e424b5
The
information in this preliminary prospectus supplement is not
complete and may be changed. This preliminary prospectus
supplement and the accompanying prospectus do not constitute an
offer to sell these securities and we are not soliciting offers
to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or
sale is not permitted.
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Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
File Numbers 333-132574 and 333-132574-02
SUBJECT
TO COMPLETION, DATED MARCH 15, 2007
PROSPECTUS
SUPPLEMENT
(To Prospectus dated March 9, 2007)
$
PPL Capital Funding,
Inc.
2007 Series A Junior Subordinated Notes due 2067
Fully and Unconditionally Guaranteed as to Payment of Principal,
Interest and any Premium
under Subordinated Guarantees of
PPL Corporation
PPL Capital Fundings 2007 Series A Junior
Subordinated Notes due 2067 (the Notes) will bear
interest at % per year until
March 30, 2017. During this period, PPL Capital Funding
will pay interest on the Notes on September 30 and
March 30 of each year, beginning September 30, 2007.
Beginning March 30, 2017, the Notes will bear interest at
the Three-Month LIBOR Rate plus
basis points ( %), reset quarterly,
and payable on March 30, June 30, September 30
and December 30 of each year, beginning June 30, 2017,
as further described in this prospectus supplement. The Notes
will mature on March 30, 2067.
PPL Capital Funding may defer interest payments on the Notes on
one or more occasions for up to 10 consecutive years as
described in this prospectus supplement. Deferred interest
payments will accumulate additional interest at a rate equal to
the interest rate then applicable to the Notes, compounded on
each interest payment date, to the extent permitted by law.
PPL Capital Funding may redeem the Notes at its option at the
times and prices described in this prospectus supplement.
PPL Capital Fundings parent, PPL Corporation, will fully
and unconditionally guarantee PPL Capital Fundings
obligations to pay principal, interest and premium, if any, on
the Notes pursuant to its subordinated guarantees.
Investing in the Notes involves certain risks. See Risk
Factors beginning on
page S-9
of this prospectus supplement.
These securities have not been approved or disapproved by the
Securities and Exchange Commission or any state securities
commission, nor has the Securities and Exchange Commission or
any state securities commission determined that this prospectus
supplement or the accompanying prospectus is accurate or
complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal
offense.
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Price to
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Underwriting
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Proceeds, Before
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Public(1)
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Discount
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Expenses, to Us(1)
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Per Note
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%
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%
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Total
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$
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$
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Plus accrued interest, if any, from the date of issuance. |
The underwriters expect to deliver the Notes to the purchasers
in book-entry form only through the facilities of The Depository
Trust Company on or about March , 2007.
Joint Book-Running Managers
Co-Managers
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Credit
Suisse |
Merrill
Lynch & Co. |
UBS
Investment Bank |
The date of this prospectus supplement is
March , 2007.
You should rely only on the information contained in or
incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the
accompanying prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to
provide you with different information. We are not making an
offer of these securities in any state where the offer is not
permitted. You should not assume that the information contained
in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement
and the accompanying prospectus is accurate as of any date after
the date of this prospectus supplement.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
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Prospectus Supplement
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S-3
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S-4
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S-5
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S-9
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S-11
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S-12
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S-13
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S-29
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S-30
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S-34
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S-34
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Prospectus
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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
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2
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RISK FACTORS
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4
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FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
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PPL CORPORATION
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PPL CAPITAL FUNDING, INC.
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PPL ENERGY SUPPLY, LLC
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PPL ELECTRIC UTILITIES CORPORATION
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USE OF PROCEEDS
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RATIOS OF EARNINGS TO FIXED
CHARGES AND EARNINGS TO COMBINED FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED
STOCK DIVIDENDS
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
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12
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EXPERTS
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14
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VALIDITY OF THE SECURITIES AND THE
PPL GUARANTEES
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14
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As used in this prospectus, the terms we,
our, and us may, depending on the
context, refer to PPL Capital Funding, Inc. (PPL Capital
Funding), or to PPL Capital Funding together with PPL
Corporation.
S-2
ABOUT
THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
This prospectus supplement is part of a registration statement
that PPL Capital Funding and PPL Corporation have filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC)
utilizing a shelf registration process. Under this
shelf process, we are offering to sell the Notes, using this
prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. This
prospectus supplement describes the specific terms of this
offering. The accompanying prospectus and the information
incorporated by reference therein describe our business and give
more general information, some of which may not apply to this
offering. Generally, when we refer only to the
prospectus, we are referring to both parts combined.
You should read this prospectus supplement together with the
accompanying prospectus before making a decision to invest in
the Notes. If the information in this prospectus supplement or
the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus
supplement is inconsistent with the accompanying prospectus, the
information in this prospectus supplement or the information
incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement will
apply and will supersede that information in the accompanying
prospectus.
Certain affiliates of PPL Capital Funding and PPL Corporation,
specifically PPL Energy Supply, LLC and PPL Electric Utilities
Corporation, have also registered their securities on the
shelf registration statement referred to above.
However, the Notes are solely obligations of PPL Capital
Funding, Inc. and, to the extent of the Subordinated Guarantees,
PPL Corporation, and not of any of PPL Corporations other
subsidiaries. None of PPL Energy Supply, LLC or PPL Electric
Utilities Corporation or any of PPL Corporations other
subsidiaries will guarantee or provide any credit support for
the Notes.
S-3
WHERE YOU
CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
Available
Information
PPL Corporation files reports and other information with the
SEC. You may obtain copies of this information by mail from the
Public Reference Room of the SEC, 100 F Street, N.E.,
Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549, at prescribed
rates. Further information on the operation of the SECs
Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. can be obtained
by calling the SEC at
1-800-SEC-0330.
PPL Corporation maintains an Internet Web site at
www.pplweb.com. On the Investor Center page of that Web site,
PPL Corporation provides access to its SEC filings free of
charge, as soon as reasonably practicable after filing with the
SEC. The information at PPL Corporations Web site is not
incorporated in this prospectus supplement by reference, and you
should not consider it a part of this prospectus supplement. PPL
Corporations filings are also available at the SECs
Web site (www.sec.gov).
PPL Corporation Common Stock is listed on the New York Stock
Exchange (NYSE) and the Philadelphia Stock Exchange
(symbol: PPL), and reports, proxy statements and other
information concerning PPL Corporation can also be inspected at
the offices of the NYSE at 20 Broad Street, New York, New
York 10005 and the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, 1900 Market
Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103. In addition, proxy
statements, reports and other information concerning PPL
Corporation can be inspected at its offices at Two North
Ninth Street, Allentown, Pennsylvania
18101-1179.
Incorporation
by Reference
PPL Corporation will incorporate by reference
information into this prospectus supplement by disclosing
important information to you by referring you to another
document that it files separately with the SEC. The information
incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this
prospectus supplement, and later information that we file with
the SEC will automatically update and supersede that
information. This prospectus supplement incorporates by
reference the documents set forth below that have been
previously filed with the SEC. These documents contain important
information about PPL Corporation.
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SEC Filings
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Period/Date
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Annual Report on
Form 10-K
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Year ended December 31, 2006
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Current Reports on
Form 8-K
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Filed on January 3, 2007,
January 31, 2007 and March 6, 2007
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PPL Corporations 2006 Notice
of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement
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Filed on March 20, 2006
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Additional documents that PPL Corporation files with the SEC
pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, between the date of
this prospectus supplement and the termination of the offering
of the Notes are also incorporated herein by reference.
PPL Corporation will provide without charge to each person,
including any beneficial owner, to whom a copy of this
prospectus supplement has been delivered, a copy of any and all
of its filings with the SEC. You may request a copy of these
filings by writing or telephoning PPL Corporation at:
Two North Ninth Street
Allentown, Pennsylvania
18101-1179
Attention: Investor Services Department
Telephone:
1-800-345-3085
We have not included or incorporated by reference any separate
financial statements of PPL Capital Funding herein. We do not
consider those financial statements to be material to holders of
the Notes because (1) PPL Capital Funding is a wholly-owned
subsidiary that was formed for the primary purpose of providing
financing for PPL Corporation and its subsidiaries, (2) PPL
Capital Funding does not currently engage in any independent
operations and (3) PPL Capital Funding does not currently
plan to engage, in the future, in more than minimal independent
operations. See PPL Capital Funding in the
accompanying prospectus. PPL Capital Funding has received a
no action letter from the Staff of the SEC stating
that the Staff would not raise any objection if PPL Capital
Funding does not file periodic reports under Section 13 and
15(d) of the Exchange Act. Accordingly, we do not expect PPL
Capital Funding to file those reports.
S-4
SUMMARY
The following summary contains information about the offering
by PPL Capital Funding of its Notes. It does not contain all of
the information that may be important to you in making a
decision to purchase the Notes. For a more complete
understanding of PPL Capital Funding, PPL Corporation and the
offering of the Notes and the Subordinated Guarantees, we urge
you to read this entire prospectus supplement, the accompanying
prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein
carefully, including the Risk Factors sections and
our financial statements and the notes to those statements.
The
Offering
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Issuer |
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PPL Capital Funding, Inc. |
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Guarantor |
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PPL Corporation |
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Securities Offered |
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$ aggregate principal amount of
PPL Capital Fundings 2007 Series A Junior
Subordinated Notes due 2067. |
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Stated Maturity Date |
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March 30, 2067 |
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Interest |
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Fixed Rate Period The Notes will bear
interest at % per year from
the date they are issued up to, but not including,
March 30, 2017 or earlier redemption date (the Fixed
Rate Period). Subject to our right to defer interest
payments as described below, during the Fixed Rate Period
interest is payable semi-annually in arrears on March 30
and September 30 of each year, beginning September 30,
2007. |
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Floating Rate Period The Notes will bear
interest from March 30, 2017 up to, but not including, the
maturity date or earlier redemption date (the Floating
Rate Period) at the Three-Month LIBOR Rate (as defined
herein) plus basis points
( %), reset quarterly. Subject to
our right to defer interest payments as described below, during
the Floating Rate Period interest is payable quarterly in
arrears on March 30, June 30, September 30 and
December 30 of each year, beginning June 30, 2017. |
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See Description of the Notes Interest. |
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Redemption |
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PPL Capital Funding may redeem the Notes at our option before
their maturity (i) in whole or in part on one or more
occasions any time before March 30, 2017 at a redemption
price equal to the Make-Whole Amount (as described under
Description of the Notes Redemption)
plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon, and (ii) in
whole or in part on one or more occasions on or after
March 30, 2017 at a redemption price equal to 100% of their
principal amount, plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon.
In addition, PPL Capital Funding may redeem the Notes before
March 30, 2017 (a) in whole, but not in part, at a
redemption price equal to the Tax Event Make-Whole Amount (as
described under Description of the Notes
Redemption Right to Redeem Upon a Tax Event),
plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if certain changes
in tax laws, regulations or interpretations occur and
(b) in whole or in part on one or more occasions at a
redemption price equal to the Rating Agency Event Make-Whole
Amount (as described under Description of the
Notes Redemption Right to Redeem Upon a
Rating Agency Event), plus any accrued and unpaid interest
thereon, if a rating |
S-5
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agency makes certain changes in the equity credit criteria for
securities such as the Notes. See Description of the
Notes Redemption. |
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Ranking; Guarantees |
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The Notes will be unsecured, subordinated obligations of PPL
Capital Funding that rank junior to all of PPL Capital
Fundings Senior Indebtedness (as defined herein). The
Notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by PPL
Corporation as to payment of principal, interest and any premium
pursuant to subordinated guarantees (Subordinated
Guarantees) of PPL Corporation that rank junior to all of
PPL Corporations Senior Indebtedness (as defined herein).
See Description of the Notes
Subordination. In addition, because PPL Corporation is a
holding company, its obligations on the Subordinated Guarantees
will be effectively subordinated to existing and future
liabilities of its subsidiaries. See Risk Factors. |
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Option to Defer Interest Payments |
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We may defer interest payments on the Notes, from time to time,
for one or more periods (each, an Optional Deferral
Period) of up to 10 consecutive years per Optional
Deferral Period. In other words, we may declare at our
discretion up to a
10-year
interest payment moratorium on the Notes, and may choose to do
that on more than one occasion. We may not defer payments beyond
the maturity date of the Notes. Any deferred interest on the
Notes will accrue additional interest at a rate equal to the
interest rate then applicable to the Notes, to the extent
permitted by applicable law. Once all accrued and unpaid
interest on the Notes has been paid, we can begin a new Optional
Deferral Period. See Description of the Notes
Option to Defer Interest Payments. |
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Certain Limitations During an Optional Deferral Period |
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During any period in which we defer interest payments on the
Notes, neither PPL Corporation nor PPL Capital Funding may:
(i) declare or pay any dividend or distribution on its
capital stock other than dividends paid in shares of its capital
stock, (ii) redeem, purchase, acquire or make a liquidation
payment with respect to any of its capital stock, (iii) pay
any principal, interest or premium on, or repay, repurchase or
redeem any debt securities that are equal or junior in right of
payment with the Notes or the Subordinated Guarantees, as the
case may be, or (iv) make any payments with respect to any
guarantee of debt securities if such guarantee is equal or
junior in right of payment to the Notes or the Subordinated
Guarantees, as the case may be, subject to certain exceptions as
more fully described in this prospectus supplement. PPL Capital
Funding, however, has no current intention of deferring interest
payments on the Notes. See Description of the
Notes Option to Defer Interest Payments. |
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Replacement Capital Covenant; Capital Replacement
Intention |
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On or about the time of the initial issuance of the Notes, PPL
Corporation and PPL Capital Funding will enter into a
Replacement Capital Covenant, in which PPL Corporation and PPL
Capital Funding will covenant for the benefit of holders of a
designated series of unsecured, long-term indebtedness of PPL
Corporation or PPL Capital Funding ranking senior to the Notes,
that (i) PPL Capital Funding will not redeem or purchase
the Notes, or otherwise satisfy, discharge or defease
(collectively, defease) the principal amount of the
Notes, and (ii) neither PPL Corporation nor any of its
other subsidiaries will purchase the Notes on or before
March 30, 2037, except, subject to certain limitations, to
the extent that |
S-6
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the applicable redemption or repurchase price or principal
amount defeased does not exceed a specified amount of proceeds
from the sale, during the
180-day
period prior to the date of that redemption or repurchase, of
qualifying replacement capital securities. |
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The Replacement Capital Covenant is not intended for the benefit
of holders of the Notes and may not be enforced by them, and the
Replacement Capital Covenant is not a term of the subordinated
indenture pursuant to which the Notes and the Subordinated
Guarantees will be issued. See Certain Terms of the
Replacement Capital Covenant. |
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In the event that the Replacement Capital Covenant terminates
prior to March 30, 2037 as a result of there being no
eligible designated debt outstanding, we intend that if PPL
Capital Funding redeems the Notes, or if we or PPL Corporation
or one of its other subsidiaries purchases the Notes, the
redemption or purchase price of the Notes will be paid with
amounts that include net proceeds received by us or our
subsidiaries from the sale or issuance, during the
180-day
period prior to the notice date for such redemption or such
purchase, by us or our subsidiaries to third-party purchasers of
securities for which PPL Corporation will receive equity-like
credit from the rating agencies which rate our securities, that
is equal to or greater than the equity-like credit then
attributed to the Notes being redeemed or purchased. The
determination of the equity-like credit of the Notes may result
in the issuance of an amount of new securities that may be less
than the principal amount of the Notes, depending upon, among
other things, the nature of the new securities issued and the
equity-like credit attributed by a rating agency to the Notes
and the new securities. |
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Use of Proceeds |
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We expect that approximately $280 million of the net
proceeds from the sale of the Notes will be used to pay at
maturity PPL Capital Fundings 8.375% Medium Term Notes due
June 15, 2007. Pending this use, such proceeds may be
loaned to other subsidiaries of PPL Corporation for working
capital purposes or invested in short-term investments. The
remainder of the net proceeds will be loaned to PPL Energy
Funding Corporation (PPL Energy Funding), a direct
subsidiary of PPL Corporation, and then contributed to PPL
Energy Fundings direct subsidiary, PPL Energy Supply. PPL
Energy Supply will use the funds for general corporate purposes,
including capital expenditures relating to the installation of
pollution control equipment. |
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U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations |
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Based upon an analysis of the relevant facts and circumstances,
including certain assumptions made by them and representations
provided by PPL Capital Funding and PPL Corporation to them,
Dewey Ballantine LLP will provide PPL Capital Funding and PPL
Corporation with an opinion generally to the effect that under
then current law and assuming full compliance with the terms of
the Subordinated Indenture and other relevant documents, the
Notes constitute indebtedness for U.S. federal income tax
purposes (although there is no controlling authority directly on
point). See Certain United States Federal Income Tax
Considerations. |
S-7
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Each holder of Notes will, by accepting the Notes or a
beneficial interest therein, be deemed to have agreed that the
holder intends that the Notes constitute indebtedness and will
treat the Notes as indebtedness for all United States federal,
state and local tax purposes. We intend to treat the Notes in
the same manner. |
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If we elect to defer interest on the Notes for one or more
Optional Deferral Periods, the holders of the Notes will be
required to accrue income for United States federal income tax
purposes in the amount of the accrued and unpaid interest
payments on the Notes, in the form of original issue discount,
even though cash interest payments are deferred and even though
they may be cash basis taxpayers. |
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Form and Denomination |
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The Notes will be initially registered in the form of one or
more global securities, without coupons, in denominations of
$1,000 and integral multiples in excess thereof, and deposited
with the Trustee on behalf of The Depository Trust Company
(DTC), as depositary, and registered in the name of
DTC or its nominee. See Description of the
Notes General and Description of the
Notes Book-Entry Only Issuance The
Depository Trust Company. |
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Ratings |
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The Notes are expected to be rated BB+ by Standard &
Poors Ratings Services, Baa3 by Moodys Investors
Service, Inc. and BBB− by Fitch Ratings. A credit rating
reflects an assessment by the rating agency of the
creditworthiness associated with an issuer and particular
securities that it issues. These ratings are not a
recommendation to buy, sell or hold any securities of PPL
Capital Funding or PPL Corporation. Such ratings may be subject
to revisions or withdrawal by these agencies at any time and
should be evaluated independently of each other and any other
rating that may be assigned to the securities. |
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Reopening of the Series |
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We may, without the consent of the holders of the Notes,
increase the principal amount of the series and issue additional
notes of such series having the same ranking, interest rate,
maturity and other terms as the Notes. Any such additional notes
may, together with the Notes, constitute a single series of
securities under the Subordinated Indenture. See
Description of the Notes General. |
S-8
RISK
FACTORS
Before making a decision to invest in the Notes, you should
carefully consider the following risk factors, as well as the
other information included in this prospectus supplement, the
accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by
reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying
prospectus.
Risks
Relating to PPL Corporations Businesses
See the risk factors set forth in PPL Corporations Annual
Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2006, beginning on
page 10 for a discussion of certain risks relating to PPL
Corporations businesses.
Risks
Relating to the Notes
The
obligations of PPL Capital Funding under the Notes and PPL
Corporation under the Subordinated Guarantees will be
subordinated to all Senior Indebtedness of PPL Capital Funding
and PPL Corporation.
The obligations of PPL Capital Funding under the Notes and PPL
Corporation under the Subordinated Guarantees will be
subordinated to all Senior Indebtedness (as defined below) of
PPL Capital Funding and PPL Corporation. This means that PPL
Capital Funding cannot make any payments on the Notes, and PPL
Corporation cannot make payments on the Subordinated Guarantees,
until all holders of their Senior Indebtedness have been paid in
full, or provision has been made for such payment, if their
Senior Indebtedness is in default (subject to certain exceptions
for grace periods and waivers).
PPL
Corporations cash flow and ability to meet its obligations
with respect to its Subordinated Guarantees of the Notes largely
depend on the performance of its subsidiaries. As a result, PPL
Corporations obligations with respect to its Subordinated
Guarantees of the Notes will be effectively subordinated to all
existing and future liabilities of its
subsidiaries.
PPL Corporation is a holding company and conducts its operations
primarily through subsidiaries. Substantially all of its
consolidated assets are held by such subsidiaries. Accordingly,
its cash flow and its ability to meet its obligations under its
Subordinated Guarantees of the Notes are largely dependent upon
the earnings of these subsidiaries and the distribution or other
payment of such earnings to it in the form of dividends, loans
or advances or repayment of loans and advances from it. The
subsidiaries are separate and distinct legal entities and have
no obligation to pay any amounts due on the Notes or to make any
funds available for such payment.
Because PPL Corporation is a holding company, its obligations
with respect to the Notes will be effectively subordinated to
all existing and future liabilities of its subsidiaries.
Therefore, its rights and the rights of its creditors, including
rights of a holder of any Note, to participate in the assets of
any subsidiary in the event that such a subsidiary is liquidated
or reorganized will be subject to the prior claims of such
subsidiarys creditors. To the extent that PPL Corporation
may be a creditor with recognized claims against any such
subsidiary, its claims would still be effectively subordinated
to any security interest in, or mortgages or other liens on, the
assets of the subsidiary and would be subordinated to any
indebtedness or other liabilities of the subsidiary senior to
that held by it. Although certain agreements to which PPL
Corporations subsidiaries are parties limit the ability to
incur additional indebtedness, PPL Corporation and its
subsidiaries retain the ability to incur substantial additional
indebtedness and other liabilities.
The debt agreements of some of PPL Corporations
subsidiaries contain provisions that might restrict their
ability to pay dividends, make distributions or otherwise
transfer funds to PPL Corporation upon failing to meet certain
financial tests or other conditions prior to the payment of
other obligations, including operating expenses, debt service
and reserves. PPL Corporation currently believes that all of its
subsidiaries are in compliance with such tests and conditions.
Further, if PPL Corporation elects to receive distributions of
earnings from its foreign operations, PPL Corporation may incur
United States taxes, net of any available foreign tax credits,
on such amounts. Distributions to PPL Corporation from its
international projects are, in some countries, also subject to
withholding taxes.
S-9
PPL
Capital Funding can defer interest payments on the Notes for one
or more periods of up to 10 years. This may affect the
market price of the Notes.
PPL Capital Funding may defer interest payments on the Notes,
from time to time, for one or more Optional Deferral Periods of
up to 10 consecutive years, as described in this prospectus
supplement. At the end of an Optional Deferral Period, if all
amounts due are paid, PPL Capital Funding could start a new
Optional Deferral Period of up to 10 consecutive years. During
any Optional Deferral Period, interest on the Notes would be
deferred but would accrue additional interest at a rate equal to
the interest rate then applicable to the Notes, to the extent
permitted by applicable law. During an Optional Deferral Period,
interest payments will not be due and payable and, therefore,
PPL Corporation will not be obligated to make payments under the
Subordinated Guarantees. If PPL Capital Funding exercises this
interest deferral right, the market price of the Notes is likely
to be affected. See Description of the Notes
Option to Defer Interest Payments in this prospectus
supplement.
If PPL Capital Funding exercises its right to defer interest
payments, the Notes may trade at a price that does not fully
reflect the value of accrued but unpaid interest on the Notes.
In addition, as a result of PPL Capital Fundings right to
defer interest payments, the market price of the Notes may be
more volatile than other securities that do not have these
rights.
PPL
Capital Funding is not permitted to pay current interest on the
Notes until PPL Capital Funding has paid all outstanding
deferred interest, and this could have the effect of extending
interest deferral periods.
During an Optional Deferral Period, PPL Capital Funding will be
prohibited from paying current interest on the Notes and PPL
Corporation will be prohibited from making such payment pursuant
to the Subordinated Guarantees until PPL Capital Funding, or PPL
Corporation pursuant to the Subordinated Guarantees, has paid
all accrued and unpaid deferred interest plus any accrued
interest thereon. As a result, PPL Capital Funding may not be
able to pay current interest on the Notes if PPL Capital Funding
does not have available funds to pay all accrued and unpaid
interest plus any accrued interest thereon.
PPL
Capital Fundings right to redeem, defease or repurchase
the Notes, and the right of PPL Corporation and its subsidiaries
to purchase the Notes, are limited by a covenant that PPL
Capital Funding and PPL Corporation are making in favor of
certain of PPL Capital Fundings debtholders.
PPL Capital Funding has the right to redeem the Notes under
circumstances and on terms specified in this prospectus
supplement. However, around the time of the initial issuance of
the Notes, PPL Capital Funding and PPL Corporation will enter
into a Replacement Capital Covenant, which is described below
under Certain Terms of the Replacement Capital
Covenant, that will limit (1) PPL Capital
Fundings ability to redeem, defease or repurchase the
Notes and (2) the ability of PPL Corporation and its
subsidiaries to purchase the Notes. In the Replacement Capital
Covenant, PPL Capital Funding and PPL Corporation will covenant
for the benefit of holders of a designated series of unsecured
long-term indebtedness of PPL Corporation or PPL Capital Funding
that ranks senior to the Notes, that (a) PPL Capital
Funding will not redeem, defease or repurchase the Notes and
(b) PPL Corporation and its subsidiaries will not purchase
the Notes, in each case on or before March 30, 2037,
except, subject to certain limitations, to the extent that the
applicable redemption or purchase price or principal amount
defeased does not exceed a specified amount of proceeds from the
sale, during the 180 days prior to the date of that
redemption, defeasance or purchase of qualifying replacement
capital securities that have equity-like characteristics that
are the same as, or more equity-like than, the applicable
characteristics of the Notes at the time of such redemption,
defeasance or purchase.
The ability to raise proceeds from qualifying securities during
the 180 days prior to a proposed redemption or repurchase
by PPL Capital Funding or purchase by PPL Corporation or its
subsidiaries will depend on, among other things, market
conditions at that time as well as the acceptability to
prospective investors of the terms of those qualifying
securities. Accordingly, there could be circumstances where PPL
Capital Funding would wish to redeem or repurchase some or all
of the Notes, or PPL Corporation or its subsidiaries would wish
to purchase some or all of the Notes, including as a result of a
tax or rating agency event, and sufficient cash is available for
that purpose, but
S-10
PPL Corporation and PPL Capital Funding are restricted from
doing so because of the inability to obtain proceeds from the
sale of qualifying securities.
If PPL
Capital Funding defers interest payments on the Notes, there
will be United States federal income tax consequences to holders
of the Notes.
If PPL Capital Funding defers interest payments on the Notes for
one or more Optional Deferral Periods, you will be required to
accrue interest income as original issue discount, referred to
in this prospectus supplement as original issue
discount, in respect of the deferred interest on your
Notes. As a result, for United States federal income tax
purposes you will include that original issue discount in gross
income before you receive interest payments, regardless of your
regular method of accounting for United States federal income
taxes. PPL Capital Funding, however, has no current intention of
deferring interest payments on the Notes.
If you sell your Notes before the record date for the payment of
interest at the end of an Optional Deferral Period, you will not
receive such interest. Instead, the accrued interest will be
paid to the holder of record on the record date, regardless of
who the holder of record may have been on any other date during
the Optional Deferral Period. Moreover, the accrued original
issue discount will be added to your adjusted tax basis in the
Notes but may not be reflected in the amount you realize on the
sale. To the extent the amount realized on a sale is less than
your adjusted tax basis, you will recognize a capital loss for
United States federal income tax purposes. The deductibility of
capital losses to offset ordinary income is subject to
limitations. See Certain United States Federal Income Tax
Consequences U.S. Holders Sale,
Exchange, Redemption or Retirement of the Notes in this
prospectus supplement.
An
active trading market for the Notes may not
develop.
We cannot assure that an active trading market for the Notes
will develop. There can be no assurances as to the liquidity of
any market that may develop for the Notes, the ability of
holders to sell their Notes or the price at which the holders
will be able to sell their Notes. Future trading prices of the
Notes will depend on many factors including, among other things,
prevailing interest rates, our operating results and the market
for similar securities.
USE OF
PROCEEDS
We expect that approximately $280 million of the net
proceeds from the sale of the Notes will be used to pay at
maturity PPL Capital Fundings 8.375% Medium Term Notes due
June 15, 2007. Pending this use, such proceeds may be
loaned to other subsidiaries of PPL Corporation for working
capital purposes or invested in short-term investments. The
remainder of the net proceeds will be loaned to PPL Energy
Funding and then contributed to PPL Energy Supply, which will
use the funds for general corporate purposes, including capital
expenditures relating to the installation of pollution control
equipment.
S-11
CONSOLIDATED
CAPITALIZATION OF PPL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
The following table sets forth the historical unaudited
consolidated cash and cash equivalents and capitalization of PPL
Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries as of
December 31, 2006:
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on an actual basis; and
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on an as adjusted basis to give effect to (i) the issuance
of the Notes in this offering and (ii) the application of
the estimated net proceeds of approximately
$ million as described herein.
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This table should be read in conjunction with our consolidated
financial statements, the notes related thereto and the
financial and operating data incorporated by reference into this
prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus.
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As of December 31, 2006
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Actual
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As Adjusted
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(In millions)
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Cash and cash equivalents
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$
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794
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$
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Long-term debt, including current
portion
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$
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7,746
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$
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Long-term debt payable to affiliate
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89
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Notes offered hereby
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Total long-term debt
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7,835
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Common shareholders equity
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5,122
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Total capitalization
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$
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12,957
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$
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S-12
DESCRIPTION
OF THE NOTES
The following summary description sets forth certain terms and
provisions of the Notes that we are offering by this prospectus
supplement. Because this description is a summary, it does not
describe every aspect of the Notes or the Subordinated Indenture
under which the Notes will be issued, as described below. The
form of Subordinated Indenture is filed as an exhibit to the
registration statement of which the accompanying prospectus is a
part. The Subordinated Indenture and its associated documents
contain the full legal text of the matters described in this
section. This summary is subject to and qualified in its
entirety by reference to all of the provisions of the Notes and
the Subordinated Indenture, including definitions of certain
terms used in the Subordinated Indenture. We also include
references in parentheses to certain sections of the
Subordinated Indenture. Whenever we refer to particular sections
or defined terms of the Subordinated Indenture in this
prospectus supplement, such sections or defined terms are
incorporated by reference herein. The Subordinated Indenture has
been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act, and you should
refer to the Trust Indenture Act for provisions that apply to
the Notes.
General
PPL Capital Funding will issue the Notes as a series of debt
securities under a Subordinated Indenture (as such subordinated
indenture may be amended and supplemented from time to time, the
Subordinated Indenture) among PPL Capital Funding,
PPL Corporation and The Bank of New York, as trustee (the
Trustee). We may issue an unlimited amount of Notes
or other securities under the Subordinated Indenture. The Notes
and all other debt securities issued under the Subordinated
Indenture are collectively referred to herein as the
Subordinated Indenture Securities.
The Notes will be unsecured, subordinated obligations of PPL
Capital Funding that rank junior to all of PPL Capital
Fundings Senior Indebtedness (as defined below). See
Subordination herein. The Notes will be
fully and unconditionally guaranteed by PPL Corporation as to
payment of principal, interest and any premium pursuant to
Subordinated Guarantees of PPL Corporation that rank junior to
all of PPL Corporations Senior Indebtedness (as defined
herein). See Subordination herein.
The Notes will be issued in fully registered form only, without
coupons. The Notes will be initially represented by one or more
fully registered global securities (the Global
Securities) deposited with the Trustee, as custodian for
DTC, as depositary, and registered in the name of DTC or
DTCs nominee. A beneficial interest in a Global Security
will be shown on, and transfers or exchanges thereof will be
effected only through, records maintained by DTC and its
participants, as described below under
Book-Entry Only Issuance The
Depository Trust Company. The authorized denominations of
the Notes will be $1,000 and any larger amount that is an
integral multiple of $1,000. Except in limited circumstances
described below, the Notes will not be exchangeable for Notes in
definitive certificated form.
The Notes are initially being offered in one series in the
principal amount of
$ .
We may, without the consent of the holders of the Notes,
increase the principal amount of the series and issue additional
notes of such series having the same ranking, interest rate,
maturity and other terms as the Notes. Any such additional notes
may, together with the Notes, constitute a single series of
securities under the Subordinated Indenture. The Notes and any
additional notes of the same series having the same terms as the
Notes offered hereby subsequently issued under the Subordinated
Indenture may be treated as a single class for all purposes
under the Subordinated Indenture, including, without limitation,
voting waivers and amendments.
Maturity
Unless an earlier redemption has occurred, the entire principal
amount of the Notes will mature and become due and payable,
together with any accrued and unpaid interest, on March 30,
2067.
Interest
Fixed Rate Period. The Notes will bear
interest at % per year during
the Fixed Rate Period. Subject to PPL Capital Fundings
right to defer interest payments as described below, during the
Fixed Rate Period interest is payable semi-annually in arrears
on March 30 and September 30 of each year, beginning
September 30, 2007 and
S-13
ending on March 30, 2017. If interest payments are deferred
or otherwise not paid during the Fixed Rate Period, they will
accrue and compound interest until paid at the annual rate
of %, to the extent permitted by
law. The amount of interest payable for any semi-annual interest
accrual period during the Fixed Rate Period will be computed on
the basis of a
360-day year
consisting of twelve
30-day
months. The amount of interest payable for any period shorter
than a full semi-annual interest accrual period will be computed
on the basis of the number of days in the period using
30-day
calendar months.
Floating Rate Period. The Notes will bear
interest during the Floating Rate Period at the Three-Month
LIBOR Rate
plus
basis points ( %), reset quarterly.
Subject to PPL Capital Fundings right to defer interest
payments as described below, during the Floating Rate Period
interest is payable quarterly in arrears on March 30,
June 30, September 30 and December 30 of each
year (each, also a LIBOR Rate Reset Date), beginning
June 30, 2017. The LIBOR Rate Reset Dates will be
March 30, June 30, September 30 and
December 30 of each year, commencing March 30, 2017.
During the Floating Rate Period, the interest rate in effect on
any LIBOR Rate Reset Date will be the applicable rate as reset
on that date and the interest rate applicable to any other day
will be the interest rate as reset on the immediately preceding
LIBOR Rate Reset Date. If interest payments are deferred or
otherwise not paid during the Floating Rate Period, they will
accrue and compound interest until paid at the prevailing
floating rate, to the extent permitted by law. The amount of
interest payable for any quarterly interest period during the
Floating Rate Period will be computed by multiplying the
floating rate for that quarterly interest period by a fraction,
the numerator of which will be the actual number of days elapsed
during that quarterly interest period (determined by including
the first day of the interest period and excluding the last
day), and the denominator of which will be 360, and by
multiplying the result by the aggregate principal amount of the
Notes.
General. In this prospectus supplement the
term interest includes semi-annual interest payments
during the Fixed Rate Period, quarterly interest payments during
the Floating Rate Period, and applicable interest on interest
payments accrued but not paid on the applicable interest payment
date.
During the Fixed Rate Period, if any Interest Payment Date or a
Redemption Date of the Notes falls on a day that is not a
Business Day, the payment of interest and principal will be made
on the next succeeding Business Day, and no interest on such
payment will accrue for the period from and after the Interest
Payment Date or the Redemption Date, as applicable.
During the Floating Rate Period, if any Interest Payment Date,
other than a Redemption Date or the Maturity Date of the
Notes, falls on a day that is not a Business Day, the Interest
Payment Date will be postponed to the next day that is a
Business Day, except that if that Business Day is in the next
succeeding calendar month, the Interest Payment Date will be the
immediately preceding Business Day. Also, if a
Redemption Date or the Maturity Date of the Notes falls on
a day that is not a Business Day, the payment of interest and
principal will be made on the next succeeding Business Day, and
no interest on such payment will accrue for the period from and
after the Redemption Date or the Maturity Date, if
applicable.
During the Floating Rate Period, if any LIBOR Rate Reset Date
falls on a day that is not a LIBOR Business Day, the LIBOR Rate
Reset Date will be postponed to the next day that is a LIBOR
Business Day, except that if that LIBOR Business Day is in the
next succeeding calendar month, the LIBOR Rate Reset Date will
be the immediately preceding LIBOR Business Day.
Determining the Floating Rate. The
Three-Month LIBOR Rate for each interest period
commencing on a LIBOR Rate Reset Date means the rate (expressed
as a percentage per annum) for deposits in U.S. dollars for
a three-month period commencing on the first day of that
interest period and ending on the next Interest Payment Date
(the relevant period) that appears on Reuters
LIBOR01 Page as of 11:00 a.m. (London time) on the LIBOR
Interest Determination Date for that interest period. If such
rate does not appear on the Reuters LIBOR01 Page as of
11:00 a.m. (London Time) on the LIBOR Interest
Determination Date for that interest period, the LIBOR rate will
be determined on the basis of the rates at which deposits in
U.S. dollars for the relevant period and in a principal
amount of not less that $1,000,000 are offered to prime banks in
the London interbank market by four major banks in the London
interbank market, which may include affiliates of one or more of
the underwriters, selected by the Calculation Agent (after
consultation with us), at approximately 11:00 a.m., London
time on the LIBOR Interest Determination Date for that interest
period. The Calculation Agent will request the principal London
office of each such bank to provide a quotation of its rate. If
at least two such quotations are provided, the Three-Month LIBOR
S-14
Rate with respect to that interest period will be the arithmetic
mean (rounded upward if necessary to the nearest whole multiple
of 0.00001%) of such quotations. If fewer than two quotations
are provided, the Three-Month LIBOR Rate with respect to that
interest period will be the arithmetic mean (rounded upward if
necessary to the nearest whole multiple of 0.00001%) of the
rates quoted by three major banks in New York City, which may
include affiliates of one or more of the underwriters, selected
by the Calculation Agent (after consultation with us), at
approximately 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the first
day of that interest period for loans in U.S. dollars to
leading European banks for the relevant period and in a
principal amount of not less than $1,000,000. However, if fewer
than three banks selected by the Calculation Agent to provide
quotations are quoting as described above, the Three-Month LIBOR
Rate for that interest period will be the same as the
Three-Month LIBOR Rate as determined for the previous interest
period or, in the case of the interest period beginning on
March 30, 2017, the interest rate on the Notes will
be %. The establishment of the
Three-Month LIBOR Rate for each three-month interest period
beginning on or after March 30, 2017 by the Calculation
Agent shall (in the absence of manifest error) be final and
binding.
Business Day means any day, other than a
Saturday or Sunday, that is not a day on which banking
institutions or trust companies are generally authorized or
required by law, regulation or executive order to close in The
City of New York or other city in which any Paying Agent for the
Notes is located.
Calculation Agent means The Bank of New York,
or other firm appointed by PPL Capital Funding to act as
calculation agent.
LIBOR Interest Determination Date means the
second LIBOR Business Day preceding each LIBOR Rate Reset Date.
LIBOR Business Day means any business day on
which dealings in deposits in U.S. Dollars are transacted
in the London Inter-Bank Market.
Reuters Page means the display on Reuters
Money 3000 Service, or any successor service, on the Reuters
LIBOR01 Page or any replacement page or pages on that service.
Reuters LIBOR01 Page means the display
designated on page LIBOR01 on Reuters Page (or such other
page as may replace the LIBOR01 page on such service or such
other service as may be nominated by the British Bankers
Association for the purpose of displaying London interbank
offered rates for U.S. Dollar deposits).
Option to
Defer Interest Payments
PPL Capital Funding may defer semi-annual or quarterly interest
payments on the Notes, from time to time, for one or more
Optional Deferral Periods of up to 10 consecutive years per
Optional Deferral Period. However, a deferral of interest
payments cannot extend beyond the maturity date of the Notes.
During an Optional Deferral Period, interest will continue to
accrue on the Notes, compounded semi-annually or quarterly, as
the case may be, and deferred interest payments will accrue
additional interest at a rate equal to the interest rate then
applicable to the Notes, to the extent permitted by applicable
law. No interest will be due and payable on the Notes until the
end of the Optional Deferral Period except upon a redemption of
the Notes during the deferral period.
PPL Capital Funding may pay at any time all or any portion of
the interest accrued to that point during an Optional Deferral
Period. At the end of the Optional Deferral Period or on any
redemption date, PPL Capital Funding will be obligated to pay
all accrued and unpaid interest.
Once all accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes has been paid,
PPL Capital Funding again can defer interest payments on the
Notes as described above, provided that an Optional Deferral
Period cannot extend beyond the maturity date of the Notes.
If PPL Capital Funding defers interest for a period of 10
consecutive years from the commencement of an Optional Deferral
Period, PPL Capital Funding will be required to pay all accrued
and unpaid interest at the conclusion of the
10-year
period, and to the extent it does not do so, PPL Corporation
will be required to make guarantee payments in accordance with
the Subordinated Guarantees with respect thereto. If PPL Capital
Funding fails to pay in full all accrued and unpaid interest at
the conclusion of the
10-year
period, such failure continues for 30 days and PPL
Corporation fails to make guarantee payments with respect
thereto, an event of default that gives
S-15
rise to acceleration of principal and interest on the Notes will
occur under the Subordinated Indenture. See
Events of Default and
Remedies herein.
During any interest deferral period, neither PPL Corporation nor
PPL Capital Funding may:
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declare or pay any dividend or distribution on its capital
stock, other than dividends paid in shares of its capital stock;
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redeem, purchase, acquire or make a liquidation payment with
respect to any of its capital stock;
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pay any principal, interest or premium on, or repay, repurchase
or redeem any debt securities that are equal or junior in right
of payment with the Notes or the Subordinated Guarantees, as the
case may be; or
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make any payments with respect to any guarantee of debt
securities by PPL Corporation if such guarantee is equal or
junior in right of payment to the Notes or the Subordinated
Guarantees, as the case may be;
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other
than
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purchases, redemptions or other acquisitions of its capital
stock in connection with any employment contract, benefit plan
or other similar arrangement with or for the benefit of
employees, officers, directors or agents or a stock purchase or
dividend reinvestment plan, or the satisfaction of its
obligations pursuant to any contract or security outstanding on
the date that the payment of interest is deferred requiring it
to purchase, redeem or acquire its capital stock;
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any payment, repayment, redemption, purchase, acquisition or
declaration of dividend as a result of a reclassification of its
capital stock or the exchange or conversion of all or a portion
of one class or series of its capital stock for another class or
series of its capital stock;
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the purchase of fractional interests in shares of its capital
stock pursuant to the conversion or exchange provisions of its
capital stock or the security being converted or exchanged, or
in connection with the settlement of stock purchase contracts;
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dividends or distributions paid or made in its capital stock (or
rights to acquire its capital stock), or repurchases,
redemptions or acquisitions of capital stock in connection with
the issuance or exchange of capital stock (or of securities
convertible into or exchangeable for shares of its capital
stock) and distributions in connection with the settlement of
stock purchase contracts outstanding on the date that the
payment of interest is deferred;
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redemptions, exchanges or repurchases of, or with respect to,
any rights outstanding under a shareholder rights plan or the
declaration or payment thereunder of a dividend or distribution
of or with respect to rights in the future;
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payments under any preferred trust securities, subordinated
debentures or junior subordinated debentures, or guarantees of
the foregoing, in each case that rank equal in right of payment
to the Notes, so long as the amount of payments made on account
of such securities or guarantees is paid on all such securities
and guarantees then outstanding on a pro rata basis in
proportion to the full payment to which each series of such
securities and guarantees is then entitled if paid in full.
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PPL Capital Funding has no current intention of exercising its
option to defer interest payments.
(See Section 312.)
Payment
So long as the Notes are registered in the name of DTC, as
depository for the Notes as described herein under
Book-Entry Only Issuance The Depository Trust
Company, payments on the Notes will be made as described
therein.
So long as the Notes remain in book-entry only form, the record
date for each Interest Payment Date will be the close of
business on the Business Day immediately preceding the
applicable Interest Payment Date. If the Notes do
S-16
not remain in book-entry only form, the record date for each
Interest Payment Date will be the close of business on the
fifteenth calendar day immediately preceding the applicable
Interest Payment Date. If we default in paying interest on a
Note, we will pay such interest either:
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on a special record date between 10 and 15 days before the
payment; or
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in any other lawful manner of payment that is consistent with
the requirements of any securities exchange on which the Notes
may be listed for trading. (See Section 307.)
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We will pay principal of and any interest and premium on the
Notes at Maturity upon presentation of the Notes at the office
of The Bank of New York in New York, New York, as our Paying
Agent. In our discretion, we may change the place of payment on
the Notes, and we may remove any Paying Agent and may appoint
one or more additional Paying Agents (including us or any of our
affiliates). (See Section 602.)
Form;
Transfers; Exchanges
So long as the Notes are registered in the name of DTC, as
depository for the Notes as described herein under
Book-Entry Only Issuance The Depository Trust
Company, transfers and exchanges of beneficial interests
in the Notes will be made as described therein. In the event
that the book-entry only system is discontinued, and the Notes
are issued in certificated form, you may exchange or transfer
Notes at the office of the Trustee. The Trustee acts as our
agent for registering Notes in the names of holders and
transferring debt securities. We may appoint another agent or
act as our own agent for this purpose. The entity performing the
role of maintaining the list of registered holders is called the
Security Registrar. It will also perform transfers.
In our discretion, we may change the place for registration of
transfer of the Notes and may remove
and/or
appoint one or more additional Security Registrars (including us
or any of our affiliates). (See Sections 305 and 602.)
There will be no service charge for any transfer or exchange of
the Notes, but you may be required to pay a sum sufficient to
cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection
therewith. We may block the transfer or exchange of
(1) Notes during a period of 15 days prior to giving
any notice of redemption or (2) any Note selected for
redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of
any Note being redeemed in part. (See Section 305.)
Subordination
Subordination
of the Notes
The Notes will be subordinate and junior in right of payment to
all Senior Indebtedness of PPL Capital Funding. (See
Article Fifteen.) No payment of the principal (including
redemption payments) of, or interest or premium, if any, on, the
Notes may be made by PPL Capital Funding until all holders of
Senior Indebtedness of PPL Capital Funding have been paid, if
any of the following occurs:
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certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of
PPL Capital Funding;
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any Senior Indebtedness of PPL Capital Funding is not paid when
due (after the expiration of any applicable grace period) and
that default continues without cure or waiver; or
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any other default has occurred and continues without cure or
waiver (after the expiration of any applicable grace period)
pursuant to which the holders of Senior Indebtedness of PPL
Capital Funding are permitted to accelerate the maturity of such
Senior Indebtedness.
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Subordinated
Guarantees
PPL Corporation will fully and unconditionally guarantee the
payment of principal of and any interest and premium on the
Notes, when due and payable (and subject to PPL Capital
Fundings right to defer interest payments as described
above), whether at the stated maturity date, by declaration of
acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise, in accordance
with the terms of the Notes and the Subordinated Indenture. The
Subordinated Guarantees will remain in effect until the entire
principal of and interest and premium, if any, on the Notes has
been paid in full or otherwise discharged in accordance with the
provisions of the Subordinated Indenture. (See
Article Fourteen.)
S-17
The Subordinated Guarantees will be subordinate and junior in
right of payment to all Senior Indebtedness of PPL Corporation.
No payment of the principal (including redemption payments) of,
or interest or premium on, the Notes may be made by PPL
Corporation under the Subordinated Guarantees until all holders
of Senior Indebtedness of PPL Corporation have been paid, if any
of the following occurs:
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certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of
PPL Corporation;
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any Senior Indebtedness of PPL Corporation is not paid when due
(after the expiration of any applicable grace period) and that
default continues without cure or waiver; or
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any other default has occurred and continues without cure or
waiver (after the expiration of any applicable grace period)
pursuant to which the holders of Senior Indebtedness of PPL
Corporation are permitted to accelerate the maturity of such
Senior Indebtedness.
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Upon any distribution of assets of PPL Capital Funding or PPL
Corporation, as the case may be, to its creditors in connection
with any insolvency, bankruptcy or similar proceeding, all
principal of, and premium, if any, and interest due or to become
due on all of its Senior Indebtedness must be paid in full
before the holders of the Notes are entitled to receive or
retain any payment from such distribution.
Senior Indebtedness, when used with respect to PPL Capital
Funding or PPL Corporation, is defined in the Subordinated
Indenture to include all obligations of PPL Capital Funding or
PPL Corporation, as the case may be, whether existing presently
or in the future, to pay principal, interest, premium,
penalties, fees and any other payment in respect of any of the
following:
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indebtedness for borrowed money, including, without limitation,
such obligations as are evidenced by credit agreements, notes,
debentures, bonds and similar instruments;
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our obligations under synthetic leases, finance leases and
capitalized leases;
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our obligations for reimbursement under letters of credit,
bankers acceptances, security purchase facilities or
similar facilities issued for our account;
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any of our other obligations with respect to derivative
contracts, including commodity contracts, interest rate,
commodity and currency swap agreements, forward contracts and
other similar agreements or arrangements; and
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all obligations of others of the kinds described in the
preceding categories which we have assumed or guaranteed;
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other
than
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trade obligations incurred in the ordinary course of
business, or
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any such obligation or guarantee that expressly provides that it
is not senior to or equal in right of payment to the Notes or
the Subordinated Guarantees, as the case may be.
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(See Section 101.)
The Subordinated Indenture does not limit the aggregate amount
of Senior Indebtedness that may be issued. As of
December 31, 2006, PPL Capital Funding had approximately
$484 million principal amount of indebtedness for borrowed
money constituting its Senior Indebtedness, and PPL Corporation
had approximately $714 million principal amount (on an
unconsolidated basis) of obligations constituting its Senior
Indebtedness (including guarantees of indebtedness of PPL
Capital Funding and certain of PPL Corporations other
subsidiaries).
Pursuant to the subordination provisions of the Subordinated
Indenture, any payment or distribution, whether in cash,
securities or other property, which would otherwise (but for the
subordination provisions) be payable or deliverable in respect
of the Notes by PPL Capital Funding or PPL Corporation will
instead be paid or delivered directly to the holders of such
Senior Indebtedness of PPL Capital Funding or PPL Corporation
(or their respective representative or trustee), as the case may
be, in accordance with the priorities then existing among such
holders until all such Senior Indebtedness has been paid in full
before any payment or distribution is made to the holders of
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Notes. In the event that, notwithstanding such subordination
provisions, any payment or distribution of assets of any kind or
character is made on the Notes by PPL Capital Funding or PPL
Corporation before all such Senior Indebtedness is paid in full,
the Trustee or the holders of Notes receiving such payment will
be required to pay over such payment or distribution to the
holders of such Senior Indebtedness.
The Subordinated Indenture provides that Senior Indebtedness
will not be deemed to have been paid in full unless the holders
thereof, as applicable, shall have received cash (or securities
or other property satisfactory to such holders) in full payment
of such Senior Indebtedness then outstanding. Upon the payment
in full of all such Senior Indebtedness, the holders of the
Notes shall be subrogated to all the rights of any holders of
such Senior Indebtedness to receive any further payments or
distributions of cash, property or securities of PPL Capital
Funding or PPL Corporation, as applicable, applicable to such
Senior Indebtedness until the Notes shall have been paid in
full, and such payments or distributions of cash, property or
securities received by the holders of the Notes, by reason of
such subrogation, which otherwise would be paid or distributed
to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness, shall, as between
PPL Capital Funding or PPL Corporation, as applicable, and its
creditors other than the holders of Senior Indebtedness, on the
one hand, and the holders of the Notes on the other, be deemed
to be a payment on account of such Senior Indebtedness, and not
on account of the Notes or the Subordinated Guarantees, as the
case may be.
The Subordinated Indenture provides that no present or future
holder of any Senior Indebtedness of PPL Capital Funding or PPL
Corporation, as the case may be, will be prejudiced in the right
to enforce subordination of the indebtedness under the
Subordinated Indenture by any act or failure to act on the part
of PPL Capital Funding or PPL Corporation, as applicable.
Redemption
On or after March 30, 2017, PPL Capital Funding may redeem
the Notes, in whole or in part on one or more occasions, at 100%
of their principal amount plus any accrued and unpaid interest
thereon to, but not including, the redemption date.
Before March 30, 2017, PPL Capital Funding may redeem the
Notes, in whole or in part on one or more occasions, at a
redemption price equal to the Make-Whole Amount (as defined
below), plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but not
including, the redemption date.
The Make-Whole Amount will be determined in accordance with the
following provisions:
Make-Whole Amount means an amount equal to
the greater of (i) 100% of the principal amount of the
Notes being redeemed or (ii) as determined by the Quotation
Agent as of the redemption date, the sum of the present value of
each scheduled payment of principal of and interest on the Notes
from the redemption date to March 30, 2017 (assuming,
solely for the purposes of this calculation, that the principal
amount of the Notes to be redeemed was payable on March 30,
2017), discounted to the redemption date on a semi-annual basis
(assuming a
360-day year
consisting of twelve
30-day
months) at a discount rate equal to the Treasury Rate (as
defined below) plus basis
points.
Comparable Treasury Issue means, with respect
to any Redemption Date, the United States Treasury security
selected by the Quotation Agent as having an actual or
interpolated maturity comparable to the time period from the
redemption date to March 30, 2017 that would be utilized,
at the time of selection and in accordance with customary
financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt
securities with a term to maturity comparable to such time
period.
Comparable Treasury Price means, with respect
to any Redemption Date:
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the average, after excluding the highest and lowest such
Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations (as defined below), of up
to five Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such Redemption
Date, or
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if the Quotation Agent obtains fewer than five such Reference
Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all such Reference
Treasury Dealer Quotations received.
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Quotation Agent means a Reference Treasury
Dealer selected by us for the purpose of performing the
functions of the Quotation Agent under the Subordinated
Indenture.
Reference Treasury Dealer means:
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each of Barclays Capital Inc., J. P. Morgan Securities Inc. and
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, and their respective
successors, unless any of them ceases to be a primary
U.S. Government securities dealer in New York City (a
Primary Treasury Dealer), in which case we will
substitute another Primary Treasury Dealer; and
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any two other Primary Treasury Dealers selected by us.
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Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations means,
with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any
Redemption Date, the average, as determined by the
Quotation Agent, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable
Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its
principal amount) as provided to the Quotation Agent by such
Reference Treasury Dealer at 5:00 p.m., New York City time,
on the third Business Day preceding such redemption date.
Treasury Rate means, with respect to any
Redemption Date, the rate per annum equal to the
semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity of the Comparable
Treasury Issue, calculated using a price for the Comparable
Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal
amount) equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for such
Redemption Date. The Treasury Rate shall be calculated on
the third Business Day preceding the Redemption Date.
PPL Capital Funding may also redeem the Notes before
March 30, 2017 (i) in whole, but not in part, if
certain changes in tax laws, regulations or interpretations
occur, at the redemption price and under the circumstances
described below under Right to Redeem Upon a
Tax Event and (ii) in whole or in part on one or more
occasions if a rating agency makes certain changes in the equity
credit criteria for securities such as the Notes, at the
redemption price and under the circumstances described below
under Right to Redeem Upon a Rating Agency
Event.
Right
to Redeem Upon a Tax Event
Before March 30, 2017, PPL Capital Funding may redeem the
Notes, in whole, but not in part, at any time within
90 days after the occurrence of a Tax Event (as defined
below), at a redemption price equal to the Tax Event Make-Whole
Amount (as defined below), plus any accrued and unpaid interest
thereon to, but not including, the redemption date.
Tax Event Make-Whole Amount means an amount
equal to the greater of (i) 100% of the principal amount of
the Notes being redeemed or (ii) as determined by the
Quotation Agent as of the redemption date, the sum of the
present value of each scheduled payment of principal of and
interest on the Notes from the redemption date to March 30,
2017 (assuming, solely for the purposes of this calculation,
that the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed was
payable on March 30, 2017), discounted to the redemption
date on a semi-annual basis (assuming a
360-day year
consisting of twelve
30-day
months) at a discount rate equal to the Treasury Rate
plus
basis points.
A Tax Event happens when PPL Capital Funding or PPL
Corporation has received an opinion of counsel experienced in
tax matters that, as a result of:
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any amendment to, clarification of, or change, including any
announced prospective change, in the laws or treaties of the
United States or any of its political subdivisions or taxing
authorities, or any regulations under those laws or treaties;
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an administrative action, which means any judicial decision or
any official administrative pronouncement, ruling, regulatory
procedure, notice or announcement including any notice or
announcement of intent to issue or adopt any administrative
pronouncement, ruling, regulatory procedure or
regulation; or
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any amendment to, clarification of, or change in the official
position or the interpretation of any administrative action or
judicial decision or any interpretation or pronouncement that
provides for a position with
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respect to an administrative action or judicial decision that
differs from the previously generally accepted position, in each
case by any legislative body, court, governmental authority or
regulatory body, regardless of the time or manner in which that
amendment, clarification or change is introduced or made known,
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which amendment, clarification, or change is effective or the
administrative action is taken or judicial decision,
interpretation or pronouncement is issued after the date of this
prospectus supplement, there is more than an insubstantial risk
that interest payable by PPL Capital Funding or PPL Corporation
on the Notes is not deductible, or within 90 days would not
be deductible, in whole or in part, by PPL Capital Funding or
PPL Corporation for United States federal income tax
purposes.
Right
to Redeem Upon a Rating Agency Event
Before March 30, 2017, PPL Capital Funding may redeem the
Notes, in whole or in part on one or more occasions, at any time
following the occurrence and continuation of a Rating Agency
Event (as defined below), at a redemption price equal to the
Rating Agency Event Make-Whole Amount (as defined below), plus
any accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but not including,
the redemption date.
Rating Agency Event Make-Whole Amount means
an amount equal to the greater of (i) 100% of the principal
amount of the Notes being redeemed or (ii) as determined by
the Quotation Agent as of the redemption date, the sum of the
present value of each scheduled payment of principal of and
interest on the Notes from the redemption date to March 30,
2017 (assuming, solely for the purposes of this calculation,
that the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed was
payable on March 30, 2017), discounted to the redemption
date on a semi-annual basis (assuming a
360-day year
consisting of twelve
30-day
months) at a discount rate equal to the Treasury Rate
plus basis points.
Rating Agency Event means a change by any
nationally recognized statistical rating organization within the
meaning of
Rule 15c3-1
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (sometimes
referred to in this prospectus supplement as a rating agency)
that currently publishes a rating for PPL Capital Funding or PPL
Corporation in the equity credit criteria for securities such as
the Notes resulting in a lower equity credit to PPL Capital
Funding or PPL Corporation, as certified in an officers
certificate to the Trustee by PPL Capital Funding or PPL
Corporation, as applicable, than the equity credit assigned by
such rating agency to the Notes on the date of this prospectus
supplement.
General
PPL Capital Fundings right to redeem or repurchase the
Notes, and the right of PPL Corporation and its subsidiaries to
purchase the Notes, are limited by a covenant that PPL Capital
Funding and PPL Corporation are making in favor of certain of
PPL Capital Fundings debtholders. See Certain Terms
of the Replacement Capital Covenant in this prospectus.
In the event that the Replacement Capital Covenant terminates
prior to March 30, 2037 as a result of there being no
eligible designated series of covered debt outstanding, we
intend that if PPL Capital Funding redeems the Notes, or if we
or PPL Corporation or one of its other subsidiaries purchases
the Notes, the redemption or purchase price of the Notes will be
paid with amounts that include net proceeds received by us or
our subsidiaries from the sale or issuance, during the 180-day
period prior to the notice date for such redemption or such
purchase, by us or our subsidiaries to third-party purchasers of
securities for which PPL Corporation will receive equity-like
credit from the rating agencies which rate our securities, that
is equal to or greater than the equity-like credit then
attributed to the Notes being redeemed or purchased. The
determination of the equity-like credit of the Notes may result
in the issuance of an amount of new securities that may be less
than the principal amount of the Notes, depending upon, among
other things, the nature of the new securities issued and the
equity-like credit attributed by a rating agency to the Notes
and the new securities.
The Notes will not be subject to a sinking fund or other
mandatory redemption and will not be repayable at the option of
the Holder of a Note prior to the Stated Maturity Date.
Notes will be redeemable upon notice by mail between 30 and
60 days prior to the Redemption Date. If less than all
of the Notes of any series or any tranche thereof are to be
redeemed, the Trustee will select the Notes to be
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redeemed. In the absence of any provision for selection, the
Trustee will choose a method of random selection as it deems
fair and appropriate. (See Sections 403 and 404.)
Notes will cease to bear interest on the Redemption Date.
We will pay the redemption price and any accrued interest once
you surrender the Note for redemption. (See Section 405.)
If only part of a Note is redeemed, the Trustee will deliver to
you a new Note of the same series for the remaining portion
without charge. (See Section 406.)
PPL Capital Funding may make any redemption at its option
conditional upon the receipt by the Paying Agent, on or prior to
the date fixed for redemption, of money sufficient to pay the
redemption price. If the Paying Agent has not received such
money by the date fixed for redemption, we will not be required
to redeem such Notes. (See Section 404.)
Events of
Default
An Event of Default with respect to the Notes will
occur if
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we do not pay any interest on any Note within 30 days of
the due date; provided that a valid extension or deferral of the
interest period as described above under Option to Defer
Interest Payments will not constitute an Event of Default;
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we do not pay principal or premium on any Note on its due date;
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PPL Corporations Subordinated Guarantees of the Notes
cease to be effective (except in accordance with their terms),
are found in any judicial proceeding to be unenforceable or
invalid, or are denied or disaffirmed (except in accordance with
their terms);
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we file for bankruptcy or certain other similar events in
bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or reorganization occur.
(See Section 801.)
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No Event of Default with respect to the Notes necessarily
constitutes an Event of Default with respect to the Subordinated
Indenture Securities of any other series issued under the
Subordinated Indenture.
Remedies
Acceleration
Any One Series. If an Event of Default occurs
and is continuing with respect to any one series of Subordinated
Indenture Securities, then either the Trustee or the Holders of
25% in principal amount of the outstanding Subordinated
Indenture Securities of such series may declare the principal
amount of all of the Subordinated Indenture Securities of such
series to be due and payable immediately.
More Than One Series. If an Event of Default
occurs and is continuing with respect to more than one series of
Subordinated Indenture Securities, then either the Trustee or
the Holders of 25% of the aggregate principal amount of the
outstanding Subordinated Indenture Securities of all such
series, considered as one class, may make such declaration of
acceleration. Thus, if there is more than one series affected,
the action by the Holders of 25% of the aggregate principal
amount of the outstanding Subordinated Indenture Securities of
any particular series will not, in itself, be sufficient to make
a declaration of acceleration. (See Section 802.)
Rescission
of Acceleration
After the declaration of acceleration has been made and before
the Trustee has obtained a judgment or decree for payment of the
money due, such declaration and its consequences will be
rescinded and annulled, if
(1) we pay or deposit with the Trustee a sum sufficient to
pay
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all overdue interest;
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the principal of and any premium which have become due otherwise
than by such declaration of acceleration and interest thereon;
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interest on overdue interest to the extent lawful; and
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all amounts due to the Trustee under the Subordinated
Indenture; and
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(2) all Events of Default, other than the nonpayment of the
principal which has become due solely by such declaration of
acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in the
Subordinated Indenture. (See Section 802.) For more
information as to waiver of defaults, see
Waiver of Default and of Compliance
below.
Control
by Holders; Limitations
Subject to the Subordinated Indenture, if an Event of Default
(or certain other defaults as discussed below), with respect to
the Subordinated Indenture Securities of any one series occurs
and is continuing, the Holders of a majority in principal amount
of the outstanding Subordinated Indenture Securities of that
series will have the right to
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direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding
for any remedy available to the Trustee, or
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exercise any trust or power conferred on the Trustee with
respect to the Subordinated Indenture Securities of such series.
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If an Event of Default (or certain other defaults as discussed
below) is continuing with respect to more than one series of
Subordinated Indenture Securities, the Holders of a majority in
aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Subordinated
Indenture Securities of all such series, considered as one
class, will have the right to make such direction, and not the
Holders of the Subordinated Indenture Securities of any one of
such series.
These rights of Holders to make direction are subject to the
following limitations:
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the Holders directions may not conflict with any law or
the Subordinated Indenture; and
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the Holders directions may not involve the Trustee in
personal liability where the Trustee believes indemnity is not
adequate.
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The Trustee may also take any other action it deems proper which
is consistent with the Holders direction. (See
Sections 812 and 903.) With respect to Events of Default
and other defaults in the performance of, or breach of,
covenants in the Subordinated Indenture that do not constitute
Events of Default, if any such Event of Default or other default
occurs and is continuing after any applicable notice
and/or cure
period, then the Trustee may in its discretion (and subject to
the rights of the Holders to control remedies as described above
and certain other conditions specified in the Subordinated
Indenture) bring such judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall
deem appropriate or proper.
The Subordinated Indenture provides that no Holder of any
Subordinated Indenture Security will have any right to institute
any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to the
Subordinated Indenture for the appointment of a receiver or for
any other remedy thereunder unless
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that Holder has previously given the Trustee written notice of a
continuing Event of Default (or other default under the
Subordinated Indenture after any applicable notice
and/or cure
period);
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the Holders of 25% in aggregate principal amount of the
outstanding Subordinated Indenture Securities of all affected
series, considered as one class, have made written request to
the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of that Event of
Default (or other default under the Subordinated Indenture after
any applicable notice
and/or cure
period) and have offered the Trustee reasonable indemnity
against costs and liabilities incurred in complying with such
request; and
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for 60 days after receipt of such notice, the Trustee has
failed to institute any such proceeding and no direction
inconsistent with such request has been given to the Trustee
during such
60-day
period by the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal
amount of outstanding Subordinated Indenture Securities of all
affected series, considered as one class.
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Furthermore, no Holder will be entitled to institute any such
action if and to the extent that such action would disturb or
prejudice the rights of other Holders. (See Sections 807
and 903.)
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However, each Holder has an absolute and unconditional right to
receive payment when due and to bring a suit to enforce that
right. (See Sections 807 and 808.)
Notice of
Default
The Trustee is required to give the Holders of the Notes notice
of any default under the Subordinated Indenture to the extent
required by the Trust Indenture Act, unless such default
has been cured or waived; provided, however, that in the case of
a default in the performance of, or breach of, any covenant or
warranty in the Subordinated Indenture (after any applicable
notice
and/or cure
period) that does not result in an Event of Default, no such
notice shall be given until at least 90 days after the
occurrence thereof. (See Section 902.) The Trust Indenture
Act currently permits the Trustee to withhold notices of default
(except for certain payment defaults) if the Trustee in good
faith determines the withholding of such notice to be in the
interests of the Holders.
PPL Capital Funding and PPL Corporation will furnish the Trustee
with an annual statement as to their compliance with the
conditions and covenants in the Subordinated Indenture. (See
Section 605.)
Waiver of
Default and of Compliance
The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the
outstanding Notes may waive, on behalf of the Holders of all
outstanding Notes, any past default under the Subordinated
Indenture, except a default in the payment of principal, premium
or interest, or with respect to compliance with certain
provisions of the Subordinated Indenture that cannot be amended
without the consent of the Holder of each outstanding
Subordinated Indenture Security. (See Section 813.)
Compliance with certain covenants in the Subordinated Indenture
or otherwise provided with respect to Subordinated Indenture
Securities may be waived by the Holders of a majority in
aggregate principal amount of the affected Subordinated
Indenture Securities, considered as one class. (See
Section 606.)
Consolidation,
Merger and Conveyance of Assets as an Entirety; No Financial
Covenants
Subject to the provisions described in the next paragraph, each
of PPL Capital Funding and PPL Corporation has agreed in the
Subordinated Indenture to preserve its corporate existence. (See
Section 604.)
PPL Capital Funding and PPL Corporation have each also agreed
not to consolidate with or merge into any other entity or
convey, transfer or lease our properties and assets
substantially as an entirety to any entity unless:
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the entity formed by such consolidation or into which PPL
Capital Funding or PPL Corporation, as the case may be, is
merged or the entity which acquires or which leases its property
and assets substantially as an entirety is a corporation or
limited liability company organized and existing under the laws
of the United States of America or any State thereof or the
District of Columbia, and expressly assumes, by supplemental
indenture, the due and punctual payment of the principal,
premium and interest on all the outstanding Notes and the
performance of all of its covenants under the Subordinated
Indenture, and
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immediately after giving effect to such transactions, no Event
of Default (or other default under the Subordinated Indenture
after any applicable notice
and/or cure
period), and no event which after notice or lapse of time or
both would become an Event of Default (or such other default),
will have occurred and be continuing. (See Section 1101.)
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The Subordinated Indenture does not prevent or restrict:
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any consolidation or merger after the consummation of which PPL
Capital Funding or PPL Corporation would be the surviving or
resulting entity;
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any consolidation of PPL Capital Funding with PPL Corporation or
any other entity all of the outstanding voting securities of
which are owned, directly or indirectly, by PPL Corporation; or
any merger of any such entity into any other of such entities;
or any conveyance or other transfer, or lease, or properties by
any thereof to any other thereof;
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any conveyance or other transfer, or lease, of any part of the
properties of PPL Capital Funding or PPL Corporation which does
not constitute the entirety, or substantially the entirety,
thereof; or
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the approval by PPL Capital Funding or PPL Corporation of, or
the consent by PPL Capital Funding or PPL Corporation to, any
consolidation or merger to which any direct or indirect
subsidiary or affiliate of PPL Capital Funding or PPL
Corporation, as the case requires, may be a party or any
conveyance, transfer or lease by any such subsidiary or
affiliate of any of its assets. (See Section 1103.)
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Modification
of Subordinated Indenture
Without Holder Consent. Without the consent of
any Holders of Subordinated Indenture Securities, PPL Capital
Funding, PPL Corporation and the Trustee may enter into one or
more supplemental indentures for any of the following purposes:
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to evidence the succession of another entity to PPL Capital
Funding or PPL Corporation;
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to add one or more covenants or other provisions for the benefit
of the Holders of all or any series or tranche of Subordinated
Indenture Securities, or to surrender any right or power
conferred upon us;
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to add any additional Events of Default for all or any series of
Subordinated Indenture Securities;
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to change or eliminate any provision of the Subordinated
Indenture or to add any new provision to the Subordinated
Indenture that does not adversely affect the interests of the
Holders;
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to provide security for the Subordinated Indenture Securities of
any series;
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to establish the form or terms of Subordinated Indenture
Securities of any series or tranche as permitted by the
Subordinated Indenture;
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to provide for the issuance of bearer securities;
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to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment of a
separate or successor Trustee;
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to provide for the procedures required to permit the utilization
of a noncertificated system of registration for any series or
tranche of Indenture Securities;
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to change any place or places where
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we may pay principal, premium and interest,
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Subordinated Indenture Securities may be surrendered for
transfer or exchange, and
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notices and demands to or upon PPL Capital Funding or PPL
Corporation may be served; or
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to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency or to make any
other changes that do not adversely affect the interests of the
Holders in any material respect;
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provided, that, we will not enter into any supplemental
indenture with the Trustee to add any additional Event of
Default with respect to the Notes without the consent of the
Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of
outstanding Notes.
If the Trust Indenture Act is amended after the date of the
Subordinated Indenture so as to require changes to the
Subordinated Indenture or so as to permit changes to, or the
elimination of, provisions which, at the date of the
Subordinated Indenture or at any time thereafter, were required
by the Trust Indenture Act to be contained in the
Subordinated Indenture, the Subordinated Indenture will be
deemed to have been amended so as to conform to such amendment
or to effect such changes or elimination, and PPL Capital
Funding, PPL Corporation and the Trustee may, without the
consent of any Holders, enter into one or more supplemental
indentures to effect or evidence such amendment. (See
Section 1201.)
With Holder Consent. Except as provided above,
the consent of the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate
principal amount of the Subordinated Indenture Securities of all
outstanding series, considered as one class, is
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generally required for the purpose of adding to, changing or
eliminating any of the provisions of the Subordinated Indenture
pursuant to a supplemental indenture. However, if less than all
of the series of outstanding Subordinated Indenture Securities
are directly affected by a proposed supplemental indenture, then
such proposal only requires the consent of the Holders of a
majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding
Subordinated Indenture Securities of all directly affected
series, considered as one class. Moreover, if the Indenture
Securities of any series have been issued in more than one
tranche and if the proposed supplemental indenture directly
affects the rights of the Holders of Subordinated Indenture
Securities of one or more, but less than all, of such tranches,
then such proposal only requires the consent of the Holders of a
majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding
Subordinated Indenture Securities of all directly affected
tranches, considered as one class.
However, no amendment or modification may, without the consent
of the Holder of each outstanding Subordinated Indenture
Security directly affected thereby,
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change the stated maturity of the principal or interest on any
Subordinated Indenture Security (other than pursuant to the
terms thereof and, in the case of the Notes, as described above
under Option to Defer Interest Payments), or reduce
the principal amount, interest or premium payable or change the
currency in which any Subordinated Indenture Security is
payable, or impair the right to bring suit to enforce any
payment;
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reduce the percentages of Holders whose consent is required for
any supplemental indenture or waiver or reduce the requirements
for quorum and voting under the Subordinated Indenture; or
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modify certain of the provisions in the Subordinated Indenture
relating to supplemental indentures and waivers of certain
covenants and past defaults.
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A supplemental indenture which changes or eliminates any
provision of the Subordinated Indenture expressly included
solely for the benefit of Holders of Subordinated Indenture
Securities of one or more particular series or tranches will be
deemed not to affect the rights under the Subordinated Indenture
of the Holders of Subordinated Indenture Securities of any other
series or tranche. (See Section 1202.)
We will be entitled to set any day as a record date for the
purpose of determining the Holders of outstanding Subordinated
Indenture Securities of any series entitled to give or take any
demand, direction, consent or other action under the
Subordinated Indenture, in the manner and subject to the
limitations provided in the Subordinated Indenture. In certain
circumstances, the Trustee also will be entitled to set a record
date for action by Holders. If such a record date is set for any
action to be taken by Holders of particular Subordinated
Indenture Securities, such action may be taken only by persons
who are Holders of such Subordinated Indenture Securities at the
close of business on the record date. (See Section 104.)
The Subordinated Indenture provides that certain Subordinated
Indenture Securities, including those for which payment or
redemption money has been deposited or set aside in trust as
described under Satisfaction and
Discharge below, will not be deemed to be
outstanding in determining whether the Holders of
the requisite principal amount of the outstanding Subordinated
Indenture Securities have given or taken any demand, direction,
consent or other action under the Subordinated Indenture as of
any date, or are present at a meeting of Holders for quorum
purposes. (See Section 101.)
Satisfaction
and Discharge
Any Subordinated Indenture Securities or any portion will be
deemed to have been paid for purposes of the Subordinated
Indenture, and at PPL Capital Fundings election, the
entire indebtedness of PPL Capital Funding and PPL Corporation
will be satisfied and discharged, if there shall have been
irrevocably deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent
(other than PPL Capital Funding or PPL Corporation), in trust:
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money sufficient,
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in the case of a deposit made prior to the maturity of such
Subordinated Indenture Securities, non-redeemable Government
Obligations (as defined in the Subordinated Indenture)
sufficient, or
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a combination of items listed in the preceding two bullet
points, which in total are sufficient,
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to pay when due the principal of, and any premium, and interest
due and to become due on such Subordinated Indenture Securities
or portions thereof on and prior to the maturity thereof. (See
Section 701.) Our right to satisfy and discharge, or
defease, the Notes pursuant to these provisions will be limited
by the terms of the Replacement Capital Covenant as described
under Certain Terms of the Replacement Capital
Covenant.
The Subordinated Indenture will be deemed satisfied and
discharged when no Subordinated Indenture Securities remain
outstanding and when we have paid all other sums payable by us
under the Subordinated Indenture. (See Section 702.)
All moneys we pay to the Trustee or any paying agent on
Subordinated Indenture Securities which remain unclaimed at the
end of two years after payments have become due will be paid to
or upon the order of PPL Capital Funding. Thereafter, the Holder
of such Subordinated Indenture Security may look only to us for
payment. (See Section 603.)
Agreement
by Holders to Certain Tax Treatment
Each holder of the Notes will, by accepting the Notes or a
beneficial interest therein, be deemed to have agreed that the
holder intends that the Notes constitute debt and will treat the
Notes as debt for United States federal, state and local tax
purposes.
Resignation
and Removal of the Trustee; Deemed Resignation
The Trustee may resign at any time by giving written notice to
us.
The Trustee may also be removed by act of the Holders of a
majority in principal amount of the then outstanding
Subordinated Indenture Securities of any series.
No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no appointment of a
successor trustee will become effective until the acceptance of
appointment by a successor trustee in accordance with the
requirements of the Subordinated Indenture.
Under certain circumstances, we may appoint a successor trustee
and if the successor accepts, the Trustee will be deemed to have
resigned. (See Section 910.)
Notices
Notices to Holders of Debt Securities will be given by mail to
the addresses of the Holders as they may appear in the security
register. (See Section 106.)
Title
PPL Capital Funding, PPL Corporation, the Trustee, and any agent
of PPL Capital Funding, PPL Corporation or the Trustee, will
treat the person or entity in whose name Subordinated Indenture
Securities are registered as the absolute owner of those
Subordinated Indenture Securities (whether or not the
Subordinated Indenture Securities may be overdue) for the
purpose of making payments and for all other purposes
irrespective of notice to the contrary. (See Section 308.)
Governing
Law
The Subordinated Indenture and the Subordinated Indenture
Securities provide that they will be governed by and construed
in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, except to
the extent the Trust Indenture Act shall be applicable. (See
Section 112.)
Regarding
the Trustee
The Trustee under the Subordinated Indenture is The Bank of New
York (BNY). In addition to acting as Trustee, BNY
also maintains various banking and trust relationships with us
and some of our affiliates.
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Book-Entry
Only Issuance The Depository Trust Company
DTC will act as the initial securities depository for the Notes.
The Notes will be issued in fully registered form and will be
evidenced by one or more global Notes registered in the name of
DTCs nominee, Cede & Co., or such other name as
may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. The
global Notes will be deposited with the Trustee as custodian for
DTC.
DTC is a New York limited-purpose trust company organized under
the New York Banking Law, a banking organization
within the meaning of the New York Banking Law, a member of the
Federal Reserve System, a clearing corporation
within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code, and
a clearing agency registered pursuant to the
provisions of Section 17A of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended. DTC holds securities for its participants
(Direct Participants) and also facilitates the
post-trade settlement among Direct Participants of sales and
other securities transactions in deposited securities, through
electronic computerized book-entry transfers and pledges between
Direct Participants accounts, thereby eliminating the need
for physical movement of securities certificates. Direct
Participants include both U.S. and
non-U.S. securities
brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing
corporations and certain other organizations. DTC is a
wholly-owned subsidiary of The Depository Trust &
Clearing Corporation (DTCC). DTCC, in turn, is owned
by a number of Direct Participants of DTC and Members of the
National Securities Clearing Corporation, Fixed Income Clearing
Corporation and Emerging Markets Clearing Corporation (NSCC,
FICC, and EMCC, also subsidiaries of DTCC), as well as by the
New York Stock Exchange, Inc., the American Stock Exchange LLC,
and the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Access
to the DTC system is also available to others such as both U.S.
and
non-U.S. securities
brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, and clearing
corporations that clear through or maintain a custodial
relationship with a Direct Participant, either directly or
indirectly (Indirect Participants). The rules that
apply to DTC and those using its system are on file with the SEC.
Purchases of the Notes under the DTC system must be made by or
through Direct Participants, which will receive a credit for the
Notes on DTCs records. The ownership interest of each
actual purchaser (Beneficial Owner) is in turn to be
recorded on the Direct and Indirect Participants records.
Beneficial Owners will not receive written confirmation from DTC
of their purchases, but Beneficial Owners should receive written
confirmations providing details of the transactions, as well as
periodic statements of their holdings, from the Direct or
Indirect Participant through which they purchased Notes.
Transfers of ownership interests on the Notes are to be
accomplished by entries made on the books of Direct and Indirect
Participants acting on behalf of Beneficial Owners. Beneficial
Owners will not receive certificates representing their
ownership interests in Notes, except in the event that use of
the book-entry system for the Notes is discontinued.
To facilitate subsequent transfers, all Notes deposited by
Direct Participants with DTC are registered in the name of
DTCs nominee, Cede & Co., or such other name as
may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. The
deposit of the Notes with DTC and their registration in the name
of Cede & Co. or such other nominee do not effect any
change in beneficial ownership. DTC has no knowledge of the
actual Beneficial Owners of the Notes; DTCs records
reflect only the identity of the participants to whose accounts
the Notes are credited, which may or may not be the Beneficial
Owners. The Direct and Indirect Participants will remain
responsible for keeping account of their holdings on behalf of
their customers.
Conveyance of notices and other communications by DTC to Direct
Participants, by Direct Participants to Indirect Participants,
and by Direct Participants and Indirect Participants to
Beneficial Owners, will be governed by arrangements among them,
subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements as may be in
effect from time to time. Notices will be sent to DTC.
Neither DTC nor Cede & Co. (nor such other DTC nominee)
will consent or vote with respect to the Notes unless authorized
by a Direct Participant in accordance with DTCs
procedures. Under its usual procedures, DTC mails an omnibus
proxy to us as soon as possible after the record date. The
omnibus proxy assigns the voting or consenting rights of
Cede & Co. to those Direct Participants to whose
accounts the Notes are credited on the record date. We believe
that these arrangements will enable the beneficial owners to
exercise rights equivalent in substance to the rights that can
be directly exercised by a registered holder of the Notes.
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Payments of principal, interest and premium on the Notes will be
made to Cede & Co. (or such other nominee of DTC).
DTCs practice is to credit Direct Participants
accounts upon DTCs receipt of funds and corresponding
detail information from us or the Trustee, on payable date in
accordance with their respective holdings shown on DTCs
records. Payments by participants to Beneficial Owners will be
governed by standing instructions and customary practices and
will be the responsibility of each participant and not of DTC,
the Trustee or us, subject to any statutory or regulatory
requirements as may be in effect from time to time. Payment of
the Purchase Price, principal and interest to Cede &
Co. (or other such nominee of DTC) is our responsibility.
Disbursement of such payments to Direct Participants will be the
responsibility of DTC, and disbursement of such payments to the
Beneficial Owners is the responsibility of Direct and Indirect
Participants.
A beneficial owner will not be entitled to receive physical
delivery of the Notes. Accordingly, each beneficial owner must
rely on the procedures of DTC to exercise any rights under the
Notes.
DTC may discontinue providing its services as securities
depository with respect to the Notes at any time by giving us or
the Trustee reasonable notice. In the event no successor
securities depository is obtained, certificates for the Notes
will be printed and delivered.
The information in this section concerning DTC and DTCs
book-entry system has been obtained from sources that we believe
to be reliable, but neither we nor the underwriters take any
responsibility for the accuracy of this information.
CERTAIN
TERMS OF THE REPLACEMENT CAPITAL COVENANT
This section briefly summarizes some of the provisions of the
Replacement Capital Covenant. This summary does not contain a
complete description of the Replacement Capital Covenant and is
qualified in its entirety by the provisions of the Replacement
Capital Covenant. The Replacement Capital Covenant is available
from PPL Corporation or PPL Capital Funding upon request.
At or around the time of issuance of the Notes, PPL Corporation
and PPL Capital Funding will enter into a Replacement Capital
Covenant pursuant to which PPL Corporation and PPL Capital
Funding will agree for the benefit of persons that buy, hold or
sell a designated series of its long-term indebtedness ranking
senior to the Notes that PPL Capital Funding will not redeem,
repurchase or defease, nor will PPL Corporation or any of its
subsidiaries purchase, any of the Notes prior to March 30,
2037 (subject to extension as described below), unless we have
received a specified amount of proceeds from the sale during the
180 days prior to the date of that redemption, purchase or
defeasance of qualifying securities that have equity-like
characteristics that are the same as, or more equity-like than,
the applicable characteristics of the Notes at the time of
redemption or purchase. The determination of the equity-like
credit of the Notes may result in the issuance of an amount of
new securities that may be less than the principal amount of the
Notes, depending upon, among other things, the nature of the new
securities issued and the equity-like credit attributed by a
rating agency to the Notes and the new securities.
Our ability to raise proceeds from qualifying securities during
the 180 days prior to a proposed redemption, purchase or
defeasance of the Notes will depend on, among other things,
market conditions at that time as well as the acceptability to
prospective investors of the terms of those qualifying
securities.
The initial series of indebtedness benefiting from the
Replacement Capital Covenant is PPL Capital Fundings
4.33% Notes Exchange Series A due March 1,
2009. The Replacement Capital Covenant includes provisions
requiring PPL Corporation or PPL Capital Funding to redesignate
a new series of indebtedness if the covered series of
indebtedness approaches maturity or is to be redeemed or
purchased such that the outstanding principal amount is less
than $100,000,000, unless no eligible series of covered
indebtedness exists.
Our covenants in the Replacement Capital Covenant will run only
to the benefit of holders of the designated series of PPL
Capital Fundings long-term indebtedness or the long-term
indebtedness of PPL Corporation, as applicable. The Replacement
Capital Covenant is not intended for the benefit of holders of
the Notes and may not be enforced by them. The Replacement
Capital Covenant is not a term of the Subordinated Indenture,
the Subordinated Guarantees or the Notes.
S-29
PPL Corporation and PPL Capital Funding may amend or supplement
the Replacement Capital Covenant from time to time with the
consent of the holders of a majority in aggregate outstanding
principal amount of the designated series of indebtedness
benefiting from the Replacement Capital Covenant, except that no
such consent will be required (i) for certain specified
types of changes to the types of securities qualifying as
replacement capital securities, (ii) if such amendment or
supplement extends the March 30, 2037 termination date for
the Replacement Capital Covenant, or (iii) if such
amendment or supplement is not adverse to the covered
debtholders.
The Replacement Capital Covenant may be terminated if the
holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the
then existing designated covered debt agree to terminate the
Replacement Capital Covenant, or if PPL Capital Funding and PPL
Corporation no longer have outstanding any indebtedness that
qualifies as covered debt, or if the Notes have been accelerated
as a result of an Event of Default.
CERTAIN
UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following is a general discussion of the material
U.S. federal income tax considerations relating to the
purchase, ownership and disposition of the Notes. This
discussion only applies to Notes that are held as capital assets
by holders who purchase the Notes in the initial offering at
their issue price, which will equal the first price
to the public (not including bond houses, brokers or similar
persons or organizations acting in the capacity of underwriters,
placement agents or wholesalers) at which a substantial amount
of the Notes are sold for money. This discussion does not
describe all of the material tax considerations that may be
relevant to holders in light of their particular circumstances
or to holders subject to special rules, such as certain
financial institutions, banks, insurance companies, tax-exempt
entities, certain former citizens or residents of the United
States, dealers in securities, traders in securities that elect
to use a
mark-to-market
method of accounting, partnerships and other pass-through
entities (and persons holding the Notes through a partnership or
other pass-through entity), persons holding the Notes as part of
a hedge, straddle, constructive sale, conversion transaction or
other integrated transaction, holders whose functional currency
is not the U.S. dollar, passive foreign investment
companies, controlled foreign corporations and corporations that
accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax. In
addition, this discussion does not address the effect of any
state, local, foreign or other tax laws or any U.S. federal
estate, gift or alternative minimum tax considerations. This
discussion is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended (the Code), administrative pronouncements,
judicial decisions and final, temporary and proposed Treasury
regulations, all as in effect on the date hereof, and all of
which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect.
As used in this prospectus supplement, the term
U.S. holder means a beneficial owner of a Note
that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
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an individual citizen or resident of the United States;
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a corporation (or other entity taxable as a corporation for
U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in
or under the laws of the United States or of any state thereof
or the District of Columbia;
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an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal
income taxation regardless of its source; or
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a trust if (i) a court within the United States is able to
exercise primary supervision over its administration and one or
more United States persons have the authority to control all
substantial decisions of the trust, or (ii) that trust was
in existence on August 1, 1996 and has a valid election in
effect under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be
treated as a domestic trust.
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As used in this summary, the term
non-U.S. holder
means a beneficial owner of a Note that is not a
U.S. person (as such term is defined in the Code).
Persons considering the purchase of the Notes should consult
their own tax advisors as to the U.S. federal income tax
considerations relating to the purchase, ownership and
disposition of the Notes in light of their particular
circumstances, as well as the effect of any state, local,
foreign or other tax laws.
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Classification
of the Notes
The determination of whether a security should be classified as
indebtedness or equity for U.S. federal income tax purposes
requires a judgment based on all relevant facts and
circumstances. There is no statutory, judicial or administrative
authority that directly addresses the U.S. federal income
tax treatment of securities similar to the Notes. Based upon an
analysis of the relevant facts and circumstances, including
certain assumptions made by them and representations provided by
PPL Capital Funding and PPL Corporation to them, Dewey
Ballantine LLP will provide PPL Capital Funding and PPL
Corporation with an opinion generally to the effect that under
then current law and assuming full compliance with the terms of
the Subordinated Indenture and other relevant documents, the
Notes constitute indebtedness for U.S. federal income tax
purposes (although there is no controlling authority directly on
point). This opinion is not binding on the Internal Revenue
Service (IRS) or any court and there can be no
assurance that the IRS or a court will agree with this opinion.
PPL Capital Funding agrees, and by acquiring an interest in a
Note each beneficial owner of a Note will agree, to treat the
Notes as indebtedness for U.S. federal income tax purposes,
and the remainder of this discussion assumes this treatment.
Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax
consequences if the Notes are not treated as indebtedness for
U.S. federal income tax purposes.
U.S. Holders
Interest
Pursuant to applicable U.S. Treasury regulations, the
possibility that interest on the Notes might be deferred could
result in the Notes being treated as issued with original issue
discount, unless the likelihood of a deferral is remote within
the meaning of the regulations. PPL Capital Funding believes
that the likelihood of interest deferral is remote and therefore
that the possibility of a deferral will not result in the Notes
being treated as issued with original issue discount. Similarly,
in certain circumstances (see Description of the
Notes Redemption and Description of the
Notes Right to Redeem Upon a Tax Event), PPL
Capital Funding may be obligated to pay amounts in excess of
stated interest on or principal of the Notes. Such excess
payments will not affect the amount of interest income that a
U.S. holder recognizes if there is only a remote likelihood
that such payments will be made. PPL Capital Funding believes
that the likelihood that it will make any such payments is
remote. Accordingly, interest paid on the Notes should be
taxable to a U.S. holder as ordinary interest income at the
time it accrues or is received, in accordance with that
U.S. holders method of accounting for
U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, there can be no
assurance that the IRS or a court will agree with this position.
If the possibility of interest deferral or excess payments were
determined not to be remote, or if interest were in fact
deferred or excess payments were in fact made, a
U.S. holder might be required to accrue interest income on
its Notes using a constant yield method, regardless of that
holders regular method of accounting and before that
U.S. holder actually receives any cash payment attributable
to that interest. Additionally, if a holder were to dispose of
its Notes prior to the end of the Optional Deferral Period or
the end of the period during which a redemption of the Notes
would require the payment of a make-whole premium, and the
possibility of such interest deferral or the payment of a
make-whole premium were determined not to have been remote as of
the date the Notes were originally issued, the holder would
likely be required to treat as ordinary income rather than as
capital gain any income realized on the taxable disposition of a
Note.
Sale,
Exchange, Redemption or Retirement of the Notes
Upon the sale, exchange, redemption or retirement of a Note, a
U.S. holder will generally recognize gain or loss equal to
the difference between the amount realized on the sale,
exchange, redemption or retirement and that
U.S. holders adjusted tax basis in the Note. For
these purposes, the amount realized does not include any amount
attributable to accrued but unpaid interest, which will
constitute ordinary income if not previously included in income.
Assuming that there are no deferred payments of interest on the
Notes and that the Notes are not deemed to be issued with
original issue discount, a U.S. holders adjusted tax
basis in a Note generally will be its initial purchase price. If
a Note is deemed to be issued with original issue discount, a
U.S. holders tax basis in the Note generally will be
its initial purchase price, increased by original issue discount
previously includible in that U.S. holders gross
income to the date of disposition and decreased by payments
received by that U.S. holder on the
S-31
Note since and including the date that the Note was deemed to be
issued with original issue discount. Gain or loss realized on
the sale, exchange, redemption or retirement of a Note will
generally be capital gain or loss and will be long-term capital
gain or loss if at the time of the sale, exchange, redemption or
retirement the Note has been held by that U.S. holder for
more than one year. A U.S. holder that is an individual is
generally entitled to preferential treatment for net long-term
capital gains. The ability of a U.S. holder to deduct
capital losses to offset ordinary income is limited.
Backup
Withholding and Information Reporting
Information reporting requirements generally apply in connection
with payments on the Notes to, and proceeds from a sale or other
disposition of the Notes by, non-corporate U.S. holders. A
U.S. holder will be subject to backup withholding tax on
interest paid on the Notes and proceeds from a sale or other
disposition of the Notes if the U.S. holder fails to
provide its correct taxpayer identification number to the paying
agent in the manner required under U.S. federal income tax
law, fails to comply with applicable backup withholding tax
rules or does not otherwise establish an exemption from backup
withholding. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding
rules will entitle that U.S. holder to a credit against
that U.S. holders U.S. federal income tax
liability and may entitle that U.S. holder to a refund,
provided that the required information is timely and properly
furnished to the IRS.
U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding
the application of backup withholding in their particular
situation, the availability of an exemption from backup
withholding and the procedure for obtaining such an exemption,
if available.
Non-U.S. Holders
Assuming that the Notes will be treated as indebtedness for
U.S. federal income tax purposes, no withholding of United
States federal income tax will apply to interest paid on a Note
to a
non-U.S. holder
under the portfolio interest exemption, provided
that:
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the interest is not effectively connected with the
non-U.S. holders
conduct of a trade or business in the United States;
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the
non-U.S. holder
does not actually or constructively own 10% or more of the total
combined voting power of all classes of PPL Capital
Fundings stock entitled to vote;
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the
non-U.S. holder
is not a controlled foreign corporation that is related directly
or constructively to PPL Capital Funding through stock
ownership; and
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the
non-U.S. holder
provides to the withholding agent, in accordance with specified
procedures, a statement to the effect that that such
non-U.S. holder
is not a United States person (generally by providing a properly
executed IRS
Form W-8BEN).
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If a
non-U.S. holder
cannot satisfy the requirements of the portfolio interest
exemption described above, interest paid on the Notes (including
payments in respect of original issue discount, if any, on the
Notes) made to a
non-U.S. holder
should be subject to a 30% United States federal withholding
tax, unless that
non-U.S. holder
provides the withholding agent with a properly executed
statement (i) claiming an exemption from or reduction of
withholding under an applicable United States income tax treaty
or (ii) stating that the interest is not subject to
withholding tax because it is effectively connected with that
non-U.S. holders
conduct of a trade or business in the United States.
If a
non-U.S. holder
is engaged in a trade or business in the United States (or, if
an applicable United States income tax treaty applies, if the
non-U.S. holder
maintains a permanent establishment within the United States)
and the interest is effectively connected with the conduct of
that trade or business (or, if an applicable United States
income tax treaty applies, attributable to that permanent
establishment), that
non-U.S. holder,
as a general matter, will be subject to United States federal
income tax on the interest on a net income basis in the same
manner as if that
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non-U.S. holder
were a U.S. holder. In addition, a
non-U.S. holder
that is a foreign corporation engaged in a trade or business in
the United States may be subject to a 30% (or, if an applicable
United States income tax treaty applies, a lower rate as
provided) branch profits tax.
Any gain realized on the disposition of a Note generally will
not be subject to United States federal income tax unless:
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that gain is effectively connected with the
non-U.S. holders
conduct of a trade or business in the United States (or, if an
applicable United States income tax treaty applies, is
attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the
non-U.S. holder
within the United States); or
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the
non-U.S. holder
is an individual who is present in the United States for
183 days or more in the taxable year of the disposition and
certain other conditions are met.
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In general, backup withholding and information reporting will
not apply to interest paid on a Note to a
non-U.S. holder,
or to proceeds from the disposition of a Note by a
non-U.S. holder,
in each case, if the
non-U.S. holder
certifies under penalties of perjury that it is a
non-U.S. holder
and neither PPL Capital Funding nor the paying agent has actual
knowledge (or reason to know) to the contrary. Any amounts
withheld under the backup withholding rules will entitle such
non-U.S. holder
to a credit against U.S. federal income tax liability and
may entitle such
non-U.S. holder
to a refund, provided that the required information is timely
and properly furnished to the IRS. In general, if a Note is not
held through a qualified intermediary, the amount of payments
made on that Note, the name and address of the beneficial owner
and the amount, if any, of tax withheld may be reported to the
IRS.
Non-U.S. holders
should consult their tax advisors regarding the application of
backup withholding in their particular situation, the
availability of an exemption from backup withholding and the
procedure for obtaining such an exemption, if available.
The United States federal income tax discussion set forth
above is included for general information only and may not be
applicable depending upon a holders particular situation.
Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the tax
consequences to them of the purchase, ownership and disposition
of the Notes, including the tax consequences under state, local,
foreign and other tax laws.
S-33
UNDERWRITING
The Company and the underwriters for the offering named below
have entered into an underwriting agreement with respect to the
Notes. Subject to certain conditions, each underwriter has
severally agreed to purchase the principal amount of Notes
indicated in the following table:
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Principal
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Underwriters
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Amount of Notes
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Barclays Capital Inc.
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$
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J.P. Morgan Securities
Inc.
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Morgan Stanley & Co.
Incorporated
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Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC
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Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
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Merrill Lynch, Pierce,
Fenner & Smith Incorporated
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UBS Securities LLC
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Total
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$
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The underwriters are committed to take and pay for all of the
Notes being offered, if any are taken.
Notes sold by the underwriters to the public will initially be
offered at the initial public offering price set forth on the
cover of this prospectus supplement. Any Notes sold by the
underwriters to securities dealers may be sold at a discount
from the initial public offering price of up
to % of the principal amount of
Notes. Any such securities dealers may resell any Notes
purchased from the underwriters to certain other brokers or
dealers at a discount from the initial public offering price of
up to % of the principal amount of
Notes. If all the Notes are not sold at the initial offering
price, the underwriters may change the offering price and the
other selling terms.
The Notes are a new issue of securities with no established
trading market. The Company has been advised by the underwriters
that the underwriters intend to make a market in the Notes but
are not obligated to do so and may discontinue market making at
any time without notice. No assurance can be given as to the
liquidity of the trading market for the Notes.
In connection with the offering, the underwriters may purchase
and sell Notes in the open market. These transactions may
include short sales, stabilizing transactions and purchases to
cover positions created by short sales. Short sales involve the
sale by the underwriters of a greater number of Notes than they
are required to purchase in the offering. Stabilizing
transactions consist of certain bids or purchases made for the
purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price
of the Notes while the offering is in progress.
The underwriters also may impose a penalty bid. This occurs when
a particular underwriter repays to the underwriters a portion of
the underwriting discount received by it because the
representatives have repurchased Notes sold by or for the
account of such underwriter in stabilizing or short covering
transactions.
These activities by the underwriters, as well as other purchases
by the underwriters for their own accounts, may stabilize,
maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the Notes. As a
result, the price of the Notes may be higher than the price that
otherwise might exist in the open market. If these activities
are commenced, they may be discontinued by the underwriters at
any time. These transactions may be effected in the
over-the-counter
market or otherwise.
The Company estimates that its share of the total expenses of
the offering, excluding underwriting discounts and commissions,
will be approximately $525,000.
The Company has agreed to indemnify the several underwriters
against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
In the ordinary course of their business, certain of the
underwriters and their affiliates have engaged and may in the
future engage in investment and commercial banking transactions
with PPL Capital Funding, PPL Corporation and certain of their
affiliates. J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. has been retained
by PPL Corporation in connection with
PPL Corporations intended sale of its regulated
electricity delivery operations in Latin America, which was
announced in March 2007.
.
VALIDITY
OF THE NOTES AND THE GUARANTEES
Dewey Ballantine LLP, New York, New York and Michael A.
McGrail, Esq., Associate General Counsel of PPL Services
Corporation will pass upon the validity of the Notes and the
Guarantees for PPL Capital Funding and PPL Corporation.
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, New York, New York, will pass
upon the validity of the Notes and the
S-34
Guarantees for the underwriters. As to matters involving the law
of the State of New York, Mr. McGrail will rely on the
opinion of Dewey Ballantine LLP.
S-35
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PROSPECTUS
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PPL Corporation
PPL Capital Funding, Inc.
PPL Energy Supply, LLC
PPL Electric Utilities Corporation
Two North Ninth
Street
Allentown, Pennsylvania 18101-1179
(610) 774-5151
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PPL
Corporation
Common Stock, Preferred
Stock,
Stock Purchase Contracts, Stock Purchase Units and Depositary
Shares
PPL
Capital Funding, Inc.
Debt Securities and
Subordinated Debt Securities
Guaranteed by PPL Corporation as described
in a supplement to this prospectus
PPL
Energy Supply, LLC
Debt Securities, Subordinated
Debt Securities and Preferred Securities
PPL
Electric Utilities Corporation
Preferred Stock, Preference
Stock, Depositary Shares and Debt Securities
We will provide the specific terms of these securities in
supplements to this prospectus. You should read this prospectus
and the supplements carefully before you invest.
We may offer the securities directly or through underwriters or
agents. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the
terms of any particular plan of distribution.
Investing in the securities involves certain risks. See
Risk Factors on page 4.
PPL Corporations common stock is listed on the New York
Stock Exchange and the Philadelphia Stock Exchange and trades
under the symbol PPL.
These securities have not been approved or disapproved by the
Securities and Exchange Commission or any state securities
commission, nor has the Securities and Exchange Commission or
any state securities commission determined that this prospectus
is accurate or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a
criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is March 9, 2007.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
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Page
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2
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4
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6
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7
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7
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9
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11
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11
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12
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14
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14
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ABOUT
THIS PROSPECTUS
This prospectus is part of a registration statement that PPL
Corporation, PPL Capital Funding, Inc. (PPL Capital
Funding), PPL Energy Supply, LLC (PPL Energy
Supply) and PPL Electric Utilities Corporation (PPL
Electric) have each filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, or SEC, using the shelf registration
process. Under this shelf process, we may, from time to time,
sell combinations of the securities described in this prospectus
in one or more offerings. Each time we sell securities, we will
provide a prospectus supplement that will contain a description
of the securities we will offer and specific information about
the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement may also
add, update or change information contained in this prospectus.
You should read both this prospectus and any prospectus
supplement together with additional information described under
Where You Can Find More Information.
We may use this prospectus to offer from time to time:
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shares of PPL Corporation Common Stock, par value $.01 per
share (PPL Common Stock);
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shares of PPL Corporation Preferred Stock, par value
$.01 per share (PPL Preferred Stock);
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contracts or other rights to purchase shares of PPL Common Stock
or PPL Preferred Stock (PPL Stock Purchase
Contracts);
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stock purchase units, each representing (1) a PPL Stock
Purchase Contract and (2) debt securities or preferred
trust securities of third parties (such as Debt Securities or
subordinated debt securities of PPL Capital Funding, preferred
trust securities of a subsidiary trust or United States Treasury
securities) that are pledged to secure the stock purchase unit
holders obligations to purchase PPL Common Stock or PPL
Preferred Stock under the PPL Stock Purchase Contracts
(PPL Stock Purchase Units);
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PPL Corporations Depositary Shares, issued under a deposit
agreement and representing a fractional interest in PPL
Preferred Stock;
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PPL Capital Fundings unsecured and unsubordinated debt
securities (PPL Capital Funding Debt Securities);
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PPL Capital Fundings unsecured and subordinated debt
securities (PPL Capital Funding Subordinated Debt
Securities);
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PPL Energy Supplys unsecured and unsubordinated debt
securities;
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PPL Energy Supplys unsecured and subordinated debt
securities;
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2
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PPL Energy Supplys preferred limited liability company
membership interests;
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PPL Electrics Series Preferred Stock (PPL
Electric Preferred Stock);
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PPL Electrics Preference Stock (PPL Electric
Preference Stock);
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PPL Electrics Depositary Shares, issued under a deposit
agreement and representing a fractional interest in PPL Electric
Preferred Stock or PPL Electric Preference Stock; and
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PPL Electrics senior secured debt securities issued under
PPL Electrics 2001 indenture, as amended (PPL
Electric Secured Debt Securities), which PPL Electric
Secured Debt Securities may be secured by first mortgage bonds
issued under PPL Electrics 1945 first mortgage indenture
(PPL Electric 1945 Mortgage Bonds), as well as by
the lien of the 2001 indenture on PPL Electrics
distribution and transmission properties (subject to certain
exceptions to be described in a prospectus supplement).
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We sometimes refer to the securities listed above collectively
as the Securities.
PPL Corporation will fully and unconditionally guarantee the
payment of principal, premium and interest on the PPL Capital
Funding Debt Securities and PPL Capital Funding Subordinated
Debt Securities as will be described in supplements to this
prospectus. We sometimes refer to PPL Corporations
guarantees of PPL Capital Funding Debt Securities as PPL
Guarantees and PPL Corporations guarantees of PPL
Capital Fundings Subordinated Debt Securities as the
PPL Subordinated Guarantees.
Information contained herein relating to each registrant is
filed separately by such registrant on its own behalf. No
registrant makes any representation as to information relating
to any other registrant or Securities or guarantees issued by
any other registrant, except that information relating to PPL
Capital Fundings Securities is also attributed to PPL
Corporation.
As used in this prospectus, the terms we,
our and us generally refer to:
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PPL Corporation with respect to Securities, PPL Guarantees or
PPL Subordinated Guarantees issued by PPL Corporation or PPL
Capital Funding;
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PPL Energy Supply with respect to Securities issued by PPL
Energy Supply; and
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PPL Electric, with respect to Securities issued by PPL Electric.
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For more detailed information about the Securities, the PPL
Guarantees and the PPL Subordinated Guarantees, you can read the
exhibits to the registration statement. Those exhibits have been
either filed with the registration statement or incorporated by
reference to earlier SEC filings listed in the registration
statement.
3
RISK
FACTORS
Investing in the Securities involves certain risks. You are
urged to read and consider the risk factors relating to an
investment in the Securities described in the Annual Reports on
Form 10-K
of PPL Corporation, PPL Energy Supply and PPL Electric, as
applicable, for the year ended December 31, 2006, filed
with the SEC on February 28, 2007 and incorporated by
reference in this prospectus. Before making an investment
decision, you should carefully consider these risks as well as
other information we include or incorporate by reference in this
prospectus. The risks and uncertainties we have described are
not the only ones facing PPL Corporation, PPL Energy Supply and
PPL Electric. The prospectus supplement applicable to each type
or series of Securities we offer will contain a discussion of
additional risks applicable to an investment in us and the
particular type of Securities we are offering under that
prospectus supplement.
FORWARD-LOOKING
INFORMATION
Certain statements included or incorporated by reference in this
prospectus, including statements with respect to future
earnings, energy supply and demand, costs, electric rates,
subsidiary performance, growth, new technology, project
development, fuel and energy prices, strategic initiatives, and
generating capacity and performance, are forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the federal securities
laws. Although we believe that the expectations and assumptions
reflected in these statements are reasonable, there can be no
assurance that these expectations will prove to be correct.
These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and
uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from the
results discussed in the forward-looking statements. In addition
to the specific factors discussed in the Risk
Factors section in this prospectus and our reports that
are incorporated by reference, the following are among the
important factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from the forward-looking statements:
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market demand and prices for energy, capacity and fuel;
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market prices for crude oil and the potential impact on
synthetic fuel operations, synthetic fuel purchases from third
parties and the phase out of synthetic fuel tax
credits;
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weather conditions affecting generation production, customer
energy usage and operating costs;
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competition in retail and wholesale power markets;
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liquidity of wholesale power markets;
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defaults by our counterparties under our energy or fuel
contracts;
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the effect of any business or industry restructuring;
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our profitability and liquidity, including access to capital
markets and credit facilities;
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new accounting requirements or new interpretations or
applications of existing requirements;
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operation and availability of existing generation facilities and
operating costs;
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transmission and distribution system conditions and operating
costs;
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current and future environmental conditions and requirements and
the related costs of compliance, including environmental capital
expenditures and emission allowances and other expenses;
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significant delays in the planned installation of pollution
control equipment at our coal-fired generating units in
Pennsylvania due to weather conditions, contractor performance
or other reasons;
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market prices of commodity inputs for ongoing capital
expenditures;
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collective labor bargaining negotiations;
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development of new projects, markets and technologies;
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performance of new ventures;
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4
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asset acquisitions and dispositions;
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political, regulatory or economic conditions in states, regions
or countries where we or our subsidiaries conduct business;
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any impact of hurricanes or other severe weather on our
business, including any impact on fuel prices;
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receipt of necessary governmental permits, approvals and rate
relief;
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new state, federal or foreign legislation, including new tax
legislation;
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state, federal and foreign regulatory developments;
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the impact of any state, federal or foreign investigations
applicable to us and our subsidiaries and the energy industry;
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capital market conditions, including changes in interest rates,
and decisions regarding our capital structure;
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stock price performance of PPL Corporation;
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the market prices of equity securities and the impact on pension
costs and resultant cash funding requirements for defined
benefit pension plans;
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securities and credit ratings;
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foreign currency exchange rates;
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the outcome of litigation against us;
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potential effects of threatened or actual terrorism or war or
other hostilities; and
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our commitments and liabilities.
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Any such forward-looking statements should be considered in
light of such important factors and in conjunction with other
documents we file with the SEC.
New factors that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those described in forward-looking statements emerge from
time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of
such factors, or the extent to which any such factor or
combination of factors may cause actual results to differ from
those contained in any forward-looking statement. Any
forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which
such statement is made, and we do not undertake any obligation
to update the information contained in such statement to reflect
subsequent developments or information.
5
PPL
CORPORATION
PPL Corporation, incorporated in 1994 and headquartered in
Allentown, Pennsylvania, is an energy and utility holding
company that, through its subsidiaries, is primarily engaged in
the supply and delivery of energy. Through its subsidiaries, PPL
Corporation generates electricity from power plants in the
northeastern and western United States; markets wholesale
or retail energy primarily in the northeastern and western
portions of the United States; delivers electricity to
approximately 5.1 million customers in Pennsylvania, the
United Kingdom and Latin America; and provides energy services
for businesses in the mid-Atlantic and northeastern United
States. PPL Corporations overall strategy is to achieve
disciplined growth in energy supply margins while limiting
volatility in both cash flows and earnings, and to achieve
stable, long-term growth in regulated delivery businesses
through efficient operations and strong customer and regulatory
relations.
PPL Corporations principal subsidiaries are shown below:
Energy
Supply
PPL Corporation, through its indirect, wholly-owned
subsidiaries, PPL Generation and PPL EnergyPlus, owns and
operates electricity generating power plants and markets this
electricity and other power purchases to deregulated wholesale
and retail markets. Both of these subsidiaries also are direct,
wholly owned subsidiaries of PPL Energy Supply. As of
December 31, 2006, PPL Corporation owned or controlled,
through its subsidiaries, 11,556 megawatts, or MW, of electric
power generation capacity and had plans to implement capital
projects at certain existing generating facilities that would
provide 349 MW of additional capacity by 2011. See
PPL Energy Supply, LLC below for more information.
PPL Corporations strategy for its energy supply business
is to match energy supply with load, or customer demand, under
agreements of varying lengths with creditworthy
counterparties, to capture profits while effectively
managing exposure to movements in energy and fuel prices and
counterparty credit risk.
Energy
Delivery
PPL Corporation provides energy delivery services in the
mid-Atlantic regions of the United States through its regulated
public utility subsidiaries, PPL Electric and PPL Gas, and in
the United Kingdom and Latin America through its subsidiary, PPL
Global. PPL Electric provides electricity delivery services to
approximately 1.4 million customers in eastern and central
Pennsylvania. See PPL Electric Utilities Corporation
below for more information. PPL Gas Utilities Corporation
provides natural gas distribution and propane services to
approximately 110,000 customers in portions of various counties
in Pennsylvania, as well as in small portions of Maryland and
6
Delaware. Through its subsidiaries, PPL Global provides
electricity delivery services to approximately 3.7 million
customers in the United Kingdom and Latin America. PPL Global
also is a wholly-owned subsidiary of PPL Energy Supply, LLC. See
PPL Energy Supply, LLC below for more information.
In March, 2007 PPL Corporation announced that it intends to sell
its regulated electricity delivery operations in Latin America
through an auction process that it expects to take several
months to complete.
PPL Corporations strategy for its energy delivery
businesses is to operate these businesses at the most efficient
cost while maintaining high levels of customer service and
reliability.
PPL Corporations subsidiaries, including PPL Energy Supply
and PPL Electric, are separate legal entities, and are not
liable for the debts of PPL Corporation, and PPL Corporation is
not liable for the debts of its subsidiaries (other than under
the PPL Guarantees and the PPL Subordinated Guarantees). Neither
PPL Energy Supply nor PPL Electric will guarantee or provide
other credit or funding support for the Securities to be offered
by PPL Corporation pursuant to this prospectus.
PPL
CAPITAL FUNDING, INC.
PPL Capital Funding is a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned
subsidiary of PPL Corporation. PPL Capital Fundings
primary business is to provide PPL Corporation with financing
for its operations. PPL Corporation will fully and
unconditionally guarantee the payment of principal, premium and
interest on the PPL Capital Funding Debt Securities pursuant to
the PPL Guarantees and the PPL Capital Funding Subordinated Debt
Securities pursuant to the PPL Subordinated Guarantees, as will
be described in supplements to this prospectus.
PPL
ENERGY SUPPLY, LLC
PPL Energy Supply, formed in 2000 and headquartered in
Allentown, Pennsylvania, is an energy company engaged, through
its subsidiaries, in the generation and marketing of electricity
in the northeastern and western power markets of the United
States and in the delivery of electricity in the United Kingdom
and Latin America. PPL Energy Supplys major operating
subsidiaries are PPL Generation, PPL EnergyPlus and PPL Global.
PPL Energy Supply is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of PPL
Corporation. See PPL Corporation above for more
information.
Energy
Supply: PPL Generation and PPL EnergyPlus
As of December 31, 2006, PPL Energy Supply owned or
controlled, through its PPL Generation subsidiary,
11,556 MW of electric power generation capacity, with power
plants in Pennsylvania (9,229 MW),
Montana (1,289 MW), Illinois (540 MW),
Connecticut (243 MW), New York (159 MW) and Maine
(96 MW). PPL Generation also has current plans to implement
capital projects at certain of its existing generation
facilities in Pennsylvania and Montana that would provide
349 MW of additional generation capacity by 2011. PPL
Generations plants are fueled by nuclear fuel, coal, gas,
oil and water. The electricity from these plants is sold to PPL
EnergyPlus under FERC-jurisdictional power purchase agreements.
PPL EnergyPlus markets or brokers the electricity produced by
PPL Generations subsidiaries, along with purchased power,
natural gas and oil, in competitive wholesale and deregulated
retail markets, primarily in the northeastern and western
portions of the United States. PPL EnergyPlus also provides
energy-related products and services, such as engineering and
mechanical contracting, construction and maintenance services,
to commercial and industrial customers.
At December 31, 2006, PPL Energy Supply estimated that, on
average, approximately 89% of its expected annual generation
output for the period 2007 through 2010 would be used to meet:
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the obligation of its subsidiary PPL EnergyPlus under two
agreements to provide electricity to PPL Electric, so that PPL
Electric can, in turn, provide electricity as a provider
of last resort, or PLR, through 2009 under
fixed-price tariffs pursuant to the Pennsylvania Electricity
Generation Customer
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Choice and Competition Act, or Customer Choice Act (See
PPL Electric Utilities Corporation Provider of
Last Resort);
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PPL EnergyPlus obligation under agreements to provide
electricity to NorthWestern Corporation through June
2014; and
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other contractual sales to other counterparties for terms of
various lengths.
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In anticipation of the expiration of the PLR agreements
referenced above at the end of 2009, and consistent with its
business strategy, PPL Energy Supply has already entered into
commitments for a portion of the output of its facilities for
the years 2010 and later. PPLs strategy for 2007 is to
obtain commitments for 30 to 50 percent of its 2010
baseload generation output in the PJM Interconnection region.
PPL has already obtained commitments at the lower end of this
range. Based on the way in which the wholesale markets have
developed over the last several years, PPL Energy Supply expects
that these new agreements are likely to continue to be of a
shorter duration than the current PLR agreements, which at
inception had terms of approximately nine years.
International
Energy Delivery: PPL Global
PPL Energy Supply provides electricity delivery services in the
United Kingdom and Latin America through its PPL Global
subsidiary, which currently owns and operates electricity
delivery businesses serving approximately 3.7 million
customers. PPL Global owns Western Power Distribution Holdings
Limited and WPD Investment Holdings Limited, which together we
refer to as WPD. WPD operates two electric distribution
companies in the U.K., which together serve approximately
2.6 million end-users. PPL Globals Latin American
subsidiaries in Chile, El Salvador and Bolivia serve an
aggregate of approximately 1.1 million end-users.
As discussed above, in March, 2007 PPL Corporation announced
that it intends to sell its regulated electricity delivery
operations in Latin America.
PPL Energy Supplys strategy for its international
electricity delivery businesses is to operate these businesses
at the most efficient cost while maintaining high levels of
customer service and reliability.
Neither PPL Corporation nor any of its other subsidiaries or
affiliates will guarantee or provide other credit or funding
support for the securities to be offered by PPL Energy Supply
pursuant to this prospectus.
8
PPL
ELECTRIC UTILITIES CORPORATION
PPL Electric, incorporated in 1920 and headquartered in
Allentown, Pennsylvania, is a direct subsidiary of PPL
Corporation and a regulated public utility. PPL Electric
provides electricity delivery services to approximately
1.4 million customers in eastern and central Pennsylvania.
PPL Electric also provides electricity supply to retail
customers in that territory as a PLR under the Customer Choice
Act.
Provider of Last Resort. Pursuant to a 1998 order issued
by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, or PUC, PPL
Electric agreed to provide electricity supply as a PLR to retail
customers in its service territory not selecting an alternate
electric energy supplier at predetermined capped rates through
2009. In order to meet this obligation, PPL Electric entered
into full-requirements energy supply agreements with another
subsidiary of PPL Corporation, PPL EnergyPlus, designed to
provide PPL Electric with sufficient supply to satisfy its PLR
obligation through the end of 2009. PPL Electrics PLR
obligation after 2009 will be determined by the PUC pursuant to
rules that have not yet been promulgated. While regulations
governing PLR obligations after 2009 have been proposed for
comment by the PUC, at this time, PPL Electric cannot predict
the content of these regulations, including whether this will
include requirements for the pricing and other terms of PLR
contracts, or when the regulations will be finalized. PPL
Electric also cannot predict the extent to which it will
purchase power from PPL EnergyPlus after 2009.
Strategic Initiative. In 2001, PPL Electric completed a
strategic initiative designed to reduce its business and
financial risk profile by, among other things, limiting its
business activities to the transmission and distribution of
electricity and businesses related to or arising out of the
electric transmission and distribution businesses and reduce its
exposure to volatility in energy prices associated with its PLR
obligation. Obtaining long-term electric supply agreements with
PPL EnergyPlus to meet its PLR obligations through 2009 at
prices generally equal to the predetermined capped rates it was
allowed to charge PLR customers was a key component of this
initiative. Other key components of the initiative involved
actions to confirm PPL Electrics legal separation from PPL
Corporation and PPL Corporations other subsidiaries. In
connection with the initiative PPL Electric:
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adopted amendments to its Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws
containing corporate governance and operating provisions
designed to confirm and reinforce its legal and corporate
separateness from PPL Corporation and its other affiliated
companies and providing for PPL Electric to limit its businesses
to electric transmission and distribution and related activities;
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appointed an independent director to its Board of Directors and
required the unanimous approval of the Board of Directors,
including the consent of the independent director, to amendments
to these corporate governance and operating provisions or to the
commencement of any insolvency proceedings, including any filing
of a voluntary petition in bankruptcy or other similar
actions; and
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in connection with the issuance of certain senior secured bonds,
agreed to appoint an independent compliance administrator to
review, on a semi-annual basis, its compliance with the
corporate governance and operating requirements contained in its
Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws. When such bonds are no
longer outstanding, and in certain other circumstances, PPL
Electric will not be required to maintain an independent
compliance administrator.
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The amended Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws permit PPL
Electrics Board of Directors to adopt additional
amendments to the Bylaws, including amendments that revise or
eliminate provisions that are designed to reinforce PPL
Electrics legal separateness from its affiliates. However,
any such amendment must be approved unanimously by PPL
Electrics Board of Directors, including the independent
director.
The enhancements to PPL Electrics legal separation from
its affiliates were intended to minimize the risk that a court
would order PPL Electrics assets and liabilities to be
substantively consolidated with those of PPL Corporation or
another affiliate of PPL Corporation in the event that PPL
Corporation or another PPL Corporation affiliate were to become
a debtor in a bankruptcy case. However, if PPL Corporation or
another PPL Corporation affiliate were to become a debtor in a
bankruptcy case, there can be no assurance that a court would
not order PPL Electrics assets and liabilities to be
consolidated with those of PPL Corporation or such other PPL
Corporation
9
affiliate. Any such substantive consolidation could result in
delays or reductions in payments on PPL Electrics
Securities.
Neither PPL Corporation nor any of PPL Corporations
subsidiaries or affiliates will guarantee or provide other
credit or funding support for the securities to be offered by
PPL Electric pursuant to this prospectus.
The offices of PPL Corporation, PPL Capital Funding, PPL Energy
Supply and PPL Electric are located at Two North Ninth
Street, Allentown, Pennsylvania
18101-1179
and they can be contacted through telephone
number (610) 774-5151.
The information above concerning PPL Corporation, PPL
Capital Funding, PPL Energy Supply and PPL Electric and, if
applicable, their respective subsidiaries is only a summary and
does not purport to be comprehensive. For additional information
about these companies, including certain assumptions, risks and
uncertainties involved in the forward-looking statements
contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, you
should refer to the information described in Where You Can
Find More Information.
10
USE OF
PROCEEDS
Except as otherwise described in a prospectus supplement, the
net proceeds from the sale of the PPL Capital Funding Debt
Securities and the PPL Capital Funding Subordinated Debt
Securities will be loaned to PPL Corporation
and/or its
subsidiaries. PPL Corporation
and/or its
subsidiaries are expected to use the proceeds of such loans, and
the proceeds of the other Securities issued by PPL Corporation,
for general corporate purposes, including repayment of debt.
Except as otherwise described in a prospectus supplement, each
of PPL Energy Supply and PPL Electric is expected to use the
proceeds of the Securities it issues for general corporate
purposes, including repayment of debt.
RATIOS OF
EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES AND EARNINGS TO COMBINED FIXED CHARGES
AND PREFERRED STOCK DIVIDENDS
PPL
Corporation
The following table sets forth PPL Corporations ratio of
earnings to fixed charges and ratio of earnings to combined
fixed charges and preferred stock dividends for the periods
indicated:
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|
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Twelve Months
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|
Ended December 31,
|
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|
|
2006
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|
2005
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2004
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|
|
2003
|
|
|
2002
|
|
|
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges
and ratio of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred
stock dividends (a)
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3.0
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2.6
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2.7
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2.6
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1.9
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|
|
(a) |
|
In calculating the earnings component, net income excludes
minority interest, loss from discontinued operations and the
cumulative effects of changes in accounting principles. See PPL
Corporations reports on file with the SEC pursuant to the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange
Act), as described under Where You Can Find More
Information for more information. PPL Corporation had no
preferred securities outstanding during the periods indicated;
therefore, the ratio of earnings to combined fixed charges and
preferred stock dividends is the same as the ratio of earnings
to fixed charges. |
PPL
Energy Supply
The following table sets forth PPL Energy Supplys ratio of
earnings to fixed charges and ratio of earnings to combined
fixed charges and preferred dividends for the periods indicated:
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Twelve Months
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|
Ended December 31,
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2006
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2005
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2004
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|
2003
|
|
|
2002
|
|
|
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges
and ratio of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred
securities dividends (a)
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3.8
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3.3
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4.1
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4.8
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3.9
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|
(a) |
|
In calculating the earnings component, net income excludes
minority interest, loss from discontinued operations and the
cumulative effects of changes in accounting principles. See PPL
Energy Supplys reports on file with the SEC pursuant to
the Exchange Act as described under Where You Can Find
More Information for more information. PPL Energy Supply
had no preferred securities outstanding during the periods
indicated; therefore, the ratio of earnings to combined fixed
charges and preferred securities dividends is the same as the
ratio of earnings to fixed charges. |
11
PPL
Electric
The following table sets forth PPL Electrics ratio of
earnings to fixed charges and ratio of earnings to combined
fixed charges and preferred stock dividends for the periods
indicated:
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|
Twelve Months
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|
Ended December 31,
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2006
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2005
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2004
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|
2003
|
|
|
2002
|
|
|
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges
(a)
|
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2.9
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2.1
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1.4
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1.2
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1.2
|
|
Ratio of earnings to combined
fixed charges and preferred stock
dividends (a)
|
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|
2.5
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|
2.1
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1.4
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1.2
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1.2
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|
|
(a) |
|
See PPL Electrics reports on file with the SEC pursuant to
the Exchange Act as described under Where You Can Find
More Information for more information. |
WHERE YOU
CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
Available
Information
PPL Corporation, PPL Energy Supply and PPL Electric each file
reports and other information with the SEC. You may obtain
copies of this information by mail from the Public Reference
Room of the SEC, 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580,
Washington, D.C. 20549, at prescribed rates. Further
information on the operation of the SECs Public Reference
Room in Washington, D.C. can be obtained by calling the SEC
at
1-800-SEC-0330.
PPL Corporations Internet Web site is www.pplweb.com. On
the Investor Center page of that Web site PPL Corporation
provides access to all SEC filings of PPL Corporation, PPL
Energy Supply and PPL Electric free of charge, as soon as
reasonably practicable after filing with the SEC. The
information at PPL Corporations Internet Web site is not
incorporated in this prospectus by reference, and you should not
consider it a part of this prospectus. Additionally, PPL
Corporations, PPL Energy Supplys and PPL
Electrics filings are available at the SECs Internet
Web site (www.sec.gov).
PPL Corporation Common Stock is listed on the New York Stock
Exchange (NYSE) and the Philadelphia Stock Exchange
(symbol: PPL), and reports, proxy statements and other
information concerning PPL Corporation can also be inspected at
the offices of the NYSE at 20 Broad Street, New York, New
York 10005 and the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, 1900 Market
Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103.
Certain securities of PPL Energy Supply and PPL Electric are
also listed on the NYSE, and certain information
concerning PPL Energy Supply and PPL Electric may be inspected
at the NYSE offices in New York.
In addition, reports, proxy statements and other information
concerning PPL Corporation, PPL Energy Supply and PPL Electric
can be inspected at their offices at Two North Ninth Street,
Allentown, Pennsylvania
18101-1179.
Incorporation
by Reference
Each of PPL Corporation, PPL Energy Supply and PPL Electric will
incorporate by reference information into this
prospectus by disclosing important information to you by
referring you to another document that it files separately with
the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is deemed to
be part of this prospectus, and later information that we file
with the SEC will automatically update and supersede that
information. This prospectus incorporates by reference the
documents set forth below that have been previously filed with
the SEC. These documents contain important information about the
registrants.
12
PPL
Corporation
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SEC Filings (File No. 1-11459)
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Period/Date
|
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Annual Report on
Form 10-K
|
|
Year ended December 31, 2006
|
Current Reports on
Form 8-K
|
|
Filed on January 3, 2007,
January 31, 2007 and
March 6, 2007
|
PPL Corporations
Registration Statement on
Form 8-B
|
|
Filed on April 27, 1995
|
PPL Corporations 2006 Notice
of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement
|
|
Filed on March 20, 2006
|
PPL
Energy Supply
|
|
|
SEC Filings (File
No. 333-74794)
|
|
Period/Date
|
|
Annual Report on
Form 10-K
|
|
Year ended December 31, 2006
|
Current Report on
Form 8-K
|
|
Filed on March 6, 2007
|
PPL
Electric
|
|
|
SEC Filings (File No. 1-905)
|
|
Period/Date
|
|
Annual Report on
Form 10-K
|
|
Year ended December 31, 2006
|
Current Reports on
Form 8-K
|
|
Filed on January 31, 2007
|
Additional documents that PPL Corporation, PPL Energy Supply and
PPL Electric file with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a),
13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, between the date of this
prospectus and the termination of the offering of the Securities
are also incorporated herein by reference. In addition, any
additional documents that PPL Corporation, PPL Energy Supply or
PPL Electric file with the SEC pursuant to these sections of the
Exchange Act after the date of the filing of the registration
statement containing this prospectus, and prior to the
effectiveness of the registration statement are also
incorporated herein by reference.
Each of PPL Corporation, PPL Energy Supply and PPL Electric will
provide without charge to each person, including any beneficial
owner, to whom a copy of this prospectus has been delivered, a
copy of any and all of its filings with the SEC. You may request
a copy of these filings by writing or telephoning the
appropriate registrant at:
Two North Ninth Street
Allentown, Pennsylvania
18101-1179
Attention: Investor Services Department
Telephone:
1-800-345-3085
No separate financial statements of PPL Capital Funding are
included herein or incorporated herein by reference. PPL
Corporation and PPL Capital Funding do not consider those
financial statements to be material to holders of the PPL
Capital Funding Debt Securities or PPL Capital Funding
Subordinated Debt Securities because (1) PPL Capital
Funding is a wholly-owned subsidiary that was formed for the
primary purpose of providing financing for PPL Corporation and
its subsidiaries, (2) PPL Capital Funding does not
currently engage in any independent operations and (3) PPL
Capital Funding does not currently plan to engage, in the
future, in more than minimal independent operations. See
PPL Capital Funding. PPL Capital Funding has
received a no action letter from the Staff of the
SEC stating that the Staff would not raise any objection if PPL
Capital Funding does not file periodic reports under
Sections 13 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Accordingly, PPL
Corporation and PPL Capital Funding do not expect PPL Capital
Funding to file those reports.
13
EXPERTS
The financial statements and schedule and managements
assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over
financial reporting (which is included in Managements
Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting) of PPL
Corporation audited by Ernst & Young LLP, incorporated
in this Prospectus by reference to the Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2006, have been so
incorporated in reliance on their reports, given on their
authority as experts in auditing and accounting.
The financial statements and schedules of PPL Energy Supply, LLC
and PPL Electric Utilities Corporation audited by
Ernst & Young, LLP incorporated in this Prospectus by
reference to the Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2006, have been so
incorporated in reliance on their reports, given on their
authority as experts in auditing and accounting.
The financial statements as of December 31, 2005 and for
the years ended December 31, 2005 and 2004, of PPL
Corporation, PPL Energy Supply, LLC and PPL Electric Utilities
Corporation incorporated in this Prospectus by reference to the
Annual Report on
Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2006 have been so
incorporated in reliance on the reports of
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public
accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts
in auditing and accounting.
VALIDITY
OF THE SECURITIES AND THE PPL GUARANTEES
Dewey Ballantine LLP, New York, New York or Simpson
Thacher & Bartlett LLP, New York, New York and Michael
A. McGrail, Esq., Associate General Counsel of PPL Services
Corporation, will pass upon the validity of the Securities, the
PPL Guarantees and the PPL Subordinated Guarantees for PPL
Corporation, PPL Capital Funding, PPL Energy Supply and PPL
Electric. Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, New York, New York,
will pass upon the validity of the Securities, the PPL
Guarantees and the PPL Subordinated Guarantees for any
underwriters or agents. Dewey Ballantine LLP, Simpson
Thacher & Bartlett LLP and Sullivan & Cromwell
LLP will rely on the opinion of Mr. McGrail as to matters
involving the law of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As to
matters involving the law of the State of New York,
Mr. McGrail will rely on the opinion of Dewey Ballantine
LLP or Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, as applicable.
14