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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D. C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) August 7, 2009
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Commission
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Registrant; State of Incorporation;
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I.R.S. Employer |
File Number
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Address; and Telephone Number
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Identification No. |
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333-21011
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FIRSTENERGY CORP.
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34-1843785 |
(An Ohio Corporation)
76 South Main Street
Akron, OH 44308
Telephone (800)736-3402
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000-53742
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FIRSTENERGY SOLUTIONS CORP.
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31-1560186 |
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(An Ohio Corporation) |
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c/o FirstEnergy Corp. |
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76 South Main Street |
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Akron, OH 44308 |
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Telephone (800)736-3402 |
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Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the
filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction
A.2.):
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Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
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Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.14d-2(b)) |
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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.13e-4(c)) |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
Item 2.03 Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet
Arrangement of a Registrant
On August 7, 2009, FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. (FES) completed an offering of $1,500,000,000
aggregate principal amount of its senior notes. FES is a wholly owned subsidiary of FirstEnergy
Corp. (FirstEnergy).
FES sold the senior notes pursuant to a purchase agreement, dated August 4, 2009 (Purchase
Agreement), between FES and Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, Barclays Capital Inc., Credit Suisse
Securities (USA) LLC and RBS Securities Inc., as representatives (the Representatives) of the
several initial purchasers named in the Purchase Agreement (collectively, Initial Purchasers), in a
private placement exempt from the registration requirements under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (Securities Act). The senior notes were resold by the Initial Purchasers within the United
States only to qualified institutional buyers in reliance on Rule 144A under the Securities Act and
to non-U.S. persons outside the United States pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act.
The senior notes were issued in three series under the First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of
August 1, 2009 (First Supplemental Indenture) to the Indenture dated as of August 1, 2009 (as so
supplemented, the Indenture), between FES and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as
trustee (Trustee), as follows:
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Make-whole |
Principal Amount |
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Interest Rate |
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Maturity Date |
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Redemption Spread |
$400,000,000
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4.80 |
% |
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2/15/2015
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35 bps |
$600,000,000
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6.05 |
% |
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8/15/2021
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40 bps |
$500,000,000
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6.80 |
% |
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8/15/2039
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40 bps |
Interest on each series of the senior notes will accrue at the applicable rate per annum and be
payable semi-annually in arrears on each February 15 and August 15, beginning on February 15, 2010,
and on the applicable maturity date. The senior notes of each series will be redeemable as a whole
or in part, at FES option, at any time, at a redemption price equal to the greater of: (i) 100%
and (ii) a make-whole price calculated by reference to the present value of the then-remaining
scheduled principal and interest payments discounted at a rate derived from the then current yield
on U.S. Treasury securities of comparable maturity plus the applicable make-whole redemption spread
specified above, plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest to the redemption date.
Payment of the senior notes is unconditionally and jointly and severally guaranteed by FES
subsidiaries FirstEnergy Generation Corp. (FGCO) and FirstEnergy Nuclear Generation Corp. (NGC and,
together with FGCO, the Guarantor Subsidiaries) pursuant to their guaranties dated as of March 26, 2007 (the Guaranties), which
generally guaranty the indebtedness of FES on an unsecured basis. The senior notes will be the
senior unsecured general obligations of FES ranking equally with all of its and the Guarantor
Subsidiaries other senior unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness.
In addition to other customary terms and conditions, the Indenture contains a limitation on liens
provision that restricts the ability of FES and the Guarantor Subsidiaries to issue, assume,
guarantee or permit to exist secured debt without effectively securing all outstanding senior notes
issued under the Indenture equally and ratably with that debt (but only so long as such debt is
secured). This provision, which is subject to specified exceptions for, among other things, secured
debt outstanding on the date of issuance of the senior notes, first mortgage bonds issued from time
to time by the Guarantor Subsidiaries under their existing mortgage indentures and secured debt
relating to pollution control or similar revenue bonds, also permits secured debt in addition to
that permitted by the specified exceptions of up to the greater of
(i)
$1.5 billion or (ii) 15% of FES consolidated tangible assets. The Indenture also provides
that FES may not sell, transfer, convey or otherwise dispose of any of the capital stock of either
of the Guarantor Subsidiaries except under certain limited circumstances.
In addition, upon the occurrence of a change of control as defined in the Indenture, coupled with
the senior notes ceasing to be rated investment grade by at least two of three rating agencies
during the 60 days prior to and 60 days after such change of control, holders of the senior notes
may require FES, subject to certain conditions, to repurchase all or a portion of their senior
notes at a price equal to 101%, plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of repurchase.
Pursuant to a registration rights agreement, dated as of August 7, 2009, among FES and the
Representatives (Registration Rights Agreement), FES has agreed to consummate an exchange offer
pursuant to an effective registration statement filed with the United States Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC) to allow holders of senior notes to exchange the senior notes for a new
issue of substantially identical debt securities registered under the Securities Act. In addition,
FES has agreed to file, under certain circumstances, a shelf registration statement to cover
resales of the senior notes. FES has agreed to use its reasonable best efforts, subject to
applicable law, to file a registration statement within 180 calendar days of the date of the
original issuance of the senior notes and to consummate the exchange offer within 210 calendar days
of the date of the original issuance of the senior notes. If FES fails to complete the exchange
offer or register the senior notes for resale within 210 calendar days of such date of original
issuance, FES will be required to pay additional interest of 0.25% per annum on the senior notes
until the exchange offer is consummated or the resale shelf registration statement becomes
effective.
Net proceeds from the issuance and sale of the senior notes of approximately $1.487 billion will be
used by FES to repay approximately $1.0 billion of borrowings under the $2.75 billion revolving
credit facility that FES shares with FirstEnergy and certain of FirstEnergys other subsidiaries
and for general corporate purposes. FES repayment of outstanding borrowings under the revolving
credit facility is expected to make available borrowing capacity for FirstEnergy, which FirstEnergy
expects to access to fund all or a portion of the tender offer described under Item 8.01 below.
The above descriptions of the senior notes, the Indenture, First Supplemental Indenture, the
Guaranties and the Registration Rights Agreement do not purport to be a complete statement of the
relevant parties rights and obligations thereunder and the transactions contemplated thereby. The
above descriptions of such documents are qualified in their entirety by reference to the senior
notes, the Indenture, the First Supplemental Indenture, the Guaranties and the Registration Rights
Agreement. Copies of the Indenture, the First Supplemental Indenture, the forms of the senior
notes, the Guaranties and the Registration Rights Agreement are included with or incorporated by
reference into this Form 8-K as Exhibits 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6. 4.7 and 10.1 respectively,
and are incorporated herein by reference.
Item 8.01 Other Events.
On August 4, 2009, FirstEnergy announced a cash tender offer for up to $725 million in aggregate
principal amount of its outstanding 6.45% Notes, Series B, Due 2011. The tender offer is subject to
certain conditions, including a financing condition relating to the consummation of the senior
notes offering by FES described under Items 1.01 and 2.03 above. As a result of the consummation
of that offering, this financing condition is now satisfied.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
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Exhibit No. |
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Description |
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4.1
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Indenture, dated as of August 1, 2009, between FirstEnergy
Solutions Corp. and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust
Company, N.A. |
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4.2
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First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of August 1, 2009,
between FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. and The Bank of New York
Mellon Trust Company, N.A. |
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4.3
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Form of 4.80% Senior Notes due 2015 (included in Exhibit 4.2) |
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4.4
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Form of 6.05% Senior Notes due 2021 (included in Exhibit 4.2) |
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4.5
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Form of 6.80% Senior Notes due 2039 (included in Exhibit 4.2) |
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4.6
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Guaranty, dated as of March 26, 2007, by FirstEnergy
Generation Corp. in respect of indebtedness of FirstEnergy
Solutions Corp. (Incorporated by reference from FES Form
S-4/A (Registration No. 333-145140) filed August 20, 2007,
Exhibit 10-39) |
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4.7
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Guaranty, dated as of March 26, 2007, by FirstEnergy Nuclear
Generation Corp. in respect of indebtedness of FirstEnergy
Solutions Corp. (Incorporated by reference from FES Form
S-4/A (Registration No. 333-145140) filed August 20, 2007,
Exhibit 10-42) |
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10.1
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Registration Rights Agreement, dated August 7, 2009, among
FirstEnergy Solutions Corp., and Morgan Stanley & Co.
Incorporated, Barclays Capital Inc., Credit Suisse
Securities (USA) LLC and RBS Securities Inc., as
representatives of the initial purchasers |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each Registrant has duly
caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto authorized.
August 7, 2009
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FIRSTENERGY CORP.
Registrant
FIRSTENERGY SOLUTIONS CORP.
Registrant
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By: |
/s/ Lisa S. Wilson
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Lisa S. Wilson |
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Assistant Controller |
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