EXHIBIT 10.1

[EXECUTION COPY]

Published CUSIP Number 67704PAJ1

CREDIT AGREEMENT

among

OGLETHORPE POWER CORPORATION
(AN ELECTRIC MEMBERSHIP CORPORATION),

as Borrower,

THE LENDERS IDENTIFIED HEREIN,

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,

as Administrative Agent, Swing Line Lender and L/C Issuer

and

BANK OF MONTREAL and COBANK, ACB,
as L/C Issuers

THE BANK OF TOKYO-MITSUBISHI UFJ, LTD.,
as Syndication Agent

COBANK, ACB, SUNTRUST BANK, ROYAL BANK OF CANADA and MIZUHO CORPORATE BANK, LTD.,
as Co-Documentation Agents

MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INCORPORATED and

THE BANK OF TOKYO-MITSUBISHI UFJ, LTD.,

as Joint Lead Arrangers

and

MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INCORPORATED and

THE BANK OF TOKYO-MITSUBISHI UFJ, LTD.,

as Joint Book Managers

DATED AS OF JUNE 9, 2011

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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CREDIT AGREEMENT

THIS CREDIT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) dated as of June 9, 2011 is entered into among OGLETHORPE POWER CORPORATION (AN ELECTRIC MEMBERSHIP CORPORATION) (the “Borrower”), the Lenders (as defined herein), BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as Administrative Agent (as defined herein) for the Lenders and the L/C Issuers (as defined herein), as Swing Line Lender and as L/C Issuer, and BANK OF MONTREAL (“Bank of Montreal”) and COBANK, ACB (“CoBank”), each as L/C Issuer.

RECITALS

WHEREAS, the Borrower, Bank of America, N.A. as administrative agent and certain lenders party thereto entered into that certain Credit Agreement (the “Existing Credit Agreement”) dated as of July 24, 2007 whereby the Borrower was provided a $450 million revolving credit facility;

WHEREAS, the Borrower wishes to replace the Existing Credit Agreement and has requested that the Lenders provide a new four-year revolving credit and letter of credit facility in an amount of $1.265 billion; and

WHEREAS, the Lenders and the L/C Issuers have agreed to make the requested credit facility available to the Borrower on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.

NOW, THEREFORE, IN CONSIDERATION of the premises and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

SECTION 1.
DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS

1.1          Definitions.

As used herein, the following terms shall have the meanings herein specified unless the context otherwise requires. Defined terms herein shall include in the singular number the plural and in the plural the singular.

“Administrative Agent” means Bank of America in its capacity as administrative agent under any of the Loan Documents or any successor administrative agent.

“Administrative Agent’s Office” means the Administrative Agent’s address and, as appropriate, account as set forth on Schedule 10.1, or such other address or account as the Administrative Agent may from time to time notify to the Borrower and the Lenders.

“Administrative Questionnaire” means an Administrative Questionnaire in a form supplied by the Administrative Agent.

“Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by or is under

common Control with the Person specified.  For purposes of this definition neither any Member nor Smarr EMC is an Affiliate.

“Aggregate Commitments” means the Commitments of all the Lenders.

“Applicable Percentage” means with respect to any Lender at any time, the percentage (carried out to the ninth decimal place) of the Aggregate Commitments represented by such Lender’s Commitment at such time, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 2.17.  If the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and the obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions have been terminated pursuant to Section 8.2 or if the Aggregate Commitments have expired, then the Applicable Percentage of each Lender shall be determined based on the Applicable Percentage of such Lender most recently in effect, giving effect to any subsequent assignments.  The initial Applicable Percentage of each Lender is set forth opposite the name of such Lender on Schedule 1.1 or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender becomes a party hereto, as applicable.

“Applicable Rate” means, for Unused Fee, Eurodollar Rate Loans, Letter of Credit Fee and Base Rate Loans, the appropriate applicable percentages, in each case (subject to the exception indicated below), corresponding to the Unsecured Credit Rating of the Borrower in effect as of the most recent Calculation Date (defined below) as shown below:

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If, however, the Borrower does not have an Unsecured Credit Rating by all three of S&P, Moody’s and Fitch (the “Rating Agencies”) then the Applicable Rate shall be the appropriate applicable percentages corresponding to the Secured Credit Rating of the Borrower in effect as of the most recent Calculation Date as shown below:

The Applicable Rate shall be determined and adjusted on the date (each a “Calculation Date”) one Business Day after the date on which the Borrower’s Credit Rating is upgraded or downgraded in a manner which requires a change in the then applicable pricing level set forth above.  In the event that there is a Credit Rating by only two of the Rating Agencies and there is a split rating, the highest rating (lowest pricing) will apply unless there is more than one pricing level between the ratings and then the pricing level one below the highest rating will apply. In the event that there is a rating by each of the Rating Agencies and there is a split rating, (a) if two of the three ratings are the same, then such rating will apply and (b) if none of the ratings are the same, the middle rating will apply. If the Borrower does not have a Secured Credit Rating from any of the Rating

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Agencies then, with respect to the Secured Credit Rating, pricing level 5 shall apply. Each Applicable Rate shall be effective from one Calculation Date until the next Calculation Date. Any adjustment in the Applicable Rate shall be applicable to all existing Eurodollar Rate Loans as well as any new Eurodollar Rate Loans made. The applicable pricing level for the Applicable Rate, as of the Closing Date, is pricing level 2 from the Secured Credit Rating table.

“Approved Fund” means any Fund that is administered or managed by (a) a Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender or (c) an entity or an Affiliate of an entity that administers or manages a Lender.

“Assignee Group” means two or more Eligible Assignees that are Affiliates of one another or two or more Approved Funds managed by the same investment advisor.

“Assignment and Assumption” means an assignment and assumption entered into by a Lender and an assignee (with the consent of any party whose consent is required by Section 10.3 and accepted by the Administrative Agent), in substantially the form of Exhibit 10.3(b).

“Attorney Costs” means all reasonable fees and disbursements of any law firm or other external counsel and all disbursements of internal legal counsel in connection with such services.

“Availability Period” means the period from and including the Closing Date to but excluding the earlier of the Maturity Date and the date of termination of the Commitments prior to the Maturity Date pursuant to Section 2.6, Section 8.2 or otherwise.

“Bank of America” means Bank of America, N.A., a national banking association, and any successor thereto.

“Bank of America/Merrill Lynch Fee Letter” means that certain letter agreement dated May 6, 2011 among the Administrative Agent, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, as a Joint Lead Arranger, and the Borrower.

“Bankruptcy Code” means the Bankruptcy Code in Title 11 of the United States Code, as amended, modified, succeeded or replaced from time to time.

“Base Rate” means for any day a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the higher of (a) the Federal Funds Rate in effect for such day plus 1/2 of 1% (.50%), (b) the rate of interest in effect for such day as publicly announced from time to time by Bank of America as its “prime rate” and (c) if available, the rate of interest per annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the nearest 1/100 of 1%) appearing on a nationally recognized service such as Reuters Page LIBOR01 (or any successor page) as displaying the London interbank offered rate for deposits in dollars at approximately 11:00 A.M. (London time) on such day for a term of one month (the “One-Month LIBOR Rate”) plus 1.0%; provided, however, if more than one rate is specified on such service, the applicable rate shall be the arithmetic mean of all such rates.  Any change in the Base Rate due to a

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change in the Federal Funds Rate, Bank of America’s prime rate or the One-Month LIBOR Rate shall be effective at the opening of business on the effective date of such change in the Federal Funds Rate, such prime rate or the One-Month LIBOR Rate, as applicable.  The “prime rate” is a rate set by Bank of America based upon various factors including Bank of America’s costs and desired return, general economic conditions and other factors, and is used as a reference point for pricing some loans, which may be priced at, above, or below such announced rate.  Any change in such rate announced by Bank of America shall take effect at the opening of business on the day specified in the public announcement of such change.

“Base Rate Committed Loan” means a Committed Loan that is a Base Rate Loan.

“Base Rate Loan” means a Loan that bears interest based on the Base Rate.

“Bond Documents” means, with respect to any Bonds, any trust indenture or similar document pursuant to which such Bonds are issued and any loan agreement, promissory note or similar document that provides security or a source of funding for the debt service on such Bonds.

“Bond Letter of Credit” means any Letter of Credit that provides credit or liquidity support for Bonds, including each Existing Letter of Credit.

“Bonds” means any bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued by or on behalf of the Borrower or any Subsidiary of the Borrower.

“Borrower” means Oglethorpe Power Corporation (An Electric Membership Corporation) and any permitted successor thereto.

“Borrower Materials” has the meaning specified in Section 6.1.

“Borrower Obligations” means, without duplication, all of the obligations of the Borrower to the Lenders, including Lenders when acting in the capacity of L/C Issuer, and the Administrative Agent, whenever arising, under this Agreement, the Notes or any of the other Loan Documents.

“Borrowing” means a Committed Borrowing or a Swing Line Borrowing, as the context may require.

“BTMU Fee Letter” means that certain letter agreement dated May 6, 2011 between The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., as a Joint Lead Arranger, and the Borrower.

“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday, a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions are authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close in Charlotte, North Carolina, Atlanta, Georgia or New York, New York; provided that in the case of Eurodollar Rate Loans, such day is also a day on which dealings between banks are carried on in U.S. dollar deposits in the London interbank market.

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“Capital Stock” means (a) in the case of a corporation, all classes of capital stock of such corporation, (b) in the case of a partnership, partnership interests (whether general or limited), (c) in the case of a limited liability company, membership interests and (d) any other interest or participation that confers on a Person the right to receive a share of the profits and losses of, or distributions of assets of, the issuing Person.

“Cash Collateralize” means to pledge and deposit with or deliver to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender (as applicable) and the Lenders, as collateral for L/C Obligations, Obligations in respect of Swing Line Loans, or obligations of Lenders to fund participations in respect of either thereof (as the context may require), cash or deposit account balances or, if the L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender benefitting from such collateral shall agree in its sole discretion, other credit support, in each case pursuant to documentation in form and substance satisfactory to (a) the Administrative Agent and (b) the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender (as applicable). “Cash Collateral” shall have a meaning correlative to the foregoing and shall include the proceeds of such cash collateral and other credit support.

“Change in Law” means the occurrence, after the date of this Agreement, of any of the following: (a) the adoption or taking effect of any law, rule, regulation or treaty, (b) any change in any law, rule, regulation or treaty or in the administration, interpretation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority or (c) the making or issuance of any request, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law) by any Governmental Authority, including, without limitation, all laws, rules, regulations, requests, guidelines or directives in connection with (i) the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and (ii) the Bank for International Settlement’s Basel III accords, regardless of the date enacted, adopted or issued.

“Closing Date” means the date hereof.

“CoBank Equities” has the meaning specified in Section 6.11(a).

“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

“Commitment” means, as to each Lender, its obligation to (a) make Committed Loans to the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.1, (b) purchase participations in L/C Obligations and (c) purchase participations in Swing Line Loans, in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed the amount set forth opposite such Lender’s name on Schedule 2.1 or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender becomes a party hereto, as applicable, as such amount may be adjusted from time to time in accordance with this Agreement.

“Committed Borrowing” means a borrowing consisting of simultaneous Committed Loans of the same Type and, in the case of Eurodollar Rate Loans, having the same Interest Period made by each of the Lenders pursuant to Section 2.1.

“Committed Loan” has the meaning specified in Section 2.1.

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“Committed Loan Notice” means a notice of (a) a Committed Borrowing, (b) a conversion of Committed Loans from one Type to the other, or (c) a continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans, pursuant to Section 2.2(a), which, if in writing, shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit 2.2.

“Control” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ability to exercise voting power, by contract or otherwise.  “Controlling” and “Controlled” have meanings correlative thereto.

“Credit Extension” means each of the following: (a) a Borrowing and (b) an L/C Credit Extension.

“Credit Rating” means, for any Person, the Unsecured Credit Rating or the Secured Credit Rating, as applicable.

“Debtor Relief Laws” means the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, and all other liquidation, conservatorship, bankruptcy, assignment for the benefit of creditors, moratorium, rearrangement, receivership, insolvency, reorganization, or similar debtor relief Laws of the United States or other applicable jurisdictions from time to time in effect and affecting the rights of creditors generally.

“Default” means any event, act or condition which with notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute an Event of Default.

“Default Rate” means (a) when used with respect to Borrower Obligations other than Letter of Credit Fees, an interest rate equal to (i) the Base Rate plus (ii) the Applicable Rate, if any, applicable to Base Rate Loans plus (iii) 2% per annum; provided, however, that with respect to a Eurodollar Rate Loan, the Default Rate shall be an interest rate equal to the interest rate (including any Applicable Rate) otherwise applicable to such Loan plus 2% per annum, and (b) when used with respect to Letter of Credit Fees, a rate equal to the Applicable Rate plus 2% per annum.

“Defaulting Lender” means, subject to Section 2.17(b), any Lender that (a) has failed to (i) fund all or any portion of its Loans within two Business Days of the date such Loans were required to be funded hereunder unless such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent (or the Required Lenders if such Lender is the Administrative Agent) and the Borrower in writing that such failure is the result of such Lender’s determination that one or more conditions precedent to funding (each of which conditions precedent, together with any applicable default, shall be specifically identified in such writing) has not been satisfied, or (ii) pay to the Administrative Agent, any L/C Issuer, any Swingline Lender or any other Lender any other amount required to be paid by it hereunder (including in respect of its participation in Letters of Credit or Swingline Loans) within two Business Days of the date when due, (b) has notified the Borrower, the Administrative Agent (or the Required Lenders if such Lender is the Administrative Agent) or any L/C Issuer or Swingline Lender in writing that it does not intend to comply with its funding obligations hereunder, or has made a public statement to that effect

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(unless such writing or public statement relates to such Lender’s obligation to fund a Loan hereunder and states that such position is based on such Lender’s determination that a condition precedent to funding (which condition precedent, together with any applicable default, shall be specifically identified in such writing or public statement) cannot be satisfied), (c) has failed, within three Business Days after written request by the Administrative Agent (or the Required Lenders if such Lender is the Administrative Agent) or the Borrower, to confirm in writing to the Administrative Agent (or such Required Lenders) and the Borrower that it will comply with its prospective funding obligations hereunder (provided that such Lender shall cease to be a Defaulting Lender pursuant to this clause (c) upon receipt of such written confirmation by the Administrative Agent (or the Required Lenders if such Lender is the Administrative Agent) and the Borrower), or (d) has, or has a direct or indirect parent company that has, (i) become the subject of a proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law, or (ii) had appointed for it a receiver, custodian, conservator, trustee, administrator, assignee for the benefit of creditors or similar Person charged with reorganization or liquidation of its business or assets, including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other state or federal regulatory authority acting in such a capacity; provided that a Lender shall not be a Defaulting Lender solely by virtue of the ownership or acquisition of any equity interest in that Lender or any direct or indirect parent company thereof by a Governmental Authority so long as such ownership interest does not result in or provide such Lender with immunity from the jurisdiction of courts within the United States or from the enforcement of judgments or writs of attachment on its assets or permit such Lender (or such Governmental Authority) to reject, repudiate, disavow or disaffirm any contracts or agreements made with such Lender. Any determination by the Administrative Agent (or the Required Lenders if such Lender is the Administrative Agent) that a Lender is a Defaulting Lender under clauses (a) through (d) above shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error, and such Lender shall be deemed to be a Defaulting Lender (subject to Section 2.17(b)) upon delivery of written notice of such determination to the Borrower, each L/C Issuer, each Swingline Lender and each Lender.

“Dollars” and “$” means dollars in lawful currency of the United States of America.

“Eligible Assignee” means any Person that meets the requirements to be an assignee under Sections 10.3(b)(iii) and (v) (subject to such consents, if any, as may be required under Section 10.3(b)(iii)).

“Environmental Laws” means any current or future legal requirement of any Governmental Authority pertaining to (a) the protection of health, safety, and the indoor or outdoor environment, (b) the conservation, management, or use of natural resources and wildlife, (c) the protection or use of surface water and groundwater or (d) the management, manufacture, possession, presence, use, generation, transportation, treatment, storage, disposal, release, threatened release, abatement, removal, remediation or handling of, or exposure to, any hazardous or toxic substance or material or (e) pollution (including any release to land surface water and groundwater) and includes, without limitation, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization

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Act of 1986, 42 USC 9601 et seq., Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 and Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendment of 1984, 42 USC 6901 et seq., Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended by the Clean Water Act of 1977, 33 USC 1251 et seq., Clean Air Act of 1966, as amended, 42 USC 7401 et seq., Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, 15 USC 2601 et seq., Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, 49 USC App. 1801 et seq., Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, as amended, 29 USC 651 et seq., Oil Pollution Act of 1990, 33 USC 2701 et seq., Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986, 42 USC 11001 et seq., National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 USC 4321 et seq., Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, as amended, 42 USC 300(f) et seq., any analogous implementing or successor law, and any amendment, rule, regulation, order, or directive issued thereunder.

“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and any successor statute thereto, as interpreted by the rules and regulations thereunder, all as the same may be in effect from time to time. References to sections of ERISA shall be construed also to refer to any successor sections.

“ERISA Affiliate” means an entity, whether or not incorporated, which is under common control with the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(14) of ERISA, or is a member of a group which includes the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries and which is treated as a single employer under Sections 414(b), (c), (m), or (o) of the Code.

“Eurodollar Rate” means for any Interest Period with respect to any Eurodollar Rate Loan, a rate per annum determined by the Administrative Agent pursuant to the following formula:

“Eurodollar Rate Loan” means a Loan that bears interest at a rate based on the Eurodollar Rate (but not based on clause (c) of the definition of Base Rate).

“Eurodollar Reserve Percentage” means, for any day during any Interest Period, the reserve percentage (expressed as a decimal, carried out to five decimal places) in effect on such day, whether or not applicable to any Lender, under regulations issued from time to time by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States for determining the maximum reserve requirement (including any emergency, supplemental or other marginal reserve requirement) with respect to Eurocurrency funding (currently referred to as “Eurocurrency liabilities”). The Eurodollar Rate for each outstanding Eurodollar Rate Loan shall be adjusted automatically as of the effective date of any change in the Eurodollar Reserve Percentage.

“Event of Default” has the meaning specified in Section 8.1.

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“Excluded Taxes” means, with respect to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, the L/C Issuer or any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder, (a) taxes imposed on or measured by its overall net income (however denominated), and franchise taxes imposed on it (in lieu of net income taxes), by the jurisdiction (or any political subdivision thereof) under the Laws of which such recipient is organized or in which its principal office is located or, in the case of any Lender, in which its applicable Lending Office is located, (b) any branch profits taxes imposed by the United States or any similar tax imposed by any other jurisdiction in which the Borrower is located, (c) any backup withholding tax that is required by the Code to be withheld from amounts payable to a Lender that has failed to comply with clause (A) of Section 3.1(e)(ii), and (d) in the case of a Foreign Lender, any United States withholding tax that (i) is required to be imposed on amounts payable to such Foreign Lender pursuant to the Laws in force at the time such Foreign Lender becomes a party hereto (or designates a new Lending Office) or (ii) is attributable to such Foreign Lender’s failure or inability (other than as a result of a Change in Law) to comply with clause (B) of Section 3.1(e)(ii), except to the extent that such Foreign Lender (or its assignor, if any) was entitled, at the time of designation of a new Lending Office (or assignment), to receive additional amounts from the Borrower with respect to such withholding tax pursuant to Section 3.1(a)(ii) or (c).

“Existing Credit Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereto.

“Existing Letters of Credit” means (a) the irrevocable transferable direct-pay letter of credit issued by Bank of America on March 30, 2010 in support of the Development Authority of Burke County Pollution Control Revenue Bonds (Oglethorpe Power Corporation Vogtle Project) Series 2010A, (b) the irrevocable transferable direct-pay letter of credit issued by Bank of America on March 30, 2010 in support of the Development Authority of Burke County Pollution Control Revenue Bonds (Oglethorpe Power Corporation Vogtle Project) Series 2010B and (c) the irrevocable transferable direct-pay letter of credit issued by Bank of America on March 30, 2010 in support of the Development Authority of Monroe County Pollution Control Revenue Bonds (Oglethorpe Power Corporation Scherer Project) Series 2010A.

“Farm Credit Lender” means a lending institution organized and existing pursuant to the provisions of the Farm Credit Act of 1971 and under the regulation of the Farm Credit Administration.

“Federal Funds Rate” means, for any day, the rate per annum (rounded upward, if necessary, to a whole multiplied by 1/100 of 1%) equal to the weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers on such day, as published by the Federal Reserve Bank on the Business Day next succeeding such day; provided that (a) if such day is not a Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be such rate on such transactions on the next preceding Business Day as so published on the next succeeding Business Day, and (b) if no such rate is so published on such next succeeding Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be the average rate charged to the

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Administrative Agent on such day on such transactions as determined by the Administrative Agent.

“Fee Letters” means the Bank of America/Merrill Lynch Fee Letter, the BTMU Fee Letter and any L/C Issuer Fee Letter.

“Financial Officer” means any one of the chief financial officer, the chief accounting officer, the senior vice president, finance, vice president, finance and the treasurer of the Borrower.

“First Mortgage Indenture” means, collectively, (a) that certain Indenture, dated as of March 1, 1997, from the Borrower, as grantor, to U.S. Bank National Association (as successor to SunTrust Bank (formerly SunTrust Bank, Atlanta)), as trustee, and (b) that certain Security Agreement, dated as of March 1, 1997, from the Borrower, as debtor, to U.S. Bank National Association (as successor to SunTrust Bank (formerly SunTrust Bank, Atlanta)), as trustee and secured party, either as originally executed or as the same may from time to time be supplemented, modified, amended, renewed, extended or consolidated, or any alternate mortgage, deed to secure debt, deed of trust, trust indenture, security agreement or other security instrument entered into by the Borrower as a substitute or replacement for such indenture and security agreement, which secures equally and ratably the payment of principal of and interest on the obligations thereunder and creates a lien on substantially all of the real and tangible personal property of the Borrower in favor of such mortgagee or secured party and/or additional and/or substitute mortgagees or secured parties.

“First Mortgage Indenture Debt” means that certain secured Indebtedness of the Borrower, not to exceed $12,000,000,000, as secured under the First Mortgage Indenture.

“Fitch” means Fitch, Inc., Fitch Ratings Ltd. or, in each case, any successor or assignee of the business of such company in the business of rating securities.

“Foreign Lender” means any Lender that is organized under the Laws of a jurisdiction other than that in which the Borrower is resident for tax purposes (including such a Lender when acting in the capacity of the L/C Issuer).  For purposes of this definition, the United States, each State thereof and the District of Columbia shall be deemed to constitute a single jurisdiction.

“Fronting Commitment” means, with respect to (i) Bank of America, as L/C Issuer, $500,000,000, (ii) Bank of Montreal, as L/C Issuer, $100,000,000, (iii) CoBank, as L/C Issuer, $200,000,000, and (iv) any other L/C Issuer, such amount as may be agreed upon between such L/C Issuer and the Borrower, in each case, as such amount may be modified from time to time pursuant to agreement between the Borrower and the applicable L/C Issuer (with notice thereof to the Administrative Agent).

“Fronting Exposure” means, at any time there is a Defaulting Lender, (a) with respect to any L/C Issuer, such Defaulting Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the outstanding L/C Obligations with respect to Letters of Credit issued by such L/C Issuer other than L/C Obligations as to which such Defaulting Lender’s participation obligation

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has been reallocated to other Lenders or Cash Collateralized in accordance with the terms hereof, and (b) with respect to the Swing Line Lender, such Defaulting Lender’s Applicable Percentage of Swing Line Loans other than Swing Line Loans as to which such Defaulting Lender’s participation obligation has been reallocated to other Lenders or Cash Collateralized in accordance with the terms hereof.

“Fund” means any Person (other than a natural person) that is (or will be) engaged in making, purchasing, holding or otherwise investing in commercial loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its activities.

“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States applied on a consistent basis and subject to Section 1.3.

“Governmental Authority” means the government of the United States or any other nation, or of any political subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government (including any supra-national bodies such as the European Union or the European Central Bank).

“Guaranty Obligations” means, with respect to any Person, without duplication, any obligations (other than endorsements in the ordinary course of business of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection) guaranteeing any Indebtedness of any other Person in any manner, whether direct or indirect, and including without limitation any obligation, whether or not contingent, (a) to purchase any such Indebtedness or other obligation or any property constituting security therefor, (b) to advance or provide funds or other support for the payment or purchase of such Indebtedness or obligation or to maintain working capital, solvency or other balance sheet condition of such other Person (including, without limitation, maintenance agreements, comfort letters, take or pay arrangements, put agreements or similar agreements or arrangements) for the benefit of the holder of Indebtedness of such other Person, (c) to lease or purchase property, securities or services primarily for the purpose of assuring the owner of such Indebtedness or (d) to otherwise assure or hold harmless the owner of such Indebtedness or obligation against loss in respect thereof The amount of any Guaranty Obligation hereunder shall (subject to any limitations set forth therein) be deemed to be an amount equal to the outstanding principal amount (or maximum principal amount, if larger) of the Indebtedness in respect of which such Guaranty Obligation is made.

“Honor Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.3(c).

“Indebtedness” of any Person means, without duplication, (a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money, (b) all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar instruments, or upon which interest payments are customarily made (it being agreed that discounting amounts payable by any Member to the Borrower under such Member’s Wholesale Power Contract as a result of such Member’s prepayment of amounts to become due under such Wholesale Power Contract shall not constitute such prepayments as Indebtedness), (c) all obligations of such Person under

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conditional sale or other title retention agreements relating to property purchased by such Person to the extent of the value of such property (other than customary reservations or retentions of title under agreements with suppliers entered into in the ordinary course of business), (d) all obligations, other than intercompany items and trade payables incurred in the ordinary course of business, of such Person issued or assumed as the deferred purchase price of property or services purchased by such Person which would appear as liabilities on a balance sheet of such Person, (e) all Indebtedness of others secured by (or for which the holder of such Indebtedness has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien on, or payable out of the proceeds of production from, property owned or acquired by such Person, whether or not the obligations secured thereby have been assumed, (f) all Guaranty Obligations of such Person, (g) the principal portion of all obligations of such Person under (i) capital lease obligations and (ii) Off Balance Sheet Indebtedness, (h) all obligations of such Person to repurchase any securities which repurchase obligation is related to the issuance thereof, including, without limitation, obligations commonly known as residual equity appreciation potential shares, (i) all net principal obligations of such Person then due and payable in respect of interest rate protection agreements, foreign currency exchange agreements, commodity purchase or option agreements or other interest or exchange rate or commodity price hedging agreements, (j) the maximum amount of all performance and standby letters of credit issued or bankers’ acceptances facilities created for the account of such Person and, without duplication, all drafts drawn thereunder (to the extent unreimbursed), but excluding from this clause (j) any performance and standby letter of credit or bankers’ acceptance facility that is credit enhancement for any indebtedness or obligation, or any indebtedness or obligation that is secured by any indebtedness or obligation (including variable rate demand bonds), that is defined as Indebtedness under any other clause of this definition, and (k) the aggregate amount of uncollected accounts receivable of such Person subject at such time to a sale of receivables (or similar transaction) regardless of whether such transaction is effected without recourse to such Person or in a manner that would not be reflected on the balance sheet of such Person in accordance with GAAP.

“Indemnified Liabilities” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.5(b).

“Indemnified Taxes” means Taxes other than Excluded Taxes.

“Indemnitee” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.5(b).

“Interest Payment Date” means (a) as to Base Rate Loans (including a Swing Line Loan), the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December, commencing with the first such date to occur after the Closing Date, and on the Maturity Date, and (b) as to Eurodollar Rate Loans, the last day of each applicable Interest Period and the Maturity Date, and, in addition, where the applicable Interest Period for a Eurodollar Rate Loan is greater than three months, then also on the last day of each three-month period during such Interest Period. If an Interest Payment Date falls on a date which is not a Business Day, such Interest Payment Date shall be deemed to be the next succeeding Business Day, except that in the case of Eurodollar Rate Loans where the next succeeding Business Day falls in the next succeeding calendar month, then such Interest Payment Date shall be deemed to be the next preceding day.

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“Interest Period” means, as to Eurodollar Rate Loans, a period of one, two, three or six months’ duration, as the Borrower may elect, commencing, in each case, on the date of the borrowing (including continuations and conversions of Eurodollar Rate Loans); provided, however, (a) if any Interest Period would end on a day which is not a Business Day, such Interest Period shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day (except that where the next succeeding Business Day falls in the next succeeding calendar month, then such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day), (b) no Interest Period shall extend beyond the Maturity Date and (c) with respect to Eurodollar Rate Loans, where an Interest Period begins on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the calendar month in which the Interest Period is to end, such Interest Period shall end on the last Business Day of such calendar month.

“ISP” means the International Standby Practices, International Chamber of Commerce Publication No. 590.

“Issuer Documents” means with respect to any Letter of Credit, the Letter of Credit Application, and any other document, agreement and instrument entered into by the L/C Issuer and the Borrower (or any Subsidiary of the Borrower) or in favor of the L/C Issuer and relating to such Letter of Credit.

“Joint Lead Arrangers” means Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd.

“Laws” means, collectively, all international, foreign, Federal, state and local statutes, treaties, rules, guidelines, regulations, ordinances, codes and administrative or judicial precedents or authorities, including the interpretation or administration thereof by any Governmental Authority charged with the enforcement, interpretation or administration thereof, and all applicable administrative orders, directed duties, requests, licenses, authorizations and permits of, and agreements with, any Governmental Authority, in each case whether or not having the force of law.

“L/C Advance” means, with respect to each Lender, such Lender’s funding of its participation in any L/C Borrowing in accordance with such Lender’s Applicable Percentage.

“L/C Borrowing” means an extension of credit resulting from a drawing under any Letter of Credit which has not been reimbursed on the date when made or refinanced as a Committed Borrowing.

“L/C Credit Extension” means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, the issuance thereof or extension of the expiry date thereof, or the increase of the amount thereof

“L/C Issuer” means any of Bank of America, Bank of Montreal and CoBank, each in its capacity as issuer of Letters of Credit, and such other Lender as the Borrower, with the consent of the Administrative Agent, may from time to time select as an L/C Issuer to issue one or more Letters of Credit pursuant to Section 2.3 and that delivers an instrument in form and substance satisfactory to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent whereby such other Lender agrees to issue Letters of Credit and otherwise act as a “L/C

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Issuer” hereunder, each in its capacity as issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder, or any successor issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder; provided, however, unless otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent, the number of L/C Issuers at any time shall not exceed three.

“L/C Issuer Fee Letter” means any letter agreement between a L/C Issuer and the Borrower providing for the payment of a fronting fee to such L/C Issuer.

“L/C Obligations” means, as at any date of determination, the aggregate amount available to be drawn under all outstanding Letters of Credit plus the aggregate of all Unreimbursed Amounts, including all L/C Borrowings. For purposes of computing the amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance with Section 1.5. For all purposes of this Agreement, if on any date of determination a Letter of Credit has expired by its terms but any amount may still be drawn thereunder by reason of the operation of Rule 3.14 of the ISP, such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be “outstanding” in the amount so remaining available to be drawn.

“Lender” means any of the Persons identified as a “Lender” on the signature pages hereto, including the Swing Line Lender, and any Eligible Assignee which may become a Lender by way of assignment in accordance with the terms hereof, together with their successors and permitted assigns.

“Lending Office” means, as to any Lender, the office or offices of such Lender described as such in such Lender’s Administrative Questionnaire, or such other office or offices as a Lender may from time to time notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent.

“Letter of Credit” means any standby letter of credit issued hereunder and each Existing Letter of Credit.

“Letter of Credit Application” means an application and agreement for the issuance or amendment of a letter of credit in the form from time to time in use by the L/C Issuer.

“Letter of Credit Expiration Date” means the day that is thirty days prior to the Maturity Date then in effect (or, if such day is not a Business Day, the next preceding Business Day).

“Letter of Credit Fee” has the meaning specified in Section 2.3(h).

“Letter of Credit Sublimit” means an amount equal to $500,000,000.  The Letter of Credit Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the Aggregate Commitments.

“Liquidity Drawing” means, in respect of any Bonds supported by a Bond Letter of Credit, any drawing under such Bond Letter of Credit the proceeds of which are used to pay the purchase price of such Bonds tendered for purchase by the Borrower (or any Subsidiary of the Borrower).

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“Lien” means any mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit arrangement, security interest, encumbrance, lien (statutory or otherwise), preference, priority or charge of any kind (including any agreement to give any of the foregoing, any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, any financing or similar statement or notice filed under the Uniform Commercial Code as adopted and in effect in the relevant jurisdiction or other similar recording or notice statute, and any lease in the nature thereof).

“Loan” means an extension of credit by a Lender to the Borrower under Section 2 in the form of a Committed Loan or a Swing Line Loan.

“Loan Documents” means this Agreement, each Note, each Issuer Document, any agreement creating or perfecting rights in Cash Collateral pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.16 of this Agreement and the Fee Letters.

“London Interbank Offered Rate” means:  (a) for any Interest Period with respect to a Eurodollar Rate Loan, the rate per annum equal to the British Bankers Association LIBOR Rate (“BBA LIBOR”), as published by Reuters (or other commercially available source providing quotations of BBA LIBOR as designated by the Administrative Agent from time to time) at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period, for Dollar deposits (for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period) with a term equivalent to such Interest Period. If such rate is not available at such time for any reason, then the “London Interbank Offered Rate” for such Interest Period shall be the rate per annum determined by the Administrative Agent to be the rate at which deposits in Dollars for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period in same day funds in the approximate amount of the Eurodollar Rate Loan being made, continued or converted by Bank of America and with a term equivalent to such Interest Period would be offered by Bank of America’s London Branch to major banks in the London interbank Eurodollar market at their request at approximately 11:00 a.m. (London time) two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period; and (b) for any interest calculation with respect to a Base Rate Loan on any date, the rate per annum equal to (i) BBA LIBOR, at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time determined two London Banking Days prior to such date for Dollar deposits being delivered in the London interbank market for a term of one month commencing that day or (ii) if such published rate is not available at such time for any reason, the rate per annum determined by the Administrative Agent to be the rate at which deposits in Dollars for delivery on the date of determination in same day funds in the approximate amount of the Base Rate Loan being made or maintained and with a term equal to one month would be offered by Bank of America’s London Branch to major banks in the London interbank Eurodollar market at their request at the date and time of determination.

“Material Adverse Effect” means an effect on the operations, business, assets, liabilities (actual or contingent) or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, the result of which would be to materially adversely affect (a) the ability of the Borrower to perform its obligations under this Agreement or (b) the validity or enforceability of this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents or the rights and remedies of the Lenders hereunder or thereunder.

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“Maturity Date” means the later of (a) June 8, 2015 and (b) if the Maturity Date is extended pursuant to Section 2.14, such extended Maturity Date as determined pursuant to such Section; provided, however, that, in each case, if such date is not a Business Day, the Maturity Date shall be the next preceding Business Day.

“Members” means those certain retail electric power distribution cooperatives listed on Schedule 5.21.

“Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., or any successor or assignee of the business of such company in the business of rating securities.

“Multiemployer Plan” means a Plan covered by Title IV of ERISA which is a multiemployer plan as defined in Section 3(37) or 4001(a)(3) of ERISA.

“Multiple Employer Plan” means a Plan covered by Title IV of ERISA, other than a Multiemployer Plan, which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate and at least one employer other than the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate are contributing sponsors.

“Notes” means the promissory notes of the Borrower in favor of each Lender evidencing the Loans and substantially in the form of Exhibit 2.11, as such promissory notes may be amended, modified, supplemented or replaced from time to time.

“Notice of Extension Amendment” means, with respect to any Bond Letter of Credit, a written notice signed by the L/C Issuer with respect to such Letter of Credit and delivered to the Borrower and the trustee for the applicable Bonds evidencing the extension of the expiry date of such Letter of Credit.

“Off Balance Sheet Indebtedness” means any obligation of a Person that would be considered indebtedness for tax purposes but is not set forth on the balance sheet of such Person, including, but not limited to, (a) any synthetic lease, tax retention operating lease, off balance sheet loan or similar off-balance sheet financing product of such Person, (b) the aggregate amount of uncollected accounts receivables of such Person subject at such time to a sale of receivables (or similar transaction) and (c) obligations of any partnership or joint venture that is recourse to such Person.

“One-Month LIBOR Rate” has the meaning set forth in the definition of “Base Rate.”

“Other Taxes” means all present or future stamp or documentary taxes or any other excise or property taxes, charges or similar levies arising from any payment made hereunder or under any other Loan Document or from the execution, delivery or enforcement of, or otherwise with respect to, this Agreement or any other Loan Document.

“Outstanding Amount” means (a) with respect to any Committed Loans and Swing Line Loans on any date, the aggregate outstanding principal amount thereof after giving effect to any borrowings and prepayments or repayments of Committed Loans and Swing Line Loans, as the case may be, occurring on such date; and (b) with respect to

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any L/C Obligations on any date, the amount of such L/C Obligations on such date after giving effect to any L/C Credit Extension occurring on such date and any other changes in the aggregate amount of the L/C Obligations as of such date, including as a result of any reimbursements by the Borrower of Unreimbursed Amounts.

“Participation Purchaser” means any Person (other than a natural person or the Borrower or any of the Borrower’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries) to whom a Lender sells a participation as specified in Section 10.3(d).

“Patronage Capital” means the combined Patronage Capital and Membership Fees from the Members, as shown in the applicable column on the “Statements of Patronage Capital and Membership Fees and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Margin” of the Borrower.

“PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation established pursuant to Subtitle A of Title IV of ERISA and any successor thereto.

“Person” means any individual, partnership, joint venture, firm, corporation, association, trust, limited liability company or other enterprise (whether or not incorporated), or any government or political subdivision or any agency, department or instrumentality thereof.

“Plan” means any employee benefit plan (as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) which is covered by ERISA and with respect to which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate is (or, if such plan were terminated at such time, would under Section 4069 of ERISA be deemed to be) an “employer” within the meaning of Section 3(5) of ERISA.

“Platform” has the meaning specified in Section 6.1.

“Public Lender” has the meaning specified in Section 6.1.

“Register” has the meaning specified in Section 10.3(c).

“Regulation D, O, T, U or X” means Regulation D, O, T, U or X, respectively, of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as from time to time in effect, any amendment thereto and any successor to all or a portion thereof.

“Related Parties” means, with respect to any Person, such Person’s Affiliates and the partners, directors, officers, employees, agents and advisors of such Person and of such Person’s Affiliates.

“Removal Effective Date” has the meaning specified in Section 9.6(b).

“Reportable Event” means a “reportable event” as defined in Section 4043 of ERISA with respect to which the notice requirements to the PBGC have not been waived.

“Request for Credit Extension” means (a) with respect to a Borrowing, conversion or continuation of Committed Loans, a Committed Loan Notice, (b) with respect to an

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L/C Credit Extension, a Letter of Credit Application, and (c) with respect to a Swing Line Loan, a Swing Line Loan Notice.

“Required Lenders” means, as of any date of determination, Lenders having more than 50% of the Aggregate Commitments or, if the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and the obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions have been terminated pursuant to Section 8.2, Lenders holding in the aggregate more than 50% of the Total Outstandings (with the aggregate amount of each Lender’s risk participation and funded participation in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans being deemed “held” by such Lender for purposes of this definition); provided that the Commitment of, and the portion of the Total Outstandings held or deemed held by, any Defaulting Lender shall be excluded for purposes of making a determination of Required Lenders.

“Responsible Officer” means the chief executive officer, president, chief financial officer, vice president, treasurer, assistant treasurer or controller of the Borrower and any other officer of the Borrower so designated by any of the foregoing officers in a notice to the Administrative Agent. Any document delivered hereunder that is signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower shall be conclusively presumed to have been authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership and/or other action on the part of the Borrower and such Responsible Officer shall be conclusively presumed to have acted on behalf of the Borrower.

“S&P” means Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, a division of McGraw Hill, Inc., or any successor or assignee of the business of such division in the business of rating securities.

“Secured Credit Rating” means, for any Person, the long-term, senior, secured, non-credit enhanced debt ratings assigned to such Person by S&P, Fitch and Moody’s.

“Single Employer Plan” means any Plan which is covered by Title IV of ERISA, but which is not a Multiemployer Plan or a Multiple Employer Plan.

“Solvent” means, with respect to the Borrower as of a particular date, that on such date (a) the Borrower is able to pay its debts and other liabilities, contingent obligations and other commitments as they mature in the normal course of business, (b) the Borrower does not intend to, and does not believe that it will, incur debts or liabilities beyond the Borrower’s ability to pay as such debts and liabilities mature in their ordinary course, (c) the Borrower is not engaged in a business or a transaction, and is not about to engage in a business or a transaction, for which the Borrower’s assets would constitute unreasonably small capital after giving due consideration to the prevailing practice in the industry in which the Borrower is engaged or is to engage and (d) the fair value of the assets of the Borrower, including the Wholesale Power Contracts, taken as a whole on a going-concern basis, is greater than the total amount of liabilities, including, without limitation, contingent liabilities, of the Borrower. In computing the amount of contingent liabilities at any time, it is intended that such liabilities will be computed as the amount which, in light of all the facts and circumstances existing at such time, represents the amount that can reasonably be expected to become an actual or matured liability.

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“Special Leases” means any transaction or series of transactions the overall effect of which is the transfer (by sale, head lease or otherwise) of ownership for federal income tax purposes of any asset by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to any other Person or Persons (the “lessor”) while use of such asset is retained by or reconveyed to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries under a lease, sublease or other arrangement (the “sublease”) for a substantial period of time and where (a) the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall have set aside financial assets expected to be sufficient to pay or provide for the payment of all or substantially all of the Borrower’s and its Subsidiaries scheduled payment obligations under the sublease, (b) the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall have an option to purchase the lessor’s interest in the asset during or at the end of the sublease term, and (c) the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall have set aside financial assets expected to be sufficient to pay or provide for the payment of all or substantially all of the option price. It is intended that the term “Special Leases” shall include the entire transaction and any and all documents and instruments entered into by the Borrower or any Subsidiary in connection therewith and any obligations thereunder.

“Subsidiary” means, as to any Person, (a) any corporation more than 50% of whose stock of any class or classes having by the terms thereof ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the directors of such corporation (irrespective of whether or not, at the time, any class or classes of such corporation shall have or might have voting power by reason of the happening of any contingency) is at the time owned by such Person directly or indirectly through Subsidiaries and (b) any partnership, association, joint venture, limited liability company or other entity in which such Person directly or indirectly through Subsidiaries has more than 50% equity interest at any time.

“Swing Line Borrowing” means a borrowing of a Swing Line Loan pursuant to Section 2.4.

“Swing Line Lender” means Bank of America in its capacity as provider of Swing Line Loans, or any successor swing line lender hereunder.

“Swing Line Loan” has the meaning specified in Section 2.4(a).

“Swing Line Loan Notice” means a notice of a Swing Line Borrowing pursuant to Section 2.4(b), which, if in writing, shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit 2.4.

“Swing Line Sublimit” means an amount equal to the lesser of (a) $50,000,000 and (b) the Aggregate Commitments.  The Swing Line Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the Aggregate Commitments.

“Taxes” means all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, withholdings (including backup withholding), assessments, fees or other charges imposed by any Governmental Authority, including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto.

“Termination Date” means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, the expiry date of such Letter of Credit or any earlier date on which such Letter of Credit shall terminate in accordance with its terms.

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“Termination Event” means (a) with respect to any Single Employer Plan, the occurrence of a Reportable Event or the substantial cessation of operations (within the meaning of Section 4062(e) of ERISA), (b) the withdrawal of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Multiple Employer Plan during a plan year in which it was a substantial employer (as such term is defined in Section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA), or the termination of a Multiple Employer Plan, (c) the distribution of a notice of intent to terminate or the actual termination of a Plan pursuant to Section 4041(a)(2) or 4041A of ERISA, (d) the institution of proceedings to terminate or the actual termination of a Plan by the PBGC under Section 4042 of ERISA, (e) any event or condition which constitutes grounds under Section 4042 of ERISA for the termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, any Plan, or (f) the complete or partial withdrawal of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Multiemployer Plan.

“Total Outstandings” means the aggregate Outstanding Amount of all Loans and all L/C Obligations.

“Type” means with respect to a Committed Loan, its character as a Base Rate Loan or a Eurodollar Rate Loan.

“Unreimbursed Amount” has the meaning specified in Section 2.3(c)(i).

“Unsecured Credit Rating” means, for any Person, the long-term, senior, unsecured, non-credit enhanced debt ratings assigned to such Person by S&P, Fitch and Moody’s.

“Unused Fee” has the meaning specified in Section 2.9(a).

“Wholesale Power Contracts” means those certain Amended and Restated Wholesale Power Contracts between the Borrower and each of the Members, each dated as of January 1, 2003, as amended by the First Amendment to Amended and Restated Wholesale Power Contracts, dated as of June 1, 2005 and as further amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.

1.2          Other Interpretive Provisions.

With reference to this Agreement and each other Loan Document, unless otherwise specified herein or in such other Loan Document:

(a)           The definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined.  Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms.  The words “include,” “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation.”  The word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word “shall.”  Unless the context requires otherwise, (i) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set forth herein or in any other Loan Document), (ii) any reference herein

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to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns, (iii) the words “hereto,” “herein,” “hereof” and “hereunder,” and words of similar import when used in any Loan Document, shall be construed to refer to such Loan Document in its entirety and not to any particular provision thereof, (iv) all references in a Loan Document to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, the Loan Document in which such references appear, (v) any reference to any law shall include all statutory and regulatory provisions consolidating, amending, replacing or interpreting such law and any reference to any law or regulation shall, unless otherwise specified, refer to such law or regulation as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time, and (vi) the words “asset” and “property” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect and to refer to any and all tangible and intangible assets and properties, including cash, securities, accounts and contract rights.

(b)           In the computation of periods of time from a specified date to a later specified date, the word “from” means “from and including;” the words “to” and “until” each mean “to but excluding;” and the word “through” means “to and including.”

(c)           Section headings herein and in the other Loan Documents are included for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the interpretation of this Agreement or any other Loan Document.

1.3          Accounting Terms.

Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all accounting terms used herein shall be interpreted, and all financial statements and certificates and reports as to financial matters required to be delivered to the Lenders hereunder shall be prepared, in accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent basis. All calculations made for the purposes of determining compliance with this Agreement shall (except as otherwise expressly provided herein) be made by application of GAAP applied on a basis consistent with the most recent annual or quarterly financial statements delivered pursuant to Section 6.1 (or, prior to the delivery of the first financial statements pursuant to Section 6.1, consistent with the financial statements described in Section 4.1(d)); provided, however, if (a) the Borrower shall object to determining such compliance on such basis at the time of delivery of such financial statements due to any change in GAAP or the rules promulgated with respect thereto or (b) the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders shall so object in writing within 30 days after delivery of such financial statements, then such calculations shall be made on a basis consistent with the most recent financial statements delivered by the Borrower to the Lenders as to which no such objection shall have been made.

1.4          Time.

All references to time herein shall be references to Eastern Standard Time or Eastern Daylight time, as the case may be, unless specified otherwise.

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1.5          Letter of Credit Amounts.

Unless otherwise specified herein, the amount of a Letter of Credit at any time shall be deemed to be the stated amount of such Letter of Credit in effect at such time; provided, however, that with respect to any Letter of Credit that, by its terms or the terms of any Issuer Document related thereto, provides for one or more automatic increases in the stated amount thereof, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be the maximum stated amount of such Letter of Credit after giving effect to all such increases, whether or not such maximum stated amount is in effect at such time.

SECTION 2.

THE COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT EXTENSIONS

2.1          Committed Loans.

Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Lender severally agrees to make loans (each such loan, a “Committed Loan”) to the Borrower from time to time, on any Business Day during the Availability Period, in an aggregate amount not to exceed at any time outstanding the amount of such Lender’s Commitment; provided, however, that after giving effect to any Committed Borrowing, (i) the Total Outstandings shall not exceed the Aggregate Commitments, and (ii) the aggregate Outstanding Amount of the Committed Loans of any Lender, plus such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations, plus such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all Swing Line Loans shall not exceed such Lender’s Commitment.  Within the limits of each Lender’s Commitment, and subject to the other terms and conditions hereof, the Borrower may borrow under this Section 2.1, prepay under Section 2.5 and reborrow under this Section 2.1.  Committed Loans may be Base Rate Loans or Eurodollar Rate Loans, as further provided herein.

2.2          Borrowings, Conversions and Continuations of Committed Loans.

(a)           Each Committed Borrowing, each conversion of Committed Loans from one Type to the other, and each continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be made upon the Borrower’s irrevocable notice to the Administrative Agent, which may be given by telephone.  Each such notice must be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. (i) three Business Days prior to the requested date of any Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans or of any conversion of Eurodollar Rate Loans to Base Rate Committed Loans, and (ii) on the requested date of any Borrowing of Base Rate Committed Loans.  Each telephonic notice by the Borrower pursuant to this Section 2.2(a) must be confirmed promptly by delivery to the Administrative Agent of a written Committed Loan Notice, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower.  Each Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $5,000,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof.  Except as provided in Sections 2.3(c) and 2.4(c), each Borrowing of or conversion to Base Rate Committed Loans shall be in a principal amount of $500,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof.  Each Committed Loan Notice (whether telephonic or written) shall specify (i) whether the

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Borrower is requesting a Committed Borrowing, a conversion of Committed Loans from one Type to the other, or a continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans, (ii) the requested date of the Borrowing, conversion or continuation, as the case may be (which shall be a Business Day), (iii) the principal amount of Committed Loans to be borrowed, converted or continued, (iv) the Type of Committed Loans to be borrowed or to which existing Committed Loans are to be converted, and (v) if applicable, the duration of the Interest Period with respect thereto.  If the Borrower fails to specify a Type of Committed Loan in a Committed Loan Notice or if the Borrower fails to give a timely notice requesting a conversion or continuation, then the applicable Committed Loans shall be made as, or converted to, Base Rate Loans.  Any such automatic conversion to Base Rate Loans shall be effective as of the last day of the Interest Period then in effect with respect to the applicable Eurodollar Rate Loans.  If the Borrower requests a Borrowing of, conversion to, or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans in any such Committed Loan Notice, but fails to specify an Interest Period, it will be deemed to have specified an Interest Period of one month.

(b)           Following receipt of a Committed Loan Notice, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of the amount of its Applicable Percentage of the applicable Committed Loans, and if no timely notice of a conversion or continuation is provided by the Borrower, the Administrative Agent shall notify each Lender of the details of any automatic conversion to Base Rate Loans described in the preceding subsection.  In the case of a Committed Borrowing, each Lender shall make the amount of its Committed Loan available to the Administrative Agent in immediately available funds at the Administrative Agent’s Office not later than 1:00 p.m. on the Business Day specified in the applicable Committed Loan Notice.  Upon satisfaction of the applicable conditions set forth in Section 4.2 (and, if such Borrowing is the initial Credit Extension, Section 4.1), the Administrative Agent shall make all funds so received available to the Borrower in like funds as received by the Administrative Agent either by (i) crediting the account of the Borrower on the books of Bank of America with the amount of such funds or (ii) wire transfer of such funds, in each case in accordance with instructions provided to (and reasonably acceptable to) the Administrative Agent by the Borrower; provided, however, that if, on the date the Committed Loan Notice with respect to such Borrowing is given by the Borrower, there are L/C Borrowings outstanding that are then due and payable, then the proceeds of such Borrowing, first, shall be applied to the payment in full of any such L/C Borrowings, and second, shall be made available to the Borrower as provided above.

(c)           Except as otherwise provided herein, a Eurodollar Rate Loan may be continued or converted only on the last day of an Interest Period for such Eurodollar Rate Loan.  During the existence of an Event of Default, no Loans may be requested as, converted to or continued as Eurodollar Rate Loans without the consent of the Required Lenders.

(d)           The Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the Borrower and the Lenders of the interest rate applicable to any Interest Period for Eurodollar Rate Loans upon determination of such interest rate.  At any time that Base Rate Loans are outstanding, the Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders of any

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change in Bank of America’s prime rate used in determining the Base Rate promptly following the public announcement of such change.

(e)           After giving effect to all Committed Borrowings, all conversions of Committed Loans from one Type to the other, and all continuations of Committed Loans as the same Type, there shall not be more than ten Interest Periods in effect with respect to Committed Loans.

2.3          Letters of Credit.

(a)           The Letter of Credit Commitment.

(i)            Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, (A) each L/C Issuer agrees, in reliance upon the agreements of the Lenders set forth in this Section 2.3, (1) from time to time on any Business Day during the period from the Closing Date until the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, to issue Letters of Credit for the account of the Borrower, or any of its Subsidiaries as provided in Section 2.3(k), and to amend or extend Letters of Credit previously issued by it, in accordance with subsection (b) below, and (2) to honor drawings under the Letters of Credit; and (B) the Lenders severally agree to participate in Letters of Credit issued for the account of the Borrower, or any of its Subsidiaries as provided in Section 2.3(k), and any drawings thereunder; provided that after giving effect to any L/C Credit Extension with respect to any Letter of Credit, (w) the Total Outstandings shall not exceed the Aggregate Commitments, (x) the aggregate Outstanding Amount of the Committed Loans of any Lender, plus such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations, plus such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all Swing Line Loans shall not exceed such Lender’s Commitment, (y) the Outstanding Amount of the L/C Obligations shall not exceed the Letter of Credit Sublimit and (z) the aggregate Stated Amount of all Letters of Credit issued by each L/C Issuer shall not exceed such L/C Issuer’s Fronting Commitment.  Each request by the Borrower for the issuance or amendment of a Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be a representation by the Borrower that the L/C Credit Extension so requested complies with the conditions set forth in the proviso to the preceding sentence.  Within the foregoing limits, and subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Borrower’s ability to obtain Letters of Credit shall be fully revolving, and accordingly the Borrower may, during the foregoing period, obtain Letters of Credit to replace Letters of Credit that have expired or that have been drawn upon and reimbursed.  All Existing Letters of Credit shall be deemed to have been issued pursuant hereto, and from and after the Closing Date shall be subject to and governed by the terms and conditions hereof.

(ii)           A L/C Issuer shall not issue any Letter of Credit if the expiry date of the requested Letter of Credit would occur after the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, unless all the Lenders (and the L/C Issuer) have approved such expiry date.

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(iii)          A L/C Issuer shall not be under any obligation to issue any Letter of Credit if:

(A)          any order, judgment or decree of any Governmental Authority or arbitrator shall by its terms purport to enjoin or restrain the L/C Issuer from issuing the Letter of Credit, or any Law applicable to the L/C Issuer or any request or directive (whether or not having the force of law) from any Governmental Authority with jurisdiction over the L/C Issuer shall prohibit, or request that the L/C Issuer refrain from, the issuance of letters of credit generally or the Letter of Credit in particular or shall impose upon the L/C Issuer with respect to the Letter of Credit any restriction, reserve or capital requirement (for which the L/C Issuer is not otherwise compensated hereunder) not in effect on the Closing Date, or shall impose upon the L/C Issuer any unreimbursed loss, cost or expense which was not applicable on the Closing Date and which the L/C Issuer in good faith deems material to it;

(B)           the issuance of the Letter of Credit would violate one or more policies of the L/C Issuer applicable to letters of credit generally;

(C)           except as otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent and the applicable L/C Issuer, the Letter of Credit is in an initial stated amount less than $100,000;

(D)          the Letter of Credit is to be denominated in a currency other than Dollars;

(E)           any Lender is at that time a Defaulting Lender, unless the L/C Issuer has entered into arrangements, including the delivery of Cash Collateral, satisfactory to the L/C Issuer (in its sole discretion) with the Borrower or such Lender to eliminate the L/C Issuer’s actual or potential Fronting Exposure (after giving effect to Section 2.17(a)(iv)) with respect to the Defaulting Lender arising from either the Letter of Credit then proposed to be issued or that Letter of Credit and all other L/C Obligations as to which the L/C Issuer has actual or potential Fronting Exposure, as it may elect in its sole discretion; or

(F)           the Letter of Credit contains any provisions for automatic reinstatement of the stated amount after any drawing thereunder; provided, however, a Bond Letter of Credit may provide that (1) after any drawing thereunder to pay interest on Bonds, the stated amount of such Bond Letter of Credit shall be automatically reinstated in the amount of such drawing after a specified period of time unless, prior to the expiration of such period, the beneficiary of such Bond Letter of Credit has received notice from the L/C Issuer that it has not been reimbursed for such drawing; and (2) after any Liquidity Drawing thereunder, the stated amount of such Bond Letter of Credit shall be automatically reinstated in

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an amount equal to the principal amount of any Bonds previously purchased with the proceeds of such Liquidity Drawing that have been remarketed to investors where the proceeds of such remarketing have been received by applicable L/C Issuer and applied to the repayment of the Unreimbursed Amount, Committed Loans or Liquidity Advances related to such Liquidity Drawing.

(iv)          A L/C Issuer shall not amend any Letter of Credit, including any extension or renewal thereof, if the L/C Issuer would not be permitted at such time to issue the Letter of Credit in its amended form under the terms hereof.

(v)           A L/C Issuer shall be under no obligation to amend any Letter of Credit if (A) the L/C Issuer would have no obligation at such time to issue the Letter of Credit in its amended form under the terms hereof, or (B) the beneficiary of the Letter of Credit does not accept the proposed amendment to the Letter of Credit.

(vi)          A L/C Issuer shall act on behalf of the Lenders with respect to any Letters of Credit issued by it and the documents associated therewith, and the L/C Issuer shall have all of the benefits and immunities (A) provided to the Administrative Agent in Section 9 with respect to any acts taken or omissions suffered by the L/C Issuer in connection with Letters of Credit issued by it or proposed to be issued by it and Issuer Documents pertaining to such Letters of Credit as fully as if the term “Administrative Agent” as used in Section 9 included the L/C Issuer with respect to such acts or omissions, and (B) as additionally provided herein with respect to the L/C Issuer.

(b)           Procedures for Issuance and Amendment of Letters of Credit.

(i)            Each Letter of Credit shall be issued or amended, as the case may be, including, without limitation, extended or renewed, upon the request of the Borrower delivered to a L/C Issuer (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) in the form of a Letter of Credit Application, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower.  Such Letter of Credit Application must be received by such L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. at least thirty days, in the case of a Bond Letter of Credit, and two Business Days, in the case of any other Letter of Credit (or such later date and time in each case as the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer may agree in a particular instance in their sole discretion), prior to the proposed issuance date or date of amendment, as the case may be.  In the case of a request for an initial issuance of a Letter of Credit, such Letter of Credit Application shall specify in form and detail reasonably satisfactory to the L/C Issuer:  (A) the proposed issuance date of the requested Letter of Credit (which shall be a Business Day); (B) the amount thereof; (C) the expiry date thereof; (D) the name and address of the beneficiary thereof; (E) the documents to be presented by such beneficiary in case of any drawing thereunder; (F) the full text of any certificate to be presented by such beneficiary in case of any drawing thereunder; (G) the purpose and nature of the

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requested Letter of Credit; (H) in the case of a Bond Letter of Credit, the Bond Documents; and (I) such other information as the L/C Issuer may require.  In the case of a request for an amendment of any outstanding Letter of Credit, such Letter of Credit Application shall specify in form and detail satisfactory to the L/C Issuer (A) the Letter of Credit to be amended; (B) the proposed date of amendment thereof (which shall be a Business Day); (C) the nature of the proposed amendment; and (D) such other matters as the L/C Issuer may require.  Additionally, the Borrower shall furnish to the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent such other documents and information pertaining to such requested Letter of Credit issuance or amendment, including any Issuer Documents, as the L/C Issuer or the Administrative Agent may require.

(ii)           Promptly after receipt of any Letter of Credit Application, the L/C Issuer will confirm with the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) that the Administrative Agent has received a copy of such Letter of Credit Application from the Borrower and, if not, the L/C Issuer will provide the Administrative Agent with a copy thereof.  Unless the L/C Issuer has received written notice from any Lender, the Administrative Agent or the Borrower, at least one Business Day prior to the requested date of issuance or amendment of the applicable Letter of Credit, that one or more applicable conditions contained in Section 4 shall not then be satisfied, then, (i) such L/C Issuer may conclusively presume that such conditions are satisfied and (ii) subject to the terms and conditions hereof, and in reliance thereon, the L/C Issuer shall, on the requested date, issue a Letter of Credit for the account of the Borrower or a Subsidiary of the Borrower, as applicable, or enter into the applicable amendment, as the case may be, in each case in accordance with the L/C Issuer’s usual and customary business practices.  Immediately upon the issuance of each Letter of Credit, each Lender shall be deemed to, and hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to, purchase from the L/C Issuer a risk participation in such Letter of Credit in an amount equal to the product of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage times the amount of such Letter of Credit.

(iii)          If the Borrower so requests in any Letter of Credit Application, the applicable L/C Issuer may, in its sole and absolute discretion, agree to issue a Letter of Credit that has automatic extension provisions (each, an “Auto-Extension Letter of Credit”); provided that any such Auto-Extension Letter of Credit must permit the L/C Issuer to prevent any such extension at least once in each twelve-month period (commencing with the date of issuance of such Letter of Credit) by giving prior notice to the beneficiary thereof not later than a day (the “Non-Extension Notice Date”) in each such twelve-month period to be agreed upon at the time such Letter of Credit is issued. Unless otherwise directed by the applicable L/C Issuer, the Borrower shall not be required to make a specific request to the L/C Issuer for any such extension. Once an Auto-Extension Letter of Credit has been issued by an L/C Issuer, the Lenders shall be deemed to have authorized (but may not require) the L/C Issuer to permit the extension of such Letter of Credit at any time to an expiry date not later than the Letter of Credit Expiration Date; provided, however, that the L/C Issuer shall not permit any such

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extension if (A) the L/C Issuer has determined that it would not be permitted, or would have no obligation, at such time to issue such Letter of Credit in its revised form (as extended) under the terms hereof (by reason of the provisions of clause (ii) or (iii) of Section 2.3(a) or otherwise), or (B) it has received notice (which may be by telephone or in writing) on or before the day that is seven Business Days before the Non-Extension Notice Date (1) from the Administrative Agent that the Required Lenders have elected not to permit such extension or (2) from the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the Borrower that one or more of the applicable conditions specified in Section 4.2 is not then satisfied, and in each case directing the L/C Issuer not to permit such extension.

(iv)          Promptly after its delivery of any Letter of Credit or any amendment to a Letter of Credit to an advising bank with respect thereto or to the beneficiary thereof, the L/C Issuer will also deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent a true and complete copy of such Letter of Credit or amendment. In the case of any extension of a Bond Letter of Credit, the L/C Issuer shall, upon satisfaction of the conditions applicable thereto, deliver to the trustee for the applicable Bonds a Notice of Extension Amendment to the Bond Letter of Credit designating the new expiry date and thereafter all references in any Bond Documents to the expiry date or stated expiration date of such Bond Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be references to the date designated as such in the most recent Notice of Extension Amendment delivered to such trustee.

(v)           Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon execution and delivery of this Agreement the Existing Letters of Credit shall become Letters of Credit for all purposes of this Agreement without the execution and delivery of a Letter of Credit Application with respect thereto or other documents or any other action being taken.

(c)           Drawings and Reimbursements; Funding of Participations.

(i)            Upon receipt from the beneficiary of any Letter of Credit of any notice of a drawing under such Letter of Credit, the applicable L/C Issuer shall notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent thereof.  Except in the case of a Liquidity Drawing, on the date of payment by the L/C Issuer in respect of such drawing (each such date, an “Honor Date”), the Borrower shall reimburse the L/C Issuer through the Administrative Agent in an amount equal to the amount of such drawing.  If the Borrower fails to so reimburse the L/C Issuer by 11:00 a.m. on the Honor Date, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of the Honor Date, the amount of the unreimbursed drawing (the “Unreimbursed Amount”) and the amount of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage thereof.  In such event, the Borrower shall be deemed to have requested a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans to be disbursed on the Honor Date in an amount equal to the Unreimbursed Amount, without regard to the minimum and multiples specified in Section 2.2 for the principal amount of Base Rate Loans, but subject to the amount of the unutilized portion of the Aggregate Commitments and the

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conditions set forth in Section 4.2 (other than the delivery of a Committed Loan Notice).

In the case of a Liquidity Drawing, if the Borrower has not reimbursed the L/C Issuer through the Administrative Agent by 3:00 p.m. on the Honor Date, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of the Honor Date, the Unreimbursed Amount and the amount of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage thereof.  In such event, the Borrower shall be deemed to have requested a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans to be disbursed in an amount equal to the Unreimbursed Amount, without regard to the minimum and multiples specified in Section 2.2 for the principal amount of Base Rate Loans, but subject to the amount of the unutilized portion of the Aggregate Commitments and the conditions set forth in Section 4.2 (other than the delivery of a Committed Loan Notice).

Any notice given by the L/C Issuer or the Administrative Agent pursuant to this Section 2.3(c)(i) may be given by telephone if immediately confirmed in writing; provided that the lack of such an immediate confirmation shall not affect the conclusiveness or binding effect of such notice.

(ii)           Each Lender shall upon any notice pursuant to Section 2.3(c)(i) make funds available (and the Administrative Agent may apply Cash Collateral provided for this purpose) for the account of the L/C Issuer at the Administrative Agent’s Office in an amount equal to the Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Unreimbursed Amount not later than 1:00 p.m. on the Business Day specified in such notice by the Administrative Agent, whereupon, subject to the provisions of Section 2.3(c)(iii), each Lender that so makes funds available shall be deemed to have made a Base Rate Committed Loan to the Borrower in such amount.  The Administrative Agent shall promptly remit the funds so received to the L/C Issuer.

(iii)          With respect to any Unreimbursed Amount that is not fully refinanced by a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans on the Honor Date because the conditions set forth in Section 4.2 cannot be satisfied or for any other reason, including without limitation the failure to satisfy the required notice period set forth in Section 2.2, the Borrower shall be deemed to have incurred from the L/C Issuer an L/C Borrowing in the amount of the Unreimbursed Amount that is not so refinanced, which L/C Borrowing shall be due and payable on demand (together with interest) and shall bear interest at the Default Rate until such time as such L/C Borrowing is refinanced with a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans; provided, however, that, unless an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, an L/C Borrowing in respect of a Liquidity Drawing (a) shall be due and payable in full on the Termination Date and (b) shall bear interest at the Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate. In such event, each Lender’s payment to the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer pursuant to Section 2.3(c)(ii) shall be deemed payment in respect of its participation in such L/C Borrowing and shall constitute an L/C Advance from such Lender in satisfaction of its participation obligation under this Section 2.3.

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(iv)          Until each Lender funds its Committed Loan or L/C Advance pursuant to this Section 2.3(c) to reimburse the L/C Issuer for any amount drawn under any Letter of Credit, interest in respect of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such amount shall be solely for the account of the L/C Issuer.

(v)           Each Lender’s obligation to make Committed Loans or L/C Advances to reimburse the L/C Issuer for amounts drawn under Letters of Credit, as contemplated by this Section 2.3(c), shall be absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance, including (A) any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other right which such Lender may have against the L/C Issuer, the Borrower or any other Person for any reason whatsoever; (B) the occurrence or continuance of a Default, or (C) any other occurrence, event or condition, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing; provided, however, that each Lender’s obligation to make Committed Loans pursuant to this Section 2.3(c) is subject to the conditions set forth in Section 4.2 (other than the delivery of a Committed Loan Notice).  No such making of an L/C Advance shall relieve or otherwise impair the obligation of the Borrower to reimburse the L/C Issuer for the amount of any payment made by the L/C Issuer under any Letter of Credit, together with interest as provided herein.

(vi)          If any Lender fails to make available to the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer any amount required to be paid by such Lender pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.3(c) by the time specified in Section 2.3(c)(ii), then, without limiting the other provisions of this Agreement, the L/C Issuer shall be entitled to recover from such Lender (acting through the Administrative Agent), on demand, such amount with interest thereon for the period from the date such payment is required to the date on which such payment is immediately available to the L/C Issuer at a rate per annum equal to the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the L/C Issuer in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation, plus any administrative, processing or similar fees customarily charged by the L/C Issuer in connection with the foregoing.  If such Lender pays such amount (with interest and fees as aforesaid), the amount so paid shall constitute such Lender’s Committed Loan included in the relevant Committed Borrowing or L/C Advance in respect of the relevant L/C Borrowing, as the case may be.  A certificate of the L/C Issuer submitted to any Lender (through the Administrative Agent) with respect to any amounts owing under this clause (vi) shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

(d)           Repayment of Participations.

(i)            At any time after the L/C Issuer has made a payment under any Letter of Credit and has received from any Lender such Lender’s L/C Advance in respect of such payment in accordance with Section 2.3(c), if the Administrative Agent receives for the account of the L/C Issuer any payment in respect of the related Unreimbursed Amount or interest thereon (whether directly from the Borrower or otherwise, including proceeds of Cash Collateral applied thereto by the Administrative Agent), the Administrative Agent will distribute to such Lender

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its Applicable Percentage thereof in the same funds as those received by the Administrative Agent.

(ii)           If any payment received by the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer pursuant to Section 2.3(c)(i) is required to be returned under any of the circumstances described in Section 10.2(b) (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the L/C Issuer in its discretion), each Lender shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer its Applicable Percentage thereof on demand of the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such amount is returned by such Lender, at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect.  The obligations of the Lenders under this clause shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.

(e)           Obligations Absolute.  The obligation of the Borrower to reimburse the L/C Issuer for each drawing under each Letter of Credit and to repay each L/C Borrowing shall be absolute, unconditional and irrevocable, and shall be paid strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement under all circumstances, including the following:

(i)            any lack of validity or enforceability of such Letter of Credit, this Agreement or any other Loan Document;

(ii)           the existence of any claim, counterclaim, setoff, defense or other right that the Borrower or any Subsidiary may have at any time against any beneficiary or any transferee of such Letter of Credit (or any Person for whom any such beneficiary or any such transferee may be acting), the L/C Issuer or any other Person, whether in connection with this Agreement, the transactions contemplated hereby or by such Letter of Credit or any agreement or instrument relating thereto, or any unrelated transaction;

(iii)          any draft, demand, certificate or other document presented under such Letter of Credit proving to be forged, fraudulent, invalid or insufficient in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any respect; or any loss or delay in the transmission or otherwise of any document required in order to make a drawing under such Letter of Credit;

(iv)          any payment by the L/C Issuer under such Letter of Credit against presentation of a draft or certificate that does not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit; or any payment made by the L/C Issuer under such Letter of Credit to any Person purporting to be a trustee in bankruptcy, debtor-in-possession, assignee for the benefit of creditors, liquidator, receiver or other representative of or successor to any beneficiary or any transferee of such Letter of Credit, including any arising in connection with any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law; or

(v)           any other circumstance or happening whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing, including any other circumstance that might

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otherwise constitute a defense available to, or a discharge of, the Borrower or any Subsidiary.

The Borrower shall promptly examine a copy of each Letter of Credit and each amendment thereto that is delivered to it and, in the event of any claim of noncompliance with the Borrower’s instructions or other irregularity, the Borrower will immediately notify the L/C Issuer.  The Borrower shall be conclusively deemed to have waived any such claim against the L/C Issuer and its correspondents unless such notice is given as aforesaid.

(f)            Role of L/C Issuer.  Each Lender and the Borrower agree that, in paying any drawing under a Letter of Credit, the L/C Issuer shall not have any responsibility to obtain any document (other than any sight draft, certificates and documents expressly required by the Letter of Credit) or to ascertain or inquire as to the validity or accuracy of any such document or the authority of the Person executing or delivering any such document.  None of the L/C Issuer, the Administrative Agent, any of their respective Related Parties nor any correspondent, participant or assignee of the L/C Issuer shall be liable to any Lender for (i) any action taken or omitted in connection herewith at the request or with the approval of the Lenders or the Required Lenders, as applicable; (ii) any action taken or omitted in the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct; or (iii) the due execution, effectiveness, validity or enforceability of any document or instrument related to any Letter of Credit or Issuer Document.  The Borrower hereby assumes all risks of the acts or omissions of any beneficiary or transferee with respect to its use of any Letter of Credit; provided, however, that this assumption is not intended to, and shall not, preclude the Borrower’s pursuing such rights and remedies as it may have against the beneficiary or transferee at law or under any other agreement.  None of the L/C Issuer, the Administrative Agent, any of their respective Related Parties nor any correspondent, participant or assignee of the L/C Issuer shall be liable or responsible for any of the matters described in clauses (i) through (v) of Section 2.3(e); provided, however, that anything in such clauses to the contrary notwithstanding, the Borrower may have a claim against the L/C Issuer, and the L/C Issuer may be liable to the Borrower, to the extent, but only to the extent, of any direct, as opposed to consequential or exemplary, damages suffered by the Borrower which (a) are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have been caused by the L/C Issuer’s willful misconduct or gross negligence or (b) the Borrower proves were caused by the L/C Issuer’s willful failure to pay under any Letter of Credit after the presentation to it by the beneficiary of a sight draft and certificate(s) strictly complying with the terms and conditions of a Letter of Credit.  In furtherance and not in limitation of the foregoing, the L/C Issuer may accept documents that appear on their face to be in order, without responsibility for further investigation, regardless of any notice or information to the contrary, and the L/C Issuer shall not be responsible for the validity or sufficiency of any instrument transferring or assigning or purporting to transfer or assign a Letter of Credit or the rights or benefits thereunder or proceeds thereof, in whole or in part, which may prove to be invalid or ineffective for any reason.

(g)           Applicability of ISP.  Unless otherwise expressly agreed by the L/C Issuer and the Borrower when a Letter of Credit is issued (including any such agreement

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applicable to an Existing Letter of Credit), the rules of the ISP shall apply to each Letter of Credit.

(h)           Letter of Credit Fees.  The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender in accordance with its Applicable Percentage a Letter of Credit fee (the “Letter of Credit Fee”) equal to the Applicable Rate times the daily amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit; provided, however, any Letter of Credit Fees otherwise payable for the account of a Defaulting Lender with respect to any Letter of Credit as to which such Defaulting Lender has not provided Cash Collateral satisfactory to the L/C Issuer pursuant to this Section 2.3 shall be payable, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable Law, to the other Lenders in accordance with the upward adjustments in their respective Applicable Percentages allocable to such Letter of Credit pursuant to Section 2.17(a)(iii), with the balance of such fee, if any, payable to the L/C Issuer for its own account.  For purposes of computing the daily amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance with Section 1.5.  Letter of Credit Fees shall be (i) due and payable on the first Business Day after the end of each March, June, September and December, commencing with the first such date to occur after the issuance of such Letter of Credit, on the expiry date and thereafter on demand and (ii) computed on a quarterly basis in arrears.  If there is any change in the Applicable Rate during any quarter, the daily amount available to be drawn under each Letter of Credit shall be computed and multiplied by the Applicable Rate separately for each period during such quarter that such Applicable Rate was in effect.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, upon the request of the Required Lenders, while any Event of Default exists, all Letter of Credit Fees shall accrue at the Default Rate.

(i)            Fronting Fee and Documentary and Processing Charges Payable to L/C Issuer.  The Borrower shall pay directly to the L/C Issuer for its own account a fronting fee with respect to each Letter of Credit, at the rate per annum specified in the applicable L/C Issuer Fee Letter, computed on the daily amount available to be drawn under such Letter of Credit and due and payable quarterly in arrears (no longer than 30 days following billing).  For purposes of computing the daily amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance with Section 1.5.  In addition, the Borrower shall pay directly to the L/C Issuer for its own account the customary issuance, presentation, amendment and other processing fees, and other standard costs and charges, of the L/C Issuer relating to letters of credit as from time to time in effect.  Such customary fees and standard costs and charges are due and payable in arrears (no longer than 30 days following billing) and are nonrefundable.

(j)            Conflict with Issuer Documents.  In the event of any conflict between the terms hereof and the terms of any Issuer Document, the terms hereof shall control.

(k)           Letters of Credit Issued for Subsidiaries. Notwithstanding that a Letter of Credit issued or outstanding hereunder is in support of any obligations of, or is for the account of, a Subsidiary, the Borrower shall be obligated to reimburse the applicable L/C Issuer hereunder for any and all drawings under such Letter of Credit. The Borrower

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hereby acknowledges that the issuance of Letters of Credit for the account of Subsidiaries inures to the benefit of the Borrower, and that the Borrower’s business derives substantial benefits from the businesses of such Subsidiaries.

2.4          Swing Line Loans.

(a)           The Swing Line.  Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Swing Line Lender, in reliance upon the agreements of the other Lenders set forth in this Section 2.4, may in its sole discretion make loans (each such loan, a “Swing Line Loan”) to the Borrower from time to time on any Business Day during the Availability Period in an aggregate amount not to exceed at any time outstanding the amount of the Swing Line Sublimit, notwithstanding the fact that such Swing Line Loans, when aggregated with the Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of Committed Loans and L/C Obligations of the Lender acting as Swing Line Lender, may exceed the amount of such Lender’s Commitment; provided, however, that after giving effect to any Swing Line Loan, (i) the Total Outstandings shall not exceed the Aggregate Commitments, and (ii) the aggregate Outstanding Amount of the Committed Loans of any Lender, plus such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations, plus such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all Swing Line Loans shall not exceed such Lender’s Commitment, and provided, further, that the Borrower shall not use the proceeds of any Swing Line Loan to refinance any outstanding Swing Line Loan.  Within the foregoing limits, and subject to the other terms and conditions hereof, the Borrower may borrow under this Section 2.4, prepay under Section 2.5 and reborrow under this Section 2.4.  Each Swing Line Loan shall be a Base Rate Loan.  Immediately upon the making of a Swing Line Loan, each Lender shall be deemed to, and hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to, purchase from the Swing Line Lender a risk participation in such Swing Line Loan in an amount equal to the product of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage times the amount of such Swing Line Loan.

(b)           Borrowing Procedures.  Each Swing Line Borrowing shall be made upon the Borrower’s irrevocable notice to the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent, which may be given by telephone. Each such notice must be received by the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent not later than 1:00 p.m. on the requested borrowing date, and shall specify (i) the amount to be borrowed, which shall be a minimum of $100,000, and (ii) the requested borrowing date, which shall be a Business Day.  Each such telephonic notice must be confirmed promptly by delivery to the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent of a written Swing Line Loan Notice, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower.  Promptly after receipt by the Swing Line Lender of any telephonic Swing Line Loan Notice, the Swing Line Lender will confirm with the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) that the Administrative Agent has also received such Swing Line Loan Notice and, if not, the Swing Line Lender will notify the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) of the contents thereof.  Unless the Swing Line Lender has received notice (by telephone or in writing) from the Administrative Agent (including at the request of any Lender) prior to 2:00 p.m. on the date of the proposed Swing Line Borrowing (A) directing the Swing Line Lender not to make such Swing Line Loan as a result of the limitations set forth in the first proviso to the first sentence of Section 2.4(a), or (B) that

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one or more of the applicable conditions specified in Section 4 is not then satisfied, then, subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Swing Line Lender will, not later than 3:00 p.m. on the borrowing date specified in such Swing Line Loan Notice, make the amount of its Swing Line Loan available to the Borrower at its office by crediting the account of the Borrower on the books of the Swing Line Lender in immediately available funds.

(c)           Refinancing of Swing Line Loans.

(i)            The Swing Line Lender at any time in its sole discretion may request, on behalf of the Borrower (which hereby irrevocably authorizes the Swing Line Lender to so request on its behalf), that each Lender make a Base Rate Committed Loan in an amount equal to such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the amount of Swing Line Loans then outstanding.  Such request shall be made in writing (which written request shall be deemed to be a Committed Loan Notice for purposes hereof) and in accordance with the requirements of Section 2.2, without regard to the minimum and multiples specified therein for the principal amount of Base Rate Loans, but subject to the unutilized portion of the Aggregate Commitments and the conditions set forth in Section 4.2.  The Swing Line Lender shall furnish the Borrower with a copy of the applicable Committed Loan Notice promptly after delivering such notice to the Administrative Agent.  Each Lender shall make an amount equal to its Applicable Percentage of the amount specified in such Committed Loan Notice available to the Administrative Agent in immediately available funds (and the Administrative Agent may apply Cash Collateral available with respect to the applicable Swing Line Loan) for the account of the Swing Line Lender at the Administrative Agent’s Office not later than 1:00 p.m. on the day specified in such Committed Loan Notice, whereupon, subject to Section 2.4(c)(ii), each Lender that so makes funds available shall be deemed to have made a Base Rate Committed Loan to the Borrower in such amount.  The Administrative Agent shall remit the funds so received to the Swing Line Lender.

(ii)           If for any reason any Swing Line Loan cannot be refinanced by such a Committed Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.4(c)(i), the request for Base Rate Committed Loans submitted by the Swing Line Lender as set forth herein shall be deemed to be a request by the Swing Line Lender that each of the Lenders fund its risk participation in the relevant Swing Line Loan and each Lender’s payment to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Swing Line Lender pursuant to Section 2.4(c)(i) shall be deemed payment in respect of such participation.

(iii)          If any Lender fails to make available to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Swing Line Lender any amount required to be paid by such Lender pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.4(c) by the time specified in Section 2.4(c)(i), the Swing Line Lender shall be entitled to recover from such Lender (acting through the Administrative Agent), on demand, such amount with interest thereon for the period from the date such payment is

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required to the date on which such payment is immediately available to the Swing Line Lender at a rate per annum equal to the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Swing Line Lender in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation, plus any administrative, processing or similar fees customarily charged by the Swing Line Lender in connection with the foregoing.  If such Lender pays such amount (with interest and fees as aforesaid), the amount so paid shall constitute such Lender’s Committed Loan included in the relevant Committed Borrowing or funded participation in the relevant Swing Line Loan, as the case may be.  A certificate of the Swing Line Lender submitted to any Lender (through the Administrative Agent) with respect to any amounts owing under this clause (iii) shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

(iv)          Each Lender’s obligation to make Committed Loans or to purchase and fund risk participations in Swing Line Loans pursuant to this Section 2.4(c) shall be absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance, including (A) any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other right which such Lender may have against the Swing Line Lender, the Borrower or any other Person for any reason whatsoever, (B) the occurrence or continuance of a Default, or (C) any other occurrence, event or condition, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing; provided, however, that each Lender’s obligation to make Committed Loans pursuant to this Section 2.4(c) is subject to the conditions set forth in Section 4.2.  No such funding of risk participations shall relieve or otherwise impair the obligation of the Borrower to repay Swing Line Loans, together with interest as provided herein.

(d)           Repayment of Participations.

(i)            At any time after any Lender has purchased and funded a risk participation in a Swing Line Loan, if the Swing Line Lender receives any payment on account of such Swing Line Loan, the Swing Line Lender will distribute to such Lender its Applicable Percentage thereof in the same funds as those received by the Swing Line Lender.

(ii)           If any payment received by the Swing Line Lender in respect of principal or interest on any Swing Line Loan is required to be returned by the Swing Line Lender under any of the circumstances described in Section 10.2(b) (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the Swing Line Lender in its discretion), each Lender shall pay to the Swing Line Lender its Applicable Percentage thereof on demand of the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such amount is returned, at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate.  The Administrative Agent will make such demand upon the request of the Swing Line Lender.  The obligations of the Lenders under this clause shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.

(e)           Interest for Account of Swing Line Lender.  The Swing Line Lender shall be responsible for invoicing the Borrower for interest on the Swing Line Loans.  Until

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each Lender funds its Base Rate Committed Loan or risk participation pursuant to this Section 2.4 to refinance such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of any Swing Line Loan, interest in respect of such Applicable Percentage shall be solely for the account of the Swing Line Lender.

(f)            Payments Directly to Swing Line Lender.  The Borrower shall make all payments of principal and interest in respect of the Swing Line Loans directly to the Swing Line Lender.

2.5          Prepayments.

(a)           The Borrower may, upon notice to the Administrative Agent, at any time or from time to time voluntarily prepay Committed Loans in whole or in part without premium or penalty; provided that (i) such notice must be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. (A) three Business Days prior to any date of prepayment of Eurodollar Rate Loans and (B) on the date of prepayment of Base Rate Committed Loans; (ii) any prepayment of Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $5,000,000 or a whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof; and (iii) any prepayment of Base Rate Committed Loans shall be in a principal amount of $500,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof or, in each case, if less, the entire principal amount thereof then outstanding.  Each such notice shall specify the date and amount of such prepayment and the Type(s) of Committed Loans to be prepaid and, if Eurodollar Rate Loans are to be prepaid, the Interest Period(s) of such Loans.  The Administrative Agent will promptly notify each Lender of its receipt of each such notice, and of the amount of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such prepayment.  If such notice is given by the Borrower, the Borrower shall make such prepayment and the payment amount specified in such notice shall be due and payable on the date specified therein.  Any prepayment of a Eurodollar Rate Loan shall be accompanied by all accrued interest on the amount prepaid, together with any additional amounts required pursuant to Section 3.5.  Subject to Section 2.17, each such prepayment shall be applied to the Committed Loans of the Lenders in accordance with their respective Applicable Percentages.

(b)           The Borrower shall prepay any Unreimbursed Amount relating to any Liquidity Drawing under a Bond Letter of Credit (and any L/C Borrowings and, if an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, Committed Loans the proceeds of which were applied to the refinancing of such Unreimbursed Amount) on the earlier of (i) the date of the remarketing to investors of the Bonds purchased with the proceeds of such Liquidity Drawing, the amount of such prepayment to be equal to the principal amount of the Bonds so remarketed, and (ii) the date on which such Bond Letter of Credit is replaced with another liquidity or credit facility pursuant to the applicable Issuer Documents, the amount of such prepayment to be equal to the full amount of such Unreimbursed Amount, L/C Borrowings or Committed Loans, as the case may be.

(c)           The Borrower may, upon notice to the Swing Line Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), at any time or from time to time, voluntarily prepay Swing Line Loans in whole or in part without premium or penalty; provided that (i) such notice must be received by the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent not later than

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1:00 p.m. on the date of the prepayment, and (ii) any such prepayment shall be in a minimum principal amount of $100,000.  Each such notice shall specify the date and amount of such prepayment.  If such notice is given by the Borrower, the Borrower shall make such prepayment and the payment amount specified in such notice shall be due and payable on the date specified therein.

(d)           If for any reason the Total Outstandings at any time exceed the Aggregate Commitments then in effect, the Borrower shall immediately prepay Loans and/or Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations in an aggregate amount equal to such excess; provided, however, that the Borrower shall not be required to Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations pursuant to this Section 2.5(d) unless after the prepayment in full of the Committed Loans and Swing Line Loans the Total Outstandings exceed the Aggregate Commitments then in effect.

2.6          Termination or Reduction of Commitments.

The Borrower may, upon notice to the Administrative Agent, terminate the Aggregate Commitments, or from time to time permanently reduce the Aggregate Commitments; provided that (i) any such notice shall be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. five Business Days prior to the date of termination or reduction, (ii) any such partial reduction shall be in an aggregate amount of $25,000,000 or any whole multiple of $5,000,000 in excess thereof, (iii) the Borrower shall not terminate or reduce the Aggregate Commitments if, after giving effect thereto and to any concurrent prepayments hereunder, the Total Outstandings would exceed the Aggregate Commitments, and (iv) if, after giving effect to any reduction of the Aggregate Commitments, the Letter of Credit Sublimit or the Swing Line Sublimit exceeds the amount of the Aggregate Commitments, such Sublimit shall be automatically reduced by the amount of such excess.  The Administrative Agent will promptly notify the Lenders of any such notice of termination or reduction of the Aggregate Commitments.  Any reduction of the Aggregate Commitments shall be applied to the Commitment of each Lender according to its Applicable Percentage.  All fees accrued until the effective date of any termination of the Aggregate Commitments shall be paid on the effective date of such termination.

2.7          Repayment of Loans.

(a)           The Borrower shall repay to the Lenders on the Maturity Date the aggregate principal amount of Committed Loans outstanding on such date.

(b)           The Borrower shall repay each Swing Line Loan on the earlier to occur of (i) the date ten Business Days after such Loan is made and (ii) the Maturity Date.

2.8          Interest.

(a)           Subject to the provisions of subsection (b) below, (i) each Eurodollar Rate Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof for each Interest Period at a rate per annum equal to the Eurodollar Rate for such Interest Period plus the Applicable Rate; (ii) each Base Rate Committed Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof from the applicable borrowing date at a rate per annum equal to the Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate; and (iii) each Swing Line Loan

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shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof from the applicable borrowing date at a rate per annum equal to the Base Rate plus the Applicable Rate.

(b)           (i)            If any amount of principal of any Loan is not paid when due (without regard to any applicable grace periods), whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise, such amount shall thereafter bear interest at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Laws.

(ii)           If any amount (other than principal of any Loan) payable by the Borrower under any Loan Document is not paid when due (without regard to any applicable grace periods), whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise, then upon the request of the Required Lenders, such amount shall thereafter bear interest at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Laws.

(iii)          Upon the request of the Required Lenders, while any Event of Default exists, the Borrower shall pay interest on the principal amount of all outstanding Obligations hereunder at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Laws.

(iv)          Accrued and unpaid interest on past due amounts (including interest on past due interest) shall be due and payable upon demand.

(c)           Interest on each Loan shall be due and payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date applicable thereto and at such other times as may be specified herein.  Interest hereunder shall be due and payable in accordance with the terms hereof before and after judgment, and before and after the commencement of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law.

2.9          Fees.

In addition to certain fees described in subsections (h) and (i) of Section 2.3:

(a)           Unused Fee.  The Borrower shall pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender in accordance with its Applicable Percentage a commitment fee (the “Unused Fee”) equal to the Applicable Rate times the actual daily amount by which the Aggregate Commitments exceed the sum of (i) the Outstanding Amount of Committed Loans and (ii) the Outstanding Amount of L/C Obligations, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 2.17.  The Unused Fee shall accrue at all times during the Availability Period, including at any time during which one or more of the conditions in Article IV is not met, and shall be due and payable quarterly in arrears on the last Business Day of each March, June, September and December, commencing with the first such date to occur after the Closing Date, and on the last day of the Availability Period.  The Unused Fee shall be calculated quarterly in arrears, and if there is any change in the Applicable Rate during any quarter, the actual daily amount shall be computed and multiplied by the Applicable Rate separately for each period during such quarter that such Applicable Rate was in effect.

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(b)           Other Fees.  The Borrower shall pay to the Joint Lead Arrangers and the Administrative Agent for their own respective accounts or the accounts of the Lenders, as the case may be, fees in the amounts and at the times specified in the Fee Letters.  Such fees shall be fully earned when paid and shall not be refundable for any reason whatsoever.

2.10        Computation of Interest and Fees.

All computations of interest for Base Rate Loans (including Base Rate Loans determined by reference to the Eurodollar Rate) shall be made on the basis of a year of 365 or 366 days, as the case may be, and actual days elapsed.  All other computations of fees and interest shall be made on the basis of a 360-day year and actual days elapsed (which results in more fees or interest, as applicable, being paid than if computed on the basis of a 365-day year).  Interest shall accrue on each Loan for the day on which the Loan is made, and shall not accrue on a Loan, or any portion thereof, for the day on which the Loan or such portion is paid, provided that any Loan that is repaid on the same day on which it is made shall, subject to Section 2.12(a), bear interest for one day.  Each determination by the Administrative Agent of an interest rate or fee hereunder shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.

2.11        Evidence of Debt.

(a)           The Credit Extensions made by each Lender shall be evidenced by one or more accounts or records maintained by such Lender and by the Administrative Agent in the ordinary course of business.  The accounts or records maintained by the Administrative Agent and each Lender shall be conclusive absent manifest error of the amount of the Credit Extensions made by the Lenders to the Borrower and the interest and payments thereon.  Any failure to so record or any error in doing so shall not, however, limit or otherwise affect the obligation of the Borrower hereunder to pay any amount owing with respect to the Obligations.  In the event of any conflict between the accounts and records maintained by any Lender and the accounts and records of the Administrative Agent in respect of such matters, the accounts and records of the Administrative Agent shall control in the absence of manifest error.  Upon the request of any Lender made through the Administrative Agent, the Borrower shall execute and deliver to such Lender (through the Administrative Agent) a Note, which shall evidence such Lender’s Loans in addition to such accounts or records.  Each Lender may attach schedules to its Note and endorse thereon the date, Type (if applicable), amount and maturity of its Loans and payments with respect thereto.

(b)           In addition to the accounts and records referred to in subsection (a), each Lender and the Administrative Agent shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice accounts or records evidencing the purchases and sales by such Lender of participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans.  In the event of any conflict between the accounts and records maintained by the Administrative Agent and the accounts and records of any Lender in respect of such matters, the accounts and records of the Administrative Agent shall control in the absence of manifest error.

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2.12        Payments Generally; Administrative Agent’s Clawback.

(a)           General.  All payments to be made by the Borrower shall be made without condition or deduction for any counterclaim, defense, recoupment or setoff.  Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all payments by the Borrower hereunder shall be made to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the respective Lenders to which such payment is owed, at the Administrative Agent’s Office in Dollars and in immediately available funds not later than 2:00 p.m. on the date specified herein.  The Administrative Agent will promptly distribute to each Lender its Applicable Percentage (or other applicable share as provided herein) of such payment in like funds as received by wire transfer to such Lender’s Lending Office.  All payments received by the Administrative Agent after 2:00 p.m. shall be deemed received on the next succeeding Business Day and any applicable interest or fee shall continue to accrue.  If any payment to be made by the Borrower shall come due on a day other than a Business Day, payment shall be made on the next following Business Day, and such extension of time shall be reflected in computing interest or fees, as the case may be.

(b)           Funding by Lenders; Presumption by Administrative Agent.

(i)            Funding by Lenders.  Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the proposed date of any Committed Borrowing of Eurodollar Rate Loans (or, in the case of any Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans, prior to 12:00 noon on the date of such Committed Borrowing) that such Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s share of such Committed Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available on such date in accordance with Section 2.2 (or, in the case of a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans, that such Lender has made such share available in accordance with and at the time required by Section 2.2) and may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the Borrower a corresponding amount.  In such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share of the applicable Committed Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent, then the applicable Lender and the Borrower severally agree to pay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount in immediately available funds with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is made available to the Borrower to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (A) in the case of a payment to be made by such Lender, the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation, plus any administrative, processing or similar fees customarily charged by the Administrative Agent in connection with the foregoing, and (B) in the case of a payment to be made by the Borrower, the interest rate applicable to Base Rate Loans.  If the Borrower and such Lender shall pay such interest to the Administrative Agent for the same or an overlapping period, the Administrative Agent shall promptly remit to the Borrower the amount of such interest paid by the Borrower for such period.  If such Lender pays its share of the applicable Committed Borrowing to the Administrative Agent, then the amount so paid shall

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constitute such Lender’s Committed Loan included in such Committed Borrowing.  Any payment by the Borrower shall be without prejudice to any claim the Borrower may have against a Lender that shall have failed to make such payment to the Administrative Agent.

(ii)           Payments by Borrower; Presumptions by Administrative Agent.  Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from the Borrower prior to the date on which any payment is due to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders or the L/C Issuers hereunder that the Borrower will not make such payment, the Administrative Agent may assume that the Borrower has made such payment on such date in accordance herewith and may, in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to the Lenders or the L/C Issuers, as the case may be, the amount due.  In such event, if the Borrower has not in fact made such payment, then each of the Lenders or the L/C Issuers, as the case may be, severally agrees to repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the amount so distributed to such Lender or the L/C Issuers, in immediately available funds with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is distributed to it to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation.

A notice of the Administrative Agent to any Lender, and L/C Issuer or the Borrower with respect to any amount owing under this subsection (b) shall be conclusive, absent manifest error.

(c)           Failure to Satisfy Conditions Precedent.  If any Lender makes available to the Administrative Agent funds for any Loan to be made by such Lender as provided in the foregoing provisions of this Section 2, and such funds are not made available to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent because the conditions to the applicable Credit Extension set forth in Section 4 are not satisfied or waived in accordance with the terms hereof, the Administrative Agent shall promptly return such funds (in like funds as received from such Lender) to such Lender, without interest.

(d)           Obligations of Lenders Several.  The obligations of the Lenders hereunder to make Committed Loans, to fund participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans and to make payments pursuant to Section 10.5(c) are several and not joint.  The failure of any Lender to make any Committed Loan, to fund any such participation or to make any payment under Section 10.5(c) on any date required hereunder shall not relieve any other Lender of its corresponding obligation to do so on such date, and no Lender shall be responsible for the failure of any other Lender to so make its Committed Loan, to purchase its participation or to make its payment under Section 10.5(c).

(e)           Funding Source.  Nothing herein shall be deemed to obligate any Lender to obtain the funds for any Loan in any particular place or manner or to constitute a representation by any Lender that it has obtained or will obtain the funds for any Loan in any particular place or manner.

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2.13        Sharing of Payments by Lenders.

If any Lender shall, by exercising any right of setoff or counterclaim or otherwise, obtain payment in respect of any principal of or interest on any of the Committed Loans made by it, or the participations in L/C Obligations or in Swing Line Loans held by it resulting in such Lender’s receiving payment of a proportion of the aggregate amount of such Committed Loans or participations and accrued interest thereon greater than its pro rata share thereof as provided herein, then the Lender receiving such greater proportion shall (a) notify the Administrative Agent of such fact, and (b) purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the Committed Loans and subparticipations in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans of the other Lenders, or make such other adjustments as shall be equitable, so that the benefit of all such payments shall be shared by the Lenders ratably in accordance with the aggregate amount of principal of and accrued interest on their respective Committed Loans and other amounts owing them, provided that:

(i)            if any such participations or subparticipations are purchased and all or any portion of the payment giving rise thereto is recovered, such participations or subparticipations shall be rescinded and the purchase price restored to the extent of such recovery, without interest; and

(ii)           the provisions of this Section shall not be construed to apply to (x) any payment made by or on behalf of the Borrower pursuant to and in accordance with the express terms of this Agreement (including the application of funds arising from the existence of a Defaulting Lender), (y) the application of Cash Collateral provided for in Section 2.16, or (z) any payment obtained by a Lender as consideration for the assignment of or sale of a participation in any of its Committed Loans or subparticipations in L/C Obligations or Swing Line Loans to any assignee or participant, other than an assignment to the Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof (as to which the provisions of this Section shall apply).

The Borrower consents to the foregoing and agrees, to the extent it may effectively do so under applicable law, that any Lender acquiring a participation pursuant to the foregoing arrangements may exercise against the Borrower rights of setoff and counterclaim with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were a direct creditor of the Borrower in the amount of such participation.

2.14        Extension of Maturity Date.

(a)           Requests for Extension.  The Borrower may, by notice to the Administrative Agent (who shall promptly notify the Lenders) not earlier than the first anniversary of the Closing Date, request that, effective on a specified date (the “Extension Date”), each Lender agree to an extension of the Maturity Date then in effect (the “Existing Maturity Date”) to a specified new date (the “New Maturity Date”) that shall be at least one year after the Existing Maturity Date.

(b)           Lender Elections to Extend.  Each Lender, acting in its sole and individual discretion, by the date (the “Notice Date”) that is 35 days after the date of such request,

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shall, by notice to the Administrative Agent, advise the Administrative Agent whether or not such Lender agrees to such extension (and each Lender that determines not to so extend its Maturity Date (a “Non Extending Lender”) shall notify the Administrative Agent of such fact promptly after such determination, and any Lender that does not so advise the Administrative Agent on or before the Notice Date shall be deemed to be a Non Extending Lender).  The election of any Lender to agree to such extension shall not obligate any other Lender to so agree.

(c)           Notification by Administrative Agent.  The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower of each Lender’s determination under this Section promptly following the Notice Date.

(d)           Payment to Non Extending Lender; Additional Commitment Lenders.  The Commitment of each Non Extending Lender automatically will terminate on the Existing Maturity Date as in effect immediately prior to the applicable extension and the Borrower shall pay all Committed Loans and other Borrower Obligations owing to such Non Extending Lender on the Existing Maturity Date to the extent not paid by an Additional Commitment Lender pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption as hereinafter set forth. The Borrower shall have the right to replace each Non Extending Lender with, and add as “Lenders” under this Agreement in place thereof, one or more Eligible Assignees (each, an “Additional Commitment Lender”) as provided in Section 10.18; provided that each of such Additional Commitment Lenders shall enter into an Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Additional Commitment Lender shall, effective as of the Extension Date, undertake a Commitment (and, if any such Additional Commitment Lender is already a Lender, its Commitment shall be in addition to such Lender’s Commitment hereunder on such date).

(e)           Minimum Extension Requirement.  If (and only if) (i) the total of the Commitments of the Lenders that have agreed so to extend their Maturity Date (each, an “Extending Lender”) and the additional Commitments of the Additional Commitment Lenders shall be more than 75% of the aggregate amount of the Commitments previously in effect and (ii) the aggregate Commitments shall be at least equal to the Outstanding Amount of Committed Loans, Swing Line Loans and L/C Obligations on and after the Existing Maturity Date, then, effective as of the Extension Date, the Maturity Date shall be extended to the New Maturity Date (except that, if such date is not a Business Day, such Maturity Date as so extended shall be the next preceding Business Day) and each Additional Commitment Lender shall thereupon become a “Lender” for all purposes of this Agreement.

(f)            Conditions to Effectiveness of Extensions.  As a condition precedent to such extension, the Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent a certificate of the Borrower dated as of the Extension Date (in sufficient copies for each Extending Lender and each Additional Commitment Lender) signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower (i) certifying and attaching the resolutions adopted by the Borrower approving or consenting to such extension and (ii) certifying that, before and after giving effect to such extension, (A) the representations and warranties contained in Article V and the other Loan Documents are true and correct on and as of the Extension Date, except to the

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extent that such representations and warranties specifically refer to an earlier date, in which case they are true and correct as of such earlier date, and except that for purposes of this Section 2.14, the representations and warranties contained in subsections (a) and (b) of Section 5.6 shall be deemed to refer to the most recent statements furnished pursuant to subsections (a) and (b), respectively, of Section 6.1, and (B) no Default exists.  In addition, on the Extension Date, the Borrower shall prepay any Committed Loans outstanding on such date (and pay any additional amounts required pursuant to Section 3.5) to the extent necessary to keep outstanding Committed Loans ratable with any revised Applicable Percentages of the respective Lenders effective as of such date.

(g)           Conflicting Provisions.  This Section shall supersede any provisions in Section 2.13 or 10.6 to the contrary.

2.15        Increase in Commitments.

Prior to the Maturity Date and upon at least 45 days’ prior written notice to the Administrative Agent (which notice shall be promptly transmitted by the Administrative Agent to each Lender), the Borrower shall have the revocable right, from time to time during the term of this Agreement and subject to the terms and conditions set forth below, to increase the aggregate amount of the Aggregate Commitments; provided that (a) no Default or Event of Default shall exist at the time of the request or the proposed increase in the Aggregate Commitments, (b) any such increase must be in a minimum amount of $25,000,000 and in integral multiples of $5,000,000 above such amount, (c) the sum of any increases to the Revolving Loan Commitment during the term of this Agreement shall not exceed THREE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS ($300,000,000), (d) no individual Lender’s Commitment may be increased without such Lender’s written consent, (e) the Borrower shall execute and deliver such Note(s) as are necessary to reflect the increase in the respective Commitments, (f) Schedule 1.1 shall be amended to reflect the revised Commitments and revised Applicable Percentages of the Lenders and (g) if any Loans are outstanding at the time of an increase in the Aggregate Commitments, the Borrower will prepay (provided that any such prepayment shall not be subject to any minimum amount of prepayment or any requirements regarding pro rata repayments but shall be subject to Section 3.5) one or more existing Loans in an amount necessary such that after giving effect to the increase in the Aggregate Commitments each Lender will hold its pro rata share (based on its share of the revised Aggregate Commitments) of outstanding Loans.

Any such increase in the Aggregate Commitments shall apply, at the option of the Borrower, to (x) the Commitment of one or more existing Lenders; provided that any Lender whose Commitment is being increased must consent in writing thereto and if more than one Lender wishes to participate then such increase shall be allocated pro rata among such Lenders (based on the amount that each such Lender was willing to increase its Commitment) and/or (y) a new Commitment for one or more institutions that is not an existing Lender so long as such institution (A) conforms to the definition of Eligible Assignee, (B) is approved by the Administrative Agent (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed), (C) receives a Commitment of at least $5,000,000 and (D) becomes a Lender under this Agreement by execution and delivery of an appropriate joinder agreement or of counterparts to this Agreement in a manner acceptable to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent.

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This Section shall supersede any provisions in Section 2.13 or 10.6 to the contrary.

2.16        Cash Collateral.

(a)           Certain Credit Support Events.  Upon the request of the Administrative Agent or an L/C Issuer (i) if the L/C Issuer has honored any full or partial drawing request under any Letter of Credit and such drawing has resulted in an L/C Borrowing, or (ii) if, as of the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, any L/C Obligation for any reason remains outstanding, the Borrower shall, in each case, immediately Cash Collateralize the then Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations.  At any time that there shall exist a Defaulting Lender, immediately upon the request of the Administrative Agent, the affected L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender, the Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent Cash Collateral in an amount sufficient to cover all Fronting Exposure (after giving effect to Section 2.17(a)(iii) and any Cash Collateral provided by the Defaulting Lender).

(b)           Grant of Security Interest.  All Cash Collateral (other than credit support not constituting funds subject to deposit) shall be maintained in blocked, non-interest bearing deposit accounts at the Administrative Agent.  The Borrower, and to the extent provided by any Lender, such Lender, hereby grants to (and subjects to the control of) the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuers and the Lenders (including the Swing Line Lender), and agrees to maintain, a first priority security interest in all such cash, deposit accounts and all balances therein, and all other property so provided as collateral pursuant hereto, and in all proceeds of the foregoing, all as security for the obligations to which such Cash Collateral may be applied pursuant to Section 2.16(c).  If at any time the Administrative Agent determines that Cash Collateral is subject to any right or claim of any Person other than the Administrative Agent as herein provided, or that the total amount of such Cash Collateral is less than the applicable Fronting Exposure and other obligations secured thereby, the Borrower or the relevant Defaulting Lender will, promptly upon demand by the Administrative Agent, pay or provide to the Administrative Agent additional Cash Collateral in an amount sufficient to eliminate such deficiency.

(c)           Application.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, Cash Collateral provided under any of this Section 2.16 or Section 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.17 or 8.2 in respect of Letters of Credit or Swing Line Loans shall be held and applied to the satisfaction of the specific L/C Obligations, Swing Line Loans, obligations to fund participations therein (including, as to Cash Collateral provided by a Defaulting Lender, any interest accrued on such obligation) and other obligations for which the Cash Collateral was so provided, prior to any other application of such property as may be provided for herein.

(d)           Release.  Cash Collateral (or the appropriate portion thereof) provided to reduce Fronting Exposure or other obligations shall be released promptly following (i) the elimination of the applicable Fronting Exposure or other obligations giving rise thereto (including by the termination of Defaulting Lender status of the applicable Lender (or, as appropriate, its assignee following compliance with Section 10.3(b)(vi))) or (ii) the

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Administrative Agent’s good faith determination that there exists excess Cash Collateral; provided, however, (x) that Cash Collateral furnished by or on behalf of a Loan Party shall not be released during the continuance of a Default or Event of Default (and following application as provided in this Section 2.16 may be otherwise applied in accordance with Section 8.3), and (y) the Person providing Cash Collateral and the L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, as applicable, may agree that Cash Collateral shall not be released but instead held to support future anticipated Fronting Exposure or other obligations.

2.17        Defaulting Lenders.

(a)           Adjustments.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, if any Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, then, until such time as that Lender is no longer a Defaulting Lender, to the extent permitted by applicable Law:

(i)            Waivers and Amendments.  That Defaulting Lender’s right to approve or disapprove any amendment, waiver or consent with respect to this Agreement shall be restricted as set forth in Section 10.6.

(ii)           Reallocation of Payments.  Any payment of principal, interest, fees or other amounts received by the Administrative Agent for the account of that Defaulting Lender (whether voluntary or mandatory, at maturity, pursuant to Section 8 or otherwise, and including any amounts made available to the Administrative Agent by that Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 10.2), shall be applied at such time or times as may be determined by the Administrative Agent as follows: first, to the payment of any amounts owing by that Defaulting Lender to the Administrative Agent hereunder; second, to the payment on a pro rata basis of any amounts owing by that Defaulting Lender to the L/C Issuers or Swing Line Lender hereunder; third, if so determined by the Administrative Agent or requested by the L/C Issuers or the Swing Line Lender, to be held as Cash Collateral for future funding obligations of that Defaulting Lender of any participation in any Swing Line Loan or Letter of Credit; fourth, as the Borrower may request (so long as no Default or Event of Default exists), to the funding of any Loan in respect of which that Defaulting Lender has failed to fund its portion thereof as required by this Agreement, as determined by the Administrative Agent; fifth, if so determined by the Administrative Agent and the Borrower, to be held in a non-interest bearing deposit account and released in order to satisfy obligations of that Defaulting Lender to fund Loans under this Agreement; sixth, to the payment of any amounts owing to the Lenders, the L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by any Lender, the L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender against that Defaulting Lender as a result of that Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement; seventh, so long as no Default or Event of Default exists, to the payment of any amounts owing to the Borrower as a result of any judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction obtained by the Borrower against that Defaulting Lender as a result of that Defaulting Lender’s breach of its obligations under this Agreement; and eighth, to that Defaulting Lender or as otherwise directed by a

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court of competent jurisdiction; provided that if (x) such payment is a payment of the principal amount of any Loans or L/C Borrowings in respect of which that Defaulting Lender has not fully funded its appropriate share and (y) such Loans or L/C Borrowings were made at a time when the conditions set forth in Section 4.2 were satisfied or waived, such payment shall be applied solely to pay the Loans of, and L/C Borrowings owed to, all non-Defaulting Lenders on a pro rata basis prior to being applied to the payment of any Loans of, or L/C Borrowings owed to, that Defaulting Lender.  Any payments, prepayments or other amounts paid or payable to a Defaulting Lender that are applied (or held) to pay amounts owed by a Defaulting Lender or to post Cash Collateral pursuant to this Section 2.17(a)(ii) shall be deemed paid to and redirected by that Defaulting Lender, and each Lender irrevocably consents hereto.

(iii)          Certain Fees.  The Defaulting Lender (x) shall be entitled to receive any commitment fee pursuant to Section 2.9(a) for any period during which that Lender is a Defaulting Lender only to the extent allocable to the sum of (1) the Outstanding Amount of the Committed Loans funded by it and (2) its Applicable Percentage of the stated amount of Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans for which it has provided Cash Collateral pursuant to Section 2.3, Section 2.4, Section 2.16 or Section 2.17(a)(ii), as applicable (and the Borrower shall (A) be required to pay to each of the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender, as applicable, the amount of such fee allocable to its Fronting Exposure arising from that Defaulting Lender and (B) not be required to pay the remaining amount of such fee that otherwise would have been required to have been paid to that Defaulting Lender) and (y) shall be limited in its right to receive Letter of Credit Fees as provided in Section 2.3(h).

(iv)          Reallocation of Applicable Percentages to Reduce Fronting Exposure.  During any period in which there is a Defaulting Lender, for purposes of computing the amount of the obligation of each non-Defaulting Lender to acquire, refinance or fund participations in Letters of Credit or Swing Line Loans pursuant to Sections 2.3 and 2.4, the “Applicable Percentage” of each non-Defaulting Lender shall be computed without giving effect to the Commitment of that Defaulting Lender; provided, that (i) each such reallocation shall be given effect only if, at the date the applicable Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender, no Default or Event of Default exists; and (ii) the aggregate obligation of each non-Defaulting Lender to acquire, refinance or fund participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans shall not exceed the positive difference, if any, of (1) the Commitment of that non-Defaulting Lender minus (2) the aggregate Outstanding Amount of the Committed Loans of that Lender.

(b)           Defaulting Lender Cure.  If the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, Swing Line Lender and the L/C Issuers agree in writing in their sole discretion that a Defaulting Lender should no longer be deemed to be a Defaulting Lender, the Administrative Agent will so notify the parties hereto, whereupon as of the effective date specified in such notice and subject to any conditions set forth therein (which may include arrangements with respect to any Cash Collateral), that Lender will, to the extent

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applicable, purchase that portion of outstanding Loans of the other Lenders or take such other actions as the Administrative Agent may determine to be necessary to cause the Committed Loans and funded and unfunded participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans to be held on a pro rata basis by the Lenders in accordance with their Applicable Percentages (without giving effect to Section 2.17(a)(iv)), whereupon that Lender will cease to be a Defaulting Lender; provided that no adjustments will be made retroactively with respect to fees accrued or payments made by or on behalf of the Borrower while that Lender was a Defaulting Lender; and provided, further, that except to the extent otherwise expressly agreed by the affected parties, no change hereunder from Defaulting Lender to Lender will constitute a waiver or release of any claim of any party hereunder arising from that Lender’s having been a Defaulting Lender.

SECTION 3.

TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY

3.1          Taxes.

(a)           Payments Free of Taxes; Obligation to Withhold; Payments on Account of Taxes.

(i)            Any and all payments by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall to the extent permitted by applicable Laws be made free and clear of and without reduction or withholding for any Taxes.  If, however, applicable Laws require the Borrower or the Administrative Agent to withhold or deduct any Tax, such Tax shall be withheld or deducted in accordance with such Laws as determined by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be, upon the basis of the information and documentation to be delivered pursuant to subsection (e) below.

(ii)           If the Borrower or the Administrative Agent shall be required by the Code to withhold or deduct any Taxes, including both United States Federal backup withholding and withholding taxes, from any payment, then (A) the Administrative Agent shall withhold or make such deductions as are determined by the Administrative Agent to be required based upon the information and documentation it has received pursuant to subsection (e) below, (B) the Administrative Agent shall timely pay the full amount withheld or deducted to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with the Code, and (C) to the extent that the withholding or deduction is made on account of Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes, the sum payable by the Borrower shall be increased as necessary so that after any required withholding or the making of all required deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under this Section) the Administrative Agent, Lender or L/C Issuer, as the case may be, receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such withholding or deduction been made.

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(b)           Payment of Other Taxes by the Borrower.  Without limiting the provisions of subsection (a) above, the Borrower shall timely pay any Other Taxes to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable Laws.

(c)           Tax Indemnifications.

(i)            Without limiting the provisions of subsection (a) or (b) above, the Borrower shall, and does hereby, indemnify the Administrative Agent, each Lender and the L/C Issuer, and shall make payment in respect thereof within 10 days after demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes (including Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this Section) withheld or deducted by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent or paid by the Administrative Agent, such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, and any penalties, interest and reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority.  The Borrower shall also, and does hereby, indemnify the Administrative Agent, and shall make payment in respect thereof within 10 days after demand therefor, for any amount which a Lender or the L/C Issuer for any reason fails to pay indefeasibly to the Administrative Agent as required by clause (ii) of this subsection.  A certificate as to the amount of any such payment or liability delivered to the Borrower by a Lender or the L/C Issuer (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), or by the Administrative Agent on its own behalf or on behalf of a Lender or the L/C Issuer, shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

(ii)           Without limiting the provisions of subsection (a) or (b) above, each Lender and the L/C Issuer shall, and does hereby, indemnify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, and shall make payment in respect thereof within 10 days after demand therefor, against any and all Taxes and any and all related losses, claims, liabilities, penalties, interest and expenses (including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for the Borrower or the Administrative Agent) incurred by or asserted against the Borrower or the Administrative Agent by any Governmental Authority as a result of the failure by such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, to deliver, or as a result of the inaccuracy, inadequacy or deficiency of, any documentation required to be delivered by such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, to the Borrower or the Administrative Agent pursuant to subsection (e).  Each Lender and the L/C Issuer hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to set off and apply any and all amounts at any time owing to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, under this Agreement or any other Loan Document against any amount due to the Administrative Agent under this clause (ii).  The agreements in this clause (ii) shall survive the resignation and/or replacement of the Administrative Agent, any assignment of rights by, or the replacement of, a Lender or the L/C Issuer, the termination of the Aggregate Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all other Obligations.

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(d)           Evidence of Payments.  Upon request by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be, after any payment of Taxes by the Borrower or by the Administrative Agent to a Governmental Authority as provided in this Section 3.1, the Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent or the Administrative Agent shall deliver to the Borrower, as the case may be, the original or a certified copy of a receipt issued by such Governmental Authority evidencing such payment, a copy of any return required by Laws to report such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be.

(e)           Status of Lenders; Tax Documentation.  (i) Each Lender shall deliver to the Borrower and to the Administrative Agent, at the time or times prescribed by applicable Laws or when reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, such properly completed and executed documentation prescribed by applicable Laws or by the taxing authorities of any jurisdiction and such other reasonably requested information as will permit the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be, to determine (A) whether or not payments made hereunder or under any other Loan Document are subject to Taxes, (B) if applicable, the required rate of withholding or deduction, and (C) such Lender’s entitlement to any available exemption from, or reduction of, applicable Taxes in respect of all payments to be made to such Lender by the Borrower pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise to establish such Lender’s status for withholding tax purposes in the applicable jurisdiction.

(ii)           Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, if the Borrower is resident for tax purposes in the United States,

(A)          any Lender that is a “United States person” within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent executed originals of Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 or such other documentation or information prescribed by applicable Laws or reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent as will enable the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, as the case may be, to determine whether or not such Lender is subject to backup withholding or information reporting requirements; and

(B)           each Foreign Lender that is entitled under the Code or any applicable treaty to an exemption from or reduction of withholding tax with respect to payments hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the request of the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, but only if such Foreign Lender is legally entitled to do so), whichever of the following is applicable:

(I)            executed originals of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN claiming eligibility for benefits of an income tax treaty to which the United States is a party,

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(II)           executed originals of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8ECI,

(III)         executed originals of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8IMY and all required supporting documentation,

(IV)         in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of the exemption for portfolio interest under section 881(c) of the Code, (x) a certificate to the effect that such Foreign Lender is not (A) a “bank” within the meaning of section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (B) a “10 percent shareholder” of the Borrower within the meaning of section 881(c)(3)(B) of the Code, or (C) a “controlled foreign corporation” described in section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code and (y) executed originals of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN, or

(V)           executed originals of any other form prescribed by applicable Laws as a basis for claiming exemption from or a reduction in United States Federal withholding tax together with such supplementary documentation as may be prescribed by applicable Laws to permit the Borrower or the Administrative Agent to determine the withholding or deduction required to be made.

(iii)          Each Lender shall promptly (A) notify the Borrower and the Administrative Agent of any change in circumstances which would modify or render invalid any claimed exemption or reduction, and (B) take such steps as shall not be materially disadvantageous to it, in the reasonable judgment of such Lender, and as may be reasonably necessary (including the re-designation of its Lending Office) to avoid any requirement of applicable Laws of any jurisdiction that the Borrower or the Administrative Agent make any withholding or deduction for taxes from amounts payable to such Lender.

(f)            Treatment of Certain Refunds.  Unless required by applicable Laws, at no time shall the Administrative Agent have any obligation to file for or otherwise pursue on behalf of a Lender or a L/C Issuer, or have any obligation to pay to any Lender or the L/C Issuer, any refund of Taxes withheld or deducted from funds paid for the account of such Lender or such L/C Issuer, as the case may be.  If the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any L/C Issuer determines, in its sole discretion, that it has received a refund of any Taxes or Other Taxes as to which it has been indemnified by the Borrower or with respect to which the Borrower has paid additional amounts pursuant to this Section, it shall pay to the Borrower an amount equal to such refund (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made, or additional amounts paid, by the Borrower under this Section with respect to the Taxes or Other Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent, such Lender or such L/C Issuer, as the case may be, and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such refund), provided that the Borrower, upon

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the request of the Administrative Agent, such Lender or such L/C Issuer, agrees to repay the amount paid over to the Borrower (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) to the Administrative Agent, such Lender or such L/C Issuer in the event the Administrative Agent, such Lender or such L/C Issuer is required to repay such refund to such Governmental Authority.  This subsection shall not be construed to require the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any L/C Issuer to make available its tax returns (or any other information relating to its taxes that it deems confidential) to the Borrower or any other Person.

3.2          Illegality.

If any Lender determines that any Law has made it unlawful, or that any Governmental Authority has asserted that it is unlawful, for any Lender or its applicable Lending Office to make, maintain or fund Loans whose interest is determined by reference to the Eurodollar Rate, or to determine or charge interest rates based upon the Eurodollar Rate, or any Governmental Authority has imposed material restrictions on the authority of such Lender to purchase or sell, or to take deposits of, Dollars in the London interbank market, then, on notice thereof by such Lender to the Borrower through the Administrative Agent, (i) any obligation of such Lender to make or continue Eurodollar Rate Loans or to convert Base Rate Committed Loans to Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be suspended, and (ii) if such notice asserts the illegality of such Lender making or maintaining Base Rate Loans the interest rate on which is determined by reference to the Eurodollar Rate component of the Base Rate, the interest rate on which Base Rate Loans of such Lender shall, if necessary to avoid such illegality, be determined by the Administrative Agent without reference to the Eurodollar Rate component of the Base Rate, in each case until such Lender notifies the Administrative Agent and the Borrower that the circumstances giving rise to such determination no longer exist.  Upon receipt of such notice, (x) the Borrower shall, upon demand from such Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), prepay or, if applicable, convert all Eurodollar Rate Loans of such Lender to Base Rate Loans (the interest rate on which Base Rate Loans of such Lender shall, if necessary to avoid such illegality, be determined by the Administrative Agent without reference to the Eurodollar Rate component of the Base Rate), either on the last day of the Interest Period therefor, if such Lender may lawfully continue to maintain such Eurodollar Rate Loans to such day, or immediately, if such Lender may not lawfully continue to maintain such Eurodollar Rate Loans and (y) if such notice asserts the illegality of such Lender determining or charging interest rates based upon the Eurodollar Rate, the Administrative Agent shall during the period of such suspension compute the Base Rate applicable to such Lender without reference to the Eurodollar Rate component thereof until the Administrative is advised in writing by such Lender that it is no longer illegal for such Lender to determine or charge interest rates based upon the Eurodollar Rate.  Upon any such prepayment or conversion, the Borrower shall also pay accrued interest on the amount so prepaid or converted.

3.3          Inability to Determine Rates.

If the Required Lenders determine that for any reason in connection with any request for a Eurodollar Rate Loan or a conversion to or continuation thereof that (a) Dollar deposits are not being offered to banks in the London interbank eurodollar market for the applicable amount and Interest Period of such Eurodollar Rate Loan, (b) adequate and reasonable means do not exist for

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determining the Eurodollar Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed Eurodollar Rate Loan or in connection with an existing or proposed Base Rate Loan, or (c) the Eurodollar Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed Eurodollar Rate Loan does not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of funding such Loan, the Administrative Agent will promptly so notify the Borrower and each Lender.  Thereafter, (x) the obligation of the Lenders to make or maintain Eurodollar Rate Loans shall be suspended, and (y) in the event of a determination described in the preceding sentence with respect to the Eurodollar Rate component of the Base Rate, the utilization of the Eurodollar Rate component in determining the Base Rate shall be suspended, in each case until the Administrative Agent (upon the instruction of the Required Lenders) revokes such notice.  Upon receipt of such notice, the Borrower may revoke any pending request for a Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans or, failing that, will be deemed to have converted such request into a request for a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans in the amount specified therein.

3.4          Increased Costs.

(a)           Increased Costs Generally.  If any Change in Law shall:

(i)            impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit, compulsory loan, insurance charge or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended or participated in by, any Lender (except any reserve requirement reflected in the Eurodollar Rate) or any L/C Issuer;

(ii)           subject any Lender or any L/C Issuer to any tax of any kind whatsoever with respect to this Agreement, any Letter of Credit, any participation in a Letter of Credit or any Eurodollar Rate Loan made by it, or change the basis of taxation of payments to such Lender or such L/C Issuer in respect thereof (except for Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes covered by Section 3.1 and the imposition of, or any change in the rate of, any Excluded Tax payable by such Lender or such L/C Issuer); or

(iii)          impose on any Lender or any L/C Issuer or the London interbank market any other condition, cost or expense affecting this Agreement or Eurodollar Rate Loans made by such Lender or any Letter of Credit or participation therein;

and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lender of making or maintaining any Loan the interest on which is determined by reference to the Eurodollar Rate (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan), or to increase the cost to such Lender or such L/C Issuer of participating in, issuing or maintaining any Letter of Credit (or of maintaining its obligation to participate in or to issue any Letter of Credit), or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender or such L/C Issuer hereunder (whether of principal, interest or any other amount) then, upon request of such Lender or such L/C Issuer, the Borrower will pay to such Lender or such L/C Issuer, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate

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such Lender or such L/C Issuer, as the case may be, for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.

(b)           Capital Requirements.  If any Lender or any L/C Issuer determines that any Change in Law affecting such Lender or such L/C Issuer or any Lending Office of such Lender or such Lender’s or such L/C Issuer’s holding company, if any, regarding capital requirements has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on such Lender’s or such L/C Issuer’s capital or on the capital of such Lender’s or such L/C Issuer’s holding company, if any, as a consequence of this Agreement, the Commitments of such Lender or the Loans made by, or participations in Letters of Credit held by, such Lender, or the Letters of Credit issued by such L/C Issuer, to a level below that which such Lender or such L/C Issuer or such Lender’s or such L/C Issuer’s holding company could have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration such Lender’s or such L/C Issuer’s policies and the policies of such Lender’s or such L/C Issuer’s holding company with respect to capital adequacy), then from time to time the Borrower will pay to such Lender or such L/C Issuer, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or such L/C Issuer or such Lender’s or such L/C Issuer’s holding company for any such reduction suffered.

(c)           Certificates for Reimbursement.  A certificate of a Lender or a L/C Issuer setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender or such L/C Issuer or its holding company, as the case may be, as specified in subsection (a) or (b) of this Section and delivered to the Borrower shall be conclusive absent manifest error.  The Borrower shall pay such Lender or such L/C Issuer, as the case may be, the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.

(d)           Delay in Requests.  Failure or delay on the part of any Lender or any L/C Issuer to demand compensation pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender’s or such L/C Issuer’s right to demand such compensation, provided that the Borrower shall not be required to compensate a Lender or a L/C Issuer pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section for any increased costs incurred or reductions suffered more than six months prior to the date that such Lender or such L/C Issuer, as the case may be, notifies the Borrower of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of such Lender’s or such L/C Issuer’s intention to claim compensation therefor (except that, if the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the six-month period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof).

3.5          Compensation for Losses.

Upon demand of any Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) from time to time, the Borrower shall promptly compensate such Lender for and hold such Lender harmless from any loss, cost or expense incurred by it as a result of:

(a)           any continuation, conversion, payment or prepayment of any Loan other than a Base Rate Loan on a day other than the last day of the Interest Period for such Loan (whether voluntary, mandatory, automatic, by reason of acceleration, or otherwise);

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(b)           any failure by the Borrower (for a reason other than the failure of such Lender to make a Loan) to prepay, borrow, continue or convert any Loan other than a Base Rate Loan on the date or in the amount notified by the Borrower; or

(c)           any assignment of a Eurodollar Rate Loan on a day other than the last day of the Interest Period therefor as a result of a request by the Borrower pursuant to Section 10.18.

including any loss of anticipated profits and any loss or expense arising from the liquidation or reemployment of funds obtained by it to maintain such Loan or from fees payable to terminate the deposits from which such funds were obtained.  The Borrower shall also pay any customary administrative fees charged by such Lender in connection with the foregoing.

For purposes of calculating amounts payable by the Borrower to the Lenders under this Section 3.5, each Lender shall be deemed to have funded each Eurodollar Rate Loan made by it at the Eurodollar Rate for such Loan by a matching deposit or other borrowing in the London interbank eurodollar market for a comparable amount and for a comparable period, whether or not such Eurodollar Rate Loan was in fact so funded.

3.6          Mitigation Obligations.

If any Lender requests compensation under Section 3.4, or the Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender, any L/C Issuer, or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender or any L/C Issuer pursuant to Section 3.1, or if any Lender gives a notice pursuant to Section 3.2, then such Lender or such L/C Issuer shall, as applicable, use reasonable efforts to designate a different Lending Office for funding or booking its Loans hereunder or to assign its rights and obligations hereunder to another of its offices, branches or affiliates, if, in the judgment of such Lender or such L/C Issuer, such designation or assignment (i) would eliminate or reduce amounts payable pursuant to Section 3.1 or 3.4, as the case may be, in the future, or eliminate the need for the notice pursuant to Section 3.2, as applicable, and (ii) in each case, would not subject such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, to any unreimbursed cost or expense and would not otherwise be disadvantageous to such Lender or such L/C Issuer, as the case may be.  The Borrower hereby agrees to pay all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by any Lender or any L/C Issuer in connection with any such designation or assignment.

3.7          Survival.

All of the Borrower’s obligations under this Section 3 shall survive termination of the Aggregate Commitments, repayment of all other Obligations hereunder, and resignation of the Administrative Agent.

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SECTION 4.

CONDITIONS PRECEDENT

4.1          Closing Conditions.

The obligation of the Lenders and the L/C Issuers to enter into this Agreement is subject to satisfaction (or waiver) of the following conditions:

(a)           Executed Loan Documents.  Receipt by the Administrative Agent of duly executed copies of (i) this Agreement, (ii) the Notes and (iii) all other Loan Documents, each in form and substance acceptable to the Lenders and the Administrative Agent.

(b)           Corporate Documents.  Receipt by the Administrative Agent of the following:

(i)            Charter Documents.  Copies of the articles of incorporation or other charter documents of the Borrower certified to be true and complete as of a recent date by the appropriate Governmental Authority of the state or other jurisdiction of its incorporation and certified by a secretary or assistant secretary of the Borrower to be true and correct as of the Closing Date.

(ii)           Bylaws.  A copy of the bylaws of the Borrower certified by a secretary or assistant secretary of the Borrower to be true and correct as of the Closing Date.

(iii)          Resolutions.  Copies of resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Borrower approving and adopting the Loan Documents to which it is a party and the transactions contemplated herein and therein and authorizing execution and delivery hereof and thereof, certified by a secretary or assistant secretary of the Borrower to be true and correct and in force and effect as of the Closing Date.

(iv)          Good Standing.  Certificates of good standing, existence or its equivalent with respect to the Borrower certified as of a recent date by the appropriate Governmental Authorities of the state or other jurisdiction of its incorporation and each other jurisdiction in which the failure to so qualify and be in good standing would have a Material Adverse Effect.

(v)           Incumbency.  An incumbency certificate of the Borrower certified by a secretary or assistant secretary of the Borrower to be true and correct as of the Closing Date.

(c)           Opinion of Counsel.  Receipt by the Administrative Agent of an opinion, or opinions, from legal counsel to the Borrower addressed to the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Lenders and dated as of the Closing Date, in each case satisfactory in form and substance to the Administrative Agent.

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(d)           Financial Statements.  Receipt by the Lenders of the consolidated audited financial statements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries dated as of December 31, 2008, December 31, 2009 and December 31, 2010, and the unaudited financial statements for the quarter ended March 31, 2011, including balance sheets, income and cash flow statements and, in the case of annual statements, a statement of the current combined amount of patronage capital and membership fees, in each case audited (except for the quarterly financial statements) by independent public accountants of recognized standing reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent and prepared in accordance with GAAP.

(e)           Fees and Expenses.  Payment by the Borrower of all fees and expenses owed by it to the Lenders and the Administrative Agent, including, without limitation, payment to the Administrative Agent of the fees set forth in the Fee Letter.

(f)            Litigation.  Except as set forth on Schedule 5.10, or in the Borrower’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2011, each filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, there shall not exist any action, suit, investigation or legal, equitable, arbitration or administrative proceeding, nor shall any action, suit, investigation, or legal, equitable, arbitration or administrative proceeding be pending or threatened before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority against the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries, any of its properties or any transaction contemplated by the Loan Documents the outcome of which could be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(g)           Material Adverse Effect.  No event or condition shall have occurred since December 31, 2010 that has had or would be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(h)           Officer’s Certificates.  The Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate or certificates executed by a Financial Officer of the Borrower as of the Closing Date stating that (i) the Borrower is in compliance with all existing material financial obligations, (ii) the condition set forth in clause (f) has been satisfied, (iii) the financial statements and information delivered to the Administrative Agent on or before the Closing Date were prepared in good faith and in accordance with GAAP and (iv) immediately after giving effect to this Agreement, the other Loan Documents and all the transactions contemplated herein and therein to occur on such date, (A) no Default or Event of Default exists, (B) all representations and warranties contained herein and in the other Loan Documents are true and correct in all material respects on and as of the date made, (C) the Borrower is in compliance with the financial covenant set forth in Section 6.2, (D) the Borrower is Solvent and (E) since December 31, 2010, there has been no sale, transfer or other disposition by the Borrower of any material part of the business or property of the Borrower.

(i)            Existing Credit Agreement.  All loans and obligations due and payable under the Existing Credit Agreement shall have been paid in full and all commitments thereunder shall have terminated.

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(j)            Existing Letters of Credit.  The Borrower’s obligation to reimburse Bank of America for drawings under the Existing Letters of Credit shall be evidenced by this Agreement.

(k)           CoBank Revolving Credit Agreement.  All amounts outstanding under the $50,000,000 revolving credit facility pursuant to that certain Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of November 12, 2004, as amended, between the Borrower and CoBank shall have been paid in full and the commitment of CoBank shall have been terminated.

(l)            Other.  Receipt by the Lenders of such other documents, instruments, agreements or information as reasonably requested by any Lender.

Without limiting the generality of the provisions of Section 10.3, for purposes of determining compliance with the conditions specified in this Section, each Lender that has signed this Agreement shall be deemed to have consented to, approved or accepted or to be satisfied with, each document or other matter required thereunder to be consented to or approved by or acceptable or satisfactory to a Lender unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from such Lender prior to the proposed Closing Date specifying its objection thereto.

4.2          Conditions to All Credit Extensions.

In addition to the conditions precedent stated elsewhere herein, which conditions precedent set forth in Section 4.1 shall have been satisfied or waived on the Closing Date, the obligation of each Lender and each L/C Issuer to honor any Request for Credit Extension (other than a Committed Loan Notice requesting only a conversion of Committed Loans to the other Type, or a continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans) is subject to the following conditions:

(a)           Request.  The Administrative Agent and, if applicable, the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender shall have received a Request for Credit Extension in accordance with requirements hereof.

(b)           Representations and Warranties.  The representations and warranties made by the Borrower are true and correct in all material respects at and as if made as of such date, except to the extent that such representations and warranties relate to an earlier date, in which case such representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date.

(c)           No Default.  No Default or Event of Default shall exist or be continuing either prior to or after giving effect thereto.

(d)           Members’ Ability to Perform Wholesale Power Contracts.  There shall not have occurred (i) any modification, termination or enactment of any law, rule, regulation, order or decree of any Governmental Authority, including, without limitation, the Georgia Territorial Electric Service Act of 1973, or (ii) any other action or event which, in either case, would have the effect of materially altering the service area of any Member or eliminating the exclusive right of any Member to distribute electricity within such area (subject to the exception to exclusivity existing on the Closing Date as set forth in the

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Georgia Territorial Electric Service Act of 1973) so as to adversely affect the ability of such Member to perform its obligations under its Wholesale Power Contract.

Each Request for Credit Extension (other than a Committed Loan Notice requesting only a conversion of Committed Loans to the other Type or a continuation of Eurodollar Rate Loans) submitted by the Borrower shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty that the conditions specified in Sections 4.2(b), (c) and (d) have been satisfied on and as of the date of the applicable Credit Extension.

SECTION 5.

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

The Borrower hereby represents and warrants to each Lender that:

5.1          Organization and Good Standing.

The Borrower (a) is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Georgia Electric Membership Corporation Act, (b) is duly qualified and in good standing as a foreign corporation authorized to do business in every jurisdiction where the failure to so qualify would have or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and (c) has the requisite corporate power and authority to own its properties and to carry on its business as now conducted and as proposed to be conducted.

5.2          Due Authorization.

The Borrower (a) has the requisite corporate power and authority to execute, deliver and perform this Agreement and the other Loan Documents and to incur the obligations herein and therein provided for and (b) has been authorized by all necessary corporate action, to execute, deliver and perform this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.  No action on the part of any Member is required in connection with the execution and delivery by the Borrower of the Loan Documents or the performance of its obligations thereunder.

5.3          No Conflicts.

Neither the execution and delivery of the Loan Documents, nor the consummation of the transactions contemplated therein, nor performance of and compliance with the terms and provisions thereof by the Borrower will (a) violate or conflict with any provision of its organizational documents or bylaws, (b) violate, contravene or materially conflict with any law (including without limitation, the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005, as amended), regulation (including without limitation, Regulation U, Regulation X or any regulation promulgated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission), order, writ, judgment, injunction, decree or permit applicable to it, (c) violate, contravene or materially conflict with contractual provisions of, or cause an event of default under, any of the Wholesale Power Contracts, the First Mortgage Indenture, or any other material indenture, loan agreement, mortgage, deed of trust, contract or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or its properties may be bound, or (d) result in or require the creation of any Lien upon or with respect to its properties.

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5.4          Consents.

No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing, registration or qualification with, any court or Governmental Authority, Member or third party is required in connection with the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents.

5.5          Enforceable Obligations.

This Agreement and the other Loan Documents have been duly executed and delivered and constitute legal, valid and binding obligations of the Borrower enforceable against the Borrower in accordance with their respective terms, except as may be limited by bankruptcy or insolvency laws or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally or by general equitable principles.

5.6          Financial Condition.

The financial statements delivered to the Lenders pursuant to Section 4.1(d) and pursuant to Sections 6.1(a) and 6.1(b):  (i) have been prepared in accordance with GAAP (subject to the provisions of Section 1.3) and (ii) present fairly in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations, patronage capital, membership fees and cash flows of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of such date and for such periods.

5.7          No Material Adverse Change Relating to Wholesale Power Contracts.

Since December 31, 2010, there has been no development or event in connection with the release or termination of any Member’s payment obligations under any Wholesale Power Contract that has had or would be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; provided that any release or termination in connection with a simultaneous assumption of such payment obligations by an assignee of an assigning Member’s obligations under such Wholesale Power Contact, where the assignee has either (x) a Credit Rating equal to or better than the Credit Rating of the assigning Member as published by S&P, Moody’s or Fitch or (y) if the assigning Member has no such published Credit Rating, a Credit Rating equal to or better than the Borrower’s Credit Rating as published by S&P, Moody’s or Fitch, shall in no event be deemed to be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

5.8          No Default.

No Default or Event of Default presently exists and is continuing.

5.9          Indebtedness.

As of the Closing Date, the Borrower and its Subsidiaries have (a) no secured Indebtedness and (b) no Off Balance Sheet Indebtedness other than, in each case, as set forth on Schedule 5.9.

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5.10        Litigation.

Except as set forth on Schedule 5.10, or in the Borrower’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2011, each filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, there are no actions, suits, investigations or legal, equitable, arbitration or administrative proceedings, pending or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, threatened against the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or any of its properties that are reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect.

5.11        Taxes.

The Borrower has filed, or caused to be filed, all tax returns (federal, state, local and foreign) required to be filed and paid all amounts of taxes shown thereon to be due (including interest and penalties) and has paid all other taxes, fees, assessments and other governmental charges (including mortgage recording taxes, documentary stamp taxes and intangibles taxes) owing by it, except for such taxes which are not yet delinquent or that are being contested in good faith and by proper proceedings, and against which adequate reserves are being maintained in accordance with GAAP.

5.12        Compliance with Law.

The Borrower is in compliance with all laws, rules, regulations, orders and decrees applicable to it or to its properties, except where the failure to be in compliance would not have or would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

5.13        ERISA.

Except as would not result or be reasonably expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect:

(a)           During the five-year period prior to the date on which this representation is made or deemed made: (i) no Termination Event has occurred, and, to the best knowledge of the Borrower, no event or condition has occurred or exists as a result of which any Termination Event is reasonably expected to occur, with respect to any Plan; (ii) no “accumulated funding deficiency,” as such term is defined in Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412 of the Code, whether or not waived, has occurred with respect to any Plan; (iii) each Plan has been maintained, operated, and funded in compliance with its own terms and in material compliance with the provisions of ERISA, the Code, and any other applicable federal or state laws; and (iv) no Lien in favor of the PBGC or a Plan has arisen or is reasonably expected to arise on account of any Plan.

(b)           No liability has been or is reasonably expected by the Borrower to be incurred under Sections 4062, 4063 or 4064 of ERISA with respect to any Single Employer Plan by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries which has or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(c)           The actuarial present value of all “benefit liabilities” under each Single Employer Plan (determined within the meaning of Section 401(a)(2) of the Code,

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utilizing the actuarial assumptions used to fund such Plans), whether or not vested, did not, as of the last annual valuation date prior to the date on which this representation is made or deemed made, exceed the current value of the assets of such Plan allocable to such accrued liabilities, except as disclosed in the Borrower’s financial statements.

(d)           Neither the Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate has incurred, or, to the best knowledge of the Borrower, is reasonably expected to incur, any withdrawal liability under ERISA to any Multiemployer Plan or Multiple Employer Plan. Neither the Borrower nor any ERISA Affiliate has received any notification that any Multiemployer Plan is in reorganization (within the meaning of Section 4241 of ERISA), is insolvent (within the meaning of Section 4245 of ERISA), or has been terminated (within the meaning of Title IV of ERISA), and no Multiemployer Plan is, to the best knowledge of the Borrower, reasonably expected to be in reorganization, insolvent, or terminated.

(e)           No prohibited transaction (within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code) or breach of fiduciary responsibility has occurred with respect to a Plan which has subjected or is reasonably likely to subject the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate to any liability under Sections 406, 407, 409, 502(i), or 502(1) of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, or under any agreement or other instrument pursuant to which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate has agreed or is required to indemnify any person against any such liability.

(f)            The present value (determined using actuarial and other assumptions which are reasonable with respect to the benefits provided and the employees participating) of the liability of the Borrower and each ERISA Affiliate for post-retirement welfare benefits to be provided to their current and former employees under Plans which are welfare benefit plans (as defined in Section 3(1) of ERISA), net of all assets under all such Plans allocable to such benefits, are reflected on the financial statements referenced in Section 6.1 in accordance with FASB 106.

(g)           Each Plan which is a welfare plan (as defined in Section 3(1) of ERISA) to which Sections 601-609 of ERISA and Section 4980B of the Code apply has been administered in compliance in all material respects with such sections.

5.14        Use of Proceeds.

The proceeds of the Loans hereunder will be used solely for the purposes specified in Section 6.9.  None of such proceeds will be used for the acquisition of another Person unless the board of directors (or other comparable governing body) or stockholders, as appropriate, of such Person has approved such acquisition.

5.15        Government Regulations.

(a)           No proceeds of the Loans will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any “margin stock” within the meaning of Regulation U, or for the purpose of purchasing or carrying or trading in any securities. If requested by any Lender or the Administrative Agent, the Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender a statement to the foregoing effect in conformity

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with the requirements of FR Form U-1 referred to in Regulation U. No Indebtedness being reduced or retired out of the proceeds of the Loans was or will be incurred for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any margin stock within the meaning of Regulation U or any “margin security” within the meaning of Regulation T. “Margin stock” within the meaning of Regulation U does not constitute more than 25% of the value of the consolidated assets of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries. None of the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents (including, without limitation, the direct or indirect use of the proceeds of the Loans) will violate or result in a violation of (i) the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (ii) the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or (iii) regulations issued pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

(b)           Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries is subject to regulation under the Federal Power Act or the Investment Company Act of 1940, each as amended. In addition, neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries is an “investment company” registered or required to be registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and is not controlled by an “investment company”.

(c)           No director, executive officer or principal shareholder of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries is a director, executive officer or principal shareholder of any Lender. For the purposes hereof the terms “director”, “executive officer” and “principal shareholder” (when used with reference to any Lender) have the respective meanings assigned thereto in Regulation O.

5.16        Solvency.

The Borrower is and, after the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, will be Solvent.

5.17        Disclosure.

Neither this Agreement nor any financial statements delivered to the Lenders nor any other document, certificate or statement furnished to the Lenders by or on behalf of the Borrower in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, as of the date of delivery, taken as a whole, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements contained therein or herein, taken as a whole, not misleading; provided that, with respect to projected financial information, the Borrower represents only that such information was prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time.

5.18        Environmental Matters.

Except as would not result or be reasonably expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect:  (a) each of the properties of the Borrower (the “Properties”) and all operations at the Properties are in compliance with all applicable Environmental Laws, (b) there is no violation of any Environmental Law with respect to the Properties or the businesses operated by the Borrower (the “Businesses”), and (c) there are no conditions relating to the Businesses or the

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Properties that would reasonably be expected to give rise to a liability under any applicable Environmental Laws.

5.19        Insurance.

The Borrower maintains insurance for the benefit of the Borrower with responsible and reputable insurance companies or associations in such amounts and covering such risks as is usually carried by companies engaged in similar business and owning similar properties in the same general areas in which the Borrower operates.

5.20        Franchises, Licenses, Etc.

The Borrower possesses all franchises, certificates, licenses, permits and other authorizations necessary for the operation of its businesses, except such as the failure to possess would not result or be reasonably expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

5.21        Subsidiaries; Affiliates; Members.

As of the Closing Date, Schedule 5.21 is a complete list of all Subsidiaries, Affiliates and Members of the Borrower.

5.22        Wholesale Power Contracts.

As of the Closing Date:

(a)           The Borrower has no knowledge of any default under any Wholesale Power Contract.

(b)           No Member has provided the Borrower with any written notice of its intent to (i) withdraw from any of its obligations under its Wholesale Power Contract or (ii) assign any of its rights and obligations under its Wholesale Power Contract.

(c)           Set forth on Schedule 5.22 is each Member’s percentage share of the gross member revenues of the Borrower for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010.

SECTION 6.

AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS

The Borrower hereby covenants and agrees that so long as any Lender shall have any Commitment hereunder, any Loan or Borrower Obligation hereunder shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied, or any Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding:

6.1          Information Covenants.

The Borrower will furnish, or cause to be furnished, to the Administrative Agent:

(a)           Annual Financial Statements.  As soon as available, and in any event within 120 days after the close of each fiscal year of the Borrower, a consolidated balance

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sheet and income statement of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, as of the end of such fiscal year, together with consolidated statements of retained earnings and cash flows for such fiscal year and a statement of the combined amount of patronage capital and membership fees, setting forth in comparative form figures for the preceding fiscal year, all such financial information described above to be in reasonable form and detail and audited by independent certified public accountants of recognized national standing reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent and whose opinion shall be furnished to the Administrative Agent, shall be to the effect that such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP (except for changes with which such accountants concur) and shall not be limited as to the scope of the audit or qualified in any respect.

(b)           Quarterly Financial Statements.  As soon as available, and in any event within 60 days after the close of each fiscal quarter of the Borrower (other than the fourth fiscal quarter) a consolidated balance sheet and income statement of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, as of the end of such fiscal quarter, together with a related consolidated statement of cash flows for such fiscal quarter in each case setting forth in comparative form figures for the corresponding period of the preceding fiscal year, all such financial information described above to be in reasonable form and detail and reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent, and accompanied by a certificate of a Financial Officer of the Borrower to the effect that such quarterly financial statements fairly present in all material respects the financial condition of the Borrower and have been prepared in accordance with GAAP, subject to changes resulting from audit and normal year-end audit adjustments.

(c)           Officer’s Certificate.  (i) At the time of delivery of the financial statements provided for in Sections 6.1(a) and 6.1(b) above, a certificate of a Financial Officer of the Borrower, substantially in the form of Exhibit 6.1(c), (A) certifying compliance with Section 6.2 as of the end of such fiscal period and (B) stating that no Default or Event of Default exists, or if any Default or Event of Default does exist, specifying the nature and extent thereof and what action the Borrower proposes to take with respect thereto and (ii) at the time of delivery of the financial statements provided for in Section 6.1(a) above, an updated Schedule 5.22 as of the last day of the previous fiscal year.

(d)           Reports.  Upon the Administrative Agent’s request, copies of any filings and registrations with, and reports to or from, any Governmental Authority, including, without limitation, the Securities and Exchange Commission or any successor agency and any utility regulatory body.

(e)           Notices.  Upon the Borrower obtaining knowledge thereof (and in no event more than ten Business Days after obtaining such knowledge), the Borrower will give written notice to the Administrative Agent immediately of (i) the occurrence of a Default or Event of Default, specifying the nature and existence thereof and what action the Borrower proposes to take with respect thereto, and (ii) the occurrence of any of the following with respect to the Borrower (A) the pendency or commencement of any litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding against the Borrower the claim of which, if adversely determined, would have or would be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, or (B) the institution of any proceedings against the Borrower

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with respect to, or the receipt of notice by the Borrower of potential liability or responsibility for, violation or alleged violation of any federal, state or local law, rule or regulation (including, without limitation, any Environmental Law), the violation of which would have or would be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(f)            ERISA.  Upon the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate obtaining knowledge thereof, the Borrower will give written notice to the Administrative Agent and each of the Lenders promptly (and in any event within five Business Days) of: (i) any event or condition, including, but not limited to, any Reportable Event, that constitutes, or would be reasonably expected to lead to, a Termination Event; (ii) any communication from the PBGC stating its intention to terminate any Plan or to have a trustee appointed to administer any Plan together with a statement of the amount of liability, if any, incurred or expected to be incurred by the Borrower or any Subsidiary in connection therewith; (iii) with respect to any Multiemployer Plan, the receipt of notice as prescribed in ERISA or otherwise of any withdrawal liability assessed against the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate, or of a determination that any Multiemployer Plan is in reorganization or insolvent (both within the meaning of Title IV of ERISA); (iv) the failure to make full payment on or before the due date (including extensions) thereof of all amounts which the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or ERISA Affiliates is required to contribute to each Plan pursuant to its terms and as required to meet the minimum funding standard set forth in ERISA and the Code with respect thereto; or (v) any change in the funding status of any Plan that would have or would be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; together, with a description of any such event or condition or a copy of any such notice and a statement by a officer of the Borrower briefly setting forth the details regarding such event, condition, or notice, and the action, if any, which has been or is being taken or is proposed to be taken with respect thereto. Promptly upon request, the Borrower shall furnish the Administrative Agent and each of the Lenders with such additional information concerning any Plan as may be reasonably requested, including, but not limited to, copies of each annual report/return (Form 5500 series), as well as all schedules and attachments thereto required to be filed with the Department of Labor and/or the Internal Revenue Service pursuant to ERISA and the Code, respectively, for each “plan year” (within the meaning of Section 3(39) of ERISA).

(g)           Members.  With reasonable promptness upon any request of the Administrative Agent, information (but only to the extent made available by the Members to the Borrower, and permitted by such Member to be shared with Persons other than the Borrower), including annual financial information, with respect to any Member; provided that the Administrative Agent shall, upon request, always have access to information made available to the Borrower regarding a Member that such Member is required to provide under the terms of its Wholesale Power Contract with respect to financing of the Borrower.

(h)           Ratings Changes.  The Borrower shall promptly deliver to the Administrative Agent information regarding any change in the Borrower’s Credit Ratings.

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(i)            Other Information.  With reasonable promptness upon any such request, such other information regarding the business, properties or financial condition of the Borrower as the Administrative Agent or any Lender may reasonably request.

The Borrower hereby acknowledges that (a) the Administrative Agent and/or the Joint Arrangers will make available to the Lenders materials and/or information provided by or on behalf of the Borrower hereunder (collectively, “Borrower Materials”) by posting the Borrower Materials on IntraLinks or another similar electronic system (the “Platform”) and (b) certain of the Lenders (each, a “Public Lender”) may have personnel who do not wish to receive material non-public information with respect to the Borrower or its Affiliates, or the respective securities of any of the foregoing, and who may be engaged in investment and other market-related activities with respect to such Persons’ securities. The Borrower hereby agrees that (w) all Borrower Materials that are to be made available to Public Lenders shall be clearly and conspicuously marked “PUBLIC” which, at a minimum, shall mean that the word “PUBLIC” shall appear prominently on the first page thereof; (x) by marking Borrower Materials “PUBLIC,” the Borrower shall be deemed to have authorized the Administrative Agent, the Joint Arrangers and the Lenders to treat such Borrower Materials as either publicly available information or not material information (although it may be sensitive and proprietary) with respect to the Borrower or its securities for purposes of United States Federal and state securities laws; (y) all Borrower Materials marked “PUBLIC” are permitted to be made available through a portion of the Platform designated “Public Investor;” and (z) the Administrative Agent and the Joint Arrangers shall be entitled to treat any Borrower Materials that are not marked “PUBLIC” as being suitable only for posting on a portion of the Platform not designated “Public Investor.”

6.2          Patronage Capital and Membership Fees.

The Borrower shall, as of the end of any fiscal quarter of the Borrower, maintain Patronage Capital of at least $575,000,000.

6.3          Notices with Respect to Wholesale Power Contracts.

The Borrower shall promptly notify the Administrative Agent, after becoming aware thereof, of (a) any material modification to any of the Wholesale Power Contracts, (b) any default in the performance of any Member’s payment obligations under any Wholesale Power Contact that has continued unremedied for five or more Business Days, (c) its receipt of any written notice, including without limitation facsimile and electronic mail, from a Member of its intent to (i) withdraw from any of its obligations under its Wholesale Power Contract, (ii) assign any of its rights and obligations under its Wholesale Power Contract or (iii) contest the validity or enforceability of its Wholesale Power Contract, (d) any release or termination of a Member’s payment obligations under a Wholesale Power Contract or (e) any information regarding the bankruptcy or insolvency of a Member or regarding a Member’s inability to meet its future obligations under a Wholesale Power Contract.

6.4          Preservation of Existence, Franchises and Assets.

The Borrower will do all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its existence, material rights, material franchises and authority.  The Borrower shall generally

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maintain its properties, real and personal, in good condition, and the Borrower shall not waste or otherwise permit such properties to deteriorate, reasonable wear and tear excepted.

6.5          Books and Records.

Subject to Section 1.3, the Borrower will keep complete and accurate books and records of its transactions in accordance with good accounting practices on the basis of GAAP (including the establishment and maintenance of appropriate reserves).

6.6          Compliance with Law.

The Borrower will comply with, and obtain all permits and licenses required by, all laws (including, without limitation, all Environmental Laws and ERISA laws), rules, regulations and orders, and all applicable restrictions imposed by all Governmental Authorities, applicable to it and its property, if the failure to comply would have or would be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

6.7          Payment of Taxes and Other Claims.

The Borrower will pay, settle or discharge (a) all taxes, assessments and governmental charges or levies imposed upon it, or upon its income or profits, or upon any of its properties, before they shall become delinquent and (b) all lawful claims (including claims for labor, materials and supplies) which, if unpaid, might give rise to a Lien upon any of its properties; provided, however, that the Borrower shall not be required to pay any such tax, assessment, charge, levy or claim which is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and as to which adequate reserves therefor have been established in accordance with GAAP, unless the failure to make any such payment (i) would give rise to an immediate right to foreclose or collect on a Lien securing such amounts or (ii) would have or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

6.8          Insurance.

The Borrower will at all times maintain in full force and effect insurance (including worker’s compensation insurance, liability insurance, casualty insurance and business interruption insurance) with responsible and reputable insurance companies in such amounts, covering such risks and liabilities and with such deductibles or self-insurance retentions as is usually carried by companies engaged in similar businesses and owning similar properties in the same general areas in which the Borrower operates.

6.9          Use of Proceeds.

The proceeds of the Loans shall be used for general corporate purposes, including, without limitation, (i) to refinance the indebtedness under the Existing Credit Agreement, (ii) to refinance the indebtedness under certain of the Borrower’s other existing credit agreements, (iii) to pay, at maturity, commercial paper issued by the Borrower, (iv) to issue Letters of Credit, including Letters of Credit to support liquidity or credit requirements under tax-exempt variable rate demand bond financings or in connection with posting collateral to third parties under construction, equipment procurement, hedging and other arrangements, and (v) working capital

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purposes.  In the case of any Bond Letters of Credit, the Borrower’s reimbursement obligations in respect thereof shall remain unsecured, without the use of purchased bonds, pledged bonds, bank bonds or similar structures (and the Administrative Agent, Lenders and L/C Issuers, at the request of the Borrower, will expressly waive any right to pledged bonds, bank bonds or similar structures), and the Lenders and the L/C Issuers shall not have any rights or remedies under the related Bond Documents for Events of Default hereunder or thereunder (and the Lenders agree not to deliver any notice of any such Events of Default, other than a failure of the Borrower to reimburse the L/C Issuer for any drawing under the related Bond Letter of Credit).

6.10        Audits/Inspections.

Upon reasonable prior notice and during normal business hours, the Borrower will permit representatives appointed by the Administrative Agent, including, without limitation, independent accountants, agents, attorneys, and appraisers to visit and inspect the Borrower’s property, including its books and records, its accounts receivable and inventory, the Borrower’s facilities and its other business assets, and to make photocopies or photographs thereof and to write down and record any information such representative obtains and shall permit the Administrative Agent or its representatives to investigate and verify the accuracy of information provided to the Lenders and to discuss all such matters with the officers, employees and representatives of the Borrower.

6.11        CoBank Equity and Security.

(a)           So long as CoBank is a Lender hereunder, the Borrower will acquire equity in CoBank in such amounts and at such times as CoBank may require in accordance with CoBank’s Bylaws and Capital Plan (as each may be amended from time to time), except that the maximum amount of equity that the Borrower may be required to purchase in CoBank in connection with the Loans made by CoBank may not exceed the maximum amount permitted by the Bylaws and the Capital Plan at the time this Agreement is entered into.  The Borrower acknowledges receipt of a copy of (i) CoBank’s most recent annual report, and if more recent, CoBank’s latest quarterly report, (ii) CoBank’s Notice to Prospective Stockholders and (iii) CoBank’s Bylaws and Capital Plan, which describe the nature of all of the Borrower’s stock and other equities in CoBank acquired in connection with its patronage loan from CoBank (the “CoBank Equities”) as well as capitalization requirements, and agrees to be bound by the terms thereof.

(b)           Each party hereto acknowledges that CoBank’s Bylaws and Capital Plan (as each may be amended from time to time) shall govern (x) the rights and obligations of the parties with respect to the CoBank Equities and any patronage refunds or other distributions made on account thereof or on account of Borrower’s patronage with CoBank, (y) the Borrower’s eligibility for patronage distributions from CoBank (in the form of CoBank Equities and cash) and (z) patronage distributions, if any, in the event of a sale of a participation interest. CoBank reserves the right to assign or sell participations in all or any part of its Commitments or outstanding Loans hereunder on a non-patronage basis.

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(c)           Each party hereto acknowledges that CoBank has a statutory first lien pursuant to the Farm Credit Act of 1971 (as amended from time to time) on all CoBank Equities that the Borrower may now own or hereafter acquire, which statutory lien shall be for CoBank’s sole and exclusive benefit. The CoBank Equities shall not constitute security for the Obligations due to any other Lender. To the extent that any of the Loan Documents create a Lien on the CoBank Equities or on patronage accrued by CoBank for the account of the Borrower (including, in each case, proceeds thereof), such Lien shall be for CoBank’s sole and exclusive benefit and shall not be subject to pro rata sharing hereunder. Neither the CoBank Equities nor any accrued patronage shall be offset against the Obligations except that, in the event of an Event of Default, CoBank may elect, solely at its discretion, to apply the cash portion of any patronage distribution or retirement of equity to amounts due under this Agreement. The Borrower acknowledges that any corresponding tax liability associated with such application is the sole responsibility of the Borrower. CoBank shall have no obligation to retire the CoBank Equities upon any Event of Default, Default or any other default by the Borrower, or at any other time, either for application to the Obligations or otherwise.

SECTION 7.

NEGATIVE COVENANTS

The Borrower hereby covenants and agrees that so long as any Lender has any Commitment hereunder, any Loan or other Borrower Obligation shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied, or any Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding:

7.1          Nature of Business.

The Borrower will not alter the character of its business from that of an electric utility company.

7.2          Consolidation and Merger.

The Borrower will not (a) enter into any transaction of merger, or (b) consolidate, liquidate, wind up or dissolve itself (or suffer any liquidation or dissolution); provided that, so long as no Default or Event of Default shall exist or be caused thereby, a Person may be merged or consolidated with or into the Borrower so long as the Borrower shall be the continuing or surviving corporation.

7.3          Arm’s-Length Transactions.

Except in connection with any Special Leases, the Borrower will not enter into any transaction or series of transactions, whether or not in the ordinary course of business, with any officer, director or Affiliate other than on terms and conditions substantially as favorable as would be obtainable in a comparable arm’s-length transaction with a Person other than an officer, director or Affiliate; provided, however, that this Section 7.3 shall not be applicable to transactions with any Affiliate if such transactions are at cost.

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7.4          Fiscal Year; Organizational Documents.

The Borrower will not (a) change its fiscal year or (b) change its form of organization from a corporation organized under the Georgia Electric Membership Corporation Act.

7.5          Liens.

The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries to, contract, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Lien with respect to any of its property or assets of any kind (whether real or personal, tangible or intangible), whether now owned or after acquired, except for the following: (a) Liens securing Borrower Obligations, (b) Liens for taxes not yet due or Liens for taxes being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings for which adequate reserves determined in accordance with GAAP have been established (and as to which the property subject to any such Lien is not yet subject to foreclosure, sale or loss on account thereof), (c) Liens in respect of property imposed by law arising in the ordinary course of business such as materialmen’s, mechanics’, warehousemen’s, carrier’s, landlords’ and other nonconsensual statutory Liens which are not yet due and payable, which have been in existence less than 90 days or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings for which adequate reserves determined in accordance with GAAP have been established (and as to which the property subject to any such Lien is not yet subject to foreclosure, sale or loss on account thereof), (d) pledges or deposits made in the ordinary course of business to secure payment of worker’s compensation insurance, unemployment insurance, pensions or social security programs, (e) Liens arising from good faith deposits in connection with or to secure performance of tenders, bids, leases, government contracts, performance and return-of-money bonds and other similar obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business (other than obligations in respect of the payment of borrowed money), (f) Liens arising from good faith deposits in connection with or to secure performance of statutory obligations and surety and appeal bonds, (g) easements, rights-of-way, restrictions (including zoning restrictions), minor defects or irregularities in title and other similar charges or encumbrances not, in any material respect, impairing the use of the encumbered property for its intended purposes, (h) judgment Liens that would not constitute an Event of Default, (i) Liens arising by virtue of any statutory or common law provision relating to banker’s liens, rights of setoff or similar rights as to deposit accounts, securities accounts, commodities accounts or other accounts or funds maintained with a creditor depository institution, securities intermediary or commodities or other broker, (j) Liens securing Special Leases, (k) Liens securing Indebtedness (including without limitation the First Mortgage Indenture Debt, but excluding Special Leases) in an aggregate amount not to exceed $12,000,000,000 at any time outstanding, (l) Liens with respect to any interest, debt or equity, of the Borrower in CoBank or National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation purchased or otherwise acquired by the Borrower in connection with membership in any such entity or any borrowing from any such entity, (m) Liens on cash, securities or accounts receivable under such obligations or obligations with the same counterparty to the extent provided by the Borrower as collateral for any obligation of the Company under (1) any agreement or other instrument relating to any rate, index, or price swap, basis swap, forward fix, index or price transaction, commodity swap, commodity option, cap, collar or floor transaction, or other similar transaction entered into by the Borrower for the purpose of directly mitigating risks associated with interest expense, fuel or commodity expense and not entered into for the purpose of speculation, (2) any power purchase or sale obligation, (3) any letter of credit issued on behalf of the Borrower, or (4)

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any other obligation, commitment or liability of the Borrower similar to those in any of clauses (1)-(3) above arising in connection with the Borrower’s business and properties and not entered into for the purpose of speculation, and (n) any modification, extension, renewal or replacement (or successive modifications, extensions, renewals or replacements), as a whole or in part, of any Liens referred to in the foregoing clauses (a) through (m), for amounts not exceeding the principal amount of the Indebtedness secured by the Lien so modified, extended, renewed or replaced; provided that such modification, extension, renewal or replacement Lien is limited to all or a part of the same property or assets that were covered by the Lien modified, extended, renewed or replaced (plus improvements on such property or assets).

7.6          Wholesale Power Contracts.

The Borrower shall not agree to release or terminate the payment obligations of any Member under its Wholesale Power Contract other than in connection with a simultaneous assumption of such payment obligations by an assignee of an assigning Member’s obligations under such Wholesale Power Contact; provided that the assignee must have either (x) a Credit Rating equal to or better than the Credit Rating of the assigning Member as published by S&P, Moody’s or Fitch or (y) if the assigning Member has no such published Credit Rating, a Credit Rating equal to or better than the Borrower’s Credit Rating as published by S&P, Moody’s or Fitch.

7.7          Indebtedness.

The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries to, contract, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Indebtedness other than (a) Indebtedness consisting of Special Leases, (b) Indebtedness secured by Liens permitted under Section 7.5(k), in an aggregate amount at any time outstanding not to exceed $12,000,000,000 and (c) unsecured Indebtedness, ranking pari passu with the Loans and the L/C Obligations, in an aggregate amount at any time outstanding not to exceed $4,000,000,000 (it being agreed that Indebtedness secured solely by a Lien on any interest, debt or equity, of the Borrower in CoBank or National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation purchased or otherwise acquired by the Borrower in connection with membership in any such entity or any borrowing from any such entity shall be deemed unsecured Indebtedness).

SECTION 8.

EVENTS OF DEFAULT

8.1          Events of Default.

An Event of Default shall exist upon the occurrence of any of the following specified events (each an “Event of Default”):

(a)           Payment.  The Borrower shall default in the payment when due of any principal of any of the Loans or any L/C Obligations or in the payment when due of any interest on the Loans or any L/C Obligations or of any fees or other amounts owing hereunder or under any Fee Letter, under any of the other Loan Documents or in connection herewith or therewith.

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(b)           Representations.  Any representation, warranty or statement made or deemed to be made by the Borrower herein, in any of the other Loan Documents, or in any statement or certificate delivered or required to be delivered pursuant hereto or thereto shall prove untrue in any material respect on the date as of which it was deemed to have been made.

(c)           Covenants.  The Borrower shall:

(i)            default in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or agreement contained in Sections 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5 or 7.1 through 7.7 inclusive; or

(ii)           default in the due performance or observance by it of any term, covenant or agreement contained in Section 6.1, and such default shall continue unremedied for a period of five Business Days after the earlier of the Borrower becoming aware of such default or notice thereof given by the Administrative Agent; or

(iii)          default in the due performance or observance by it of any term, covenant or agreement (other than those referred to in subsections (a), (b), (c)(i), or (c)(ii) of this Section 8.1) contained in this Agreement or any other Loan Document and such default shall continue unremedied for a period of more than 30 days after the earlier of the Borrower becoming aware of such default or notice thereof given by the Administrative Agent.

(d)           Loan Documents.  The Borrower shall default in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or agreement in any of the other Loan Documents and such default shall continue unremedied for a period of more than 30 days after the earlier of the Borrower becoming aware of such default or notice thereof given by the Administrative Agent or any Loan Document shall fail to be in full force and effect or the Borrower shall so assert or any Loan Document shall fail to give the Administrative Agent and/or the Lenders the rights, powers and privileges purported to be created thereby.

(e)           Bankruptcy, etc.  The occurrence of any of the following with respect to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (i) a court or governmental agency having jurisdiction in the premises shall enter a decree or order for relief in respect of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in an involuntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect, or appoint a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator or similar official of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or for any substantial part of its property or order the winding up or liquidation of its affairs; or (ii) an involuntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect is commenced against the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries and such petition remains unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 days; or (iii) the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall commence a voluntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect, or consent to the entry of an order for relief in an

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involuntary case under any such law, or consent to the appointment or taking possession by a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator or similar official of the Borrower or such Subsidiary or any substantial part of its property or make any general assignment for the benefit of creditors; or (iv) the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries shall admit in writing its inability to pay its debts generally as they become due or any action shall be taken by any Person in furtherance of any of the aforesaid purposes.

(f)            Other Indebtedness.  With respect to any Indebtedness of the Borrower in excess of $25,000,000 (other than Indebtedness outstanding under this Agreement), the Borrower shall (i) default in any payment (beyond the applicable grace period with respect thereto, if any) with respect to such Indebtedness or (ii) default (after giving effect to any grace period) in the observance or performance of any covenant or agreement relating to such Indebtedness or contained in any instrument or agreement evidencing, securing or relating thereto the effect of which default is to cause, or permit the holder or holders of such Indebtedness (or trustee or agent on behalf of such holders) to cause (determined without regard to whether any notice or lapse of time is required), any such Indebtedness to become due and payable, or required to be prepaid other than by a regularly scheduled required prepayment, prior to the stated maturity thereof; provided, however, that any default referred to in this clause (f)(ii) in respect of Indebtedness that is associated with capital leases or Special Leases shall not give rise to an Event of Default under this Agreement.

(g)           Judgments.  One or more judgments, orders, or decrees shall be entered against the Borrower involving a liability of $25,000,000 or more, in the aggregate, (to the extent not paid or covered by insurance provided by a carrier who has acknowledged coverage) and such judgments, orders or decrees shall continue unsatisfied, undischarged and unstayed for a period ending on the first to occur of (i) the last day on which such judgment, order or decree becomes final and unappealable and, where applicable, with the status of a judicial lien or (ii) 60 days; provided that if such judgment, order or decree provides for periodic payments over time then the Borrower shall have a grace period of 30 days with respect to each such periodic payment.

(h)           ERISA.  The occurrence of any of the following events or conditions if the same, individually or in the aggregate, would be reasonably expected to result in a liability of an amount greater than or equal to $25,000,000: (A) any “accumulated funding deficiency,” as such term is defined in Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412 of the Code, whether or not waived, shall exist with respect to any Plan, or any lien shall arise on the assets of the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate in favor of the PBGC or a Plan; (B) a Termination Event shall occur with respect to a Single Employer Plan, which is, in the reasonable opinion of the Administrative Agent, likely to result in the termination of such Plan for purposes of Title IV of ERISA; (C) a Termination Event shall occur with respect to a Multiemployer Plan or Multiple Employer Plan, which is, in the reasonable opinion of the Administrative Agent, likely to result in (i) the termination of such Plan for purposes of Title IV of ERISA, or (ii) the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate incurring any liability in connection with a withdrawal from, reorganization of (within the meaning of Section 4241 of ERISA), or insolvency (within the meaning of Section 4245 of ERISA) of such Plan; or (D) any prohibited transaction (within the

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meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code) or breach of fiduciary responsibility shall occur which would be reasonably expected to subject the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate to any liability under Sections 406, 409, 502(i), or 502(1) of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, or under any agreement or other instrument pursuant to which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate has agreed or is required to indemnify any person against any such liability.

(i)            Wholesale Power Contracts.  One or more Members, the aggregate of which, pursuant to Schedule 5.22, constitute ten percent (10%) or more of the Borrower’s gross member revenues, shall (A) default in the performance of any payment obligations under its or their Wholesale Power Contracts where the aggregate principal amount of such default or defaults exceeds $25,000,000 and such default or defaults have continued for thirty-five (35) days beyond the due date with respect thereto, (B) contest the validity or enforceability of its or their Wholesale Power Contracts by filing any official judicial or regulatory filing seeking as a remedy the declaration of the unenforceability or the material modification of its or their Wholesale Power Contracts, or (C) have its or their payment obligations under the Wholesale Power Contracts released or terminated (other than in connection with a simultaneous assumption of such obligations by an assignee of an assigning Member’s obligations under a Wholesale Power Contract; provided that the assignee must have either (x) a Credit Rating equal to or better than the Credit Rating of the assigning Member as published by S&P, Moody’s or Fitch or (y) if the assigning Member has no such published Credit Rating, a Credit Rating equal to or better than the Borrower’s Credit Rating as published by S&P, Moody’s or Fitch).

(j)            First Mortgage Indenture.  An “Event of Default” (as defined in the First Mortgage Indenture) shall exist.

8.2          Acceleration; Remedies.

Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default, and at any time thereafter unless and until such Event of Default has been waived by the Required Lenders (or the Lenders as may be required hereunder) the Administrative Agent may, with the consent of the Required Lenders, and shall, upon the request and direction of the Required Lenders, by written notice to the Borrower take any of the following actions without prejudice to the rights of the Administrative Agent or any Lender to enforce its claims against the Borrower, except as otherwise specifically provided for herein:

(i)            Termination of Commitments.  Declare the Commitments and any obligations of the L/C Issuers to make L/C Credit Extensions terminated whereupon the Commitments and obligations shall be immediately terminated.

(ii)           Acceleration of Loans.  Declare the unpaid amount of all Borrower Obligations to be due whereupon the same shall be immediately due and payable without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower.

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(iii)          Enforcement of Rights.  Enforce any and all rights and interests created and existing under the Loan Documents, including, without limitation, all rights of set-off.

(iv)          Letters of Credit.  Require that the Borrower Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations (in an amount equal to the then Outstanding Amount thereof).

(v)           Mandatory Tender.  In the case of a failure of the Borrower to make timely reimbursement of a drawing under a Bond Letter of Credit to pay principal of or interest on Bonds, give notice to the trustee under the applicable Issuer Documents of such failure and directing such trustee to effect a mandatory tender or the acceleration of such Bonds as may be permitted under such Issuer Documents.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if an Event of Default specified in Section 8.1(e) shall occur, then the Commitments and any obligations of the L/C Issuers to make L/C Credit Extensions shall automatically terminate and all Loans, all accrued interest in respect thereof, all accrued and unpaid fees and other indebtedness or obligations owing to the Lenders and the Administrative Agent hereunder shall immediately become due and payable and the obligations of the Borrower to Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations as aforesaid shall automatically become effective, in each case without the giving of any notice or other action by the Administrative Agent or the Lenders.

Notwithstanding the fact that enforcement powers reside primarily with the Administrative Agent, each Lender has, to the extent permitted by law, a separate right of payment and shall be considered a separate “creditor” holding a separate “claim” within the meaning of Section 101(5) of the Bankruptcy Code or any other insolvency statute.

8.3          Allocation of Payments After Event of Default.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, after the exercise of any remedies by the Administrative Agent or the Lenders pursuant to Section 8.2 (or after the Commitments shall automatically terminate and the Loans (with accrued interest thereon) and all other amounts under the Loan Documents shall automatically become due and payable in accordance with the terms of such Section) and the L/C Obligations have automatically been required to be Cash Collateralized, all amounts collected or received by the Administrative Agent or any Lender on account of amounts outstanding under any of the Loan Documents shall be paid over or delivered as follows:

FIRST, to the payment of all reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including without limitation reasonable Attorney Costs) of the Administrative Agent or any of the Lenders, including Lenders when acting in the capacity of L/C Issuer, in connection with enforcing the rights of the Lenders under the Loan Documents, pro rata as set forth below;

SECOND, to payment of any fees (other than Letter of Credit Fees) owed to the Administrative Agent, any L/C Issuer, or any Lender, pro rata as set forth below;

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THIRD, to the payment of all accrued interest and Letter of Credit Fees payable to the Lenders hereunder, pro rata as set forth below;

FOURTH, to (a) the payment of the outstanding principal amount of the Loans and L/C Borrowings and (b) Cash Collateralize that portion of L/C Obligations comprised of the aggregate undrawn amount of Letters of Credit, as set forth below;

FIFTH, to all other obligations which shall have become due and payable under the Loan Documents and not repaid pursuant to clauses “FIRST” through “FOURTH” above; and

SIXTH, to the payment of the surplus, if any, to whoever may be lawfully entitled to receive such surplus.

In carrying out the foregoing, (a) amounts received shall be applied in the numerical order provided until exhausted prior to application to the next succeeding category and (b) each of the Lenders shall receive an amount equal to its pro rata share (based on the proportion that the then outstanding Loans held by such Lender bears to the aggregate then outstanding Loans) of amounts available to be applied.

Subject to Section 2.3(c) and Section 2.16, amounts used to Cash Collateralize the aggregate undrawn amount of Letters of Credit pursuant to clause Fourth above shall be applied to satisfy drawings under such Letters of Credit as they occur.  If any amount remains on deposit as Cash Collateral after all Letters of Credit have either been fully drawn or expired, such remaining amount shall be applied to the other Obligations, if any, in the order set forth above.

SECTION 9.

ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT

9.1          Appointment and Authority.

Each of the Lenders and the L/C Issuer hereby irrevocably appoints Bank of America to act on its behalf as the Administrative Agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms hereof or thereof, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto.  The provisions of this Article are solely for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer, and the Borrower shall not have rights as a third party beneficiary of any of such provisions.

9.2          Rights as a Lender.

The Person serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder shall have the same rights and powers in its capacity as a Lender as any other Lender and may exercise the same as though it were not the Administrative Agent and the term “Lender” or “Lenders” shall, unless otherwise expressly indicated or unless the context otherwise requires, include the Person serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder in its individual capacity.  Such Person and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to, act as the financial advisor or in any other advisory

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capacity for and generally engage in any kind of business with the Borrower or any Subsidiary or other Affiliate thereof as if such Person were not the Administrative Agent hereunder and without any duty to account therefor to the Lenders.

9.3          Exculpatory Provisions.

The Administrative Agent shall not have any duties or obligations except those expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrative Agent:

(a)           shall not be subject to any fiduciary or other implied duties, regardless of whether a Default has occurred and is continuing;

(b)           shall not have any duty to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary powers, except discretionary rights and powers expressly contemplated hereby or by the other Loan Documents that the Administrative Agent is required to exercise as directed in writing by the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be expressly provided for herein or in the other Loan Documents), provided that the Administrative Agent shall not be required to take any action that, in its opinion or the opinion of its counsel, may expose the Administrative Agent to liability or that is contrary to any Loan Document or applicable law; and

(c)           shall not, except as expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents, have any duty to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any information relating to the Borrower or any of its Affiliates that is communicated to or obtained by the Person serving as the Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity.

The Administrative Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it (i) with the consent or at the request of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary, or as the Administrative Agent shall believe in good faith shall be necessary, under the circumstances as provided in Sections 10.6 and 8.2) or (ii) in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct.  The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any Default unless and until notice describing such Default is given to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower, a Lender or the L/C Issuer.

The Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or representation made in or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (ii) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or thereunder or in connection herewith or therewith, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth herein or therein or the occurrence of any Default, (iv) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document or (v) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Section 4 or elsewhere herein, other than to confirm receipt of items expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent.

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9.4          Reliance by Administrative Agent.

The Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely upon, and shall not incur any liability for relying upon, any notice, request, certificate, consent, statement, instrument, document or other writing (including any electronic message, Internet or intranet website posting or other distribution) believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed, sent or otherwise authenticated by the proper Person.  The Administrative Agent also may rely upon any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to have been made by the proper Person, and shall not incur any liability for relying thereon.  In determining compliance with any condition hereunder to the making of a Loan, or the issuance of a Letter of Credit, that by its terms must be fulfilled to the satisfaction of a Lender or the L/C Issuer, the Administrative Agent may presume that such condition is satisfactory to such Lender or the L/C Issuer unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice to the contrary from such Lender or the L/C Issuer prior to the making of such Loan or the issuance of such Letter of Credit.  The Administrative Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be counsel for the Borrower), independent accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it in accordance with the advice of any such counsel, accountants or experts.

9.5          Delegation of Duties.

The Administrative Agent may perform any and all of its duties and exercise its rights and powers hereunder or under any other Loan Document by or through any one or more sub-agents appointed by the Administrative Agent.  The Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent may perform any and all of its duties and exercise its rights and powers by or through their respective Related Parties.  The exculpatory provisions of this Article shall apply to any such sub-agent and to the Related Parties of the Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent, and shall apply to their respective activities in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein as well as activities as Administrative Agent.

9.6          Resignation of Administrative Agent.

(a)           The Administrative Agent may at any time give notice of its resignation to the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and the Borrower.  Upon receipt of any such notice of resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right, in consultation with the Borrower, to appoint a successor, which shall be a bank with an office in the United States, or an Affiliate of any such bank with an office in the United States.  If no such successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment within 30 days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its resignation, then the retiring Administrative Agent may on behalf of the Lenders and the L/C Issuer, appoint a successor Administrative Agent meeting the qualifications set forth above; provided that if the Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders that no qualifying Person has accepted such appointment, then such resignation shall nonetheless become effective in accordance with such notice and (1) the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents (except that in the case of any collateral security held by the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Lenders or the L/C Issuer under any of the Loan Documents, the retiring Administrative Agent shall continue to hold such collateral

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security until such time as a successor Administrative Agent is appointed) and (2) all payments, communications and determinations provided to be made by, to or through the Administrative Agent shall instead be made by or to each Lender and the L/C Issuer directly, until such time as the Required Lenders appoint a successor Administrative Agent as provided for above in this Section.  Upon the acceptance of a successor’s appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder, such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring (or retired) Administrative Agent, and the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from all of its duties and obligations hereunder or under the other Loan (if not already discharged therefrom as provided above in this Section).  The fees payable by the Borrower to a successor Administrative Agent shall be the same as those payable to its predecessor unless otherwise agreed between the Borrower and such successor.  After the retiring Administrative Agent’s resignation hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, the provisions of this Article and Section 10.5 shall continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring Administrative Agent, its sub-agents and their respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any of them while the retiring Administrative Agent was acting as Administrative Agent.

(b)           If the Person serving as Administrative Agent is a Defaulting Lender pursuant to clause (d) of the definition thereof, the Required Lenders may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, by notice in writing to the Borrower and such Person remove such Person as Administrative Agent and, in consultation with the Borrower, appoint a successor.  If no such successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment within thirty days (or such earlier day as shall be agreed by the Required Lenders) (the “Removal Effective Date”), then such removal shall nonetheless become effective in accordance with such notice on the Removal Effective Date.

(c)           Any resignation by or removal of Bank of America as Administrative Agent pursuant to this Section shall also constitute its resignation as L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender.  Upon the acceptance of a successor’s appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder, (a) such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender, (b) the retiring L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender shall be discharged from all of their respective duties and obligations hereunder or under the other Loan Documents, and (c) the successor L/C Issuer shall issue letters of credit in substitution for the Letters of Credit, if any, outstanding at the time of such succession or make other arrangements satisfactory to the retiring L/C Issuer to effectively assume the obligations of the retiring L/C Issuer with respect to such Letters of Credit.

9.7          Non-Reliance on Administrative Agent and Other Lenders.

Each Lender and the L/C Issuer acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender or any of their Related Parties and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement.  Each Lender and the L/C Issuer also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or

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any other Lender or any of their Related Parties and based on such documents and information as it shall from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its own decisions in taking or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or thereunder.

9.8          No Other Duties, Etc.

Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, none of the Syndication Agent, the Joint Lead Arrangers or the Joint Book Managers listed on the cover page hereof shall have any powers, duties or responsibilities under this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents, except in its capacity, as applicable, as the Administrative Agent, a Lender or the L/C Issuer hereunder.

9.9          Administrative Agent May File Proofs of Claim.

In case of the pendency of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law or any other judicial proceeding relative to any Loan Party, the Administrative Agent (irrespective of whether the principal of any Loan or L/C Obligation shall then be due and payable as herein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Administrative Agent shall have made any demand on the Borrower) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise:

(a)           to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of the principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Loans, L/C Obligations and all other Obligations that are owing and unpaid and to file such other documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent and their respective agents and counsel and all other amounts due the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent under Sections 2.3(h) and (i), 2.9 and 10.5) allowed in such judicial proceeding; and

(b)           to collect and receive any monies or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same;

and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Lender and the L/C Issuer to make such payments to the Administrative Agent and, in the event that the Administrative Agent shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Lenders and the L/C Issuer, to pay to the Administrative Agent any amount due for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Administrative Agent and its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Administrative Agent under Sections 2.9 and 10.5.

Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to authorize the Administrative Agent to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Lender or the L/C Issuer any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Obligations or the rights of any Lender or the L/C Issuer to authorize the Administrative Agent to vote in respect of the claim of any Lender or the L/C Issuer in any such proceeding.

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SECTION 10.

MISCELLANEOUS

10.1        Notices and Other Communications; Facsimile Copies.

(a)           Notices Generally. Except in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and except as provided in subsection (b) below), all notices and other communications provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be delivered by hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified or registered mail or sent by telecopier as follows, and all notices and other communications expressly permitted hereunder to be given by telephone shall be made to the applicable telephone number, as follows:

(i)            if to the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender, to the address, telecopier number, electronic mail address or telephone number specified for such Person on Schedule 10.1; and

(ii)           if to any other Lender, to the address, telecopier number, electronic mail address or telephone number specified in its Administrative Questionnaire.

Notices sent by hand or overnight courier service, or mailed by certified or registered mail, shall be deemed to have been given when received; notices sent by telecopier shall be deemed to have been given when sent (except that, if not given during normal business hours for the recipient, shall be deemed to have been given at the opening of business on the next business day for the recipient). Notices delivered through electronic communications to the extent provided in subsection (b) below, shall be effective as provided in such subsection (b).

(b)           Electronic Communications. Notices and other communications to the Lenders and the L/C Issuer hereunder may be delivered or furnished by electronic communication (including e-mail and Internet or intranet websites) pursuant to procedures approved by the Administrative Agent, provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices to any Lender or the L/C Issuer pursuant to Section 2 if such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as applicable, has notified the Administrative Agent that it is incapable of receiving notices under such Section by electronic communication. The Administrative Agent or the Borrower may, in its discretion, agree to accept notices and other communications to it hereunder by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by it, provided that approval of such procedures may be limited to particular notices or communications.

Unless the Administrative Agent otherwise prescribes, (i) notices and other communications sent to an e-mail address shall be deemed received upon the sender’s receipt of an acknowledgement from the intended recipient (such as by the “return receipt requested” function, as available, return e-mail or other written acknowledgement), provided that if such notice or other communication is not sent during the normal business hours of the recipient, such notice or communication shall be deemed to have

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been sent at the opening of business on the next business day for the recipient, and (ii) notices or communications posted to an Internet or intranet website shall be deemed received upon the deemed receipt by the intended recipient at its e-mail address as described in the foregoing clause (i) of notification that such notice or communication is available and identifying the website address therefor.

(c)           The Platform. THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.” THE AGENT PARTIES (AS DEFINED BELOW) DO NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE BORROWER MATERIALS OR THE ADEQUACY OF THE PLATFORM, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM LIABILITY FOR ERRORS IN OR OMISSIONS FROM THE BORROWER MATERIALS. NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR FREEDOM FROM VIRUSES OR OTHER CODE DEFECTS, IS MADE BY ANY AGENT PARTY IN CONNECTION WITH THE BORROWER MATERIALS OR THE PLATFORM. In no event shall the Administrative Agent or any of its Related Parties (collectively, the “Agent Parties”) have any liability to the Borrower, any Lender, the L/C Issuer or any other Person for losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses of any kind (whether in tort, contract or otherwise) arising out of the Borrower’s or the Administrative Agent’s transmission of Borrower Materials through the Internet, except to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by a final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Agent Party; provided, however, that in no event shall any Agent Party have any liability to the Borrower, any Lender, the L/C Issuer or any other Person for indirect, special, incidental, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages).

(d)           Change of Address, Etc. Each of the Borrower, the Administrative Agent may change its address, telecopier or telephone number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other patties hereto. Each other Lender may change its address, telecopier or telephone number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer. In addition, each Lender agrees to notify the Administrative Agent from time to time to ensure that the Administrative Agent has on record (i) an effective address, contact name, telephone number, telecopier number and electronic mail address to which notices and other communications may be sent and (ii) accurate wire instructions for such Lender. Furthermore, each Public Lender agrees to cause at least one individual at or on behalf of such Public Lender to at all times have selected the “Private Side Information” or similar designation on the content declaration screen of the Platform in order to enable such Public Lender or its delegate, in accordance with such Public Lender’s compliance procedures and applicable Law, including United States Federal and state securities Laws, to make reference to Borrower Materials that are not made available through the “Public Side Information” portion of the Platform and that may contain material non-public information with respect to the Borrower or its securities for purposes of United States Federal or state securities laws.

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(e)           Reliance by Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and Lenders. The Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall be entitled to rely and act upon any notices (including telephonic Committed Loan Notices and Swing Line Loan Notices purportedly given by or on behalf of the Borrower even if (i) such notices were not made in a manner specified herein, were incomplete or were not preceded or followed by any other form of notice specified herein, or (ii) the terms thereof, as understood by the recipient, varied from any confirmation thereof. The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, each Lender, the L/C Issuer and the Related Parties of each of them from all losses, costs, expenses and liabilities resulting from the reliance by such Person on each notice purportedly given by or on behalf of the Borrower. All telephonic notices to and other telephonic communications with the Administrative Agent may be recorded by the Administrative Agent, and each of the parties hereto hereby consents to such recording.

10.2        Right of Set-Off; Payments Set Aside.

(a)           Right of Set-Off.  In addition to any rights now or hereafter granted under applicable law or otherwise, and not by way of limitation of any such rights, upon the occurrence of an Event of Default and the commencement of remedies described in Section 8.2, the Administrative Agent, each Lender and the L/C Issuer is authorized at any time and from time to time, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind (all of which rights being hereby expressly waived), to set-off and to appropriate and apply any and all deposits (general or special) and any other indebtedness at any time held or owing by the Administrative Agent, such Lender (including, without limitation branches, agencies or Affiliates of such Lender wherever located) or the L/C Issuer to or for the credit or the account of the Borrower against the Borrower Obligations irrespective of whether the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or the Lenders shall have made any demand hereunder and although such Borrower Obligations, or any of them, may be contingent or unmatured, and any such set-off shall be deemed to have been made immediately upon the occurrence of an Event of Default even though such charge is made or entered on the books of such Lender subsequent thereto. The Borrower hereby agrees that any Person purchasing a participation in the Loans and Commitments hereunder pursuant to Section 10.3(c) may exercise all rights of set-off with respect to its participation interest as fully as if such Person were a Lender hereunder.

(b)           Payments Set Aside.  To the extent that any payment by or on behalf of the Borrower is made to the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any Lender, or the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any Lender exercises its right of setoff, and such payment or the proceeds of such setoff or any part thereof is subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside or required (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or such Lender in its discretion) to be repaid to a trustee, receiver or any other party, in connection with any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law or otherwise, then (a) to the extent of such recovery, the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such setoff had not occurred, and (b) each Lender and the L/C Issuer severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent upon demand its applicable share (without duplication) of any amount so recovered from or repaid by the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon

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from the date of such demand to the date such payment is made at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect.  The obligations of the Lenders and the L/C Issuer under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.

10.3        Successors and Assigns.

(a)           Generally. The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, except that the Borrower may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Lender and no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder except (i) to an Eligible Assignee in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this Section, (ii) by way of participation in accordance with the provisions of subsection (d) of this Section, (iii) by way of pledge or assignment of a security interest subject to the restrictions of subsection (f) or (i) of this Section, or (iv) to an SPC in accordance with the provisions of subsection (h) of this Section (and any other attempted assignment or transfer by any party hereto shall be null and void). Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, Participation Purchasers to the extent provided in subsection (d) of this Section and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Indemnitees) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.

(b)           Assignments. Any Lender may at any time assign to one or more Eligible Assignees all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans (including for purposes of this subsection (b), participations in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans) at the time owing to it); provided that any such assignment shall be subject to the following conditions:

(i)            Minimum Amounts.

(A)          in the case of an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment and the related Loans at the time owing to it or in the case of an assignment to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund, no minimum amount need be assigned; and

(B)           in any case not described in subsection (b)(i)(A) of this Section, the aggregate amount of the Commitment (which for this purpose includes Loans outstanding thereunder) or, if the Commitment is not then in effect, the principal outstanding balance of the Loans of the assigning Lender subject to each such assignment, determined as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such assignment is delivered to the Administrative Agent or, if “Trade Date” is specified in the Assignment and Assumption, as of the Trade Date, shall not be less than $5,000,000 (or, if less, the remaining amount of the Commitment being assigned by such Lender) and an integral multiple of $1,000,000 in excess

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thereof unless each of the Administrative Agent and, so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Borrower otherwise consents (each such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed); provided, however, that concurrent assignments to members of an Assignee Group and concurrent assignments from members of an Assignee Group to a single assignee (or to an assignee and members of its Assignee Group) will be treated as a single assignment for purposes of determining whether such minimum amount has been met.

(ii)           Proportionate Amounts.  Each partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s Loans and Commitments, and rights and obligations with respect thereto, assigned, except that this clause (ii) shall not prohibit any Lender from assigning all or a portion of its rights and obligations in respect of its Commitment (and the related Loans thereunder) on a non-pro rata basis;

(iii)          Required Consents.  No consent shall be required for any assignment except to the extent required by subsection (b)(i)(B) of this Section and, in addition:

(A)          the consent of the Borrower (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) shall be required unless (1) an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing at the time of such assignment or (2) such assignment is to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund;

(B)           the consent of the Administrative Agent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) shall be required for assignments in respect of any Commitment if such assignment is to a Person that is not a Lender with a Commitment, an Affiliate of such Lender or an Approved Fund with respect to such Lender;

(C)           the consent of each L/C Issuer (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) shall be required for any assignment that increases the obligation of the assignee to participate in exposure under one or more Letters of Credit (whether or not then outstanding); and

(D)          the consent of the Swing Line Lender (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) shall be required for any assignment.

(iv)          Assignment and Assumption.  The parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent an Assignment and Assumption, together with a processing and recordation fee in the amount of $3,500; provided, however, that the Administrative Agent may, in its sole discretion, elect to waive such processing and recordation fee in the case of any assignment. The assignee,

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if it shall not be a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire.

(v)           No Assignment to Borrower.  No such assignment shall be made (A) to the Borrower or any of the Borrower’s Affiliates or Subsidiaries or (B) to any Defaulting Lender or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Person who, upon becoming a Lender hereunder, would constitute any of the foregoing Persons described in this clause (B), or (C) to a natural person.

(vi)          Certain Additional Payments.  In connection with any assignment of rights and obligations of any Defaulting Lender hereunder, no such assignment shall be effective unless and until, in addition to the other conditions thereto set forth herein, the parties to the assignment shall make such additional payments to the Administrative Agent in an aggregate amount sufficient, upon distribution thereof as appropriate (which may be outright payment, purchases by the assignee of participations or subparticipations, or other compensating actions, including funding, with the consent of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, the applicable pro rata share of Loans previously requested but not funded by the Defaulting Lender, to each of which the applicable assignee and assignor hereby irrevocably consent), to (x) pay and satisfy in full all payment liabilities then owed by such Defaulting Lender to the Administrative Agent or any Lender hereunder (and interest accrued thereon) and (y) acquire (and fund as appropriate) its full pro rata share of all Loans and participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans in accordance with its Applicable Percentage.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that any assignment of rights and obligations of any Defaulting Lender hereunder shall become effective under applicable Law without compliance with the provisions of this paragraph, then the assignee of such interest shall be deemed to be a Defaulting Lender for all purposes of this Agreement until such compliance occurs.

Subject to acceptance and recording thereof by the Administrative Agent pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption, the Eligible Assignee thereunder shall be a party to this Agreement and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of Sections 3.1, 3.4, 3.5 and 10.5 with respect to facts and circumstances occurring prior to the effective date of such assignment). Upon request, the Borrower (at its expense) shall execute and deliver a Note to the assignee Lender. Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this subsection shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with subsection (d) of this Section.

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(c)           Register. The Administrative Agent, acting solely for this purpose as an agent of the Borrower, shall maintain at one of its offices in the United States a copy of each Assignment and Assumption delivered to it and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitments of, and principal amounts of the Loans and L/C Obligations owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “Register”). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive, and the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders may treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement, notwithstanding notice to the contrary. The Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrower and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.

(d)           Participations. Any Lender may at any time, without the consent of, or notice to, the Borrower or the Administrative Agent, sell participations to any Participation Purchaser in all or a portion of such Lender’s rights and/or obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and/or the Loans (including such Lender’s participation in L/C Obligations and/or Swing Line Loans) owing to it); provided that (i) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (ii) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations and (iii) the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the other Lenders shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement. Any agreement or instrument pursuant to which a Lender sells such a participation shall provide that such Lender shall retain the sole right to enforce this Agreement and to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement; provided that such agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without the consent of the Participation Purchaser, agree to any amendment, waiver or other modification described in Section 10.6 that directly affects such Participation Purchaser. Subject to subsection (e) of this Section, the Borrower agrees that each Participation Purchaser shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 3.1. 3.4 and 3.5 to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section. To the extent permitted by law, each Participation Purchaser also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 10.2 as though it were a Lender, provided such Participation Purchaser agrees to be subject to Section 2.13 as though it were a Lender.

(e)           Payment for Participation Purchasers.  A Participation Purchaser shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Section 3.1 or 3.4 than the applicable Lender would have been entitled to receive with respect to the participation sold to such Participation Purchaser, unless the sale of the participation to such Participation Purchaser is made with the Borrower’s prior written consent. A Participation Purchaser that would be a Foreign Lender if it were a Lender shall not be entitled to the benefits of Section 3.1 unless the Borrower is notified of the participation sold to such Participation Purchaser and such Participation Purchaser agrees, for the benefit of the Borrower, to comply with Section 3.1(e) as though it were a Lender.

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(f)            Nonrestricted Assignments.  Any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement (including under its Note, if any) to secure obligations of such Lender, including any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank; provided that no such pledge or assignment shall release such Lender from any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such Lender as a party hereto.

(g)           Information.  Any Lender may furnish any information concerning the Borrower in the possession of such Lender from time to time to assignees and Participation Purchasers (including prospective assignees and Participation Purchasers).

(h)           SPC.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, any Lender (a “Granting Lender”) may grant to a special purpose funding vehicle identified as such in writing from time to time by the Granting Lender to the Administrative Agent and the Borrower (an “SPC”) the option to provide all or any part of any Loan that such Granting Lender would otherwise be obligated to make pursuant to this Agreement; provided that (i) nothing herein shall constitute a commitment by any SPC to fund any Loan, and (ii) if an SPC elects not to exercise such option or otherwise fails to make all or any part of such Loan, the Granting Lender shall be obligated to make such Loan pursuant to the terms hereof. Each party hereto hereby agrees that (i) neither the grant to any SPC nor the exercise by any SPC of such option shall increase the costs or expenses or otherwise increase or change the obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement (including its obligations under Section 3.4, (ii) no SPC shall be liable for any indemnity or similar payment obligation under this Agreement for which a Lender would be liable, and (iii) the Granting Lender shall for all purposes, including the approval of any amendment, waiver or other modification of any provision of any Loan Document, remain the lender of record hereunder. The making of a Loan by an SPC hereunder shall utilize the Commitment of the Granting Lender to the same extent, and as if, such Loan were made by such Granting Lender. In furtherance of the foregoing, each party hereto hereby agrees (which agreement shall survive the termination of this Agreement) that, prior to the date that is one year and one day after the payment in full of all outstanding commercial paper or other senior debt of any SPC, it will not institute against, or join any other Person in instituting against, such SPC any bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, insolvency, or liquidation proceeding under the laws of the United States or any State thereof. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, any SPC may (i) with notice to, but without prior consent of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent and without paying any processing fee therefor, assign all or any portion of its right to receive payment with respect to any Loan to the Granting Lender and (ii) disclose on a confidential basis any non-public information relating to its funding of Loans to any rating agency, commercial paper dealer or provider of any surety or guaranty or credit or liquidity enhancement to such SPC.

(i)            Fund Lenders.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, any Lender that is a Fund may create a security interest in all or any portion of the Loans owing to it and the Note, if any, held by it to the trustee for holders of obligations owed, or securities issued, by such Fund as security for such obligations or securities, provided that unless and until such trustee actually becomes a Lender in compliance with the other

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provisions of this Section 10.3, (i) no such pledge shall release the pledging Lender from any of its obligations under the Loan Documents and (ii) such trustee shall not be entitled to exercise any of the rights of a Lender under the Loan Documents even though such trustee may have acquired ownership rights with respect to the pledged interest through foreclosure or otherwise.

(j)            Electronic Execution of Assignments.  The words “execution,” “signed,” signature,” and words of like import in any Assignment and Assumption shall be deemed to include electronic signatures or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, to the extent and as provided for in any applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act and any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act.

(k)           Resignation as L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender after Assignment. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if at any time Bank of America or another Lender serving as a L/C Issuer assigns all of its Commitment and Loans pursuant to subsection (b) above, (i) Bank of America or such other Lender, as the case may be, may, upon thirty days’ notice to the Borrower and the Lenders, resign as one of the L/C Issuers and/or (ii) Bank of America may, upon thirty days’ notice to the Borrower, resign as Swing Line Lender.  In the event of any such resignation as L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, the Borrower shall be entitled to appoint from among the Lenders a successor L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender hereunder; provided, however, that no failure by the Borrower to appoint any such successor shall affect the resignation of Bank of America or the other Lender as L/C Issuer or of Bank of America as Swing Line Lender, as the case may be.  If Bank of America or another Lender resigns as L/C Issuer, it shall retain all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the L/C Issuer hereunder with respect to all Letters of Credit outstanding as of the effective date of its resignation as L/C Issuer and all L/C Obligations with respect thereto (including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Committed Loans or fund risk participations in Unreimbursed Amounts pursuant to Section 2.3(c)).  If Bank of America resigns as Swing Line Lender, it shall retain all the rights of the Swing Line Lender provided for hereunder with respect to Swing Line Loans made by it and outstanding as of the effective date of such resignation, including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Committed Loans or fund risk participations in outstanding Swing Line Loans pursuant to Section 2.4(c).  Upon the appointment of a successor L/C Issuer and/or Swing Line Lender, (1) such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, as the case may be, and (2) the successor L/C Issuer shall issue letters of credit in substitution for the Letters of Credit, if any, outstanding at the time of such succession or make other arrangements satisfactory to Bank of America or another Lender resigning as a L/C Issuer to effectively assume the obligations of Bank of America or such other Lender, as the case may be, with respect to such Letters of Credit.

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10.4        No Waiver; Remedies Cumulative.

No failure or delay on the part of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any Lender in exercising any right, power or privilege hereunder or under any other Loan Document and no course of dealing between the Borrower and the Administrative Agent or any Lender shall operate as a waiver thereof; nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, power or privilege hereunder or under any other Loan Document preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege hereunder or thereunder. The rights and remedies provided herein are cumulative and not exclusive of any rights or remedies which the Administrative Agent or any Lender would otherwise have. No notice to or demand on the Borrower in any case shall entitle the Borrower to any other or further notice or demand in similar or other circumstances or constitute a waiver of the rights of the Administrative Agent or the Lenders to any other or further action in any circumstances without notice or demand.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein or in any other Loan Document, the authority to enforce rights and remedies hereunder and under the other Loan Documents against the Loan Parties or any of them shall be vested exclusively in, and all actions and proceedings at law in connection with such enforcement shall be instituted and maintained exclusively by, the Administrative Agent in accordance with Section 8.2 for the benefit of all the Lenders and the L/C Issuers; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not prohibit (a) the Administrative Agent from exercising on its own behalf the rights and remedies that inure to its benefit (solely in its capacity as Administrative Agent) hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, (b) the L/C Issuers or the Swing Line Lender from exercising the rights and remedies that inure to its benefit (solely in their/its capacity as L/C Issuers or Swing Line Lender, as the case may be) hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, (c) any Lender from exercising setoff rights in accordance with Section 10.2 (subject to the terms of Section 2.13), or (d) any Lender from filing proofs of claim or appearing and filing pleadings on its own behalf during the pendency of a proceeding relative to any Loan Party under any Debtor Relief Law; and provided, further, that if at any time there is no Person acting as Administrative Agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, then (i) the Required Lenders shall have the rights otherwise ascribed to the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 8.2 and (ii) in addition to the matters set forth in clauses (b), (c) and (d) of the preceding proviso and subject to Section 2.13, any Lender may, with the consent of the Required Lenders, enforce any rights and remedies available to it and as authorized by the Required Lenders.

10.5        Payment of Expenses, etc.

(a)           Costs and Expenses.  The Borrower shall pay (i) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates (including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of counsel for the Administrative Agent), in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein, the preparation, negotiation, execution, delivery and administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or any amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions hereof or thereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be consummated) (ii) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the L/C Issuers in connection with the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or any demand for payment thereunder and (iii) all reasonable out-of-

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pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent, any L/C Issuer or any Lender (including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any Lender), in connection with the enforcement or protection of its rights (A) in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, including its rights under this Section, or (B) in connection with the Loans made hereunder, including all such out-of-pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans or Letters of Credit

(b)           Indemnification by the Borrower.  The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent (and any sub-agent thereof) and each Lender and each L/C Issuer, and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person being called an “Indemnitee”) against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and related expenses (including the fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for any Indemnitee), incurred by any Indemnitee or asserted against any Indemnitee by any third party or by the Borrower or any Subsidiary of the Borrower arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of (i) the execution or delivery of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or thereby, the performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations hereunder or thereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, (ii) any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use or proposed use of the proceeds therefrom (including any refusal by a L/C Issuer to honor a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit if the documents presented in connection with such demand do not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit), (iii) any Loan or the use or proposed use of the proceeds therefrom, (iv) any actual or alleged presence or release of hazardous materials on or from any property currently or formerly owned or operated by the Borrower, any Subsidiary of the Borrower, or any liability resulting from any actual or alleged violation of Environmental Laws related in any way to the Borrower, any Subsidiary of the Borrower, or (v) any actual or prospective claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether based on contract, tort or any other theory, whether brought by a third party or by the Borrower, and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto; provided that such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses (x) are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee or (y) result from a claim brought by the Borrower against an Indemnitee for breach of such Indemnitee’s obligations hereunder or under any other Loan Document, if the Borrower has obtained a final and nonappealable judgment in its favor on such claim as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.

(c)           Reimbursement by Lenders.  To the extent that the Borrower for any reason fails to indefeasibly pay any amount required under subsection (a) or (b) of this Section to be paid by it to the Administrative Agent (or any sub-agent thereof), the L/C Issuers or any Related Party of any of the foregoing, each Lender severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent), the L/C Issuers or such Related Party, as the case may be, such Lender’s pro rata share in accordance with its Applicable Percentage (determined as of the time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or

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indemnity payment is sought) of such unpaid amount, provided that the unreimbursed expense or indemnified loss, claim, damage, liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted against the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent) or the L/C Issuers in their capacity as such, or against any Related Party of any of the foregoing acting for the Administrative Agent (or any such sub-agent) or the L/C Issuers in connection with such capacity.  The obligations of the Lenders under this subsection (c) are subject to the provisions of Section 2.12(d).

(d)           Waiver of Consequential Damages, Etc. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Borrower shall not assert, and hereby waives, any claim against any Indemnitee, on any theory of liability, for special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds thereof.  No Indemnitee referred to in subsection (b) above shall be liable for any damages arising from the use by unintended recipients of any information or other materials distributed by it through telecommunications, electronic or other information transmission systems in connection with this Agreement or the other Loan Documents or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.

(e)           Payments. All amounts due under this Section shall be payable within ten Business Days after demand therefor.

(f)            Survival. The agreements in this Section shall survive the resignation of the Administrative Agent, any L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender, the replacement of any Lender, the termination of the Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all other Borrower Obligations.

10.6        Amendments, Waivers and Consents.

Neither this Agreement, nor any other Loan Document nor any of the terms hereof or thereof may be amended, changed, waived, discharged or terminated unless such amendment, change, waiver, discharge or termination is in writing and signed by the Required Lenders and the Borrower; provided that no such amendment, change, waiver, discharge or termination shall without the consent of each Lender affected thereby:

(a)           extend the Maturity Date, or postpone or extend the time for any payment or prepayment of principal;

(b)           reduce the rate or extend the time of payment of interest (other than as a result of waiving the applicability of any post-default increase in interest rates) thereon or fees or other amounts payable hereunder;

(c)           reduce or waive the principal amount of any Loan or L/C Borrowing;

(d)           increase or extend the Commitment of a Lender (it being understood and agreed that a waiver of any Default or Event of Default or a waiver of any mandatory

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reduction in the Commitments shall not constitute a change in the terms of any Commitment of any Lender);

(e)           release the Borrower from its obligations under the Loan Documents;

(f)            amend, modify or waive any provision of this Section 10.6 or Sections 2.12(a), 2.13, 2.14, 8.1(a), 10.2, 10.3 or 10.5;

(g)           reduce any percentage specified in, or otherwise modify, the definition of Required Lenders;

(h)           consent to the assignment or transfer by the Borrower of any of its rights and obligations under (or in respect of) the Loan Documents;

(i)            unless also signed by the L/C Issuers, affect the rights or duties of the L/C Issuers under this Agreement or any Issuer Document relating to any Letter of Credit issued or to be issued by them;

(j)            unless also signed by the Swing Line Lender, affect the rights or duties of the Swing Line Lender under this Agreement; or

(k)           unless also signed by the Administrative Agent, affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent under this Agreement or any other Loan Document.

No provision of Section 9 may be amended or modified without the consent of the Administrative Agent.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no Defaulting Lender shall have any right to approve or disapprove any amendment, waiver or consent hereunder (and any amendment, waiver or consent which by its terms requires the consent of all Lenders or each affected Lender may be effected with the consent of the applicable Lenders other than Defaulting Lenders), except that (x) the Commitment of any Defaulting Lender may not be increased or extended without the consent of such Lender and (y) any waiver, amendment or modification requiring the consent of all Lenders or each affected Lender that by its terms affects any Defaulting Lender more adversely than other affected Lenders shall require the consent of such Defaulting Lender.

Notwithstanding the fact that the consent of all the Lenders is required in certain circumstances as set forth above, (x) each Lender is entitled to vote as such Lender sees fit on any reorganization plan that affects the Loans, and each Lender acknowledges that the provisions of Section 1126(c) of the Bankruptcy Code supersede the unanimous consent provisions set forth herein and (y) the Required Lenders may consent to allow the Borrower to use cash collateral in the context of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding.

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10.7        Counterparts.

This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which where so executed and delivered shall be an original, but all of which shall constitute one and the same instrument.

10.8        Headings.

The headings of the sections and subsections hereof are provided for convenience only and shall not in any way affect the meaning or construction of any provision of this Agreement.

10.9        Interest Rate Limitation.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any Loan Document, the interest paid or agreed to be paid under the Loan Documents shall not exceed the maximum rate of non-usurious interest permitted by applicable Law (the “Maximum Rate”).  If the Administrative Agent or any Lender shall receive interest in an amount that exceeds the Maximum Rate, the excess interest shall be applied to the principal of the Loans or, if it exceeds such unpaid principal, refunded to the Borrower.  In determining whether the interest contracted for, charged, or received by the Administrative Agent or a Lender exceeds the Maximum Rate, such Person may, to the extent permitted by applicable Law, (a) characterize any payment that is not principal as an expense, fee, or premium rather than interest, (b) exclude voluntary prepayments and the effects thereof, and (c) amortize, prorate, allocate, and spread in equal or unequal parts the total amount of interest throughout the contemplated term of the Obligations hereunder.

10.10      Survival of Indemnification and Representations and Warranties.

All indemnities set forth herein and all representations and warranties made hereunder and in any other Loan Document or other document delivered pursuant hereto or thereto or in connection herewith or therewith shall survive the execution and delivery hereof and thereof. Such representations and warranties have been or will be relied upon by the Administrative Agent and each Lender, regardless of any investigation made by the Administrative Agent or any Lender and notwithstanding that the Administrative Agent or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of any Default or Event of Default at the time of the making of any Loan, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as any Loan or any other Borrower Obligation hereunder shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied or any Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding.

10.11      Governing Law.

(a)           GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA.

(b)           SUBMISSION TO JURISDICTION.  THE BORROWER IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY SUBMITS, FOR ITSELF AND ITS PROPERTY, TO THE NONEXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE COURTS OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA SITTING IN FULTON COUNTY AND OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT OF THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF GEORGIA, AND

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ANY APPELLATE COURT FROM ANY THEREOF, IN ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT, OR FOR RECOGNITION OR ENFORCEMENT OF ANY JUDGMENT, AND EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY AGREES THAT ALL CLAIMS IN RESPECT OF ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING MAY BE HEARD AND DETERMINED IN SUCH GEORGIA STATE COURT OR, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN SUCH FEDERAL COURT. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO AGREES THAT A FINAL JUDGMENT IN ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING SHALL BE CONCLUSIVE AND MAY BE ENFORCED IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS BY SUIT ON THE JUDGMENT OR IN ANY OTHER MANNER PROVIDED BY LAW. NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT OR IN ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT SHALL AFFECT ANY RIGHT THAT THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, ANY LENDER, OR THE L/C ISSUER MAY OTHERWISE HAVE TO BRING ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT AGAINST THE BORROWER OR ITS PROPERTIES IN THE COURTS OF ANY JURISDICTION.

(c)           WAIVER OF VENUE.  THE BORROWER IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY OBJECTION THAT IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE TO THE LAYING OF VENUE OF ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT IN ANY COURT REFERRED TO IN PARAGRAPH (B) OF THIS SECTION. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE DEFENSE OF AN INCONVENIENT FORUM TO THE MAINTENANCE OF SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING IN ANY SUCH COURT.

(d)           SERVICE OF PROCESS. EACH PARTY HERETO IRREVOCABLY CONSENTS TO SERVICE OF PROCESS IN THE MANNER PROVIDED FOR NOTICES IN SECTION 10.1. NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT WILL AFFECT THE RIGHT OF ANY PARTY HERETO TO SERVE PROCESS IN ANY OTHER MANNER PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

10.12      Waiver of Jury Trial.

EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY). EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PERSON HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PERSON WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER

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PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.

10.13      Severability.

If any provision of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, (a) the legality, validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall not be affected or impaired thereby and (b) the parties shall endeavor in good faith negotiations to replace the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provisions.  The invalidity of a provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction.  Without limiting the foregoing provisions of this Section 10.13, if and to the extent that the enforceability of any provisions in this Agreement relating to Defaulting Lenders shall be limited by Debtor Relief Laws, as determined in good faith by the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender, as applicable, then such provisions shall be deemed to be in effect only to the extent not so limited.

10.14      Further Assurances.

The Borrower agrees, upon the request of the Administrative Agent, to promptly take such actions, as reasonably requested, as are necessary to carry out the intent of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.

10.15      Entirety.

This Agreement together with the other Loan Documents represent the entire agreement of the parties hereto and thereto, and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, oral or written, if any, including any commitment letters or correspondence relating to the Loan Documents or the transactions contemplated herein and therein.

10.16      Binding Effect; Continuing Agreement.

(a)           This Agreement shall become effective at such time as all of the conditions set forth in Section 4.1 have been satisfied or waived by the Lenders and it shall have been executed by the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, and thereafter this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and each Lender and their respective successors and assigns. Upon this Agreement becoming effective, the Existing Credit Agreement shall be deemed terminated, and the Borrower and the lenders party to the Existing Credit Agreement shall no longer have any obligations thereunder (other than those obligations in the Existing Credit Agreement that expressly survive the termination of the Existing Credit Agreement).

(b)           This Agreement shall be a continuing agreement and shall remain in full force and effect until all Loans, interest, fees and other Borrower Obligations have been paid in full and all Commitments have been terminated. Upon termination, the Borrower

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shall have no further obligations (other than the indemnification provisions that survive) under the Loan Documents; provided that should any payment, in whole or in part, of the Borrower Obligations be rescinded or otherwise required to be restored or returned by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, whether as a result of any proceedings in bankruptcy or reorganization or otherwise, then the Loan Documents shall automatically be reinstated and all amounts required to be restored or returned and all costs and expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent or any Lender in connection therewith shall be deemed included as part of the Borrower Obligations.

10.17      Confidentiality.

Each of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its Affiliates and to its and its Affiliates’ respective partners, directors, officers, employees, agents, advisors and representatives (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential); (b) to the extent requested by any regulatory authority purporting to have jurisdiction over it or its Affiliates (including any self-regulatory authority, such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners); (c) to the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process (provided, in the event of any disclosure pursuant to this clause (c), the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or the Lenders shall promptly notify the Borrower of its disclosure of such Information); (d) to any other party to this Agreement; (e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or under any other Loan Document or any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the enforcement of rights hereunder or thereunder; (f) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section 10.17, to (i) any assignee of or Participation Purchaser in, or any prospective assignee of or Participation Purchaser in, any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement or (ii) any actual or prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any swap or derivative transaction relating to the Borrower and its obligations; (g) with the consent of the Borrower; (h) to the extent such Information (x) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section 10.17 or (y) becomes available to the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer, any Lender or any of their respective Affiliates on a nonconfidential basis from a source other than the Borrower; or (i) to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners or any other similar organization or any nationally recognized rating agency that requires access to information about a Lender’s or its Affiliates’ investment portfolio in connection with ratings issued with respect to such Lender or its Affiliates.

For the purposes of this Section 10.17, “Information” means all information received from the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries relating to the Borrower or its Subsidiary or any of their respective businesses, other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer or any Lender on a nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure by the Borrower or any Subsidiary, provided that, in the case of information received from the Borrower or any Subsidiary after the date hereof, such information is clearly identified at the time of delivery as confidential. Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information as provided in this Section 10.17 shall be considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the

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confidentiality of such Information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information.

Each of the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders acknowledges that (a) the Information may include material non-public information concerning the Borrower or a Subsidiary, as the case may be, (b) it has developed compliance procedures regarding the use of material non-public information and (c) it will handle such material non-public information in accordance with applicable Law, including United States Federal and state securities Laws.

10.18      Replacement of Lenders.

If any Lender requests compensation under Section 3.4, or if the Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 3.1, or if any Lender is a Defaulting Lender or if any other circumstance exists hereunder that gives the Borrower the right to replace a Lender as a party hereto, then the Borrower may, at its sole expense and effort, upon notice to such Lender and the Administrative Agent, require such Lender to assign and delegate, without recourse (in accordance with and subject to the restrictions contained in, and consents required by, Section 10.3), all of its interests, rights and obligations under this Agreement and the related Loan Documents to an assignee that shall assume such obligations (which assignee may be another Lender, if a Lender accepts such assignment), provided that:

(a)           the Borrower shall have paid to the Administrative Agent the assignment fee specified in Section 10.3(b);

(b)           such Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to 100% of the outstanding principal of its Loans and L/C Advances, accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder and under the other Loan Documents (including any amounts under Section 3.5) from the assignee (to the extent of such outstanding principal and accrued interest and fees) or the Borrower (in the case of all other amounts);

(c)           in the case of any such assignment resulting from a claim for compensation under Section 3.4 or payments required to be made pursuant to Section 3.1, such assignment will result in a reduction in such compensation or payments thereafter; and

(d)           such assignment does not conflict with applicable Laws.

A Lender shall not be required to make any such assignment or delegation if, prior thereto, as a result of a waiver by such Lender or otherwise, the circumstances entitling the Borrower to require such assignment and delegation cease to apply.

10.19      USA PATRIOT Act Notice; Government Regulations.

(a)           Each Lender that is subject to the Act (as hereinafter defined) and the Administrative Agent (for itself and not on behalf of any Lender) hereby notifies the Borrower that pursuant to the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L.

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107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)) (the “Act”), it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies the Borrower, which information includes the name and address of the Borrower and other information that will allow such Lender or the Administrative Agent, as applicable, to identify the Borrower in accordance with the Act.  The Borrower shall, promptly following a request by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, provide all documentation and other information that the Administrative Agent or such Lender requests in order to comply with its ongoing obligations under applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including the Act.

(b)           The Borrower shall (a) ensure that no person that controls or has the power to control the Borrower is or shall be listed on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Person List or other similar lists maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), the Department of the Treasury or included in any Executed Orders, that prohibits or limits the Lenders from making any advance or extension of credit to the Borrower or from otherwise conducting business with the Borrower and (b) ensure that the proceeds of the Loans shall not be used to violate any of the foreign asset control regulations of OFAC or any enabling statute or Executive Order relating thereto.  Further, the Borrower shall comply with all applicable Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”) laws and regulations, as amended, and the Borrower agrees to provide documentary and other evidence of the Borrower’s identity as may be requested by any Lender at any time to enable any Lender or Lenders to verify the Borrower’s identity or to comply with any applicable law or regulation, including, without limitation, Section 326 of the USA Patriot Act of 2001, 31 U.S.C. Section 5318.

10.20      No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility.

In connection with all aspects of each transaction contemplated hereby (including in connection with any amendment, waiver or other modification hereof or of any other Loan Document), the Borrower acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its Affiliates’ understanding, that: (i) (A) the arranging and other services regarding this Agreement provided by the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Joint Lead Arrangers, are arm’s-length commercial transactions between the Borrower its Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Joint Lead Arrangers, on the other hand, (B) the Borrower has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it has deemed appropriate, and (C) the Borrower is capable of evaluating, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the other Loan Documents; (ii) (A) each of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Joint Lead Arrangers is and has been acting solely as a principal and, except as expressly agreed in writing by the relevant parties, has not been, is not, and will not be acting as an advisor, agent or fiduciary for the Borrower or any of its respective Affiliates, or any other Person and (B) neither the Administrative Agent nor the Lenders nor the Joint Lead Arrangers have any obligation to the Borrower or any of its respective Affiliates with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby except those obligations expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents; and (iii) the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Joint Lead Arrangers and their respective Affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Borrower and its respective Affiliates, and neither the Administrative Agent nor the Lenders

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nor the Joint Lead Arrangers have any obligation to disclose any of such interests to the Borrower and its respective Affiliates.  To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Borrower hereby waives and releases any claims that it may have against the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Joint Lead Arrangers with respect to any breach or alleged breach of agency or fiduciary duty in connection with any aspect of any transaction contemplated hereby.

10.21      Electronic Execution of Assignments and Certain Other Documents.

The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” and words of like import in any Assignment and Assumption or in any amendment or other modification hereof (including waivers and consents) shall be deemed to include electronic signatures or the keeping of records in electronic form, which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, to the extent and as provided for in any applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, Georgia’s Uniform Electronic Transactions Act or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act.

10.22      Voting Participants.

Notwithstanding anything in Section 10.3 to the contrary, any Farm Credit Lender that (i) has purchased a participation in the minimum aggregate amount of $5,000,000 on or after the Closing Date, (ii) is, by written notice to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent (“Voting Participant Notification”), designated by the selling Lender (including any existing Voting Participant) as being entitled to be accorded the rights of a Voting Participant hereunder and (iii) receives the prior written consent of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, in its sole discretion, to become a Voting Participant (such consent to be required only to the extent and under the circumstances it would be required if such Voting Participant were to become a Lender pursuant to an assignment in accordance with Section 10.3 (any Farm Credit Lender so designated and consented to being called a “Voting Participant”), shall be entitled to vote for so long as such Farm Credit Lender owns such participation and notwithstanding any subparticipation by such Farm Credit Lender (and the voting rights of the selling Lender (including any existing Voting Participant) shall be correspondingly reduced), on a dollar for dollar basis, as if such participant were a Lender, on any matter requiring or allowing a Lender to provide or withhold its consent, or to otherwise vote on any proposed action.  To be effective, each Voting Participant Notification shall, with respect to any Voting Participant, (x) state the full name, as well as all contact information required of an assignee in an Assignment and Assumption and (y) state the dollar amount of the participation purchased in its Commitment or any or all of its Loans.  The selling Lender (including any existing Voting Participant) and the purchasing Voting Participant shall notify the Administrative Agent and the Borrower within 3 Business Days’ of any termination of, or reduction or increase in the amount of, such participation.  The Borrower and the Administrative Agent shall be entitled to conclusively rely on information contained in notices delivered pursuant to this paragraph.  The voting rights hereunder are solely for the benefit of the Voting Participant and shall not inure to any assignee or participant of the Voting Participant that is not a Farm Credit Lender.

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Each of the parties hereto has caused this Agreement to be duly executed and delivered as of the date first above written.

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