common stock. If required, the specific shares of our Class A common stock to be sold, the names of the selling stockholders, the respective purchase prices and public offering prices, the names of any agent, broker-dealer or underwriter and any applicable commissions or discounts with respect to a particular offer will be set forth in an accompanying prospectus supplement or, if appropriate, a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
Under the securities laws of some states, the notes and/or the shares of common stock may be sold in such states only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in some states the shares of Class A common stock may not be sold unless such shares have been registered or qualified for sale in such state or an exemption from registration or qualification is available and is complied with.
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There can be no assurance that any selling stockholder will sell any or all of the shares of Class A common stock registered pursuant to the shelf registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part.
Each selling stockholder and any other person participating in such distribution will be subject to applicable provisions of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, including, without limitation, to the extent applicable, Regulation M of the Exchange Act, which may limit the timing of purchases and sales of any of the shares of Class A common stock by the selling stockholder and any other participating person. To the extent applicable, Regulation M may also restrict the ability of any person engaged in the distribution of the shares of Class A common stock to engage in market-making activities with respect to the shares of Class A common stock. All of the foregoing may affect the marketability of the shares of Class common stock and the ability of any person or entity to engage in market-making activities with respect to the shares of Class A common stock.
We entered into a registration rights agreement for the benefit of the holders of the 3.50% Convertible Notes to register the shares of our Class A common stock into which the 3.50% Convertible Notes are convertible under applicable federal securities laws under specific circumstances and specific times. We will pay all expenses of the registration of the shares of Class A common stock pursuant to the registration rights agreement, including, without limitation, Securities and Exchange Commission filing fees and expenses of compliance with state securities or "blue sky" laws; provided, however, that each selling stockholder will pay all underwriting discounts and selling commissions, if any and any related legal expenses incurred by it. We will indemnify the selling stockholders against certain liabilities, including some liabilities under the Securities Act, in accordance with the registration rights agreement, or the selling stockholders will be entitled to contribution. We may be indemnified by the selling stockholders against civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, that may arise from any written information furnished to us by the selling stockholders specifically for use in this prospectus, in accordance with the related registration rights agreements, or we may be entitled to contribution.
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Certain legal matters with respect to the securities offered in this prospectus have been passed upon by Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Chicago, Illinois.
The consolidated financial statements and schedule of NRG Yield, Inc. as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2014, and management's assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014 have been incorporated by reference herein and in the prospectus, in reliance upon the reports of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, except as they relate to GCE Holding LLC as of December 31, 2012 which have been audited by another independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon authority of said firms as experts in accounting and auditing.
The financial statements of GCE Holding LLC at December 31, 2012 and for the year ended December 31, 2012 incorporated in this Prospectus by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K of NRG Yield, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2014 have been so incorporated in reliance on the report (which contains an explanatory paragraph relating to GCE Holding LLC's related party transactions as described in the "Related Party Transaction" note to the financial statements) of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
The combined financial statements of the Alta Wind Portfolio of Terra-Gen Power, LLC as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2013, have been incorporated by reference in this prospectus by reference to our Current Report on Form 8-K/A, filed with the SEC on October 14, 2014, in reliance upon the report of KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm in accounting and auditing.
The financial statements of Laredo Ridge Wind, LLC as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, and for each of the years in the two-year period ended December 31, 2013, have been incorporated by reference in this prospectus by reference to our Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on January 16, 2015, in reliance upon the report of KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon given on the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
The consolidated financial statements of WCEP Holdings, LLC as of December 31, 2013, and for the year ended December 31, 2013, have been incorporated by reference in this prospectus by reference to our Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on January 16, 2015, in reliance upon the report of KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
The consolidated financial statements of Tapestry Wind, LLC as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, and for each of the years in the two-year period ended December 31, 2013, incorporated by reference in this prospectus by reference to our Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on January 16, 2015, in reliance upon the report of KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
34
PRO FORMA FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Unaudited Pro Forma Consolidated Combined Financial Statements
On August 12, 2014, we acquired the Alta Wind Portfolio and on January 2, 2015, we acquired Walnut Creek, Laredo Ridge and the Tapestry projects, or the EME-NYLD-Eligible Assets, from NRG. On June 30, 2014, we acquired El Segundo, TA High Desert and Kansas South, or the Acquired ROFO Assets, from NRG. The acquisitions of the EME-NYLD-Eligible Assets and the Acquired ROFO Assets, or collectively, the Drop Down Assets, was accounted for in accordance with ASC 850-50, Business CombinationsRelated Issues, where the assets and liabilities transferred to us relate to interests under common control by NRG and accordingly, were recorded at historical cost. The guidance requires retrospective combination of the entities for all periods presented as if the combination has been in effect since the inception of common control. Accordingly, our consolidated financial statements reflect the transfers as if they had taken place from the beginning of the financial statements period, or from the date the entities were under common control, which was January 1, 2013 for El Segundo, May 13, 2013, for Kansas South, March 28, 2013, for TA High Desert and April 1, 2014, for Laredo Ridge, Walnut Creek and Tapestry. For Kansas South, TA High Desert, Laredo Ridge, Walnut Creek and Tapestry, the dates represent the dates these entities were acquired by NRG.
The Unaudited Pro Forma Consolidated Combined Income Statement (the "pro forma income statement") combines our historical consolidated income statement, the pre-acquisition income statements of the EME-NYLD-Eligible Assets, and the pre-acquisition combined income statement of the Alta Wind Portfolio ("Alta"), to illustrate the potential effect of the above mentioned transactions. The balance sheet as of December 31, 2014 incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement reflects the acquisitions of the Alta Wind Portfolio and the EME-NYLD-Eligible Assets and accordingly, only the pro forma income statement is presented below. The pro forma income statement was based on the:
The pro forma income statement should also be read in conjunction with the following financial statements incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement:
The historical consolidated income statement has been adjusted in the pro forma income statement to give effect to pro forma events that are (1) directly attributable to the Alta Wind Portfolio and the EME-NYLD-Eligible Assets transactions, (2) factually supportable and (3) expected to have a continuing impact on the combined results. The pro forma income statement for the year ended
35
December 31, 2014 gives effect to the acquisitions and the stock split as if they occurred on January 1, 2014.
As described in the accompanying notes, the pro forma income statement has been prepared using the acquisition method of accounting under GAAP and the regulations of the SEC. The acquisition of the EME-NYLD-Eligible Assets was accounted as a transfer of entities under common control and the purchase price was allocated to the carrying values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the date of the acquisition.
The impact of the pro forma purchase price adjustments are preliminary, subject to future adjustments, and have been made solely for the purpose of providing the unaudited pro forma combined financial information presented herewith. Differences between these preliminary estimates and the final acquisition accounting will occur and these differences could have a material impact on the accompanying pro forma income statement and the combined company's future results of operations and financial position. The pro forma income statement has been presented for informational purposes only and is not necessarily indicative of what the combined company's results of operations would have been had the acquisitions of the EME-NYLD-Eligible Assets and the Alta Wind Portfolio been completed on the dates indicated. We could incur significant costs to integrate the businesses. The pro forma income statement does not reflect the cost of any integration activities or benefits that may result from synergies that may be derived from any integration activities. In addition, the pro forma income statement does not purport to project the future results of operations of the combined company.
36
Unaudited Pro Forma Combined Consolidated Income Statement
For the Year Ended December 31, 2014
|
NRG Yield, Inc. As Recast |
Alta Wind Portfolio Pre- Acquisition(a) |
Pro Forma Adjustments Alta Wind Portfolio |
EME-NYLD-Eligible Assets Pre- Acquisition(b) |
Pro Forma Adjustments EME-NYLD-Eligible Assets |
Pro Forma Combined |
|||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
(in millions) |
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||
Operating revenues |
|||||||||||||||||||
Total operating revenues |
$ | 689 | $ | 158 | $ | (26 | )(c) | $ | 32 | $ | (5 | )(c)(h) | $ | 848 | |||||
Operating Costs and Expenses |
|||||||||||||||||||
Cost of operations |
239 | 36 | | 9 | | 284 | |||||||||||||
Depreciation and amortization |
166 | 35 | 1 | (d) | 14 | (4) | (d) | 212 | |||||||||||
General and administrative- affiliate |
8 | 3 | | | | 11 | |||||||||||||
Acquisition-related transaction and integration costs |
4 | | | | | 4 | |||||||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total operating costs and expenses |
417 | 74 | 1 | 23 | (4 | ) | 511 | ||||||||||||
Operating Income |
272 | 84 | (27 | ) | 9 | (1 | ) | 337 | |||||||||||
Other Income (Expense) |
|||||||||||||||||||
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates |
27 | | | | | 27 | |||||||||||||
Other income, net |
3 | | | | | 3 | |||||||||||||
Interest expense |
(186 | ) | (77 | ) | (16 | )(e) | (10 | ) | (5 | )(i) | (294 | ) | |||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total other expense |
(156 | ) | (77 | ) | (16 | ) | (10 | ) | (5 | ) | (264 | ) | |||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net Income Before Taxes |
116 | 7 | (43 | ) | (1 | ) | (6 | ) | 73 | ||||||||||
Income tax expense (benefit) |
4 | (6 | )(f) | | 4 | (j) | 2 | ||||||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net Income |
112 | 7 | (37 | ) | (1 | ) | (10 | ) | 71 | ||||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Less: Pre-acquisition net income of Drop Down Assets |
48 | | | | (31 | )(k) | 17 | ||||||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net Income Excluding Pre-acquisition Net Income of Drop Down Assets |
64 | 7 | (37 | ) | (1 | ) | 21 | 54 | |||||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Less: Income attributable to NRG |
48 | | (20 | )(g) | | 13 | (l) | 41 | |||||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Net Income Attributable to NRG Yield, Inc. |
16 | 7 | (17 | ) | (1 | ) | 8 | 13 | |||||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Earnings per share attributable to Class A common stockholders: |
|||||||||||||||||||
Basic and dilute weighted average number of Class A common shares outstanding |
28 | (n) | 4 | (m) | 32 | (n) | |||||||||||||
Basic and diluted earnings per Class A common share |
$ | 0.30 | (n) | $0.21 | (n) | ||||||||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Earnings per share attributable to Class C common stockholders: |
|||||||||||||||||||
Basic and diluted weighted average number of Class C common shares outstanding |
28 | (n) | 4 | (m) | 32 | (n) | |||||||||||||
Basic and diluted earnings per Class C common share |
$ | 0.30 | (n) | $0.21 | (n) | ||||||||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
37
Notes to the Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Income Statement
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
This prospectus is a part of a Registration Statement on Form S-3 under the Securities Act, which we have filed with the SEC to register the shares of Class A common stock offered hereby. This prospectus does not contain all of the information in the registration statement and its exhibits. For further information regarding us and our securities, please see the registration statement and our other filings with the SEC, including our annual, quarterly and current reports and proxy statements, which you may read and copy at the Public Reference Room maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information about the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.
Our SEC filings are also available to the public on the SEC's internet website at http://www.sec.gov and on our website at http://www.nrgyield.com. Information contained on our internet website is not a part of this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus.
The SEC allows us to "incorporate by reference" the information we have filed with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you without actually including the specific information in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered part of this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement and later information that we file with the SEC will automatically update and may supersede this information and any information in any prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus will be deemed to be
38
modified or superseded to the extent that a later statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus modifies or supersedes that statement. Any statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.
We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any future filings we make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, until the applicable offering under this prospectus and any prospectus supplement is terminated, other than information furnished to the SEC under Item 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K and which is not deemed filed under the Exchange Act and is not incorporated in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement:
We will provide, without charge, to each person to whom a copy of this prospectus has been delivered, upon written or oral request of such person, a copy of any or all of the documents incorporated by reference herein (other than certain exhibits to such documents not specifically incorporated by reference). Requests for such copies should be directed to:
Investor
Relations
NRG Yield, Inc.
211 Carnegie Center
Princeton, New Jersey 08540
(609) 524-4500
39
18,898,893 Shares
Class A Common Stock
NRG Yield, Inc.
No dealer, salesperson or other person is authorized to give any information or to represent anything not contained in this prospectus. You must not rely on any unauthorized information or representations. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the securities offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information contained in this prospectus is current only as of its date.
May 29, 2015
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.
The following table sets forth the estimated expenses (other than SEC registration fee expenses) to be incurred by the Company in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities registered under this registration statement.
SEC registration fee |
$ | 51,738.97 | ||
Printing expenses |
$ | 20,000 | ||
Legal fees and expenses |
$ | 100,000 | ||
Accounting fees and expenses |
$ | 80,000 | ||
Miscellaneous expenses |
$ | 10,000 | ||
| | | | |
Total |
$ | 261,738.97 |
Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
The Certificate of Incorporation of the Company provides that the Company's directors shall not be personally liable to the Company or its shareholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (i) for any breach of the director's duty of loyalty to the Company or its shareholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the "DGCL"), or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.
The Bylaws of the Company and DGCL Section 145 together provide that the Company may indemnify its present or former directors and officers, as well as other employees and individuals (each an "Indemnified Party", and collectively, "Indemnified Parties"), against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement in connection with specified actions, suits or proceedings, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, other than in connection with actions by or in the right of the Company (a "derivative action"), if an Indemnified Party acted in good faith and in a manner such Indemnified Party reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the Company's best interests and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful. A similar standard is applicable in the case of derivative actions, except that the Company may only indemnify an Indemnified Party for expenses (including attorneys' fees) incurred in connection with the defense or settlement of such derivative action. Additionally, in the context of a derivative action, DGCL Section 145 requires a court approval before there can be any indemnification where an Indemnified Party has been found liable to the Company. The statute provides that it is not exclusive of other indemnification arrangements that may be granted pursuant to a corporation's charter, bylaws, disinterested director vote, shareholder vote, agreement or otherwise. The Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Company also provide that if the DGCL is amended to permit further elimination or limitation of the personal liability of the directors, then the liability of the Company's directors shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as so amended.
The Company maintains directors' and officers' liability insurance against any actual or alleged error, misstatement, misleading statement, act, omission, neglect or breach of duty by any director or officer, excluding certain maters including fraudulent, dishonest or criminal acts or self-dealing. The Company also maintains an employed lawyers' insurance policy for employees (including officers) that are licensed to practice law ("counsel").
The Company has entered into indemnification agreements with certain of its directors, officers, and counsel. Under the indemnification agreements, the Company agreed to indemnify each
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indemnified party, subject to certain limitations, to the maximum extent permitted by Delaware law against all litigation costs, including attorneys' fees and expenses, and losses, in connection with any proceeding to which the indemnified party is a party, or is threatened to be made a party, by reason of the fact that the indemnified party is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company, or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, trustee or agent of another entity related to the business of the Company. The indemnification agreements also provide (i) for the advancement of expenses by the Company, subject to certain conditions, (ii) a procedure for determining an indemnified party's entitlement to indemnification and (iii) for certain remedies for the indemnified party. In addition, the indemnification agreements require the Company to cover the indemnified party under any directors' and officers' insurance policy or, with respect to counsel, under any employed lawyers insurance policy, maintained by the Company.
See the Exhibit Index which is incorporated into this registration statement by reference.
(a) 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective registration statement; and
(iii) to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;
Provided, however, that: paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii), and (a)(1)(iii) above do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3 or Form F-3 and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission 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, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of 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 therein, 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.
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(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:
(i) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and
(ii) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which the prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.
(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities:
The undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
(b) 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 that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing
II-3
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 Securities 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 Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
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SIGNATURES AND POWER OF ATTORNEY
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-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of Princeton, State of New Jersey, on May 29, 2015.
NRG Yield, Inc. | ||||||
By: |
/s/ BRIAN E. CURCI |
|||||
Name: | Brian E. Curci | |||||
Title: | Secretary |
Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints David R. Hill and Brian E. Curci, and each of them singly, his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all (i) amendments (including post-effective amendments) and additions to this registration statement and (ii) any and all additional registration statements pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto each said attorney-in-fact and agents full power and authority to do and perform each and every act in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or either of them or their or his substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature
|
Title
|
Date
|
||
---|---|---|---|---|
/s/ DAVID CRANE David Crane |
President and Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) and Director | May 29, 2015 | ||
/s/ KIRKLAND B. ANDREWS Kirkland B. Andrews |
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (principal financial officer) and Director |
May 29, 2015 |
||
/s/ DAVID CALLEN David Callen |
Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer (principal accounting officer) |
May 29, 2015 |
||
/s/ JOHN F. CHLEBOWSKI John F. Chlebowski |
Director |
May 29, 2015 |
||
/s/ MAURICIO GUTIERREZ Mauricio Gutierrez |
Director |
May 29, 2015 |
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Signature
|
Title
|
Date
|
||
---|---|---|---|---|
/s/ FERRELL P. MCCLEAN Ferrell P. McClean |
Director | May 29, 2015 | ||
/s/ CHRISTOPHER S. SOTOS Christopher S. Sotos |
Director |
May 29, 2015 |
||
/s/ BRIAN R. FORD Brian R. Ford |
Director |
May 29, 2015 |
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3.1 | Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to NRG Yield Inc.'s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 15, 2015, SEC File No. 001-36002). | ||
3.2 | Second Amended and Restated Bylaws (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to NRG Yield Inc.'s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on July 26, 2013, SEC File No. 001-36002). | ||
5.1 | * | Opinion of Kirkland & Ellis LLP | |
10.1 | * | Purchase Agreement, dated February 5, 2014, among the Company, the guarantors named therein and the purchasers named therein. | |
23.1 | * | Consent of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the audited financials of NRG Yield, Inc. | |
23.2 | * | Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent auditors with respect to the audited financials of GCE Holding LLC. | |
23.3 | * | Consent of KPMG LLP, independent auditors with respect to the audited financials of the Alta Wind Portfolio of Terra-Gen Power, LLC. | |
23.4 | * | Consent of KPMG LLP, independent auditors with respect to the audited financial statements of Laredo Ridge Wind, LLC. | |
23.5 | * | Consent of KPMG LLP, independent auditors with respect to the audited financial statements of WCEP Holdings, LLC. | |
23.6 | * | Consent of KPMG LLP, independent auditors with respect to the audited financial statements of Tapestry Wind, LLC. | |
23.7 | * | Consent of Kirkland & Ellis LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1) | |
24.1 | * | Powers of Attorney (included in signature pages). |
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Exhibit 5.1
300 North LaSalle
Chicago, Illinois 60654
www.kirkland.com
May 29, 2015
NRG Yield, Inc.
211 Carnegie Center
Princeton, New Jersey 08540
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-3
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We are acting as special counsel to NRG Yield, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), in connection with the proposed registration by the Company and sale by selling stockholders of 18,898,893 shares of its Class A Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the Class A Common Stock), registered pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-3, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission), under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Act) (such Registration Statement, as amended or supplemented, is hereinafter referred to as the Registration Statement), to be issued upon conversion of the outstanding $345,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Companys 3.50% Convertible Senior Notes due 2019 (the Convertible Notes).
In connection therewith, we have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such documents, corporate records and other instruments as we have deemed necessary for the purposes of this opinion, including (i) the corporate and organizational documents of the Company, including the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, (ii) minutes and records of the proceedings of the Company with respect to the issuance of the Convertible Notes, (iii) the Purchase Agreement dated February 5, 2014, among the Company, the guarantors named therein and the purchasers named therein (the Purchase Agreement), (iv) the Indenture, dated as of February 11, 2014, by and among the Company, the guarantors party thereto and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee (the Indenture), (v) the Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of February 11, 2014, between the Company and the several purchasers named in Schedule I to the Purchase Agreement, and (vi) the Registration Statement.
For purposes of this opinion, we have assumed the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies and the authenticity of the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies. We have also assumed the legal capacity of all natural persons, the genuineness of the signatures of persons signing all documents in connection with which this opinion is rendered, the authority of such persons signing on behalf of the parties thereto other than the Company and the due authorization, execution and delivery of all documents by the parties thereto other than the
Beijing Hong Kong Houston London Los Angeles Munich New York Palo Alto San Francisco Shanghai Washington, D.C.
Company. We have not independently established or verified any facts relevant to the opinions expressed herein, but have relied upon statements and representations of officers and other representatives of the Company and others.
Based upon and subject to the foregoing qualifications, assumptions and limitations and the further limitations set forth below, we are of the opinion that the shares of Class A Common Stock issuable upon the conversion of the Convertible Notes, when issued in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, will be duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable.
Our opinions expressed above are subject to the qualifications that we express no opinion as to the applicability of, compliance with, or effect of (i) any bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent transfer, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium or other similar law affecting the enforcement of creditors rights generally, (ii) general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), (iii) public policy considerations which may limit the rights of parties to obtain certain remedies and (iv) any laws except the laws of the State of New York and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, including the applicable provisions of the Delaware constitution and reported judicial decisions interpreting these laws.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to our firm under the heading Legal Matters in the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission.
We do not find it necessary for the purposes of this opinion, and accordingly we do not purport to cover herein, the application of the securities or blue sky laws of the various states to the sale of the Class A Common Stock.
This opinion is limited to the specific issues addressed herein, and no opinion may be inferred or implied beyond that expressly stated herein. We assume no obligation to revise or supplement this opinion after the date of effectiveness of the Registration Statement should the laws of the State of New York or the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware be changed by legislative action, judicial decision or otherwise after the date hereof.
This opinion is furnished to you in connection with the filing of the Registration Statement, and is not to be used, circulated, quoted or otherwise relied upon for any other purpose.
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/s/ Kirkland & Ellis LLP |
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KIRKLAND & ELLIS LLP |
Exhibit 10.1
$300,000,000
NRG YIELD, INC.
CONVERTIBLE SENIOR NOTES DUE 2019
FULLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY GUARANTEED BY
NRG YIELD OPERATING LLC AND NRG YIELD LLC
PURCHASE AGREEMENT
February 5, 2014
February 5, 2014
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated
RBC Capital Markets, LLC
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
c/o Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
1585 Broadway
New York, New York 10036
Ladies and Gentlemen:
NRG Yield, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), proposes to issue and sell to the several purchasers named in Schedule I hereto (the Initial Purchasers), for which Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is acting as representative (Representative), $300,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of its Convertible Senior Notes due 2019 (the Firm Securities) to be issued pursuant to the provisions of an Indenture dated as of the Closing Date (as defined below) (the Indenture) between the Company, the Guarantors (as defined below) and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee, Paying Agent and Conversion Agent (the Trustee). The Company also proposes to issue and sell to the Initial Purchasers not more than an additional $45,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of its Convertible Senior Notes due 2019 (the Additional Securities) if and to the extent that you, as Managers of the offering, shall have determined to exercise, on behalf of the Initial Purchasers, the right to purchase such Convertible Senior Notes due 2019 granted to the Initial Purchasers in Section 2 hereof. The Firm Securities and the Additional Securities are herein collectively referred to as the Securities. The Firm Securities and Additional Securities will be convertible into cash, shares of Class A common stock, $0.01 par value per share, of the Company (the Underlying Securities) or a combination thereof, at the option of the Company.
The Securities, the Guarantees (as defined below) and the Underlying Securities will be offered without being registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), to qualified institutional buyers in compliance with the exemption from registration provided by Rule 144A under the Securities Act.
The payment of principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the Securities will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis, jointly and severally, by each of NRG Yield LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and NRG Yield Operating LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (collectively, the Guarantors), pursuant to their guarantees (the Guarantees) under the Indenture.
The Initial Purchasers and their direct and indirect transferees will be entitled to the benefits of a Registration Rights Agreement dated as of the Closing Date between the
Company and the Initial Purchasers in the form attached as Exhibit C hereto (the Registration Rights Agreement).
In connection with the sale of the Securities, the Company and the Guarantors have prepared a preliminary offering memorandum (the Preliminary Memorandum) and will prepare a final offering memorandum (the Final Memorandum) including or incorporating by reference a description of the terms of the Securities, the Guarantees and the Underlying Securities, the terms of the offering and a description of the Company and the Guarantors. For purposes of this Agreement, Additional Written Offering Communication means any written communication (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that constitutes an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the Securities other than the Preliminary Memorandum or the Final Memorandum; Time of Sale Memorandum means the Preliminary Memorandum together with each Additional Written Offering Communication or other information, if any, each identified in Schedule II hereto under the caption Time of Sale Memorandum; and General Solicitation means any offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the Securities by any form of general solicitation or advertising (as those terms are used in Regulation D under the Securities Act). As used herein, the terms Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum and Final Memorandum shall include the documents, if any, incorporated by reference therein on the date hereof. The terms supplement, amendment and amend as used herein with respect to the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum, the Final Memorandum or any Additional Written Offering Communication shall include all documents subsequently filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein.
On the Closing Date, the Company will lend the net proceeds from the offering of the Securities to NRG Yield Operating LLC. In connection with this loan, NRG Yield Operating LLC will enter into one or more agreements with the Company pursuant to which, among other things, NRG Yield Operating LLC will agree to provide the Company as necessary to make any payments required under the Securities. In addition, on the Closing Date, NRG Yield LLC will enter into one or more agreements with the Company pursuant to which, among other things, NRG Yield LLC will issue to the Company, concurrently with a conversion of the Securities into Underlying Securities, if any, an amount of its Class A units equal to the number of shares of Class A Common Stock, if any, issued by the Company upon conversion of the Securities. Such agreements are collectively referred to herein as the Intercompany Agreements.
As used in this agreement, subsidiary means each direct and indirect subsidiary of the Company, including NRG Yield Operating LLC and NRG Yield LLC, as set forth on Schedule III (collectively, subsidiaries).
1. Representations and Warranties. The Company and each of the Guarantors jointly and severally represent and warrant to, and agrees with, you that:
(a) (i) Each document, if any, filed or to be filed pursuant to the Exchange Act and incorporated by reference in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum or the Final Memorandum complied or will comply when so filed in all material respects with the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (ii) the Time of Sale Memorandum does not, and at the time of each sale of the Securities in connection with the offering when the Final Memorandum is not yet available to prospective purchasers and at the Closing Date (as defined in Section 4), the Time of Sale Memorandum, as then amended or supplemented by the Company, if applicable, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (iii) any Additional Written Offering Communication prepared, used or referred to by the Company, when considered together with the Time of Sale Memorandum, at the time of its use did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (iv) any General Solicitation that is not an Additional Written Offering Communication, made by the Company or by the Initial Purchasers with the consent of the Company, when considered together with the Time of Sale Memorandum, at the time when made or used did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and (v) the Preliminary Memorandum does not contain and the Final Memorandum, in the form used by the Initial Purchasers to confirm sales and on the Closing Date (as defined in Section 4), will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the representations and warranties set forth in this paragraph do not apply to statements or omissions in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum, the Final Memorandum, Additional Written Offering Communication or General Solicitation based upon information relating to any Initial Purchaser or its activities in connection with this Offering furnished to the Company in writing by such Initial Purchaser through you expressly for use therein.
(b) Except for the Additional Written Offering Communications, if any, identified in Schedule II hereto, including electronic road shows, if any, furnished to you before first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without your prior consent, prepare, use or refer to, any Additional Written Offering Communication.
(c) The financial statements incorporated by reference in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum and the Final Memorandum, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the statement of operations, stockholders
equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as may be expressly stated in the related notes thereto. The selected financial data and the summary financial information incorporated by reference in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum and the Final Memorandum present fairly in all material respects the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included therein. The pro forma financial statements, data and the related notes thereto incorporated by reference in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum and the Final Memorandum present fairly in all material respects the information shown therein, have been prepared in accordance with the Commissions rules and guidelines with respect to pro forma financial statements and have been properly compiled on the bases described therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein. All disclosures contained in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum and the Final Memorandum regarding non-GAAP financial measures (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G of the 1934 Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act, to the extent applicable. The accountants who certified the financial statements and supporting schedules incorporated by reference in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum and Final Memorandum are independent public accountants as required by the Securities Act, the Securities Act Regulations and the Public Accounting Oversight Board.
(d) Except as otherwise stated therein, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum and the Final Memorandum, (A) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business, operations or prospects as described in or contemplated by the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum or the Final Memorandum, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity (each such change a Material Adverse Effect) (B) the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity, have not incurred any material liability or obligation, indirect, direct or contingent, not in the ordinary course of business nor entered into any material transaction or agreement not in the ordinary course of business and (C) except as described in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum and the Final Memorandum, there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company or any of its subsidiaries on any class of their capital stock or other equity securities.
(e) The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
incorporation, has the corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Memorandum and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing or equivalent status in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(f) Each significant subsidiary of the Company (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X) has been duly organized and is validly existing in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, has corporate or similar power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Memorandum and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; all of the issued shares of capital stock of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims.
(g) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the Guarantors.
(h) The authorized capital stock of the Company conforms as to legal matters to the description thereof contained in each of the Time of Sale Memorandum and the Final Memorandum.
(i) The shares of Class A common stock outstanding of the Company have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
(j) The Securities have been duly authorized and, when executed and authenticated in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Initial Purchasers in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors rights generally and equitable principles of general applicability, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture and the Registration Rights Agreement pursuant to which such Securities are to be issued.
(k) The Guarantees have been duly authorized and, when the Securities are executed and authenticated in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Initial Purchasers in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be valid and binding obligations of the
Guarantors, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors rights generally and equitable principles of general applicability, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture and the Registration Rights Agreement pursuant to which such Securities are to be issued.
(l) The Underlying Securities issuable upon conversion of the Securities have been duly authorized and reserved and, when issued upon conversion of the Securities in accordance with the terms of the Securities, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and the issuance of the Underlying Securities will not be subject to any preemptive or similar rights.
(m) Each of the Indenture, the Registration Rights Agreement and the Intercompany Agreements have been duly authorized and, when the Securities are executed and authenticated in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Initial Purchasers in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be a valid and binding agreement of the Company and the Guarantors, as applicable, enforceable against them in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors rights generally and equitable principles of general applicability.
(n) No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary, or any of their respective properties, assets or operations (each, a Governmental Entity) is required for the performance by the Company and the Guarantors of their obligations under this Agreement, the Indenture, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Intercompany Agreements, the Securities and the Guarantees, except such as may be required (i) by Section 203 of the Federal Power Act with respect to the exercise by an Initial Purchaser or its direct or indirect transferee of its conversion rights, if and to the extent that such exercise would be deemed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to result in a change in control and fails to qualify for a blanket authorization granted under FERCs regulations for certain types of transfers generally deemed by FERC not to convey direct or indirect control, (ii) by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities, (iii) by Federal and state securities laws with respect to the Companys obligations under the Registration Rights Agreement and (iv) by the New York Stock Exchange related to the authorization of the listing of the shares of the Class A common stock that the Notes will be convertible into.
(o) No labor dispute with the employees of NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG) or any of its subsidiaries engaged in the business of the Company exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, which, in any case, would have a Material Adverse Effect.
(p) Other than proceedings accurately described in all material respects in the Time of Sale Memorandum, there is no action, suit, proceeding,
inquiry or investigation before or brought by any Governmental Entity now pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries, which would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, or which might materially and adversely affect their respective properties or assets or the consummation of the transactions contemplated, or the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement, the Indenture, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Intercompany Agreements and the Securities.
(q) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (A) in violation of its charter, by-laws or similar organizational document, (B) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in the contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company or any subsidiaries is subject (collectively, Agreements and Instruments), except for such defaults that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, or (C) in violation of any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any arbitrator or Governmental Entity, except for such violations that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Indenture, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Guarantees, the Intercompany Agreements and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum and the Final Memorandum, (including the Offering and the issuance and sale of the Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described therein under the caption Use of Proceeds) and compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder and thereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with, require a consent under, or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any properties or assets of the Company or any subsidiary pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Repayment Events or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such actions (i) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter, by-laws or similar organizational document of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (ii) conflict with or constitute a breach of, or a default or a Repayment Event under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, or require the consent of any other party to, any Agreement and Instrument, except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults, liens, charges or encumbrances as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or (iii) result in any violation of any law, statute, rule, regulation,
judgment, order, writ or decree of any Governmental Entity, except for such violations as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. As used herein, a Repayment Event means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holders behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
(r) The statements in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum and the Final Memorandum and the documents incorporated by reference thereto under the headings BusinessOur Operations, Business Regulatory Matters, BusinessLegal Proceedings and Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions, insofar as such statements summarize legal matters, agreements, documents, proceedings or affiliate transactions discussed therein, including related party agreements, power purchase agreements, offtake agreements and contracts for differences, are accurate and fair summaries of such legal matters, agreements, documents, proceedings or affiliate transactions in all material respects. All agreements between the Company or any of its subsidiaries and any other party expressly referenced in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum and the Final Memorandum (the Contracts), are legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company or such subsidiary, as applicable, enforceable against the Company or such subsidiaries, as applicable, as appropriate, in accordance with their respective terms, except to the extent that enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors rights generally and by general equitable principles and except as rights to indemnity and contribution thereunder may be limited by applicable law or policies underlying such law. Except as described in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum and the Final Memorandum, the Company has not sent or received, and is not aware that NRG has any intention to send, any notice indicating the termination of or intention to terminate any of the Contracts to which it is a party.
(s) The Company and its subsidiaries have filed or caused to be filed with the appropriate Governmental Entities all forms, statements, reports, and documents (including all exhibits, amendments, and supplements thereto) (each a Filing) required to be filed by it with respect to the Company and each of its subsidiarys businesses and each of their facilities under all applicable laws and their respective rules and regulations thereunder, all of which complied in all respects with all applicable requirements of the appropriate law and rules and regulations thereunder in effect on the date each such Filing was made, except where the failure to do so would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its subsidiaries possess such valid and current certificates, authorizations or permits issued by the appropriate Governmental Entities necessary to conduct the business now operated by them (each a Governmental License), except where the failure so to possess would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its subsidiaries are in
compliance with the terms and conditions of all Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. All of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except when the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Governmental Licenses which, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(t) The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all real property owned by them and good title to all other properties owned by them, in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any kind except such as (A) described in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum or the Final Memorandum or (B) do not, individually or in the aggregate, materially and adversely affect the value of such properties taken as a whole and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise; and all of the leases and subleases of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries holds properties described in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum or the Final Memorandum, are in full force and effect, with such exceptions as are not material and do not materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such properties, and neither the Company nor any such subsidiary has received actual notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any subsidiary under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or such subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease.
(u) The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, Intellectual Property) reasonably necessary to carry on the business now operated by them, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of any infringement of or conflict with asserted intellectual property rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property, which infringement or conflict (if the subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity or inadequacy, individually or in the aggregate, would have a Material Adverse Effect.
(v) Except as described in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum and the Final Memorandum or would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its subsidiaries (A) are conducting and have conducted their businesses, operations and facilities in compliance with Environmental Laws (as defined below); (B) have duly obtained, possess, maintain in full force and effect and have fulfilled and performed all of their obligations under any and all permits, licenses or registrations required under Environmental Law (Environmental Permits); (C) have not received any notice from a governmental authority or any other third party alleging any violation of Environmental Law or liability thereunder; (D) are not subject to any pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, threatened claim in writing or other legal proceeding under any Environmental Laws against the Company or any of its subsidiaries; (E) do not have knowledge of any applicable Environmental Laws, or any unsatisfied conditions in an Environmental Permit, that, individually or in the aggregate, can reasonably be expected to require any material capital expenditures for either the installation of new pollution control equipment, or a switch in a projects fuel or other material modification of current operations in order to maintain the Companys or the subsidiaries compliance with Environmental Laws; and (F) do not have knowledge of any facts or circumstances that reasonably would be expected to result in the Company or any of its subsidiaries being subjected to a material liability arising under Environmental Laws. As used in this paragraph, Environmental Laws means any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations, or any enforceable administrative or judicial interpretation thereof, relating to pollution or the protection of human health or the environment, including, without limitation, those relating to (i) emissions, discharges or releases of Hazardous Substances into ambient air, surface water, groundwater or land, (ii) the generation, manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, release, transport or handling of, or exposure to, Hazardous Substances, (iii) the protection of wildlife or endangered or threatened species or (iv) the investigation, remediation or cleanup of any Hazardous Substances. As used in this paragraph, Hazardous Substances means pollutants, contaminants, hazardous substances, materials or wastes, petroleum, petroleum products and their breakdown constituents or any other chemical substance regulated under Environmental Laws.
(w) Each of the Company and the Guarantors is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Final Memorandum will not be, required to register as an investment company as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the Investment Company Act).
(x) Neither the Company nor any affiliate (as defined in Rule 501(b) of Regulation D under the Securities Act, an Affiliate) of the Company has directly, or through any agent, (i) sold, offered for sale, solicited offers to buy or otherwise negotiated in respect of, any security (as defined in the Securities Act)
which is or will be integrated with the sale of the Securities in a manner that would require the registration under the Securities Act of the Securities, (ii) made any General Solicitation that is not an Additional Written Offering Communication other than General Solicitations listed on Schedule II hereto or those made with the prior written consent of the Initial Purchasers, or (iii) offered, solicited offers to buy or sold the Securities in any manner involving a public offering within the meaning of Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.
(y) It is not necessary in connection with the offer, sale and delivery of the Securities to the Initial Purchasers in the manner contemplated by this Agreement to register the Securities under the Securities Act or to qualify the Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
(z) The Securities satisfy the requirements set forth in Rule 144A(d)(3) under the Securities Act.
(aa) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any affiliate, director, officer, or employee, agent or representative of the Company or of any of its subsidiaries, has taken or will take any action in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization or approval of the payment or giving of money, property, gifts or anything else of value, directly or indirectly, to any government official (including any officer or employee of a government or government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office) to influence official action or secure an improper advantage; and the Company and its subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, their respective affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with applicable anti-corruption laws and have instituted and maintain and will continue to maintain policies and procedures designed to promote and achieve compliance with such laws and with the representation and warranty contained herein.
(bb) The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with all applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), and the applicable anti-money laundering statutes of jurisdictions where the Company and its subsidiaries conduct business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the Anti-Money Laundering Laws), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(cc) (i) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, employee, agent, affiliate or representative of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, is an individual or entity (Person) that is, or is owned or controlled by a Person that is:
(A) the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majestys Treasury, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, Sanctions), nor
(B) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions (including, without limitation, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria).
(ii) The Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person:
(A) to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions; or
(B) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise).
(iii) For the past 5 years, the Company and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in, are not now knowingly engaged in, and will not engage in, any dealings or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions.
(dd) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have filed all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns required to be filed through the date of this Agreement or have requested extensions thereof (except where the failure to file would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect) and have paid all taxes required to be paid thereon (except for cases in which the failure to file or pay would not have a Material Adverse Effect, or, except as currently being contested in good faith and for which reserves required by GAAP have been created in the financial statements of the Company), and no tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries which has had (nor does the Company nor any of its subsidiaries have any notice or knowledge of any tax deficiency which could reasonably be expected to be determined adversely to the Company or its subsidiaries and which could reasonably be expected to have) a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has made adequate charges, accruals and reserves in accordance with GAAP in the applicable financial statements referred to in
Section 1(c) hereof in respect of all federal, state and other taxes for all periods as to which the tax liability of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries has not been finally determined, except to the extent of any inadequacy that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(ee) None of the following events has occurred or exists: (i) a failure to fulfill the obligations, if any, under the minimum funding standards of Section 302 of the United States Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA), and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder with respect to a Plan, determined without regard to any waiver of such obligations or extension of any amortization period; (ii) an audit or investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or any other federal or state governmental agency or any foreign regulatory agency with respect to the employment or compensation of employees by any of the Company or its subsidiaries that could have a Material Adverse Effect; (iii) any breach of any contractual obligation, or any violation of law or applicable qualification standards, with respect to the employment or compensation of employees by any of the Company and its subsidiaries that could have a Material Adverse Effect. None of the following events has occurred or is reasonably likely to occur: (w) a material increase in the aggregate amount of contributions required to be made to all Plans in the current fiscal year of any of the Company and its subsidiaries compared to the amount of such contributions made in the most recently completed fiscal year of any of the Company and its subsidiaries that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; (x) a material increase in the accumulated post-retirement benefit obligations (within the meaning of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards 106) of any of the Company and its subsidiaries compared to the amount of such obligations in the most recently completed fiscal year of any of the Company and its subsidiaries that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; (y) any event or condition giving rise to a liability under Title IV of ERISA that could have a Material Adverse Effect; or (z) the filing of a claim by one or more employees or former employees of any of the Company and its subsidiaries related to their employment that could have a Material Adverse Effect. For purposes of this paragraph, the term Plan means a plan (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA) subject to Title IV of ERISA with respect to which any of the Company and its subsidiaries may have any liability.
(ff) The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with managements general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with managements general or specific authorization and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as described in the Time of Sale Memorandum, since the end
of the Companys most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (i) no material weakness in the Companys internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (ii) no change in the Companys internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Companys internal control over financial reporting.
(gg) The Company is in compliance in all material respects with all provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or implementing the provisions thereof that are in effect and with which the Company is required to comply.
(hh) The Company and its subsidiaries carry, or are entitled to the benefits of insurance, with financially sound institutions with policies in such amounts and with such deductibles and covering such risks as are generally deemed reasonably adequate and customary for their businesses including, without limitation, policies covering real and personal property owned or leased by the Company and its subsidiaries against theft, damage, destruction, acts of vandalism, flood and earthquakes. The Company has no reason to believe that it or any of its subsidiaries will not be able (A) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (B) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(ii) The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum or the Final Memorandum has been prepared in accordance with the Commissions rules and guidelines applicable thereto
(jj) Except as described in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum or the Final Memorandum, no subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited in any material respect, directly or indirectly, from (A) paying any distributions to the Company or the Guarantors or (B) (i) making any other distribution on such subsidiarys equity interests, (ii) repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or (iii) transferring any of such subsidiarys property or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company.
(kk) Except for grants disclosed in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum or the Final Memorandum or the Section 16 filings related to the Company pursuant to the Exchange Act, the Company has not granted to any person or entity, a stock option or other equity-based award to purchase or receive equity securities of the Company or the Guarantors pursuant to an equity-based compensation plan or otherwise.
(ll) Except for the Initial Purchasers discounts and commissions payable by the Company to the Initial Purchasers in connection with the offering
of the Securities contemplated herein or as otherwise disclosed in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum or the Final Memorandum, the Company has not incurred any liability for any brokerage commission, finders fees or similar payments in connection with the offering of the Securities contemplated hereby.
(mm) No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or its subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, officers or stockholders of the Company, on the other hand, which is required under the Securities Act to be described in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum or the Final Memorandum which is not so described. Except as disclosed in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum or the Final Memorandum, there are no outstanding loans or advances (except advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees of indebtedness by the Company or any affiliate of the Company to the benefit of any of the officers or directors of the Company or any affiliate of the Company or any of their respective family members.
(nn) Except as disclosed in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum or the Final Memorandum, the Company (i) does not have any material lending or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of any Initial Purchaser and (ii) does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of any Initial Purchaser.
(oo) Any statistical and market-related data included in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum or the Final Memorandum are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes, after reasonable inquiry, to be reliable and accurate and, to the extent required, the Company or the Initial Purchasers have obtained consent to the use of such data from such sources.
(pp) The Company has no debt securities or preferred stock that is rated by any nationally recognized statistical rating agency (as that term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 43 6(g)(2) under the Securities Act).
(qq) Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries (including any entity that controls a subsidiary) delivered to the Representative or to counsel for the Initial Purchasers shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company or such other entity, as applicable, to each Initial Purchaser as to the matters covered thereby.
2. Agreements to Sell and Purchase. The Company hereby agrees to sell to the several Initial Purchasers, and each Initial Purchaser, upon the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the conditions hereinafter stated, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company in the principal
amount of Firm Securities set forth in Schedule I hereto opposite its name at a purchase price of 97.75% of the principal amount thereof (the Purchase Price).
On the basis of the representations and warranties contained in this Agreement, and subject to its terms and conditions, the Company agrees to sell to the Initial Purchasers the Additional Securities, and the Initial Purchasers shall have the right to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to $45,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of Additional Securities at the Purchase Price plus accrued interest, if any, to the date of payment and delivery. You may exercise this right on behalf of the Initial Purchasers in whole or from time to time in part by giving written notice not later than 30 days after the date of this Agreement. Any exercise notice shall specify the principal amount of Additional Securities to be purchased by the Initial Purchasers and the date on which such Additional Securities are to be purchased. Each purchase date must be at least one business day after the written notice is given and may not be earlier than the Closing Date nor later than ten business days after the date of such notice. On each day, if any, that Additional Securities are to be purchased (an Option Closing Date), each Initial Purchaser agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the principal amount of Additional Securities (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional Securities as you may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total principal amount of Additional Securities to be purchased on such Option Closing Date as the principal amount of Firm Securities set forth in Schedule I opposite the name of such Initial Purchaser bears to the total principal amount of Firm Securities, subject, however, to adjustments to eliminate Securities in denominations other than in multiples of $1,000.
3. Terms of Offering. You have advised the Company that the Initial Purchasers will make an offering of the Securities purchased by the Initial Purchasers hereunder as soon as practicable after this Agreement is entered into as in your judgment is advisable.
4. Payment and Delivery. Payment for the Firm Securities shall be made to the Company in Federal or other funds immediately available in New York City against delivery of such Firm Securities for the respective accounts of the several Initial Purchasers at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on February 11, 2014, or at such other time on the same or such other date, not later than February 18, 2014, as shall be designated in writing by you. The time and date of such payment are hereinafter referred to as the Closing Date.
Payment for any Additional Securities shall be made to the Company in Federal or other funds immediately available in New York City against delivery of such Additional Securities for the respective accounts of the several Initial Purchasers at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the date specified in the corresponding notice described in Section 2 or at such other time on the same or on such other date as shall be designated in writing by you.
The Securities shall be in definitive form or global form, as specified by you, and registered in such names and in such denominations as you shall request in writing not later than one full business day prior to the Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing
Date, as the case may be. The Securities shall be delivered to you on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, for the respective accounts of the several Initial Purchasers, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the transfer of the Securities to the Initial Purchasers duly paid, against payment of the Purchase Price therefor plus accrued interest, if any, to the date of payment and delivery.
5. Conditions to the Initial Purchasers Obligations. The several obligations of the Initial Purchasers to purchase and pay for the Firm Securities on the Closing Date are subject to the following conditions:
(a) Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date:
(i) there shall not have occurred any downgrading, nor shall any notice have been given of any intended or potential downgrading or of any review for a possible change that does not indicate the direction of the possible change, in the rating accorded the Company or any of the securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or in the rating outlook for the Company by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization, as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act; and
(ii) there shall not have occurred any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Memorandum provided to the prospective purchasers of the Securities that, in your judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it, in your judgment, impracticable to market the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Memorandum.
(b) The Initial Purchasers shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by an executive officer of the Company and the Guarantors, to the effect set forth in Section 5(a)(i) and to the effect that the representations and warranties of the Company and the Guarantors contained in this Agreement are true and correct as of the Closing Date and that the Company and the Guarantors have complied in all material respects with all of the agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on their part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or before the Closing Date.
The officer signing and delivering such certificate may rely upon the best of his or her knowledge as to proceedings threatened.
(c) The Initial Purchasers shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, outside counsel for the Company and the Guarantors, dated the Closing Date, in the form provided by Kirkland & Ellis LLP and attached hereto as Exhibit A. Such opinion shall be rendered to the
Initial Purchasers at the request of the Company and the Guarantors and shall so state therein.
(d) The Initial Purchasers shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of King & Spalding LLP, federal regulatory counsel for the Company and the Guarantors, dated the Closing Date, to the effect set forth in Exhibit B. Such opinion shall be rendered to the Initial Purchasers at the request of the Company and the Guarantors and shall so state therein.
(e) The Initial Purchasers shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Initial Purchasers, dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative.
(f) The Initial Purchasers shall have received on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date a letter, dated the date hereof or the Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Initial Purchasers, from KPMG LLP, independent public accountants, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants comfort letters to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in or incorporated by reference into the Time of Sale Memorandum and the Final Memorandum; provided that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a cut-off date not earlier than the date hereof.
(g) The Initial Purchasers shall have received on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date a letter, dated the date hereof or the Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Initial Purchasers, a certificate of the Chief Financial Officer of the Company.
(h) The lock-up agreements, each substantially in the form of Exhibit D hereto, between you and certain shareholders, officers and directors of the Company relating to sales and certain other dispositions of shares of Class A common stock or certain other securities, delivered to you on or before the date hereof, shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date.
(i) On or prior to the Closing Date, the Registration Rights Agreement and the amendment to the credit facility of NRG Yield Operating LLC shall have been executed and the Company shall have provided the Initial Purchasers execution copies thereof.
(j) The several obligations of the Initial Purchasers to purchase Additional Securities hereunder are subject to the delivery to you on the applicable Option Closing Date of the following:
(i) a certificate, dated the Option Closing Date and signed by an executive officer of the Company and the Guarantors, confirming that the certificate delivered on the Closing Date pursuant to Section 5(b) hereof remains true and correct as of such Option Closing Date;
(ii) an opinion of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, outside counsel for the Company and the Guarantors, dated the Option Closing Date, relating to the Additional Securities to be purchased on such Option Closing Date and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(c) hereof;
(iii) an opinion of King & Spalding LLP, federal regulatory counsel for the Company and the Guarantors, dated the Option Closing Date, relating to the Additional Securities to be purchased on such Option Closing Date and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(d) hereof;
(iv) an opinion of Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Initial Purchasers, dated the Option Closing Date, relating to the Additional Securities to be purchased on such Option Closing Date and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(e) hereof;
(v) a letter dated the Option Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Initial Purchasers, from KPMG LLP, independent public accountants, substantially in the same form and substance as the letter furnished to the Initial Purchasers pursuant to Section 5(f) hereof; provided that the letter delivered on the Option Closing Date shall use a cut-off date not earlier than three business days prior to such Option Closing Date;
(vi) a certificate dated the Option Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Initial Purchasers, from the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, substantially in the same form and substance as the letter furnished to the Initial Purchasers pursuant to Section 5(g) hereof; and
(vii) such other documents as you may reasonably request with respect to the good standing of the Company and the Guarantors, the due authorization, execution and authentication of the Additional Securities to be sold on such Option Closing Date and other matters related to the execution and authentication of such Additional Securities.
6. Covenants of the Company and the Guarantors. The Company and the Guarantors covenant with each Initial Purchaser as follows:
(a) To furnish to you in New York City, without charge, prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and during the period mentioned in Section 6(d) or (e), as many copies of the Time of Sale Memorandum, the Final Memorandum, any documents incorporated by reference therein and any supplements and amendments thereto as you may reasonably request.
(b) Before amending or supplementing the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum or the Final Memorandum, to furnish to you a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement and not to use any such proposed amendment or supplement to which you reasonably object.
(c) To furnish to you a copy of each proposed Additional Written Offering Communication to be prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and not to use or refer to any proposed Additional Written Offering Communication to which you reasonably object.
(d) If the Time of Sale Memorandum is being used to solicit offers to buy the Securities at a time when the Final Memorandum is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Memorandum in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Initial Purchasers, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Memorandum to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare and furnish, at its own expense, to the Initial Purchasers and to any dealer upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Memorandum so that the statements in the Time of Sale Memorandum as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when delivered to a prospective purchaser, be misleading or so that the Time of Sale Memorandum, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.
(e) If, during such period after the date hereof and prior to the date on which all of the Securities shall have been sold by the Initial Purchasers, any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Final Memorandum in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Final Memorandum is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Initial Purchasers, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Final Memorandum to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare and furnish, at its own expense, to the Initial Purchasers, either amendments or supplements to the Final Memorandum so that the statements in the Final Memorandum as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Final Memorandum is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Final Memorandum, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.
(f) To endeavor to qualify the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as you shall reasonably request; provided, however, that nothing contained herein shall require the Company to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction, to execute a general consent to service of process in any state or to subject itself to taxation in any jurisdiction in which it is otherwise not so subject.
(g) Whether or not the transactions contemplated in this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, to pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Companys counsel and the Companys accountants in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities and all other fees or expenses in connection with the preparation of the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum, the Final Memorandum, any Additional Written Offering Communication prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and any amendments and supplements to any of the foregoing, including all printing costs associated therewith, and the delivering of copies thereof to the Initial Purchasers, in the quantities herein above specified, (ii) all costs and expenses related to the transfer and delivery of the Securities to the Initial Purchasers, including any transfer or other taxes payable thereon, (iii) the cost of printing or producing any Blue Sky or legal investment memorandum in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities under state securities laws and all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Securities for offer and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 6(f) hereof, including (a) filing fees and (b) the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Initial Purchasers of $15,000 in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky or legal investment memorandum, (iv) any fees charged by rating agencies for the rating of the Securities, (v) the fees and expenses, if any, incurred in connection with the admission of the Securities for trading any appropriate market system, (vi) the costs and charges of the Trustee and any transfer agent, registrar or depositary, (vii) the cost of the preparation, issuance and delivery of the Securities, (viii) the document production charges and expenses associated with printing this Agreement and (ix) all other cost and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in this Section, provided however that any costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any road show undertaken in connection with the marketing or the offering of the Securities, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, travel and lodging expenses of the Representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show, shall be paid or caused to be paid by the Initial Purchasers. It is understood, however, that except as provided in this Section, Section 8, and the last paragraph of Section 10, the Initial Purchasers will pay all of their costs and expenses, including fees and disbursements of their counsel, transfer taxes payable on resale of any of the Securities by them and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.
(h) Neither the Company nor the Guarantors nor any Affiliate will sell, offer for sale or solicit offers to buy or otherwise negotiate in respect of any security (as defined in the Securities Act) which could be integrated with the sale
of the Securities in a manner which would require the registration under the Securities Act of the Securities.
(i) To furnish you with any proposed General Solicitation to be made by the Company or the Guarantors or on their behalf before its use, and not to make or use any proposed General Solicitation without your prior written consent.
(j) While any of the Securities or the Underlying Securities remain restricted securities within the meaning of the Securities Act, to make available, upon request, to any seller of such Securities the information specified in Rule 144A(d)(4) under the Securities Act, unless the Company or the Guarantors are then subject to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.
(k) During the period of one year after the Closing Date or any Option Closing Date, if later, the Company and the Guarantors will not be, nor will they become, an open-end investment company, unit investment trust or face-amount certificate company that is or is required to be registered under Section 8 of the Investment Company Act.
(l) To promptly notify the Initial Purchasers if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) completion of the distribution of the Securities within the meaning of the Securities Act and (ii) completion of the Restricted Period referred to in this Section 6.
(m) Not to take any action prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act in connection with the distribution of the Securities contemplated hereby.
(n) The Company will reserve and keep available at all times, free of preemptive rights or similar rights, shares of Class A common stock for the purpose of enabling the Company to satisfy all obligations to deliver the Underlying Securities upon exchange of the Securities. The Company will use its best efforts to cause the Underlying Securities to be listed on the NYSE. NRG Yield LLC will also reserve and keep available at all times, free of preemptive rights or similar rights, Class A units for the purpose of being issued to the Company pursuant to the terms of the Intercompany Agreements.
The Company and the Guarantors also agree that, without the prior written consent of Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC on behalf of the Initial Purchasers, they and their directors and executive officers will not, during the period ending 60 days after the date of the Final Memorandum ( the Restricted Period), (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Class A common stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Class A common stock or (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Class A common stock, whether any such transaction
described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Class A common stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (a) the sale of the Securities under this Agreement, (b) the issuance by the Company of any shares of Class A common stock upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof of which the Initial Purchasers have been advised in writing, or (c) the establishment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of shares of Class A common stock, provided that (i) such plan does not provide for the transfer of Class A common stock during the Restricted Period and (ii) to the extent a public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act, if any, is required of or voluntarily made by the Company regarding the establishment of such plan, such announcement or filing shall include a statement to the effect that no transfer of Class A common stock may be made under such plan during the Restricted Period.
7. Offering of Securities; Restrictions on Transfer. (a) Each Initial Purchaser, severally and not jointly, represents and warrants that such Initial Purchaser is a qualified institutional buyer as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act (a QIB). Each Initial Purchaser, severally and not jointly, agrees with the Company that (i) it will not solicit offers for, or offer or sell, such Securities by any General Solicitation, other than a permitted communication listed on Schedule II hereto, or those made with the prior written consent of the Company, or in any manner involving a public offering within the meaning of Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and (ii) it will sell such Securities only in the United States and only to persons that it reasonably believes to be QIBs, whom, in each case, in purchasing such Securities are deemed to have represented and agreed as provided in the Final Memorandum under the caption Notice to Investors.
(b) Each Initial Purchaser severally agrees that it will not offer, sell or deliver any of the Securities in any jurisdiction outside the United States except under circumstances that will result in compliance with the applicable laws thereof, and that it will take at its own expense whatever action is required to permit its purchase and resale of the Securities, and the resale of the Securities, conversion of the Securities and resale of the underlying securities in such jurisdictions.
(c) The Company agrees that the Initial Purchasers may provide copies of the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum, the Final Memorandum and any other agreements or documents relating thereto, including without limitation, the Indenture, the Registration Rights Agreement and the Intercompany Agreements to Xtract Research LLC (Xtract), following completion of the offering, for inclusion in an online research service sponsored by Xtract, access to which shall be restricted by Xtract to QIBs.
8. Indemnity and Contribution. (a) The Company and each of the Guarantors jointly and severally agree to indemnify and hold harmless each Initial Purchaser, each person, if any, who controls any Initial Purchaser within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and each affiliate of any Initial Purchaser within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act from and against any
and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum, any Additional Written Offering Communication prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company or the Guarantors, any General Solicitation made by the Company or the Guarantors, any road show as defined in Rule 43 3(h) under the Securities Act (a road show), the Final Memorandum or any amendment or supplement thereto, or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made not misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities are caused by any such untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission based upon information relating to any Initial Purchaser furnished to the Company in writing by such Initial Purchaser through you expressly for use therein.
(b) Each Initial Purchaser agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and each of the Guarantors, their directors, their officers and each person, if any, who controls the Company and the Guarantors within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to such Initial Purchaser, but only with reference to information relating to any Initial Purchaser or its activities in connection with this Offering furnished to the Company in writing by such Initial Purchaser through you expressly for use in the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum, any Additional Written Offering Communication set forth in Schedule II hereto, road show, General Solicitation set forth in Schedule II hereto, the Final Memorandum or any amendment or supplement thereto.
(c) In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 8(a) or 8(b), such person (the indemnified party) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the indemnifying party) in writing and the indemnifying party, upon request of the indemnified party, shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party and any others the indemnifying party may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding; but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party otherwise than under such subsection. Failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel or (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the
indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in respect of the legal expenses of any indemnified party in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all such indemnified parties and that all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred. Such firm shall be designated in writing by the Representative, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(a), and by the Company, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(b). The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second and third sentences of this paragraph, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement (i) includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and (ii) does not include a statement as to, or an admission of, fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party.
(d) To the extent the indemnification provided for in Section 8(a) or 8(b) is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each indemnifying party under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Guarantors on the one hand and the Initial Purchasers on the other hand from the offering of the Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause 8(d)(i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause 8(d)(i) above but also the relative fault of the Company and the Guarantors on the one hand and of the Initial Purchasers on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Guarantors on the one hand and the Initial Purchasers on the
other hand in connection with the offering of the Securities shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering of the Securities (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Guarantors and the total discounts and commissions received by the Initial Purchasers bear to the aggregate offering price of the Securities. The relative fault of the Company and the Guarantors on the one hand and of the Initial Purchasers on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Guarantors or by the Initial Purchasers and the parties relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Initial Purchasers respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 8 are several in proportion to the respective principal amount of Securities they have purchased hereunder, and not joint.
(e) The Company, the Guarantors and the Initial Purchasers agree that it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Initial Purchasers were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in Section 8(d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in Section 8(d) shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8, no Initial Purchaser shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Securities resold by it in the initial placement of such Securities were offered to investors exceeds the amount of any damages that such Initial Purchaser has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The remedies provided for in this Section 8 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.
(f) The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Section 8 and the representations, warranties and other statements of the Company and the Guarantors contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Initial Purchaser, any person controlling any Initial Purchaser or any affiliate of any Initial Purchaser or by or on behalf of the Company, the Guarantors, their officers or directors or any person controlling the Company or the Guarantors and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Securities.
9. Termination. The Initial Purchasers may terminate this Agreement by notice given by you to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on, or by, as the case may be, any of the New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE MKT, the NASDAQ Global Market or the NASDAQ Global Select Market, (ii) trading of any securities of the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market, (iii) a material disruption in securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States or other relevant jurisdiction shall have occurred, (iv) any moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by Federal or New York State authorities or (v) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis that, in your judgment, is material and adverse and which, singly or together with any other event specified in this clause (v), makes it, in your judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offer, sale or delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Memorandum or the Final Memorandum.
10. Effectiveness; Defaulting Initial Purchasers. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.
If, on the Closing Date, or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, any one or more of the Initial Purchasers shall fail or refuse to purchase Securities that it or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate principal amount of Securities which such defaulting Initial Purchaser or Initial Purchasers agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of Securities to be purchased on such date, the other Initial Purchasers shall be obligated severally in the proportions that the principal amount of Firm Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule I bears to the aggregate principal amount of Firm Securities set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Initial Purchasers, or in such other proportions as you may specify, to purchase the Securities which such defaulting Initial Purchaser or Initial Purchasers agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date; provided that in no event shall the principal amount of Securities that any Initial Purchaser has agreed to purchase pursuant to this Agreement be increased pursuant to this Section 10 by an amount in excess of one-ninth of such principal amount of Securities without the written consent of such Initial Purchaser. If, on the Closing Date any Initial Purchaser or Initial Purchasers shall fail or refuse to purchase Firm Securities which it or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date and the aggregate principal amount of Securities with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of Firm Securities to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to you and the Company for the purchase of such Firm Securities are not made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Initial Purchaser or of the Company. In any such case either you or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven days, in order that the required changes, if any, in the Time of Sale Memorandum, the Final Memorandum or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. If, on an Option Closing Date, any Initial Purchaser or Initial Purchasers shall fail or refuse to purchase Additional Securities and the aggregate principal amount of Additional Securities with respect to which such
default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of Additional Securities to be purchased on such Option Closing Date, the non-defaulting Initial Purchasers shall have the option to (a) terminate their obligation hereunder to purchase the Additional Securities to be sold on such Option Closing Date or (b) purchase not less than the principal amount of Additional Securities that such non-defaulting Initial Purchasers would have been obligated to purchase in the absence of such default. Any action taken under this paragraph shall not relieve any defaulting Initial Purchaser from liability in respect of any default of such Initial Purchaser under this Agreement.
If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Initial Purchasers, or any of them, because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Company or the Guarantors to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or if for any reason the Company or the Guarantors shall be unable to perform their obligations under this Agreement, the Company and the Guarantors will reimburse the Initial Purchasers or such Initial Purchasers as have so terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves, severally, for all out-of-pocket expenses (including the fees and disbursements of their counsel) reasonably incurred by such Initial Purchasers in connection with this Agreement or the offering contemplated hereunder.
11. USA PATRIOT Act. In accordance with the requirements of Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), the Initial Purchasers are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their clients, which may include the name and address of their clients, as well as other information that will allow the Initial Purchasers to properly identify their clients.
12. Entire Agreement. (a) This Agreement, together with any contemporaneous written agreements and any prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement) that relate to the offering of the Securities, represents the entire agreement between the Company and the Initial Purchasers with respect to the preparation of the Preliminary Memorandum, the Time of Sale Memorandum, the Final Memorandum, the conduct of the offering, and the purchase and sale of the Securities.
(b) The Company and the Guarantors acknowledge that in connection with the offering of the Securities: (i) the Initial Purchasers have acted at arms length, are not agents of, and owe no fiduciary duties to, the Company or any other person, (ii) the Initial Purchasers owe the Company and the Guarantors only those duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement and prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement) if any, and (iii) the Initial Purchasers may have interests that differ from those of the Company and the Guarantors. The Company and the Guarantors waive to the full extent permitted by applicable law any claims it may have against the Initial Purchasers arising from an alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the offering of the Securities.
13. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.
14. Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York.
15. Headings. The headings of the sections of this Agreement have been inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed a part of this Agreement.
16. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and effective only upon receipt and if to the Initial Purchasers shall be delivered, mailed or sent to you in care of the Representative, 1585 Broadway, New York, New York 10036, Attention: Convertible Debt Syndicate Desk, with a copy to the Legal Department; and if to the Company shall be delivered, mailed or sent to NRG Yield, Inc., 211 Carnegie Center, Princeton, New Jersey 08540.
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Very truly yours, | ||
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NRG YIELD, INC. | ||
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By: |
/s/ Kirkland B. Andrews | |
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Name: |
Kirkland B. Andrews |
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Title: |
CFO |
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NRG YIELD OPERATING LLC | ||
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By: |
/s/ Kirkland B. Andrews | |
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Name: |
Kirkland B. Andrews |
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Title: |
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NRG YIELD LLC | ||
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By: |
/s/ Kirkland B. Andrews | |
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Name: |
Kirkland B. Andrews |
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Title: |
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Accepted as of the date hereof |
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Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC |
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Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith |
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Goldman, Sachs & Co. |
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RBC Capital Markets, LLC |
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Acting severally on behalf of themselves and the |
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Schedule I hereto. |
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By: |
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC |
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By: |
/s/ David Whitcher |
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Name: |
David Whitcher |
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Title: |
Managing Director |
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SCHEDULE I
Initial Purchaser |
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Principal Amount of |
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Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC |
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$ |
87,000,000 |
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Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated |
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$ |
45,000,000 |
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RBC Capital Markets, LLC |
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$ |
45,000,000 |
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Goldman, Sachs & Co. |
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$ |
39,000,000 |
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Barclays Capital Inc. |
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$ |
15,000,000 |
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Citigroup Global Markets Inc. |
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$ |
15,000,000 |
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Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC |
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$ |
15,000,000 |
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Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. |
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$ |
15,000,000 |
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KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. |
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$ |
12,000,000 |
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Mitsubishi UFS Securities (USA) Inc. |
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$ |
12,000,000 |
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Total: |
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$ |
300,000,000 |
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SCHEDULE III
Permitted Communications
Time of Sale Memorandum
1. Preliminary Memorandum issued February 4, 2014
2. Pricing term sheet dated February 5, 2014
Permitted Additional Written Offering Communications
Each electronic road show as defined in Rule 43 3(h) furnished to the Initial Purchasers prior to use that the Initial Purchasers and Company have agreed may be used in connection with the offering of the Securities.
The press release announcing the launch of the offering of the Securities
The press release announcing the pricing of the offering of the Securities
Permitted General Solicitations other than Permitted Additional Written Offering Communications set forth above
None
SCHEDULE III
List of Subsidiaries
Subsidiary |
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Jurisdiction of Organization |
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NRG Yield LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Yield Operating LLC |
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Delaware |
Avenal Park LLC |
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Delaware |
Avenal Solar Holdings LLC |
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Delaware |
Big Rock SunTower, LLC |
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Delaware |
Continental Energy, LLC |
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Arizona |
El Mirage Energy, LLC |
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Arizona |
FUSD Energy, LLC |
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Arizona |
GCE Holding LLC |
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Connecticut |
GenConn Devon LLC |
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Connecticut |
GenConn Energy LLC |
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Connecticut |
GenConn Middletown LLC |
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Connecticut |
High Plains Ranch II, LLC |
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Delaware |
HLE Solar Holdings, LLC |
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Delaware |
HSD Solar Holdings, LLC |
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California |
Longhorn Energy, LLC |
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Arizona |
Monster Energy, LLC |
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Arizona |
NRG Alta Vista LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Electricity Sales Princeton LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Energy Center Dover LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Energy Center Harrisburg LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Energy Center HCEC LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Energy Center Minneapolis LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Energy Center Paxton LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Energy Center Phoenix LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Energy Center Pittsburgh LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Energy Center Princeton LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Energy Center San Diego LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Energy Center San Francisco LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Energy Center Smyrna LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Energy Center Tucson LLC |
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Arizona |
NRG Harrisburg Cooling LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Marsh Landing Holdings, LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Marsh Landing LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG SanGencisco LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Solar Alpine LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Solar Apple LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Solar AV Holdco LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Solar Avra Valley LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Solar Blythe LLC |
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Delaware |
Subsidiary |
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Jurisdiction of Organization |
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NRG Solar Borrego Holdco LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Solar Borrego I LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Solar CVSR Holdings LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Solar Roadrunner Holdings LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Solar Roadrunner LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG South Trent Holdings LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Thermal LLC |
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Delaware |
OC Solar 2010 LLC |
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California |
PESD Energy, LLC |
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Arizona |
PFMG 2011 Finance Holdco, LLC |
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Delaware |
PFMG Apple I LLC |
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Delaware |
PM Solar Holdings LLC |
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California |
Sand Drag LLC |
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Delaware |
SCWFD Energy, LLC |
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Arizona |
South Trent Wind LLC |
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Delaware |
Statoil Energy Power/Pennsylvania, Inc. |
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Pennsylvania |
Sun City Project LLC |
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Delaware |
Vail Energy, LLC |
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Arizona |
Wildcat Energy, LLC |
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Arizona |
WSD Solar Holdings LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Energy Center Omaha Holdings LLC |
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Delaware |
NRG Energy Center Omaha LLC |
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Delaware |
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300 North LaSalle (312) 862-2000 www.kirkland.com |
Facsimile: |
February [·], 2014
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated
RBC Capital Markets, LLC
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
c/o Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
1585 Broadway
New York, New York 10036
Re: NRG Yield, Inc. [·]% Convertible Senior Notes due 2019
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We are issuing this letter in our capacity as special counsel for NRG Yield, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company) and NRG Yield LLC and NRG Yield Operating LLC (each, a Guarantor and, collectively, the Guarantors), in response to the requirement in Section 5(c) of the Purchase Agreement, dated February [·], 2014 (the Purchase Agreement), among the initial purchasers therein (the Initial Purchasers), the Company and the Guarantors, relating to the sale by the Company to the Initial Purchasers of $[300] million aggregate principal amount of the Companys [·]% Convertible Senior Notes due 2019 (the Notes and together with the related guarantees thereof by the Guarantors (the Guarantees), the Securities) to be issued under an Indenture, dated as of February [·], 2014 (the Indenture), between the Company, the Guarantors and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee (the Trustee).
In connection with the preparation of this letter, we have, among other things, read:
(a) the Preliminary Offering Memorandum, dated February [·], 2014, covering the offer and sale of the Securities, as supplemented or amended by the pricing supplement as set forth on Schedule A hereto, dated February [·], 2014, containing the terms of the Securities (collectively, the Time of Sale Information);
Beijing Hong Kong London Los Angeles Munich New York Palo Alto San Francisco Shanghai Washington, D.C.
(b) the Offering Memorandum, dated February [·], 2014, covering the offer and sale of the Securities (the Offering Memorandum);
(c) an executed copy of the Purchase Agreement;
(d) an executed copy of the Indenture;
(e) an executed copy of the Notes and the Guarantees;
(f) a copy of the registration rights agreement executed as part of the offer and sale of the Securities (the Registration Rights Agreement);
(g) the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, as certified by the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware (the Company Certificate of Incorporation);
(h) a certified copy of the Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Company (the Company By-Laws);
(i) certified copies of the certificates of formation, limited liability company agreements or operating agreements of the Guarantors (the Organizing Documents);
(j) the documents listed on Schedule B hereto (the Specified Contracts);
(k) a certified copy of resolutions adopted by the members and the management committee, manager, general partner, management board or boards of directors or any pricing committee thereof, as the case may be, of the Company and each of the Guarantors;
(l) a certificate dated February [·], 2014 from the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware as to the good standing of the Company (the Company Good Standing Certificate);
(m) certificate dated February [·], 2014 from the Secretary of State of [ ] as to the Companys ability to transact business in the State of [ ] together with a facsimile bringdown thereof dated [ ] (the Company Foreign Jurisdiction Certificates);
(n) certificates dated February [·], 2014 from the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware as to the good standing of the Guarantors (the Guarantor Good Standing Certificates);
(o) copies of all certificates and other documents delivered in connection with the sale of the Notes under the Purchase Agreement on the date hereof;
The term Transaction Documents is used in this letter to collectively refer to the Purchase Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Indenture, the Guarantees and the Notes.
Subject to the assumptions, qualifications, exclusions and other limitations which are identified in this letter, we advise you that:
1. Based solely on our review of the Company Good Standing Certificate, the Company is a corporation existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware.
2. Based solely on our review of the Guarantor Good Standing Certificates, each of the Guarantors is a limited liability company existing and in good standing under the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act.
3. The Company and each of the Guarantors has the corporate or limited liability company power, as applicable, to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Information and to perform its obligations under the Transaction Documents to which it is a party.
4. The Purchase Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and each of the Guarantors.
5. The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and each of the Guarantors, and the Indenture is a valid and binding obligation of the Company and each of the Guarantors enforceable against the Company and each of the Guarantors in accordance with its terms.
6. The Notes have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and when paid for by the Initial Purchasers in accordance with the terms of the Purchase Agreement (assuming the due authorization of the Indenture by the Trustee and due authentication and delivery of the Notes by the Trustee in accordance with the Indenture), the Notes will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, and will be enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.
7. The Guarantees have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by each of the Guarantors and have been duly executed and delivered by each of the Guarantors
and, when the Notes are paid for by the Initial Purchasers in accordance with the terms of the Purchase Agreement (assuming the due authorization of the Indenture by the Trustee and due authentication and delivery of the Notes by the Trustee in accordance with the Indenture), each of the Guarantees will constitute a valid and binding obligation of each of the Guarantors, and will be enforceable against each of the Guarantors in accordance with their terms.
8. When the Notes are delivered to the Initial Purchasers, (i) the Notes will be convertible, at the option of the holders, into shares of the Companys Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the Common Stock), in accordance with and subject to the limitations of the Indenture, (ii) [·] shares of Common Stock have been duly authorized and reserved in respect of conversion of the Notes, and (iii) when issued upon conversion of the Notes in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, such shares of Common Stock will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
9. The Registration Rights Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company. Assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the Initial Purchasers, the Registration Rights Agreement is a valid and binding obligation of the Company in accordance with its terms.
10. The execution and delivery of the Purchase Agreement, the Notes, the Guarantees, the Registration Rights Agreement and the Indenture by the Company or the Guarantors, as applicable, the performance by such entities of their respective obligations thereunder (including, without limitation, the Companys issuance and sale of the Notes to you in accordance with the terms of the Purchase Agreement) do not and will not (i) conflict with or violate any of the terms or provisions of the Company Certificate of Incorporation, the Company By-Laws or the Organizing Documents, (ii) result in any breach of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute a default) under, it being expressly understood that in each case we express no opinion as to compliance with any financial covenant or test or cross-default provision in any Specified Contract, (iii) violate or conflict with any judgment, decree or order identified to us by the Company (we note that none were identified) of any court or any judicial, regulatory or other legal or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties and (iv) violate any Specified Law, except in each of the cases of clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), for any such conflict, breach, violation or default which has been waived by the party or parties with power to waive such conflict, breach, violation or default. (The advice in this paragraph is referred to herein as the No Conflicts Opinion).
11. No consent, approval, authorization, or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency under any Specified Law is required to be obtained by the Company with respect to the issuance and sale of the Securities and the performance by the Company of its obligations under the Purchase Agreement, except for the New York Stock Exchanges authorization of the listing of the shares of the Common Stock that the Notes will be convertible into. (The advice in this paragraph is referred to herein as the No Consent Opinion).
12. The statements in the Offering Memorandum under the heading Description of Capital Stock and Description of the Notes, insofar as such statements constitute a summary of the legal matters or documents referred to therein, are accurate in all material respects.
13. The statements in the Offering Memorandum under the heading Certain United States Federal Income and Estate Tax Considerations, insofar as such statements constitute a summary of laws, governmental rules or regulations or documents referred to therein are accurate in all material respects.
14. To our actual knowledge, there is no legal or governmental proceeding that is pending or threatened against the Company or any of its subsidiaries that has caused us to conclude that such proceeding would be required to be described by Item 103 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act if the issuance of the Notes were being registered under the U.S. Securities Act but is not so described in the Offering Memorandum.
15. No registration under the U.S. Securities Act of the Securities is required in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities to the Initial Purchasers in the manner contemplated by the Purchase Agreement, the Time of Sale Information and the Offering Memorandum or in connection with the initial resale of the Securities by the Initial Purchasers in the manner contemplated by Section 7 of the Purchase Agreement, and the Indenture is not required to be qualified under the Trust Indenture Act, in each case assuming: (i) that the purchasers who buy such securities in the initial resale thereof are qualified institutional buyers as defined in Rule 144A promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act; (ii) the accuracy and completeness of the Initial Purchasers representations set forth in the Purchase Agreement, and those of the Company set forth in the Purchase Agreement regarding, among other things, the absence of a general solicitation in connection with the sale of the Securities to the Initial Purchasers and the initial resales thereof; and (iii) the compliance with the procedures set forth in the Purchase Agreement by the Initial Purchasers and the Company.
16. None of the Company or the Guarantors is, and immediately after the issuance and sale of the Notes to the Initial Purchasers and application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in each of the Time of Sale Information and the Offering Memorandum under the heading Use of Proceeds will not be, an investment company as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
* * *
Except for the activities described in this letter, we have not undertaken any investigation to determine the facts or assumptions upon which the advice in this letter is based. We have not undertaken any investigation or search of any records or any court or any governmental agency or body for the purposes of this letter.
We have assumed for purposes of this letter: (i) each document we have reviewed for purposes of this letter is accurate and complete; (ii) each such document that is an original is authentic; (iii) each such document that is a copy conforms to an authentic original, (iv) all signatures on each such document are genuine; (v) that the Purchase Agreement and every other agreement we have examined for purposes of this letter constitutes a valid and binding obligation of each party to that document were authorized, executed and delivered by each party thereto, and that each such party has satisfied all legal requirements that are applicable to such party to the extent necessary to entitle such party to enforce such agreement (except that we make no such assumption with respect to the Company and the Guarantors); and (vi) that you have acted in good faith and without notice of any fact which has caused you to reach any conclusion contrary to any of the advice provided in this letter. We have also made other assumptions which we believe to be appropriate for purposes of this letter.
In preparing this letter we have relied without independent verification upon: (i) information contained in certificates obtained from governmental authorities, (ii) factual information represented to be true in the Purchase Agreement and other documents specifically identified at the beginning of this letter as having been read by us; (ii) factual information provided to us by the Company, the Guarantors or their representatives; and (iii) factual information we have obtained from such other sources as we have deemed reasonable. We have assumed that there has been no relevant change or development between the dates as of which the information cited in the preceding sentence was given and the date of this letter and that the information upon which we have relied is accurate and does not omit disclosures necessary to prevent such information from being misleading. For purposes of numbered paragraphs 1 and 2, we have relied exclusively upon certificates issued by governmental authorities in the relevant jurisdiction and such opinion is not intended to provide any conclusion or assurance beyond that conveyed by those certificates.
While we have reviewed certain corporate records and other documents specifically identified at the beginning of this letter as having been read by us, we have not, except as explicitly indicated in numbered paragraphs 12 and 13 above, undertaken any other investigation to determine the facts upon which the advice in this letter is based. We confirm that we do not have knowledge that has caused us to conclude that our reliance and assumptions cited in the two immediately preceding paragraphs are unwarranted.
Whenever this letter provides advice about (or based upon) our knowledge of any particular information or about any information which has or has not come to our attention, such advice is based entirely on the actual knowledge at the time this letter is delivered on the date it bears by the lawyers with Kirkland & Ellis LLP at that time who spent substantial time representing the Company in connection with the offering effected pursuant to the Offering Memorandum and the due diligence associated therewith and other lawyers at Kirkland & Ellis LLP as of the date of this letter who have spent substantial time representing the Company on other significant matters.
Each opinion (an enforceability opinion) in this letter that any particular contract is a valid and binding obligation or is enforceable in accordance with its terms is subject to: (i) the effect of bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance and other similar laws and judicially developed doctrines in this area such as substantive consolidation and equitable subordination; (ii) the effect of general principles of equity; and (iii) other commonly recognized statutory and judicial constraints on enforceability including statutes of limitations. General principles of equity include, but are not limited to: principles limiting the availability of specific performance and injunctive relief; principles which limit the availability of a remedy under certain circumstances where another remedy has been elected; principles requiring reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing in the performance and enforcement of an agreement by the party seeking enforcement; principles which may permit a party to cure a material failure to perform its obligations under certain circumstances; and principles affording equitable defenses such as waiver, laches and estoppel. We express no opinion regarding the enforceability of the provisions of Section [·] of the Indenture (each a so-called fraudulent conveyance savings clause or fraudulent transfer savings clause) and any similar provision in any other document or agreement to the extent such provisions purport to limit the amount of the obligations of any party or the right to contribution of any other party with respect to such obligations. It is possible that terms in a particular contract covered by our enforceability opinion may not prove enforceable for reasons other than those explicitly cited in this letter should an actual enforcement action be brought, but (subject to all the exceptions, qualifications, exclusions and other limitations contained in this letter) such unenforceability would not in our opinion prevent the party entitled to enforce that contract from realizing the principal benefits purported to be provided to that party by the terms in that contract which are covered by our enforceability opinion.
Our advice on every legal issue addressed in this letter is based exclusively on the internal law of the State of New York, the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act, and the federal laws of the United States (except that we do not opine as to the federal securities laws with respect to the No Conflicts Opinion and the No Consent Opinion), without our having made any investigation as to the applicability of any specific law unless such advice specifically references a specific law (the Specified Laws), and represents our opinion as to how that issue would be resolved were it to be considered by the highest court in the jurisdiction which enacted such law. None of the opinions or other advice contained in this letter considers or covers, and the term Specified Law does not include: (i) any antifraud laws, rules or regulations, (ii) any state securities (or blue sky) laws, rules or regulations, (iii) laws, rules or regulations with respect to any financial statements or supporting schedules (or any notes to any such statements or schedules) or other financial information derived therefrom set forth in (or omitted from) the Time and Sale Information or the Offering Memorandum, (iv) any laws, rules or regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.; (v) any federal, state, local or foreign laws, statutes, government rules or regulations or decisions governing the rates charged by, or the financial or organizational regulation of, electric utilities, transmission and distribution utilities, retail electric utilities, retail steam, hot water and/or chilled water utilities, public utilities, public service companies, or other similar entities; and (vi) any laws, statutes, governmental rules or regulations or decisions which in our experience are not usually considered for or covered by opinions like those contained in this letter or are not generally applicable to transactions of the kind covered by the Purchase Agreement including any regulatory laws or requirements specific to the industry in which you or the Company is engaged. In addition, none of the opinions or other advice contained in the letter covers or otherwise addresses any of the following types of provisions which may be contained in the Transaction Documents: (i) provisions mandating contribution towards judgments or settlements among various parties; (ii) waivers of benefits and rights to the extent they cannot be waived under applicable law; (iii) provisions providing for liquidated damages, late charges and prepayment charges, in each case if deemed to constitute penalties; (iv) provisions which might require indemnification or contribution in violation of general principles of equity or public policy, including, without limitation, indemnification or contribution obligations which arise out of the failure to comply with applicable state or federal securities laws; (v) laws and regulations governing restrictions on distributions; or (vi) requirements in the Transaction Documents specifying that provisions thereof may only be waived in writing (these provisions may not be valid, binding or enforceable to the extent that an oral agreement or an implied agreement by trade practice or course of conduct has been created modifying any provision of such documents). This letter does not cover any other laws, statutes, governmental rules or regulations or decisions which in our experience are not usually considered for or covered by opinions like those contained in this letter or are not generally applicable to transactions of the kind covered by the Purchase Agreement. We express no opinion as to what law might be applied by any courts to resolve any issue addressed by our opinion and we express
no opinion as to whether any relevant difference exists between the laws upon which our opinions are based and any other laws which may actually be applied to resolve issues which may arise. The manner in which any particular issue would be treated in any actual court case would depend in part on facts and circumstances particular to the case and would also depend on how the court involved chose to exercise the wide discretionary authority generally available to it. This letter is not intended to guarantee the outcome of any legal dispute that may arise in the future.
We note that certain of the Specified Contracts are governed by laws other than the Specified Laws. Our advice expressed herein is based on the plain language of such Specified Contracts, without regard to the interpretation of such language under such other laws, and we do not assume any responsibility with respect to the effect on the opinions set forth herein of any interpretation thereof inconsistent with such understanding.
IRS CIRCULAR 230 DISCLOSURE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, we inform you that any tax advice contained in this opinion (including any attachments) was not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding tax related penalties under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. The tax advice contained in this opinion (including any attachments) was written to support the promotion or marketing of the transactions or matters addressed by the opinion. Each taxpayer should seek advice based on the taxpayers particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor.
This letter speaks as of the time of its delivery on the date it bears. We do not assume any obligation to provide you with any subsequent opinion or advice by reason of any fact about which we did not have knowledge at that time, by reason of any change subsequent to that time in any law, other governmental requirement or interpretation thereof covered by any of our opinions or advice, or for any other reason.
This letter may be relied upon by the Initial Purchasers only for the purpose served by the provision in the Purchase Agreement cited in the initial paragraph of this letter in response to which it has been delivered. Without our written consent: (i) no person other than the Initial Purchasers may rely on this letter for any purpose; (ii) this letter may not be cited or quoted in any financial statement, offering memorandum, private placement memorandum or other similar document; (iii) this letter may not be cited or quoted in any other document or communication which might encourage reliance upon this letter by any person or for any purpose excluded by the restrictions in this paragraph; and (iv) copies of this letter may not be furnished to anyone for purposes of encouraging such reliance.
Schedule A
Pricing Supplement
Schedule B
Specified Contracts
1. First Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated January 31, 2014, by and between Yield Operating LLC and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent
2. Management Services Agreement, dated as of July 22, 2013, by and between NRG Yield, Inc.. NRG Yield LLC, NRG Yield Operating LLC and NRG Energy, Inc.
3. Right of First Offer Agreement, dated as of July 22, 2013, by and between NRG Yield, Inc. and NRG Energy, Inc.
4. Exchange Agreement, dated as of July 22, 2013, by and among NRG Yield, Inc., NRG Yield LLC and NRG Energy, Inc.
5. Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of July 22, 2013, by and between NRG Yield, Inc. and NRG Energy, Inc.
6. Licensing Agreement, dated as of July 22, 2013, by and between NRG Yield, Inc. and NRG Energy, Inc.
7. Credit Agreement, dated as of October 8, 2010, by and among NRG Marsh Landing LLC (formerly Mirant Marsh Landing, LLC), the Royal Bank of Scotland PLC, as administrative agent and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as Collateral Agent and Depository Bank
8. Loan Guarantee Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2011, by and among High Plains Ranch II, LLC, as borrower, the U.S. Department of Energy, as guarantor, and the U.S. Department of Energy, as loan servicer
9. Operation and Maintenance Agreement, dated as of January 31, 2011, by and among Avenal Solar Holdings LLC and NRG Energy Services LLC
10. Asset Management Agreement, dated as of August 30, 2012, by and among NRG Solar Avra Valley LLC and NRG Solar Asset Management LLC
11. Operation and Maintenance Agreement, dated as of August 1, 2012, by and among NRG Energy Services LLC and NRG Solar Borrego I LLC
12. Asset Management Agreement, dated as of March 15, 2012, by and among NRG Solar Alpine LLC and NRG Solar Asset Management LLC
13. Operation and Maintenance Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2011, by and among NRG Energy Services LLC and High Plains Ranch II, LLC
14. Project Administration Agreement, dated as of August 16, 2010, by and among South Trent Wind LLC and NRG Texas Power LLC
15. Operation and Maintenance Agreement, dated as of April 24, 2009, by and among GenConn Devon LLC and Devon Power LLC
16. Operation and Maintenance Agreement, dated as of April 24, 2009, by and among GenConn Middletown LLC and Middletown Power LLC
17. Administrative Services Agreement, dated as of April 2, 2009, by and among GenOn Energy Services, LLC (formerly Mirant Services, LLC) and NRG Marsh Landing, LLC (formerly Mirant Marsh Landing, LLC)
18. Form of Second Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of NRG Yield LLC
EXHIBIT B
OPINION OF FEDERAL REGULATORY COUNSEL FOR THE COMPANY
No consent, approval, authorization, or order of, or qualification with, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission under any provision of the Federal Power Act or the Public Utility Holding Company Act is required to be obtained by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (including the Guarantors) with respect to the issuance and sale of the Securities and the performance by the Company and the Guarantors of their obligations under the that certain Purchase Agreement dated February 5, 2104 except for any consent, approval, authorization, order or qualification which has been obtained from the applicable governmental body or agency.
NRG YIELD, INC.
3.5% Convertible Senior Notes due 2019
Registration Rights Agreement
February [·], 2014
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated
RBC Capital Markets, LLC
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
c/o Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
1585 Broadway
New York, New York 10036
Ladies and Gentlemen:
NRG Yield, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), proposes to issue and sell to certain purchasers (the Initial Purchasers), for whom Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is acting as representative (the Representative), its 3.5% Convertible Senior Notes due 2019 (the Notes), upon the terms set forth in the Purchase Agreement by and among the Company, NRG Yield LLC, as a guarantor, NRG Yield Operating LLC, as a guarantor (together with NRG Yield LLC, the Guarantors), and the Representative, dated February 5, 2014 (the Purchase Agreement), relating to the initial placement (the Initial Placement) of the Notes. Upon a conversion of Notes at the option of the holder thereof, the Company will be required to deliver cash, shares of Class A common stock of the Company, par value $0.01 per share (the Company Common Stock) or a combination of cash and shares of Company Common Stock, at the election of the Company. The Notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed as to the payment of principal and interest by the Guarantors. To induce the Initial Purchasers to enter into the Purchase Agreement and to satisfy their obligations thereunder, the holders of the Notes will have the benefit of this registration rights agreement (this Agreement) by and between the Company and the Representative, on behalf of the Initial Purchasers, whereby the Company agrees with you for your benefit and the benefit of the holders from time to time of the Notes and the Registrable Securities (including, if applicable, the Initial Purchasers) (each a Holder and, collectively, the Holders), as follows:
1. Definitions. As used in this Agreement, the following capitalized defined terms shall have the following meanings:
Act shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.
Additional Interest shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7 hereof.
Affiliate shall have the meaning specified in Rule 405 under the Act.
Automatic Shelf Registration Statement shall mean a Shelf Registration Statement filed by a Well-Known Seasoned Issuer which shall become effective upon filing thereof pursuant to General Instruction I.D for Form S-3.
Broker-Dealer shall mean any broker or dealer registered as such under the Exchange Act.
Business Day shall have the meaning specified in the Indenture.
Close of Business shall have the meaning specified in the Indenture.
Closing Date shall mean the first original date of the issuance of the Notes.
Company shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.
Company Common Stock shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.
Commission shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Control shall have the meaning specified in Rule 405 under the Act and the terms controlling and controlled shall have meanings correlative thereto.
Deferral Period shall have the meaning indicated in Section 3(i) hereof.
Depositary shall have the meaning specified in the Indenture.
Exchange Act shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.
Final Memorandum shall mean the offering memorandum, dated February 5, 2014, relating to the Notes, including any and all annexes thereto and any information incorporated by reference therein as of such date.
FINRA Rules shall mean the Conduct Rules and the By-Laws of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
Holder shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.
Indenture shall mean the Indenture relating to the Notes, dated as of February 11, 2014, by and among the Company, the Guarantors, and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee, as the same may be amended from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof.
Initial Placement shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.
Initial Purchasers shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.
Losses shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(d) hereof.
Majority Holders shall mean, on any date, Holders of a majority of the shares of Company Common Stock that are registered under the Shelf Registration Statement.
Managing Underwriters shall mean the investment banker or investment bankers and manager or managers that administer an underwritten offering, if any, conducted pursuant to Section 6 hereof.
Maturity Date shall have the meaning specified in the Indenture.
Notes shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.
Notice and Questionnaire shall mean a written notice delivered to the Company substantially in the form attached as Annex A to the Final Memorandum.
Notice Holder shall mean, on any date, any Holder that has delivered a Notice and Questionnaire to the Company on or prior to such date.
Prospectus shall mean a prospectus included in the Shelf Registration Statement (including, without limitation, a prospectus that discloses information previously omitted from a prospectus filed as part of an effective registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A or Rule 430B under the Act), as amended or supplemented by any prospectus supplement, with respect to the terms of the offering of any portion of the Company Common Stock covered by the Shelf Registration Statement, and all amendments and supplements thereto, including any and all exhibits thereto and any information incorporated by reference therein.
Purchase Agreement shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.
Registrable Securities shall mean shares of Company Common Stock, if any, deliverable by the Company upon conversion of the Notes initially sold to the Initial Purchasers pursuant to the Purchase Agreement other than such shares of Company Common Stock that have (i) been registered under the Shelf Registration Statement and disposed of in accordance therewith, (ii) become eligible to be transferred without condition as contemplated by Rule 144 under the Act or any successor rule or regulation thereto that may be adopted by the Commission or (iii) ceased to be outstanding.
Registration Default shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7 hereof.
Representative shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.
Scheduled Trading Day shall have the meaning specified in the Indenture.
Shelf Registration Period shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(b) hereof.
Shelf Registration Statement shall mean a shelf registration statement of the Company pursuant to the provisions of Section 2 hereof which covers some or all of the Company Common Stock on an appropriate form under Rule 415 under the Act, or any similar rule that may be adopted by the Commission, amendments and supplements to such registration statement, including post-effective amendments, in each case including the Prospectus contained
therein, all exhibits thereto and all material incorporated by reference therein. References to Shelf Registration Statement shall be deemed to mean Automatic Shelf Registration Statement if, at the time of its filing, the Company is a Well-Known Seasoned Issuer.
Trading Day shall have the meaning set forth in the Indenture.
Underwriter shall mean any underwriter of Company Common Stock in connection with an offering thereof under the Shelf Registration Statement.
Well-Known Seasoned Issuer shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Act.
2. Shelf Registration. (a) The Company shall file with the Commission a Shelf Registration Statement providing for the registration of, and the sale on a continuous or delayed basis by the Holders of, all of the Registrable Securities, from time to time in accordance with the methods of distribution elected by such Holders, pursuant to Rule 415 under the Act or any similar rule that may be adopted by the Commission and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause such Shelf Registration Statement to become effective on or prior to the 365th day after the Closing Date.
(b) The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to keep the Shelf Registration Statement continuously effective, supplemented and amended as required by the Act, in order to permit the Prospectus forming part thereof to be usable by Holders for a period (the Shelf Registration Period) from the date the Shelf Registration Statement becomes effective or is declared effective by the Commission, as the case may be, to and including the earlier of (i) the 20th Trading Day immediately following the Maturity Date (subject to extension for any suspension of the effectiveness of the Shelf Registration Statement during such 20 - Trading Day period immediately following the Maturity Date) or (ii) the date upon which there are no Notes or Registrable Securities outstanding.
(c) The Company shall cause the Shelf Registration Statement and the related Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, as of the effective date of the Shelf Registration Statement or such amendment or supplement, (i) to comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act and (ii) not to contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein (in the case of the Prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading.
(d) Subject to applicable law, the Company shall provide written notice to the Holders of the Notes of, and issue a press release through a reputable national newswire service announcing, the anticipated effective date of the Shelf Registration Statement at least 15 Business Days prior to such anticipated effective date. Each Holder, in order to be named in the Shelf Registration Statement at the time of its initial effectiveness, will be required to deliver a Notice and Questionnaire and such other information as the Company may reasonably request in writing, if any, to the Company at least 10 Business Days prior to the anticipated effective date of the Shelf Registration Statement as provided in the notice and announced in the press release. From and after the effective date of the Shelf Registration Statement, the Company shall use its
commercially reasonable efforts, as promptly as is practicable after the date a Notice and Questionnaire is delivered, and in any event within 10 Business Days after such date, (i) if required by applicable law, to file with the Commission a post-effective amendment to the Shelf Registration Statement or to prepare and, if permitted or required by applicable law, to file a supplement to the Prospectus or an amendment or supplement to any document incorporated therein by reference or file any other required document so that the Holder delivering such Notice and Questionnaire is named as a selling securityholder in the Shelf Registration Statement and the related Prospectus, and so that such Holder is permitted to deliver such Prospectus to purchasers of the Registrable Securities in accordance with applicable law (provided that the Company shall not be required to file more than one supplement or post-effective amendment in any 30-day period in accordance with this Section 2(d)(i)) and, if the Company shall file a post- effective amendment to the Shelf Registration Statement, use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause such post-effective amendment to be declared effective under the Act as promptly as is practicable; (ii) provide such Holder, upon request, copies of any documents filed pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) hereof; and (iii) notify such Holder as promptly as practicable after the effectiveness under the Act of any post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) hereof; provided that if such Notice and Questionnaire is delivered during a Deferral Period, the Company shall so inform the Holder delivering such Notice and Questionnaire and shall take the actions set forth in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) above upon expiration of the Deferral Period in accordance with Section 3(i) hereof. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the Company shall be under no obligation to name any Holder that is not a Notice Holder as a selling securityholder in the Shelf Registration Statement or Prospectus; provided, however, that any Holder that becomes a Notice Holder pursuant to the provisions of this Section 2(d) (whether or not such Holder was a Notice Holder at the effective date of the Shelf Registration Statement) shall be named as a selling securityholder in the Shelf Registration Statement or Prospectus in accordance with the requirements of this Section 2(d). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Notes are converted as provided for in Article 13 of the Indenture, then the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to file the post-effective amendment or supplement within 10 Business Days of date of such conversion, or if such Notice and Questionnaire is delivered during a Deferral Period, upon expiration of the Deferral Period.
3. Registration Procedures. The following provisions shall apply in connection with the Shelf Registration Statement.
(a) The Company shall:
(i) furnish to the Representative and to counsel for the Notice Holders, not less than five Business Days prior to the filing thereof with the Commission, a copy of the Shelf Registration Statement and each amendment thereto and each amendment or supplement, if any, to the Prospectus (other than amendments and supplements that do nothing more than name Notice Holders and provide information with respect thereto and other than filings by the Company under the Exchange Act) and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to reflect in each such document, when so filed with the Commission, such comments as the Representative reasonably proposes within three Business Days of the delivery of such copies to the Representative; and
(ii) include information regarding the Notice Holders and the methods of distribution they have elected for their Registrable Securities provided to the Company in Notices and Questionnaires as necessary to permit such distribution by the methods specified therein.
(b) The Company shall ensure that:
(i) the Shelf Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, and any Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, comply in all material respects with the Act; and
(ii) the Shelf Registration Statement and any amendment thereto do not, when each becomes effective, 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 not misleading.
(c) The Company shall advise the Representative, the Notice Holders and any Underwriter that has provided in writing to the Company a telephone or facsimile number and address for notices, and confirm such advice in writing, if requested (which notice pursuant to clauses (ii) - (v) hereof shall be accompanied by an instruction to suspend the use of the Prospectus until the Company shall have remedied the basis for such suspension):
(i) when the Shelf Registration Statement and any amendment thereto have been filed with the Commission and when the Shelf Registration Statement or any post- effective amendment thereto has become effective;
(ii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment or supplement to the Shelf Registration Statement or the Prospectus or for additional information;
(iii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Shelf Registration Statement or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose;
(iv) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Company Common Stock included therein for sale in any jurisdiction or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and
(v) of the happening of any event that requires any change in the Shelf Registration Statement or the Prospectus so that, as of such date, they (A) do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and (B) do not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of the Prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading.
(d) The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any order suspending the effectiveness of the Shelf Registration Statement or the
qualification of the securities therein for sale in any jurisdiction and, if issued, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.
(e) Upon request, the Company shall furnish, in electronic or physical form, to each Notice Holder, without charge, at least one copy of the Shelf Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, including all material incorporated therein by reference, and, if a Notice Holder so requests in writing, all exhibits thereto (including exhibits incorporated by reference therein).
(f) During the Shelf Registration Period, the Company shall promptly deliver to each Initial Purchaser, each Notice Holder, and any sales or placement agents or underwriters acting on their behalf, without charge, as many copies of the Prospectus (including the preliminary Prospectus, if any) included in the Shelf Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement thereto as any such person may reasonably request. Subject to the restrictions set forth in this Agreement, the Company consents to the use of the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto by each of the foregoing in connection with the offering and sale of the Registrable Securities.
(g) Prior to any offering of Registrable Securities pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement, the Company shall arrange for the qualification of the Registrable Securities for sale under the laws of such U.S. jurisdictions as any Notice Holder shall reasonably request and shall maintain such qualification in effect so long as required; provided that in no event shall the Company be obligated by this Agreement to qualify to do business or as a dealer of securities in any jurisdiction where it is not then so qualified or to take any action that would subject it to taxation or service of process in suits in any jurisdiction where it is not then so subject.
(h) Upon the occurrence of any event contemplated by subsections (c)(ii) through (v) above, the Company shall promptly (or within the time period provided for by Section 3(i) hereof, if applicable) prepare a post-effective amendment to the Shelf Registration Statement or an amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or file any other required document so that, as thereafter delivered to subsequent purchasers of the securities included therein, the Prospectus will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any 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.
(i) Upon the occurrence or existence of any pending corporate development, public filings with the Commission or any other material event that, in the reasonable judgment of the Company, makes it appropriate to suspend the availability of the Shelf Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Company shall give notice (without notice of the nature or details of such events) to the Notice Holders that the availability of the Shelf Registration Statement is suspended and, upon receipt of any such notice, each Notice Holder agrees: (i) not to sell any Registrable Securities pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement until such Notice Holder receives copies of the supplemented or amended Prospectus provided for in Section 3(i) hereof, or until it is advised in writing by the Company that the Prospectus may be used, and has received copies of any additional or supplemental filings that are incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference in such Prospectus; and (ii) to hold such notice in confidence. Except in the case of a suspension of the availability of the Shelf Registration Statement and the
Prospectus solely as the result of the filing of a post-effective amendment or supplement to the Prospectus to add additional selling securityholders therein, the period during which the availability of the Shelf Registration Statement and any Prospectus is suspended (the Deferral Period) shall not exceed 45 days in any calendar quarter or 90 days in any calendar year.
(j) The Company shall comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission and shall make generally available to its securityholders an earnings statement (which need not be audited) satisfying the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act as soon as practicable after the effective date of the Shelf Registration Statement and in any event no later than 45 days after the end of the 12-month period (or 90 days, if such period is a fiscal year) beginning with the first month of the Companys first fiscal quarter commencing after the effective date of the Shelf Registration Statement.
(k) The Company may require each Holder of Registrable Securities to be sold pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement to furnish to the Company such information regarding the Holder and the distribution of such Registrable Securities as the Company may from time to time reasonably require for inclusion in the Shelf Registration Statement in order to comply with the Act. The Company may exclude from the Shelf Registration Statement the Registrable Securities of any Holder that unreasonably fails to furnish such information within a reasonable time after receiving such request.
(l) Subject to Section 6 hereof, the Company shall enter into customary agreements (including, if requested by the Majority Holders, an underwriting agreement in customary form, which, for the avoidance of doubt, will provide for customary representations and warranties, legal opinions, comfort letters and other documents and certifications) and take all other necessary actions in order to expedite or facilitate the registration or the disposition of the Registrable Securities, and in connection therewith, if an underwriting agreement is entered into, cause the same to contain customary indemnification provisions and procedures.
(m) Subject to Section 6 hereof, for persons who are or may be underwriters with respect to the Company Common Stock issued upon conversion of the Notes within the meaning of the Act and who make appropriate requests for information to be used solely for the purpose of taking reasonable steps to establish a due diligence or similar defense in connection with the proposed sale of such Company Common Stock pursuant to the Shelf Registration, the Company shall:
(i) make reasonably available during business hours for inspection by the Holders of Registrable Securities, any Underwriter participating in any disposition pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement, and any attorney, accountant or other agent retained by the Holders or any such underwriter all relevant financial and other records and pertinent corporate documents of the Company and its subsidiaries; and
(ii) cause the Companys officers, directors, employees, accountants and auditors to supply all relevant information reasonably requested by the Holders or any such underwriter, attorney, accountant or agent in connection with the Shelf Registration Statement as is customary for similar due diligence examinations.
(n) In the event that any Broker-Dealer shall underwrite any Company Common Stock or participate as a member of an underwriting syndicate or selling group or participate in an offering (within the meaning of the FINRA Rules) thereof, whether as a Holder of such Company Common Stock or as an underwriter, a placement or sales agent or a broker or dealer in respect thereof, or otherwise, the Company shall, upon the reasonable request of such Broker- Dealer, comply with any such reasonable request of such Broker-Dealer in complying with the FINRA Rules.
(o) The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to take all other steps necessary to effect the registration of the Company Common Stock covered by the Shelf Registration Statement.
4. Registration Expenses. The Company shall bear all expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations under Sections 2 and 3 hereof and shall reimburse the Representatives and the Holders for the reasonable fees and disbursements of one firm or counsel (which shall initially be Latham & Watkins LLP, but which may be another nationally recognized law firm experienced in securities matters designated by the Majority Holders) to act as counsel for the Holders in connection therewith.
5. Indemnification and Contribution. (a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Holder and the directors, officers, employees, Affiliates and agents of each such Holder and each person who controls any such Holder within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange 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 Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Shelf Registration Statement as originally filed or in any amendment thereof, or in any preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, or in any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or caused by the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of any preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, and agrees to reimburse each such indemnified party, as incurred, for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by it in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the party claiming indemnification specifically for inclusion therein.
The Company also agrees to provide customary indemnities to, and to contribute as provided in Section 5(d) hereof to Losses of, any underwriters of the Registrable Securities, their officers, directors and employees and each Person who controls such underwriters (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act) to the same extent as provided above with respect to the indemnification of the Holders of Registrable Securities.
(b) Each Holder of securities covered by the Shelf Registration Statement (including each Initial Purchaser that is a Holder, in such capacity) severally and not jointly agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of the Companys directors, each of the Companys officers who signs the Shelf Registration Statement and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to each such Holder, but only with reference to written information relating to such Holder furnished to the Company by or on behalf of such Holder specifically for inclusion in the documents referred to in the foregoing indemnity. This indemnity agreement shall be acknowledged by each Notice Holder that is not an Initial Purchaser in such Notice Holders Notice and Questionnaire and shall be in addition to any liability that any such Notice Holder may otherwise have.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 5 or notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 5, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the failure so to notify the indemnifying party (i) will not relieve it from liability under paragraph (a) or (b) above unless and to the extent it has been materially prejudiced through the forfeiture by the indemnifying party of substantial rights and defenses; and (ii) will not, in any event, relieve the indemnifying party from any obligations to any indemnified party other than the indemnification obligation provided in paragraph (a) or (b) above. If any action shall be brought against an indemnified party and it shall have notified the indemnifying party thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to appoint counsel (including local counsel) of the indemnifying partys choice at the indemnifying partys expense to represent the indemnified party in any action for which indemnification is sought (in which case the indemnifying party shall not thereafter be responsible for the fees and expenses of any separate counsel, other than local counsel if not appointed by the indemnifying party, retained by the indemnified party or parties except as set forth below); provided, however, that such counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party. Notwithstanding the indemnifying partys election to appoint counsel (including local counsel) to represent the indemnified party in an action, the indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel (including local counsel), and the indemnifying party shall bear the reasonable fees, costs and expenses of such separate counsel if (i) the use of counsel chosen by the indemnifying party to represent the indemnified party would present such counsel with a conflict of interest; (ii) the actual or potential defendants in, or targets of, any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties that are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party; (iii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of the institution of such action; or (iv) the indemnifying party shall authorize the indemnified party to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party. It is understood and agreed that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate law firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all indemnified persons. An indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or
potential parties to such claim or action) unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding and does not include an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of such indemnified party.
(d) In the event that the indemnity provided in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section 5 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party for any reason, then each applicable indemnifying party shall have a joint and several obligation to contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating or defending loss, claim, liability, damage or action) (collectively Losses) to which such indemnified party may be subject in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by such indemnifying party, on the one hand, and such indemnified party, on the other hand, from the Initial Placement and the Shelf Registration Statement which resulted in such Losses; provided, however, that in no case shall any Initial Purchaser be responsible, in the aggregate, for any amount in excess of the purchase discount or commission applicable to the Notes, as set forth in the Final Memorandum, nor shall any underwriter be responsible for any amount in excess of the underwriting discount or commission applicable to the securities purchased by such underwriter under the Shelf Registration Statement which resulted in such Losses. If the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is unavailable for any reason, the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall contribute in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of such indemnifying party, on the one hand, and such indemnified party, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. Benefits received by the Company shall be deemed to be equal to the total net proceeds from the Initial Placement (before deducting expenses) as set forth in the Final Memorandum. Benefits received by the Initial Purchasers shall be deemed to be equal to the total purchase discounts and commissions as set forth on the cover page of the Final Memorandum, and benefits received by any other Holders shall be deemed to be equal to the value of receiving Company Common Stock registered under the Act. Benefits received by any underwriter shall be deemed to be equal to the total underwriting discounts and commissions, as set forth on the cover page of the Prospectus forming a part of the Shelf Registration Statement which resulted in such Losses. Relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any untrue or any alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information provided by the indemnifying party, on the one hand, or by the indemnified party, on the other hand, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The parties agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Holders were treated as one entity for such purpose) or any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph (d), no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 5, each person who controls a Holder within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act and each director, officer, employee and agent of such Holder shall have the same rights to contribution as such Holder, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, each officer of the Company who shall
have signed the Shelf Registration Statement and each director of the Company shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the applicable terms and conditions of this paragraph (d).
(e) The provisions of this Section 5 shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Holder or the Company or any of the indemnified persons referred to in this Section 5, and shall survive the sale by a Holder of securities covered by the Shelf Registration Statement.
6. Underwritten Registrations. (a) In no event will the method of distribution of Registrable Securities take the form of an underwritten offering without the prior written consent of the Company. Consent may be conditioned on waivers of any of the obligations in Section 3, Section 4 or Section 5 hereof.
(b) If any Registrable Securities are to be sold in an underwritten offering, the Managing Underwriters shall be selected by the Company, subject to the prior written consent of the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.
(c) No person may participate in any underwritten offering pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement unless such person: (i) agrees to sell such persons Registrable Securities on the basis reasonably provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by the persons entitled hereunder to approve such arrangements; and (ii) completes and executes all questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, underwriting agreements and other documents reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements.
7. Registration Defaults. If any of the following events shall occur (each, a Registration Default), then the Company shall pay additional interest on the Notes (Additional Interest) to the Holders as follows:
(a) if the Shelf Registration Statement has not been filed with the Commission and become or declared effective, as the case may be, on or prior to the 365th day after the Closing Date, then commencing on the 366th day after the Closing Date, Additional Interest shall accrue on the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Notes at a rate of 0.25% per annum for the first 90 days from and including the 366th day after the Closing Date and 0.50% per annum thereafter; or
(b) if the Shelf Registration Statement has been declared or becomes effective but ceases to be effective or usable for the offer and sale of the Registrable Securities, other than in connection with (i) a Deferral Period or (ii) as a result of a requirement to file a posteffective amendment or supplement to the Prospectus to make changes to the information regarding selling securityholders or the plan of distribution provided for therein, at any time during the Shelf Registration Period and the Company does not cure the lapse of effectiveness or usability within 10 Business Days (or, if a Deferral Period is then in effect and subject to the 10 -Business Day filing requirement and the proviso regarding the filing of post-effective amendments in Section 2(d) with respect to any Notice and Questionnaire received during such period, within 10 Business Days following the expiration of such Deferral Period or period permitted pursuant to
Section 2(d)), then Additional Interest shall accrue on the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Notes at a rate of 0.25% per annum for the first 90 days from and including the day following such 10th Business Day and 0.50% per annum thereafter; or
(c) if the Company through its omission fails to name as a selling securityholder any Holder that had complied timely with its obligations hereunder in a manner to entitle such Holder to be so named in (i) the Shelf Registration Statement at the time it first became effective or (ii) any Prospectus at the later of time of filing thereof or the time the Shelf Registration Statement of which the Prospectus forms a part becomes effective, then Additional Interest shall accrue, on the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Notes held by such Holder, at a rate of 0.25% per annum for the first 90 days from and including the day following the effective date of such Shelf Registration Statement or the time of filing of such Prospectus, as the case may be, and 0.50% per annum thereafter; or
(d) if the aggregate duration of Deferral Periods in any period exceeds the number of days permitted in respect of such period pursuant to Section 3(i) hereof, then commencing on the day the aggregate duration of Deferral Periods in any period exceeds the number of days permitted in respect of such period, Additional Interest shall accrue on the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Notes at a rate of 0.25% per annum for the first 90 days from and including such date, and 0.50% per annum thereafter;
provided, however, that (1) upon the filing and effectiveness (whether upon such filing or otherwise) of the Shelf Registration Statement (in the case of paragraph (a) above), (2) upon such time as the Shelf Registration Statement which had ceased to remain effective or usable for resales again becomes effective and usable for resales (in the case of paragraph (b) above), (3) upon the time such Holder is permitted to sell its Registrable Securities pursuant to any Shelf Registration Statement and Prospectus in accordance with applicable law (in the case of paragraph (c) above), (4) upon the termination of the Deferral Period that caused the limit on the aggregate duration of Deferral Periods in a period set forth in 3(i) to be exceeded (in the case of paragraph (d) above), or (5) in any case, notwithstanding the preceding clauses (1) through (4), upon the earlier of the two dates provided in clauses (i) and (ii) of Section 2(b), Additional Interest shall cease to accrue.
Any amounts of Additional Interest due pursuant to this Section 7 will be payable in cash on the next succeeding interest payment date to Holders entitled to receive such Additional Interest on the relevant record dates for the payment of interest. If any Note ceases to be outstanding during any period for which Additional Interest is accruing, the Company will prorate the Additional Interest payable with respect to such Note.
The Additional Interest rate on the Notes shall not exceed in the aggregate 0.50% per annum and shall not be payable under more than one clause above for any given period of time, except that if Additional Interest would be payable because of more than one Registration Default, but at a rate of 0.25% per annum under one Registration Default and at a rate of 0.50% per annum under the other, then the Additional Interest rate shall be the higher rate of 0.50% per annum.
Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement, in no event shall interest, including Additional Interest, accrue to holders of shares of Company Common Stock issued upon conversion of Notes. However, if there exists a Registration Default with respect to the Registrable Securities on the Maturity Date, in addition to any Additional Interest otherwise payable, the Company shall make a cash payment to each Holder of the Notes of an amount equal to 3% of the principal amount of the Notes outstanding (within the meaning of Section 4.12 of the Indenture) and held by such Holder as of the Close of Business on the third Scheduled Trading Day immediately prior to the Maturity Date. Accordingly, and for the avoidance of doubt, should the Maturity Date occur during a period in which a Registration Default exists, all record holders of Notes outstanding on the third Scheduled Trading Day immediately preceding the Maturity Date will receive the cash payment specified in the preceding sentence regardless of whether their Notes have been converted on or after August 1, 2018 and prior to such third Scheduled Trading Day preceding the Maturity Date.
8. No Inconsistent Agreements. The Company has not entered into, and agrees not to enter into, any agreement with respect to its securities that is inconsistent with the registration rights granted to the Holders herein.
9. Rule 144A and Rule 144. So long as any Registrable Securities remain outstanding, the Company shall file the reports required to be filed by it under Rule 144A(d)(4) under the Act and the Exchange Act in a timely manner and, if at any time the Company is not required to file such reports, it will, upon the written request of any Holder of Registrable Securities, make publicly available other information so long as necessary to permit sales of such Holders Registrable Securities pursuant to Rules 144 and 144A of the Act. The Company covenants that it will take such further action as any Holder of Registrable Securities may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable such Holder to sell Registrable Securities without registration under the Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by Rules 144 and 144A (including, without limitation, the requirements of Rule 144A(d)(4)). Upon the written request of any Holder of Registrable Securities, the Company shall deliver to such Holder a written statement as to whether it has complied with such requirements. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Section 9 shall be deemed to require the Company to register any of its securities pursuant to the Exchange Act.
10. Listing. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to maintain the approval of the Company Common Stock for listing on the New York Stock Exchange or another U.S. national stock exchange.
11. Amendments and Waivers. The provisions of this Agreement may not be amended, qualified, modified or supplemented, and waivers or consents to departures from the provisions hereof may not be given, unless the Company has obtained the written consent of the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities; provided that, with respect to any matter that directly or indirectly affects the rights of any Initial Purchaser hereunder, the Company shall obtain the written consent of each such Initial Purchaser against which such amendment, qualification, modification, supplement, waiver or consent is to be effective; provided, further, that no amendment, qualification, modification, supplement, waiver or consent with respect to Section 7 hereof shall be effective as against any Holder of Registrable Securities unless consented to in writing by such Holder; and provided, further, that the provisions of this Section
11 may not be amended, qualified, modified or supplemented, and waivers or consents to departures from the provisions hereof may not be given, unless the Company has obtained the written consent of the Initial Purchasers and each Holder.
12. Notices. All notices and other communications provided for or permitted hereunder shall be made in writing by hand-delivery, firstclass mail, telex, telecopier, email or air courier guaranteeing overnight delivery:
(a) if to a Holder, at the most current address given by such holder to the Company in accordance with the provisions of the Notice and Questionnaire; provided, that notices and other communications to Holders of Notes held in global form may be provided through the applicable procedures of the Depositary.
(b) if to the Initial Purchasers or the Representative, initially at the address or addresses set forth in the Purchase Agreement; and
(c) if to the Company, initially at its address set forth in the Purchase Agreement.
All such notices and communications shall be deemed to have been duly given when received.
The Initial Purchasers or the Company by notice to the other parties may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, notices given to Holders holding Notes in book-entry form may be given through the facilities of the Depositary.
13. Remedies. Each Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights provided to it herein or in the Purchase Agreement or granted by law, including recovery of liquidated or other damages, will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Agreement. The Company agrees that monetary damages would not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of a breach by them of the provisions of this Agreement and hereby agree to waive in any action for specific performance the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.
14. Successors. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns, including, without the need for an express assignment or any consent by the Company thereto, subsequent Holders, and the indemnified persons referred to in Section 5 hereof. The Company hereby agrees to extend the benefits of this Agreement to any Holder, and any such Holder may specifically enforce the provisions of this Agreement as if an original party hereto.
15. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement.
16. Headings. The section headings used herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation hereof.
17. Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. The parties hereto each hereby waive any right to trial by jury in any action, proceeding or counterclaim arising out of or relating to this Agreement.
18. Severability. In the event that any one or more of the provisions contained herein, or the application thereof in any circumstances, is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect for any reason, the validity, legality and enforceability of any such provision in every other respect and of the remaining provisions hereof shall not be in any way impaired or affected thereby, it being intended that all of the rights and privileges of the parties shall be enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law.
19. Company Common Stock Held by the Company, etc. Whenever the consent or approval of Holders of a specified percentage of Company Common Stock is required hereunder, Company Common Stock held by the Company or its Affiliates (other than subsequent Holders of Company Common Stock if such subsequent Holders are deemed to be Affiliates solely by reason of their holdings of such Company Common Stock) shall not be counted in determining whether such consent or approval was given by the Holders of such required percentage.
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[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]
The foregoing Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written.
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC |
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[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]
EXHIBIT D
FORM OF LOCK-UP LETTER
February [·], 2014
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC | |
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith | |
RBC Capital Markets, LLC | |
Goldman, Sachs & Co. | |
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Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC |
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Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned understands that Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC (the Representative), proposes to enter into a Purchase Agreement (the Purchase Agreement) with NRG Yield, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), and NRG Yield Operating LLC and NRG Yield LLC, each a Delaware limited liability company (together, the Guarantors), providing for the offering (the Offering) by the several Initial Purchasers, including the Representative (the Initial Purchasers), of $300,000,000 principal amount of Convertible Senior Notes due 2019 of the Company (the Securities). The Securities will be convertible into cash, shares of Class A Common Stock ($0.01 par value) of the Company (the Common Stock) or a combination thereof, at the option of the Company.
To induce the Initial Purchasers that may participate in the Offering to continue their efforts in connection with the Offering, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representative on behalf of the Initial Purchasers, it will not, during the period commencing on the date hereof and ending 60 days after the date of the final offering memorandum (the Restricted Period) relating to the Offering, (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock beneficially owned (as such term is used in Rule 1 3d-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act)), by the undersigned or any other securities so owned convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (a) transactions relating to shares of Common Stock or other securities acquired
in open market transactions after the completion of the Offering, provided that no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in connection with subsequent sales of Common Stock or other securities acquired in such open market transactions, (b) transfers of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into Common Stock by bona fide gift, will or intestacy, or (c) distributions of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into Common Stock to limited partners or stockholders of the undersigned; provided that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (b) or (c), (i) each donee or distributee shall sign and deliver a lock-up letter substantially in the form of this letter and (ii) no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock, shall be required or shall be voluntarily made during the Restricted Period, or (d) the establishment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of shares of Common Stock, provided that (i) such plan does not provide for the transfer of Common Stock during the Restricted Period and (ii) to the extent a public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act, if any, is required of or voluntarily made by or on behalf of the undersigned or the Company regarding the establishment of such plan, such announcement or filing shall include a statement to the effect that no transfer of Common Stock may be made under such plan during the Restricted Period. In addition, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representative on behalf of the Initial Purchasers, it will not, during the Restricted Period, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock. The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Companys transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the undersigneds shares of Common Stock except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.
The undersigned understands that the Company, the Guarantors and the Initial Purchasers are relying upon this agreement in proceeding toward consummation of the Offering. The undersigned further understands that this agreement is irrevocable and shall be binding upon the undersigneds heirs, legal representatives, successors and assigns.
The undersigned understands that, if the Purchase Agreement does not become effective by March 1, 2014, or if the Purchase Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of notes to be sold thereunder, the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this letter agreement.
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Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The
Board of Directors
NRG Yield, Inc.:
We consent to the use of our report dated May 22, 2015, with respect to the consolidated balance sheets of NRG Yield, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, stockholders' equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2014, and the related financial statement schedule and to the use of our report dated February 27, 2015 on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014, incorporated herein by reference and to the reference to our firm under the heading "Experts" in the prospectus.
Our report dated February 27, 2015, on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014, contains an explanatory paragraph that states that the scope of management's assessment of their effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included the Company's consolidated operations except for the operations of Alta Wind Portfolio, which the Company acquired in August 2014. Alta Wind Portfolio represented 43% of the Company's consolidated total assets and 8% of consolidated operating revenues as of and for the year ended December 31, 2014. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting of NRG Yield, Inc. also excluded an evaluation of the internal control over financial reporting of Alta Wind Portfolio.
/s/
KPMG LLP
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 29, 2015
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-3 of NRG Yield, Inc. of our report dated April 26, 2013 relating to the financial statements of GCE Holding LLC, which appears in NRG Yield, Inc.'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading "Experts" in such Registration Statement.
/s/
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Boston, MA
May 29, 2015
Consent of Independent Auditors
The
Board of Directors
NRG Yield, Inc.:
We consent to the use of our report dated June 16, 2014, with respect to the combined balance sheets of the Alta Wind Portfolio of Terra-Gen Power, LLC as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, and the related combined statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss), members' capital, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2013, incorporated by reference herein and to the reference to our firm under the heading "Experts" in the prospectus.
(signed) KPMG LLP |
New
York, New York
May 29, 2015
Consent of Independent Auditors
The
Management Committee
Laredo Ridge Wind, LLC:
We consent to the use of our report dated March 28, 2014, with respect to the balance sheets of Laredo Ridge Wind, LLC as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, the related statements of income, comprehensive income (loss), member's equity and cash flows for each of the years in the two year period ended December 31, 2013, incorporated herein by reference and to the reference to our firm under the heading "Experts" in the prospectus.
(signed) KPMG LLP | ||
Los Angeles, California May 29, 2015 |
Consent of Independent Auditors
The
Management Committee
WCEP Holdings, LLC and subsidiaries:
We consent to the use of our report dated April 30, 2014, with respect to the consolidated balance sheet of WCEP Holdings, LLC as of December 31, 2013, and the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, member's equity and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2013, incorporated herein by reference and to the reference to our firm under the heading "Experts" in the prospectus.
(signed) KPMG LLP | ||
Los Angeles, California May 29, 2015 |
Consent of Independent Auditors
The
Management Committee
Tapestry Wind, LLC and subsidiaries:
We consent to the use of our report dated April 23, 2014, with respect to the consolidated balance sheets of Tapestry Wind, LLC as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), member's equity and cash flows for each of the years in the two-year period ended December 31, 2013, incorporated herein by reference and to the reference to our firm under the heading "Experts" in the prospectus.
(signed) KPMG LLP | ||
Los Angeles, California May 29, 2015 |