1 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) September 6, 2000 -------------------------------- NRG Energy, Inc. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Delaware 001-15891 41-1724239 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (State or other jurisdiction (Commission (IRS Employer of incorporation) File Number) Identification No.) 1221 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code) Registrant's telephone number, including area code (612) 373-5300 ----------------------------- None - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Former name and former address, if changed since last report.)
2 Item 5. Other Events. In December 1999, NRG Energy, Inc. (the "Company") filed, pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Act"), a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-93055), which was declared effective on January 10, 2000. On September 7, 2000, the Company filed a Prospectus Supplement, dated September 6, 2000, and accompanying Prospectus, dated January 10, 2000, relating to the offering of $350,000,000 principal amount of the Company's 8.25% Senior Notes due 2010 (the "Notes"). In this connection, the Company is filing certain exhibits as part of this Form 8-K. See "Item 7. Exhibits." Item 7. Exhibits. The following exhibits are filed with this report on Form 8-K: Exhibit No. Description - ----------- ----------- 1.1 Underwriting Agreement, dated September 6, 2000, by and among the Company and Salomon Smith Barney Inc., Banc of America Securities LLC and Merrill Lynch & Co. as Representatives of the several underwriters listed on Schedule I thereto with respect to the issuance and sale of the Notes. 25.1 Statement of Eligibility of Trustee.
3 SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized. NRG Energy, Inc. -------------------------------- (Registrant) Date September 7, 2000 /S/ Leonard A. Bluhm -------------------------------- -------------------------------- (Signature)* Name: Leonard A. Bluhm Title: Executive Vice President and CFO *Print name and title of the signing officer under this signature
1 NRG Energy, Inc. $350,000,000 8.25% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2010 Underwriting Agreement New York, New York September 6, 2000 Salomon Smith Barney Inc. Banc of America Securities LLC Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated c/o Salomon Smith Barney Inc. 388 Greenwich Street New York, New York 10013 Ladies and Gentlemen: NRG Energy, Inc., a Delaware Corporation (the "Company"), proposes to sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the "Underwriters"), for whom you (the "Representatives") are acting as representatives, $350,000,000 principal amount of its 8.25% Senior Notes due 2010 (the "Securities"), to be issued under an indenture (the "Indenture") dated as of September 11, 2000, between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank Minnesota, National Association, as trustee (the "Trustee"). To the extent there are no additional Underwriters listed on Schedule I other than you, the term Representatives as used herein shall mean you, as Underwriters, and the terms Representatives and Underwriters shall mean either the singular or plural as the context requires. Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Final Prospectus or the Final Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 which were filed under the Exchange Act on or before the Effective Date of the Registration Statement or the issue date of the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Final Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, as the case may be; and any reference herein to the terms "amend", "amendment" or "supplement" with respect to the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Final Prospectus or the Final Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the Effective Date of the Registration Statement or the issue date of the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Final Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, as the case may be, deemed to be incorporated therein by reference. Certain terms used herein are defined in Section 17 hereof. 1. Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each Underwriter as set forth below in this Section 1. 1
2 (a) The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Act and has prepared and filed with the Commission a registration statement (Registration Statement No. 333-93055) on Form S-3, including a related basic prospectus, for registration under the Act of the offering and sale of the Securities. The Company may have filed one or more amendments thereto, including a Preliminary Final Prospectus, each of which has previously been furnished to you. The Company will next file with the Commission one of the following: (1) after the Effective Date of such registration statement, a final prospectus supplement relating to the Securities in accordance with Rules 430A and 424(b), (2) prior to the Effective Date of such registration statement, an amendment to such registration statement (including the form of final prospectus supplement) or (3) a final prospectus in accordance with Rules 415 and 424(b). In the case of clause (1), the Company has included in such registration statement, as amended at the Effective Date, all information (other than Rule 430A Information) required by the Act and the rules thereunder to be included in such registration statement and the Final Prospectus. As filed, such final prospectus supplement or such amendment and form of final prospectus supplement shall contain all Rule 430A Information, together with all other such required information, and, except to the extent the Representatives shall agree in writing to a modification, shall be in all substantive respects in the form furnished to you prior to the Execution Time or, to the extent not completed at the Execution Time, shall contain only such specific additional information and other changes (beyond that contained in the Basic Prospectus and any Preliminary Final Prospectus) as the Company has advised you, prior to the Execution Time, will be included or made therein. The Registration Statement, at the Execution Time, meets the requirements set forth in Rule 415(a)(1)(x). (b) On the Effective Date, the Registration Statement did or will, and when the Final Prospectus is first filed (if required) in accordance with Rule 424(b) and on the Closing Date (as defined herein), the Final Prospectus (and any supplement thereto) will, comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act, the Exchange Act and the Trust Indenture Act and the respective rules thereunder; on the Effective Date and at the Execution Time, the Registration Statement did not or will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; on the Closing Date the Indenture will comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Trust Indenture Act and the rules thereunder; and, on the Effective Date, the Final Prospectus, if not filed pursuant to Rule 424(b), will not, and on the date of any filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) and on the Closing Date, the Final Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto) will not, include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to (i) that part of the Registration Statement which shall constitute the Statement of Eligibility and Qualification (Form T-1) under the Trust Indenture Act of the Trustee or (ii) the information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or the Final Prospectus (or any supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the 2
3 Representatives specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement or the Final Prospectus (or any supplement thereto). (c) None of the Company and its significant subsidiaries (as defined by Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X), all of which are set forth in Schedule II (the "Subsidiaries"), is or, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus, will be required to be registered or regulated as an "investment company" as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. (d) The Company has not paid or agreed to pay to any person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any Securities (except as contemplated by this Agreement). (e) Except as set forth in the Final Prospectus, the Company and its Subsidiaries possess and are in compliance with all approvals, certificates, authorizations, licenses and permits issued by the appropriate state, Federal or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct the business now being operated by them, except where the failure to possess such approvals, certificates, authorizations, licenses and permits or be in compliance therewith is not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the condition, financial or otherwise, earnings, business or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole (a "Material Adverse Effect"), and none of the Company or its Subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such approval, certificate, authorization, license or permit which, individually or in the aggregate, is likely to have a Material Adverse Effect. (f) Except as set forth in the Final Prospectus, there is no action, suit or proceeding before or by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending or, to the knowledge of the Company and its Subsidiaries threatened against the Company or any of its subsidiaries which is likely to result in any Material Adverse Effect or materially and adversely affect the offering of the Securities in the manner contemplated by the Final Prospectus. (g) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company. (h) The Securities have been duly authorized and at the Closing Date will have been duly executed by the Company and, when authenticated, issued and delivered in the manner provided for in the Indenture and delivered against payment of the purchase price therefor as provided in this Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors' rights generally and except as enforcement thereof is subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding 3
4 in equity or at law), and will be in the form contemplated by, and entitled to the benefits of, the Indenture. (i) Except as set forth in the Final Prospectus and except for (i) San Francisco Thermal, Limited Partnership, (ii) Pittsburgh Thermal, Limited Partnership, and (iii) RSD Power Partners, L.P. (each of which is subject to regulation by virtue of its steam sales), none of the Company or the Subsidiaries is subject to regulation as a "steam corporation", "electric utility", "electric utility company", "utility company" or "public utility company" (collec tively, "Regulated Utilities") or any similar term by any federal, state, local or foreign public utility commission or regulatory body or under any applicable federal, state, local or foreign law as a Regulated Utility other than as public utilities that have been granted market-based rates under the Federal Power Act or any state regulation applicable to "exempt wholesale generators," as defined in Section 32 of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, as amended ("PUHCA"). (j) None of the Company or the Subsidiaries is an "electric utility company", a "public utility company", a "holding company", a "subsidiary company" of any of the foregoing or an "affiliate" of any of the foregoing or an "affiliate" of a "subsidiary" of a "holding company" (except insofar as the Company is a subsidiary of a registered holding company), each as defined in PUHCA. (k) The Company's percentage ownership interest in its facilities, operations or projects under construction as set forth in the Final Prospectus are true and accurate in all material respects as of the date presented and any changes in the Company's percentage ownership interest in its facilities, operations or projects under construction which have occurred between such date and the date of this Agreement are as set forth on Schedule III hereto. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Securities shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter. 2. Purchase and Sale. Subject to the terms and conditions and in reliance upon the representations and warranties herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, the Securities, in the respective principal amounts set forth opposite such Underwriter's name in Schedule I hereto, at a purchase price equal to 99.053% of the principal amount thereof (the "Purchase Price"). 3. Delivery and Payment. Delivery of and payment for the Securities shall be made at 10:00 AM, New York City time, on September 11, 2000, or at such time on such later date not more than three Business Days after the foregoing date as the Representatives shall designate, which date and time may be postponed by agreement between the Representatives and the Company or as provided in Section 9 hereof (such date and time of delivery and payment for the Securities 4
5 being herein called the "Closing Date"). Delivery of the Securities shall be made to the Representa tives for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters, against payment by the several Underwriters through the Representatives, of the Purchase Price thereof to or upon the order of the Company by wire transfer payable in same-day funds to an account specified by the Company. Delivery of the Securities shall be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct. 4. Offering by Underwriters. It is understood that the several Underwriters propose to offer the Securities for sale to the public as set forth in the Final Prospectus. 5. Agreements. The Company agrees with the several Underwriters that: (a) The Company will use its best efforts to cause the Registration Statement, if not effective at the Execution Time, and any amendment thereof, to become effective. Prior to the termination of the offering of the Securities, the Company will not file any amendment of the Registration Statement or supplement (including the Final Prospectus or any Preliminary Final Prospectus) to the Basic Prospectus or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement unless the Company has furnished you a copy for your review prior to filing and will not file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which you reasonably object. Subject to the foregoing sentence, if the Registration Statement has become or becomes effective pursuant to Rule 430A, or filing of the Final Prospectus is otherwise required under Rule 424(b), the Company will cause the Final Prospectus, properly completed, and any supplement thereto to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) within the time period prescribed and will provide evidence satisfactory to the Representatives of such timely filing. The Company will promptly advise the Representa tives (1) when the Registration Statement, if not effective at the Execution Time, shall have become effective, (2) when the Final Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, shall have been filed (if required) with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) or when any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have been filed with the Commission, (3) when, prior to termination of the offering of the Securities, any amendment to the Registration Statement shall have been filed or become effective, (4) of any request by the Commission or its staff for any amendment of the Registration Statement, or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, or for any supplement to the Final Prospectus or for any additional information, (5) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose and (6) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for sale in any jurisdiction or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose. The Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or the suspension of any such qualification and, if issued, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof. (b) If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is required to be delivered under the Act, any event occurs as a result of which the Final Prospectus as then 5
6 supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Final Prospectus to comply with the Act or the Exchange Act or the respective rules thereunder, the Company promptly will (1) notify the Representatives of such event, (2) prepare and file with the Commission, subject to the second sentence of paragraph (a) of this Section 5, an amendment or supplement which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance and (3) supply any supplemented Final Prospectus to you in such quantities as you may reasonably request. (c) As soon as practicable, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Representatives an earnings statement or statements of the Company and its subsidiaries which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 under the Act. (d) The Company will furnish to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and to each other Underwriter a copy of the Registration Statement (without exhibits thereto) and, so long as delivery of a prospectus by an Underwriter or dealer may be required by the Act, as many copies of each Preliminary Final Prospectus and the Final Prospectus and any supplement thereto as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will pay the expenses of printing or other production of all documents relating to the offering. (e) The Company will arrange, if necessary, for the qualification of the Securities for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may designate, will maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Securities and will pay any fee of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., in connection with its review of the offering; provided that in no event shall the Company be obligated to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or to take any action that would subject it to service of process in suits, other than those arising out of the offering or sale of the Securities, in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject. (f) The Company will not, without the prior written consent of Salomon Smith Barney Inc., offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, or otherwise dispose of, (or enter into any transaction which is designed to, or might reasonably be expected to, result in the disposition (whether by actual disposition or effective economic disposition due to cash settlement or otherwise) by the Company or any affiliate of the Company or any person in privity with the Company or any affiliate of the Company) directly or indirectly, including the filing (or participation in the filing) of a registration statement with the Commission in respect of, or establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act, any debt securities issued or guaranteed by the Company (other than the Securities) or publicly announce an intention to effect any such transaction, within 30 days after the Closing Date. 6
7 (g) The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities. 6. Conditions to the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Securities shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company contained herein as of the Execution Time and the Closing Date, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company made in any certificates pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions: (a) If the Registration Statement has not become effective prior to the Execution Time, unless the Representatives agree in writing to a later time, the Registration Statement will become effective not later than (i) 6:00 PM New York City time, on the date of determination of the public offering price, if such determination occurred at or prior to 3:00 PM New York City time on such date or (ii) 9:30 AM on the Business Day following the day on which the public offering price was determined, if such determination occurred after 3:00 PM New York City time on such date; if filing of the Final Prospectus, or any supplement thereto, is required pursuant to Rule 424(b), the Final Prospectus, and any such supplement, will be filed in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b); and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or threatened. (b) The Company shall have requested and caused Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, counsel for the Company, to have furnished to the Representatives their opinion, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Representatives, to the effect that: (i) the Securities conform to the description thereof contained in the Final Prospectus in all material respects; (ii) the Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act, and (assuming due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Trustee) constitutes a legal, valid and binding instrument enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms (subject, as to enforcement of remedies, to applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors' rights generally from time to time in effect and to general principles of equity, including, without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and, when executed and authenticated in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters 7
8 pursuant to this Agreement, will constitute legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company entitled to the benefits of the Indenture (subject, as to enforcement of remedies, to applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors' rights generally from time to time in effect and to general principles of equity, including, without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); (iii) the Registration Statement has become effective under the Act; any required filing of the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Final Prospectus and the Final Prospectus, and any supplements thereto, pursuant to Rule 424(b) have been made in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b); to the knowledge of such counsel, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued, no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or threatened, and the Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus (other than the financial statements and other financial information contained therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act, the Exchange Act and the Trust Indenture Act and the respective rules thereunder; (iv) this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company; (v) the Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Final Prospectus, will not be an "investment company" required to be registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended; Furthermore, following the opinion paragraphs, such counsel shall state the following: "We have participated in conferences with officers and other representatives of the Company, representatives of the independent auditors of the Company and your representatives and counsel at which the contents of the Registration Statement, Preliminary Final Prospectus and/or Final Prospectus and related matters were discussed. Because the purpose of our professional engagement was not to establish or confirm factual matters and because the scope of our examination of the affairs of the Company did not permit us to verify the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements set forth in the Registration Statement, Preliminary Final Prospectus and/or Final Prospectus, we are not passing upon and do not assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement, Preliminary Final Prospectus and/or Final Prospectus, except to the extent set forth below in the last sentence of the immediately following paragraph. 8
9 On the basis of the foregoing, and except for the financial statements and schedules and other financial and statistical data included therein, as to which we express no opinion or belief, no facts have come to our attention that lead us to believe that the Registration Statement, on the Effective Date or on the date the Registration Statement was last deemed amended, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or that the Preliminary Final Prospectus and/or Final Prospectus, as of their respective dates and as of the date hereof, contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Furthermore, on the basis of the foregoing, and insofar as the statements in the Registration Statement, Preliminary Final Prospectus and/or Final Prospectus under the caption 'Description of Notes' and 'Description of Debt Securities' purport to describe specific provisions of the Indenture, such statements present in all material respects an accurate summary of such provisions." In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely (A) as to matters involving the application of laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of New York, the State of Delaware or the Federal laws of the United States, to the extent they deem proper and specified in such opinion, upon the opinion of other counsel of good standing whom they believe to be reliable and who are satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters and (B) as to matters of fact, to the extent they deem proper, on certificates of responsible officers of the Company and public officials. References to the Final Prospectus in this paragraph (b) include any supplements thereto at the Closing Date. (c) The Company shall have furnished to the Representatives the opinion of James J. Bender, Esq., general counsel of the Company, dated the Closing Date, to the effect that: (i) each of the Company and the Subsidiaries has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is chartered or organized, with full corporate power and authority to own or lease, as the case may be, and to operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Final Prospectus, and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction which requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing is not reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect; (ii) all the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company and of each Subsidiary have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, and, except as otherwise set forth in the Final Prospectus, all outstanding shares of capital stock of each of the Subsidiaries are owned of record by the Company either directly or through wholly owned Subsidiaries free and clear of any perfected security interest and, to the knowledge of such counsel, after due 9
10 inquiry, any other security interest, claim, lien or encumbrance, other than such liens or other security interests granted or created in connection with indebtedness of the projects owned by such Subsidiaries; (iii) the Company's authorized equity capitalization is as set forth in the Final Prospectus; (iv) there is no pending, or, to the knowledge of such counsel, threatened action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries or its or their property, of a character required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement which is not adequately disclosed in the Final Prospectus, and there is no franchise, contract or other document of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement or Final Prospectus, or to be filed as an exhibit thereto, which is not described or filed as required; and the statements included or incorporated by reference in the Final Prospectus under the heading "Risk Factors -- Our business is subject to substantial governmental regulation and permitting requirements and may be adversely affected by any future inability to comply with existing or further regulations or requirements," fairly summarize the matters therein described; (v) no consent, approval, authorization, filing with or order of any court or governmental agency or body is required in connection with the transactions contemplated herein, except such as have been obtained under the Act and such as may be required under the blue sky laws of any jurisdiction in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters (about which such counsel need express no opinion) in the manner contemplated in this Agreement and in the Final Prospectus and such other approvals (specified in such opinion) as have been obtained; (vi) neither the execution and delivery of the Indenture, the issue and sale of the Securities, nor the consummation of any other of the transactions herein contemplated nor the fulfillment of the terms hereof will conflict with, result in a breach or violation or constitute a default under (i) the charter or by-laws of the Company or its Subsidiaries, (ii) the terms of any indenture, contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan agreement or other agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or instrument to which the Company or its Subsidiaries is a party or bound or to which its or their property is subject, or (iii) any statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree applicable to the Company or its Subsidiaries of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Company or its Subsidiaries or any of its or their properties, except in the cases of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, such conflict, breach, violation or default which is not reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect; 10
11 (vii) except as set forth in the Final Prospectus and except for (i) San Francisco Thermal, Limited Partnership, (ii) Pittsburgh Thermal, Limited Partner ship, and (iii) RSD Power Partners, L.P., (each of which is subject to regulation by virtue of its steam sales) none of the Company or its Subsidiaries is subject to regulation as a Regulated Utility or any similar term by any federal law, law of the State of Minnesota or Minnesota public utility commission or federal regulatory body or under any such law as a Regulated Utility other than as public utilities that have been granted market-based rates under the Federal Power Act or any state regulation applicable to "exempt wholesale generators," as defined in Section 32 of PUHCA; (viii) none of the Company or its Subsidiaries is an "electric utility company", a "public utility company", a "holding company", a "subsidiary company" of any of the foregoing, an "affiliate" of any of the foregoing, or an "affiliate" of a "subsidiary" of a "holding company" (except insofar as the Company is a subsidiary of an exempt holding company), each as defined in PUHCA, which is subject to regulation as such an entity under PUHCA, except pursuant to Section 9(a)(2), Section 32 or Section 33 thereof; (ix) except as set forth in the Final Prospectus, the Company and its Subsidiaries possess and are in compliance with all approvals, certificates, authorizations, licenses and permits issued by the appropriate state, Federal or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct their business as described in the Final Prospectus, except where the failure to possess such approvals, certificates, authorizations, licenses and permits or be in compliance therewith would not be reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect and to the knowledge of such counsel, none of the Company or its Subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such approval, certificate, authorization, license or permit which, individually or in the aggregate, if it became the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would be reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (x) no holders of securities of the Company have rights to the registration of such securities under the Registration Statement. (d) The Representatives shall have received from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion or opinions, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Representatives, with respect to the issuance and sale of the Securities, the Indenture, the Registration Statement, the Final Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto) and other related matters as the Representatives may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters. 11
12 (e) The Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a certificate of the Company, signed by the Chairman of the Board or the President and the principal financial or accounting officer of the Company, dated the Closing Date, to the effect that the signers of such certificate have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Final Prospectus, any supplements to the Final Prospectus and this Agreement and that: (i) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct in all material respects on and as of the Closing Date with the same effect as if made on the Closing Date and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Date; (ii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the Company's knowledge, threatened; and (iii) since the date of the most recent financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto), there has been no material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto). (f) The Company shall have requested and caused PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to have furnished to the Representatives, at the Execution Time and at the Closing Date, letters, (which may refer to letters previously delivered to one or more of the Representa tives), dated respectively as of the Execution Time and as of the Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, confirming that they are independent accountants within the meaning of the Act and the Exchange Act and the respective applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission thereunder and that they have performed a review of the unaudited interim financial information of the Company for the six-month period ended June 30, 2000, and as at June 30, 2000, in accordance with Statement on Auditing Standards No. 71, and stating in effect that: (i) in their opinion the audited financial statements and financial statement schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus and reported on by them comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the Exchange Act and the related rules and regulations adopted by the Commission; (ii) on the basis of a reading of the latest unaudited financial statements made available by the Company and its subsidiaries; their limited review, in 12
13 accordance with standards established under Statement on Auditing Standards No. 71, of the unaudited interim financial information for the six-month period ended June 30, 2000 and as at June 30, 2000, incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus; carrying out certain specified procedures (but not an examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards) which would not necessarily reveal matters of significance with respect to the comments set forth in such letter; a reading of the minutes of the meetings of the stockholders, directors and audit committees of the Company and the Subsidiaries; and inquiries of certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for financial and accounting matters of the Company and its subsidiaries as to transactions and events subsequent to December 31, 1999, nothing came to their attention which caused them to believe that: (1) any unaudited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus do not comply as to form in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements of the Act and with the related rules and regulations adopted by the Commission with respect to financial statements included or incorporated by reference in quarterly reports on Form 10-Q under the Exchange Act; and said unaudited financial statements are not in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a basis substantially consistent with that of the audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus; (2) with respect to the period subsequent to June 30, 2000, there were, at a specified date not more than five days prior to the date of the letter, any increases in the long-term debt or total current liabilities of the Company and its subsidiaries or decreases in the stockholders' equity of the Company or decreases in total current assets or total assets of the Company and its subsidiaries as compared with the amounts shown on the June 30, 2000, consolidated balance sheet included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus, or for the period from July 1, 2000 to such specified date there were any decreases, as compared with the six months ended June 30, 1999 in consolidated operating revenues or income before income taxes or net income of the Company and its subsidiar ies, except in all instances for changes or decreases set forth in such letter, in which case the letter shall be accompanied by an explanation by the Company as to the significance thereof unless said explanation is not deemed necessary by the Representatives; (3) the information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and Final Prospectus in response to Regulation S-K, Item 301 (Selected Financial Data) and Item 503(d) (Ratio of Earnings to Fixed 13
14 Charges) is not in conformity with the applicable disclosure require ments of Regulation S-K; and (iii) they have performed certain other specified procedures as a result of which they determined that certain information of an accounting, financial or statistical nature (which is limited to accounting, financial or statistical information derived from the general accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries) set forth in the Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus and in Exhibit 12 to the Registration Statement, including the financial information set forth under the captions "Summary and Consolidated Financial and Operating Data", certain information included or incorporated by reference in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus, and certain information included or incorporated by reference in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus, agrees with the accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries, excluding any questions of legal interpretation. (g) Subsequent to the Execution Time or, if earlier, the dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement (exclusive of any amendment thereof) and the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto), there shall not have been (i) any change or decrease in the items specified in the letter or letters referred to in paragraph (e) of this Section 6 or (ii) any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto) the effect of which, in any case referred to in clause (i) or (ii) above, is, in the reasonable judgment of the Representatives, so material and adverse as to make it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Securities as contemplated by the Registration Statement (exclusive of any amendment thereof) and the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto). (h) Subsequent to the Execution Time, there shall not have been any decrease in the rating of any of the Company's debt securities by any "nationally recognized statistical rating organization" (as defined for purposes of Rule 436(g) under the Act) or any notice given of any intended or potential decrease in any such rating or of a possible change in any such rating that does not indicate the direction of the possible change. (i) Prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives such further information, certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request. If any of the conditions specified in this Section 6 shall not have been fulfilled in all material respects when and as provided in this Agreement, or if any of the opinions and certificates 14
15 mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall not be in all material respects reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, this Agreement and all obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be canceled at, or at any time prior to, the Closing Date by the Representatives. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing or by telephone or facsimile confirmed in writing. The documents required to be delivered by this Section 6 shall be delivered at the office of the Company, 1221 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, Minnesota, on the Closing Date. 7. Reimbursement of Underwriters' Expenses. If the sale of the Securities provided for herein is not consummated because any condition to the obligations of the Underwriters set forth in Section 6 hereof is not satisfied, because of any termination pursuant to Section 10 hereof or because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or comply with any provision hereof other than by reason of a default by any of the Underwriters, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters severally through Salomon Smith Barney Inc. on demand for all out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel) that shall have been incurred by them in connection with the proposed purchase and sale of the Securities. 8. Indemnification and Contribution. (a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, the directors, officers, employees and agents of each Underwriter and each person who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or other Federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the registration statement for the registration of the Securities as originally filed or in any amendment thereof, or in the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Final Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, or in any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and agrees to reimburse each such indemnified party, as incurred, for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for inclusion therein; provided, further, that with respect to any untrue statement or omission of a material fact made in the Basic Prospectus or any Preliminary Final Prospectus, the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 8(a) 15
16 shall not inure to the benefit of any Underwriter from whom the person asserting any such loss, claim, damage or liability purchased the Securities concerned, to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability of such Underwriter occurs under the circumstance where it shall have been determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment that (w) the Company had previously furnished copies of the Final Prospectus to the Representatives, (x) delivery of the Final Prospectus was required to be made to such person, (y) the untrue statement or omission of a material fact contained in the Preliminary Final Prospectus was corrected in the Final Prospectus, and (z) there was not sent or given to such person, at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of such Securities to such person, a copy of the Final Prospectus. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have. (b) Each Underwriter severally and not jointly agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signs the Registration Statement, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to each Underwriter, but only with reference to written information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company by or on behalf of such Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for inclusion in the documents referred to in the foregoing indemnity. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which any Underwriter may otherwise have. The Company acknowledges that the statements set forth in the last paragraph of the cover page regarding delivery of the Securities, and, under the heading "Underwriting", (i) the list of Underwriters and their respective participation in the sale of the Securities, (ii) the sentences related to concessions and reallowances and (iii) the paragraph related to stabilization, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids constitute the only information furnished in writing by or on behalf of the several Underwriters for inclusion in any Preliminary Final Prospectus or the Final Prospectus. (c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 8 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 8, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the failure so to notify the indemnifying party (i) will not relieve it from liability under paragraph (a) or (b) above unless and to the extent it did not otherwise learn of such action and such failure results in the forfeiture by the indemnifying party of substantial rights and defenses and (ii) will not, in any event, relieve the indemnifying party from any obligations to any indemnified party other than the indemnification obligation provided in paragraph (a) or (b) above. The indemnifying party shall be entitled to appoint counsel of the indemnifying party's choice at the indemnifying party's expense to represent the indemnified party in any action for which indemnification is sought (in which case the indemnifying party shall not thereafter be responsible for the fees and expenses of any separate counsel retained by the indemnified party or parties except as set forth below); provided, however, that such counsel shall be satisfactory to the indemnified party. Notwithstanding the indemnifying party's election to appoint counsel to represent the 16
17 indemnified party in an action, the indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel (including local counsel), and the indemnifying party shall bear the reasonable fees, costs and expenses of such separate counsel if (i) the use of counsel chosen by the indemnifying party to represent the indemnified party would present such counsel with a conflict of interest, (ii) the actual or potential defendants in, or targets of, any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, (iii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of the institution of such action or (iv) the indemnifying party shall authorize the indemnified party to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party, it being understood that the indemnifying party shall not be liable for more than one separate firm (in addition to one local firm in each jurisdiction) for all indemnified parties in each jurisdiction in which any claim or action arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances is brought. An indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties to such claim or action) unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding. An indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, enter into any settlement or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment. (d) In the event that the indemnity provided in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section 8 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party for any reason, the Company and the Underwriters severally agree to contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating or defending same) (collectively "Losses") to which the Company and one or more of the Underwriters may be subject in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and by the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities; provided, however, that in no case shall any Underwriter (except as may be provided in any agreement among underwriters relating to the offering of the Securities) be responsible for any amount in excess of the underwriting discount or commission applicable to the Securities purchased by such Underwriter hereunder. If the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is unavailable for any reason, the Company and the Underwriters severally shall contribute in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. Benefits received by the Company shall be deemed to be equal to the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by it, and 17
18 benefits received by the Underwriters shall be deemed to be equal to the total underwriting discounts and commissions, in each case as set forth on the cover page of the Final Prospectus. Relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any untrue or any alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information provided by the Company on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution were determined by pro rata allocation or any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph (d), no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresen tation. For purposes of this Section 8, each person who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act and each director, officer, employee and agent of an Underwriter shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, each officer of the Company who shall have signed the Registration Statement and each director of the Company shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the applicable terms and conditions of this paragraph (d). 9. Default by an Underwriter. If any one or more Underwriters shall fail to purchase and pay for any of the Securities agreed to be purchased by such Underwriter or Underwriters hereunder and such failure to purchase shall constitute a default in the performance of its or their obligations under this Agreement, the remaining Underwriters shall be obligated severally to take up and pay for (in the respective proportions which the principal amount of Securities set forth opposite their names in Schedule I hereto bears to the aggregate principal amount of Securities set forth opposite the names of all the remaining Underwriters) the Securities which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase; provided, however, that in the event that the aggregate principal amount of Securities which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase shall exceed 10% of the aggregate principal amount of Securities set forth in Schedule I hereto, the remaining Underwriters shall have the right to purchase all, but shall not be under any obligation to purchase any, of the Securities, and if such nondefaulting Underwriters do not purchase all the Securities, this Agreement will terminate without liability to any nondefaulting Underwriter or the Company. In the event of a default by any Underwriter as set forth in this Section 9, the Closing Date shall be postponed for such period, not exceeding five Business Days, as the Representatives shall determine in order that the required changes in the Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter of its liability, if any, to the Company and any nondefaulting Underwriter for damages occasioned by its default hereunder. 10. Termination. This Agreement shall be subject to termination in the absolute discretion of the Representatives, by notice given to the Company prior to delivery of and payment for the Securities, if at any time prior to such time (i) trading in the Company's Common Stock shall have been suspended by the Commission or the New York Stock Exchange or trading in securities 18
19 generally on the New York Stock Exchange shall have been suspended or limited or minimum prices shall have been established on such Exchange, (ii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared either by Federal or New York State authorities or (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war, or other calamity or crisis the effect of which on financial markets is such as to make it, in the reasonable judgment of the Representatives, impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Securities as contemplated by the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto). 11. Representations and Indemnities to Survive. The respective agreements, representations, warranties, indemnities and other statements of the Company or its officers and of the Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or the Company or any of the officers, directors, employees, agents or controlling persons referred to in Section 8 hereof, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Securities. The provisions of Sections 7 and 8 hereof shall survive the termination or cancellation of this Agreement. 12. Notices. All communications hereunder will be in writing and effective only on receipt, and, if sent to the Representatives, will be mailed, delivered or telefaxed to the Salomon Smith Barney Inc. General Counsel (fax no.: (212) 816-7912) and confirmed to the General Counsel, Salomon Smith Barney Inc., at 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York, 10013, Attention: General Counsel; or, if sent to the Company, will be mailed, delivered or telefaxed to James J. Bender, Vice President and General Counsel (fax no.: (612) 373-5392) and confirmed to it at NRG Energy, Inc., 1221 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403, Attention: General Counsel. 13. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers, directors, employees, agents and controlling persons referred to in Section 8 hereof, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder. 14. Applicable Law. This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts made and to be performed within the State of New York. 15. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement. 16. Headings. The section headings used herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof. 17. Definitions. The terms which follow, when used in this Agreement, shall have the meanings indicated. 19
20 "Act" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder. "Basic Prospectus" shall mean the prospectus referred to in paragraph 1(a) above contained in the Registration Statement at the Effective Date including any Preliminary Final Prospectus. "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions or trust companies are authorized or obligated by law, executive order or regulation to close in New York City. "Commission" shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission. "Effective Date" shall mean each date and time that the Registration Statement, any post-effective amendment or amendments thereto and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement became or become effective. "Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder. "Execution Time" shall mean the date and time that this Agreement is executed and delivered by the parties hereto. "Final Prospectus" shall mean the prospectus supplement relating to the Securities that was first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) after the Execution Time, together with the Basic Prospectus. "Preliminary Final Prospectus" shall mean any preliminary prospectus supplement to the Basic Prospectus which describes the Securities and the offering thereof and is used prior to filing of the Final Prospectus, together with the Basic Prospectus. "Registration Statement" shall mean the registration statement referred to in paragraph 1(a) above, including exhibits and financial statements, as amended at the Execution Time (or, if not effective at the Execution Time, in the form in which it shall become effective) and, in the event any post-effective amendment thereto or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement becomes effective prior to the Closing Date, shall also mean such registration statement as so amended or such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, as the case may be. Such term shall include any Rule 430A Information deemed to be included therein at the Effective Date as provided by Rule 430A. "Rule 415", "Rule 424", "Rule 430A" and "Rule 462" refer to such rules under the Act. 20
21 "Rule 430A Information" shall mean information with respect to the Securities and the offering thereof permitted to be omitted from the Registration Statement when it becomes effective pursuant to Rule 430A. "Rule 462(b) Registration Statement" shall mean a registration statement and any amendments thereto filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) relating to the offering covered by the registration statement referred to in Section 1(a) hereof. "Trust Indenture Act" shall mean the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder. 21
22 If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicate hereof, whereupon this letter and your acceptance shall represent a binding agreement among the Company and the several Underwriters. Very truly yours, NRG Energy, Inc. By: _______________________ Name: Title: The foregoing Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written. Salomon Smith Barney Inc. Banc of America Securities LLC Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated By: Salomon Smith Barney Inc. By: _________________________ Name: Title: 22
23 SCHEDULE I Principal Amount of Securities to Underwriters be Purchased - ------------ ---------------- Salomon Smith Barney Inc.................................. $157,500,000 Banc of America Securities LLC............................ $157,500,000 Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated........ $ 35,000,000 ------------ Total..................................................... $350,000,000 ============
1 ================================================================================ SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 ----------------------------- FORM T-1 STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY UNDER THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939 OF A CORPORATION DESIGNATED TO ACT AS TRUSTEE ----------------------------- CHECK IF AN APPLICATION TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY OF A TRUSTEE PURSUANT TO - ---- SECTION 305(b) (2) WELLS FARGO BANK MINNESOTA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (Exact name of trustee as specified in its charter) A U.S. NATIONAL BANKING ASSOCIATION 41-1592157 (Jurisdiction of incorporation or (I.R.S. Employer organization if not a U.S. national Identification No.) bank) SIXTH STREET AND MARQUETTE AVENUE Minneapolis, Minnesota 55479 (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code) Stanley S. Stroup, General Counsel WELLS FARGO BANK MINNESOTA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION Sixth Street and Marquette Avenue Minneapolis, Minnesota 55479 (612) 667-1234 (Agent for Service) ----------------------------- NRG ENERGY, INC. (Exact name of obligor as specified in its charter) DELAWARE 41-1724239 (State or other jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer incorporation or organization) Identification No.) 1221 NICOLLET MALL SUITE 300 MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA 55403 (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code) ----------------------------- 8.25% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2010 (Title of the indenture securities) ================================================================================
2 Item 1. General Information. Furnish the following information as to the trustee: (a) Name and address of each examining or supervising authority to which it is subject. Comptroller of the Currency Treasury Department Washington, D.C. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Washington, D.C. The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Washington, D.C. (b) Whether it is authorized to exercise corporate trust powers. The trustee is authorized to exercise corporate trust powers. Item 2. Affiliations with Obligor. If the obligor is an affiliate of the trustee, describe each such affiliation. None with respect to the trustee. No responses are included for Items 3-14 of this Form T-1 because the obligor is not in default as provided under Item 13. Item 15. Foreign Trustee. Not applicable. Item 16. List of Exhibits. List below all exhibits filed as a part of this Statement of Eligibility. Norwest Bank incorporates by reference into this Form T-1 the exhibits attached hereto. Exhibit 1. a. A copy of the Articles of Association of the trustee now in effect.*** Exhibit 2. a. A copy of the certificate of authority of the trustee to commence business issued June 28, 1872, by the Comptroller of the Currency to The Northwestern National Bank of Minneapolis.* b. A copy of the certificate of the Comptroller of the Currency dated January 2, 1934, approving the consolidation of The Northwestern National Bank of Minneapolis and The Minnesota Loan and Trust Company of Minneapolis, with the surviving entity being titled Northwestern National Bank and Trust Company of Minneapolis.* c. A copy of the certificate of the Acting Comptroller of the Currency dated January 12, 1943, as to change of corporate title of Northwestern National Bank and Trust Company of Minneapolis to Northwestern National Bank of Minneapolis.*
3 d. A copy of the letter dated May 12, 1983 from the Regional Counsel, Comptroller of the Currency, acknowledging receipt of notice of name change effective May 1, 1983 from Northwestern National Bank of Minneapolis to Norwest Bank Minneapolis, National Association.* e. A copy of the letter dated January 4, 1988 from the Administrator of National Banks for the Comptroller of the Currency certifying approval of consolidation and merger effective January 1, 1988 of Norwest Bank Minneapolis, National Association with various other banks under the title of "Norwest Bank Minnesota, National Association."* f. A copy of the letter dated July 10, 2000 from the Administrator of National Banks for the Comptroller of the Currency certifying approval of consolidation effective July 8, 2000 of Norwest Bank Minnesota, National Association with various other banks under the title of "Wells Fargo Bank Minnesota, National Association." Exhibit 3. A copy of the authorization of the trustee to exercise corporate trust powers issued January 2, 1934, by the Federal Reserve Board.* Exhibit 4. Copy of By-laws of the trustee as now in effect.*** Exhibit 5. Not applicable. Exhibit 6. The consent of the trustee required by Section 321(b) of the Act. Exhibit 7. A copy of the latest report of condition of the trustee published pursuant to law or the requirements of its supervising or examining authority.** Exhibit 8. Not applicable. Exhibit 9. Not applicable. * Incorporated by reference to exhibit number 25 filed with registration statement number 33-66026. ** Incorporated by reference to exhibit number 25 filed with registration statement number 333-38528 *** Incorporated by reference to exhibit T3G filed with registration statement number 022-22473
4 SIGNATURE Pursuant to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, the trustee, Wells Fargo Bank Minnesota, National Association, a national banking association organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, has duly caused this statement of eligibility to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, all in the City of Minneapolis and State of Minnesota on the 7th day of September 2000. WELLS FARGO BANK MINNESOTA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION /s/ Jane Y. Schweiger ------------------------------ Jane Y. Schweiger Corporate Trust Officer
5 EXHIBIT 2f
6 [LOGO] - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Comptroller of the Currency Administrator of National Banks - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Large Bank Licensing, MS 3-8 250 E Street. S.W. Washington, DC 20219 July 10, 2000 Mr. James E. Hanson Manager Wells Fargo & Company Sixth & Marquette - N9305-152 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55479 Dear Mr. Hanson: This letter is the official certification of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) of the consolidation of Norwest Bank Minnesota North, National Association, Duluth, Minnesota, Charter Nr. 3626, and Norwest Bank Minnesota South, National Association, Rochester, Minnesota, Charter Nr. 2088, with Norwest Bank Minnesota, National Association, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Charter Nr. 2006 under the charter of Norwest Bank Minnesota, National Association, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Charter Nr. 2006 and with the resulting title of Wells Fargo Bank Minnesota, National Association, effective July 8, 2000. This letter is also the official authorization given to Wells Fargo Bank Minnesota, N.A., Charter Nr. 2006, to operate the former head offices of Norwest Bank Minnesota North, N.A. and Norwest Bank Minnesota South, N.A. as branches at the following locations: Popular Name: Duluth Main Office Branch Number: l18525A Address: 230 West Superior Street Duluth, Minnesota Popular Name: Rochester Main Office Branch Number: l18526A Address: 2 l First Street Southwest Rochester, Minnesota
7 Branch authorizations previously granted to the consolidating banks automatically convey to Wells Fargo Bank Minnesota, N.A., the resulting bank, and will not be reissued. Please furnish a copy of this certificate to personnel responsible for branch administration. Certification of Consolidation Wells Fargo Bank Minnesota, N.A./Norwest Bank Minnesota North, N.A and Norwest Bank Minnesota South, N.A. Page 2 of 2 The QCC also authorizes the resulting bank, should the consolidation occur between Call Report dates, to recalculate its legal lending limit. The new lending limit should be calculated by using data from the last Call Report of the individual banks filed prior to consummating the consolidation, as adjusted for the combination. The resulting bank will then file a new Call Report and begin calculating its legal lending limit according to 12 C.F.R. 32.4(a) at the end of the quarter following consummation of the consolidation. In the event of questions, please contact Licensing Analyst Abel Reyna at (202) 874-5060 or by e-mail at: LargeBanks@OCC.Treas.Gov. Sincerely, [SEAL] /s/ Richard T. Erb - ------------------- Richard T. Erb Licensing Manager Control Nr. 2000-ML-02-0015
8 EXHIBIT 6 September 7, 2000 Securities and Exchange Commission Washington, D.C. 20549 Gentlemen: In accordance with Section 321(b) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, the undersigned hereby consents that reports of examination of the undersigned made by Federal, State, Territorial, or District authorities authorized to make such examination may be furnished by such authorities to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon its request therefor. Very truly yours, WELLS FARGO BANK MINNESOTA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION /s/ Jane Y. Schweiger ------------------------------------ Jane Y. Schweiger Corporate Trust Officer