PUBLIC SERVICE CO OF NORTH CAROLINA INC
S-3, EX-4, 2000-09-06
NATURAL GAS DISTRIBUTION
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             PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF NORTH CAROLINA, INCORPORATED

                                       and

             FIRST UNION NATIONAL BANK OF NORTH CAROLINA, as Trustee





                                    INDENTURE





                           Dated as of January 1, 1996






<PAGE>



                                          Providing for Issuance of
                                          Debt Securities in Series







<PAGE>



                                TABLE OF CONTENTS

                                                                        PAGE

                                    ARTICLE 1

                        DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS
                             OF GENERAL APPLICATION

1.1.  Definitions
      1

1.2.  Compliance Certificates and Opinions                             9

1.3.  Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee                           9

1.4.  Acts of Holders                                                  10

1.5.  Notices, etc., to Trustee and Company                            11

1.6.  Notice to Holders; Waiver                                        12

1.7.  Headings and Table of Contents                                   12

1.8.  Successors and Assigns                                           12

1.9.  Separability                                                     13

1.10.  Benefits of Indenture                                           13

1.11.  Governing Law                                                   13

1.12.  Legal Holidays                                                  13


                                    ARTICLE 2

                                 SECURITY FORMS

2.1.  Forms Generally                                                  13

2.2.  Form of Trustee's Certificate of Authentication                  14

2.3.  Securities in Global Form                                        14

2.4.  Form of Legend for Securities in Global Form                     15


<PAGE>


                                    ARTICLE 3

                                 THE SECURITIES

3.1.  Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series                             15

3.2.  Denominations                                                    18

3.3.  Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating                   18

3.4.  Temporary Securities                                             21

3.5.  Registration, Transfer and Exchange                              21

3.6.  Replacement Securities                                           25

3.7.  Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved                   26

3.8.  Persons Deemed Owners                                            27

3.9.  Cancellation                                                     28

3.10.  Computation of Interest                                         28

3.11.  CUSIP Numbers                                                   28

3.12.  Currency of Payment in Respect of Securities                    28


                                    ARTICLE 4

                     SATISFACTION, DISCHARGE AND DEFEASANCE

4.1.  Termination of Company's Obligations Under
     the Indenture                                                     28

4.2.  Application of Trust Funds                                       30

4.3.  Applicability of Defeasance Provisions;
     Company's Option to Effect Defeasance or
     Covenant Defeasance                                               30

4.4.  Defeasance and Discharge                                         30

4.5.  Covenant Defeasance                                              31

4.6.  Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance                  31

4.7.  Deposited Money and Government Obligations to Be Held in Trust   33

4.8.  Repayment to Company                                             33

4.9.  Indemnity for Government Obligations                             33


                                    ARTICLE 5

                              DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

5.1.  Events of Default                                                34

5.2.  Acceleration; Rescission and Annulment                           35

5.3.  Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement
     by Trustee                                                        36

5.4.  Trustee May File Proofs of Claim                                 36

5.5.  Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession
     of Securities                                                     36

5.6.  Delay or Omission Not Waiver                                     36

5.7.  Waiver of Past Defaults                                          37

5.8.  Control by Majority                                              37

5.9.  Limitation on Suits by Holders                                   37

5.10.  Rights of Holders to Receive Payment                            38

5.11.  Application of Money Collected                                  38

5.12.  Restoration of Rights and Remedies                              38

5.13.  Rights and Remedies Cumulative                                  38


                                    ARTICLE 6

                                   THE TRUSTEE

6.1.  Certain Duties and Responsibilities of the Trustee               39

6.2.  Rights of Trustee                                                39

6.3.  Trustee May Hold Securities                                      40

6.4.  Money Held in Trust                                              40

6.5.  Trustee's Disclaimer                                             40

6.6.  Notice of Defaults                                               40

6.7.  Reports by Trustee to Holders                                    40

6.8.  Securityholder Lists                                             40

6.9.  Compensation and Indemnity                                       41

6.10.  Replacement of Trustee                                          41

6.11.  Acceptance of Appointment by Successor                          43

6.12.  Eligibility Disqualification                                    44

6.13.  Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business     44

6.14.  Appointment of Authenticating Agent                             44


                                    ARTICLE 7

                  CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR SALE BY THE COMPANY

7.1.  Consolidation, Merger or Sale of Assets Permitted                46


                                    ARTICLE 8

                             SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES

8.1.  Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders               46

8.2.  Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Holders                  48

8.3.  Compliance with Trust Indenture Act                              49

8.4.  Execution of Supplemental Indentures                             49

8.5.  Effect of Supplemental Indentures                                49

8.6.  Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures               49


                                    ARTICLE 9

                                    COVENANTS

9.1.  Payment of Principal, Premium, if any, and Interest              49

9.2.  Maintenance of Office or Agency                                  49

9.3.  Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust;
     Unclaimed Money                                                   51

9.4.  Corporate Existence                                              52

9.5.  Insurance                                                        52

9.6.  Reports by the Company                                           52

9.7.  Annual Review Certificate; Notice of Defaults or
     Events of Default                                                 53

9.8.  Limitation on Liens                                              53

9.9.  Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions                    54

9.10.  Books of Record and Account; Compliance with Law                55

9.11.  Taxes                                                           55


                                   ARTICLE 10

                                   REDEMPTION

10.1.  Applicability of Article                                        56

10.2.  Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee                           56

10.3.  Selection of Securities to Be Redeemed                          56

10.4.  Notice of Redemption                                            56

10.5.  Deposit of Redemption Price                                     57

10.6.  Securities Payable on Redemption Date                           58

10.7.  Securities Redeemed in Part                                     58


                                   ARTICLE 11

                                  SINKING FUNDS

11.1.  Applicability of Article                                        59

11.2.  Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities           59

11.3.  Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund                       59



<PAGE>







             PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF NORTH CAROLINA, INCORPORATED



                                       and



                  FIRST UNION NATIONAL BANK OF NORTH CAROLINA,
                                   as Trustee


                              ---------------------



                          FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE


                           Dated as of January 1, 1996

                                       to


                                    INDENTURE


                           Dated as of January 1, 1996



                              ---------------------



                        6.99% Senior Debentures Due 2026

              FIRST  SUPPLEMENTAL  INDENTURE  dated as of  JANUARY 1, 1996 (this
"Supplemental  Indenture")  between  PUBLIC SERVICE  COMPANY OF NORTH  CAROLINA,
INCORPORATED,  a corporation  duly  organized and existing under the laws of the
State of North Carolina (the "Company"),  and FIRST UNION NATIONAL BANK OF NORTH
CAROLINA,  as trustee (the "Trustee") under the Indenture dated as of JANUARY 1,
1996 between the Company and the Trustee (as such Indenture may heretofore  have
been amended and supplemented,  the "Indenture").  Except as otherwise expressly
provided in this  Supplemental  Indenture or in the form of Debenture  set forth
herein or otherwise clearly required by the context hereof or thereof, all terms
used herein or in said form of Debenture that are defined in the Indenture shall
have the several meanings respectively assigned to them thereby.


<PAGE>


              WHEREAS,  the Company  executed and delivered the Indenture to the
     Trustee to provide for the future issuance of Securities, to be issued from
     time to time in one or more  series as might be  determined  by the Company
     under the Indenture, in an unlimited aggregate principal amount that may be
     authenticated and delivered thereunder as in the Indenture provided;

              WHEREAS,  pursuant  to the  terms of the  Indenture,  the  Company
     desires to provide for the  establishment  of a new series of Securities to
     be known as its 6.99% Senior  Debentures Due 2026 (the  "Debentures"),  the
     form and  substance  thereof,  and the  terms,  provisions  and  conditions
     thereof, to be set forth as provided in the Indenture and this Supplemental
     Indenture; and

              WHEREAS, the Company desires and has requested the Trustee to join
     with it in the  execution and delivery of this  Supplemental  Indenture and
     all  requirements  necessary  to make this  Supplemental  Indenture a valid
     instrument, in accordance with its terms, and to make the Debentures,  when
     executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee, the
     valid  obligations of the Company,  have been performed and fulfilled,  and
     the  execution  and  delivery   hereof  have  been  in  all  respects  duly
     authorized.

              NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the purchase and acceptance of
the Debentures by the holders thereof,  and for the purpose of setting forth, as
provided in the  Indenture,  the form and  substance of the  Debentures  and the
terms,  provisions and conditions thereof, the Company covenants and agrees with
the Trustee as follows:


                                   ARTICLE ONE

                 General Terms and Conditions of the Debentures

              SECTION 1.01. There shall be and is hereby  authorized a series of
Securities  designated  the "6.99% Senior  Debentures  Due 2026",  the aggregate
principal amount of which shall be limited to $50,000,000, which amount shall be
as set forth in any  written  order of the Company  for the  authentication  and
delivery of  Debentures.  Debentures  may, upon  execution of this  Supplemental
Indenture  or from time to time  thereafter,  be  executed  by the  Company  and
delivered to the Trustee for  authentication,  and the Trustee  shall  thereupon
authenticate  and deliver such  Debentures  to or upon the written  order of the
Company,  signed  by its  Chairman  of the  Board,  its  President,  or any Vice
President  and its  Treasurer  or an  Assistant  Treasurer,  without any further
action by the Company.  The  Debentures  shall mature and the principal  thereof
shall be due and payable together with all accrued and unpaid interest  thereon,
on January 15, 2026.

              SECTION  1.02.  (a) The  Debentures  shall be issued as Registered
Securities  in global  form (a "Global  Debenture")  in an  aggregate  principal
amount equal to the principal amount of the Debentures,  to be registered in the
name of The  Depository  Trust  Company,  New  York,  New York or any  successor
registered  as a clearing  agency  under the  Exchange  Act or other  applicable
statute or regulation,  as the Depository,  or its nominee, and delivered by the
Trustee to the  Depository  for  crediting to the  accounts of its  participants
pursuant to the instructions of the Company.  Payments on the Debentures  issued
as a Global Debenture will be made to the Depository.

              (b) Pursuant to the  provisions  of Section 3.5 of the  Indenture,
the Global Debenture may be transferred, in whole but not in part, in the manner
provided in Section 3.5 of the Indenture, only by the Depository for such series
to a nominee of the Depository, by a nominee of the Depository to the Depository
or to another nominee of the Depository, or by the Depository or such nominee to
a  successor  Depository  selected or approved by the Company or to a nominee of
such successor Depository.


<PAGE>


              (c) If at any time the Depository  notifies the Company that it is
unwilling or unable to continue as  Depository  for the  Debentures or if at any
time the  Depository  for the  Debentures  shall no longer be a clearing  agency
registered  under the Exchange Act, or other  applicable  statute or regulation,
and a successor  Depository  for the  Debentures is not appointed by the Company
within 90 days after the Company  receives  such notice or becomes aware of such
condition,  as the case may be, this Section 1.02 shall no longer be  applicable
to the  Debentures  and the Company will execute and,  subject to Section 3.5 of
the  Indenture,  the  Trustee  will,  upon  receipt  of a Company  Order for the
authentication   and  delivery  of   certificated   Securities  of  like  tenor,
authenticate  and deliver  Debentures  of like tenor in  certificated  form,  in
authorized  denominations,  and in an  aggregate  principal  amount equal to the
principal amount of the Global Debenture in exchange for such Global  Debenture.
In addition,  the Company may at any time determine in its sole  discretion that
the Debentures  shall no longer be represented by a Global  Debenture,  and that
the provisions of this Section 1.02 shall no longer apply to the Debentures.  In
such  event,  the  Company  will  execute  and,  subject to  Section  3.5 of the
Indenture,  the  Trustee,  upon  receipt  of a  Company  Order  evidencing  such
determination  by  the  Company,  will  authenticate  and  deliver  certificated
Debentures in authorized denominations,  and in aggregate principal amount equal
to the  principal  amount of the Global  Debenture  in exchange  for such Global
Debenture.  Upon  exchange  of the  Global  Debenture  for  such  Debentures  in
definitive  registered form without coupons,  in authorized  denominations,  the
Global Debenture shall be canceled by the Trustee. Such Debentures in definitive
registered  form issued in exchange  for the Global  Debenture  pursuant to this
Section  1.02(c) shall be registered in such names and authorized  denominations
as the  Depository,  pursuant  to  instructions  from  its  direct  or  indirect
participants or otherwise, shall instruct the Trustee. The Trustee shall deliver
such  Debentures  to the  Depository  for delivery to the persons in whose names
such Debentures are so registered.

              SECTION 1.03. If,  pursuant to the  provisions of Section  1.02(c)
hereof,  the  Debentures  are  issued in  certificated  form,  principal  of and
premium, if any, and interest thereon will be payable, the transfer thereof will
be  registrable,  and Debentures  will be  exchangeable  for Debentures  bearing
identical  terms and  provisions,  at the office or agency of the Company in the
Borough  of  Manhattan,  the City of New York,  in any coin or  currency  of the
United States of America that at the time of payment is legal tender for payment
of public and private debts; provided,  however, that payment of interest on any
of the  Debentures  may be made at the option of the Company (i) by check mailed
to the Holder  thereof at such address as shall appear in the Security  Register
or (ii) by wire transfer to an account maintained by the person entitled thereto
as specified in the Register.



<PAGE>


              SECTION  1.04.  Each  Debenture  will bear interest at the rate of
6.99% per annum  from its  original  date of  issuance  or from the most  recent
Interest Payment Date (as defined below) to which interest has been paid or duly
provided  for until the  principal  thereof  becomes  due and  payable,  and any
overdue  principal  thereof and (to the extent that payment of such  interest is
enforceable  under  applicable law) any overdue  installment of interest thereon
will bear  interest  at the same rate per  annum,  payable in  semi-annually  in
arrears on January 15th and July 15th of each year (each,  an "Interest  Payment
Date"), commencing on July 15, 1996, and at Maturity to the person in whose name
such Debenture or any Predecessor  Security thereof is registered,  at the close
of business on the Regular  Record  Date for such  interest  installment,  which
shall be the close of business on the Business Day 15 days preceding an Interest
Payment Date;  provided,  however,  that (i) if any  Debenture is  authenticated
after a Regular Record Date and before the Interest Payment Date therefor,  such
interest  installment shall be paid on the next succeeding Interest Payment Date
to the Holder  thereof on the Regular  Record Date  therefor  and (ii)  interest
payable at Maturity  shall be paid to the Person to whom  principal is paid. Any
such  interest  installment  not  punctually  paid or duly  provided  for  shall
forthwith  cease to be payable to such  Holder on such  Regular  Record  Date by
virtue of having been such Holder,  and such  defaulted  interest may be paid by
the Company, at its election,  to the person in whose name the Debenture (or one
or more Predecessor  Securities  thereof) is registered at the close of business
on a Special  Record  Date to be fixed by the  Trustee  for the  payment of such
defaulted  interest,  notice  whereof  shall  be  given  to the  Holders  of the
Debentures  not less than 10 days prior to such Special  Record Date,  or in any
other lawful manner not  inconsistent  with the  requirements  of any securities
exchange on which the Debentures  may be listed,  and upon such notice as may be
required by such exchange, all as more fully provided in the Indenture.




                                   ARTICLE TWO

                                Form of Debenture

              The Debentures and the Trustee's  Certificate of Authentication to
be endorsed thereon are to be substantially in the following forms:


                           [FORM OF FACE OF DEBENTURE]

              [If  the  Debenture  is to be a  Global  Debenture,  insert:  This
Debenture  is in global  form within the  meaning of the  Indenture  hereinafter
referred to and is registered in the name of the  Depository or a nominee of the
Depository.  Unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for Securities
in certificated  form, this Security may not be transferred except as a whole by
the  Depository to a nominee of the Depository or by a nominee of the Depository
to the  Depository or another  nominee of the Depository or by the Depository or
any such  nominee  to a  successor  Depository  or a nominee  of such  successor
Depository.

              Unless this Debenture is presented by an authorized representative
of The  Depository  Trust Company (55 Water Street,  New York) to the Company or
its agent for registration of transfer, exchange or payment, and any certificate
to be  issued is  registered  in the name of Cede & Co.  or such  other  name as
requested by an authorized  representative  of The Depository  Trust Company and
any  payment  hereon is made to Cede & Co.,  ANY  TRANSFER,  PLEDGE OR OTHER USE
HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY A PERSON IS WRONGFUL since the registered owner
hereof, Cede & Co., has an interest herein.]

             PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF NORTH CAROLINA, INCORPORATED

                         6.99% Senior Debenture Due 2026

No. ________________                               CUSIP No. 744516AA3








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