Jersey Central Power and Light
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D. C. 20549
FORM
8-K
CURRENT
REPORT
PURSUANT
TO
SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date
of
Report (Date of earliest event reported) May 12, 2006
Commission
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Registrant;
State of Incorporation;
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I.R.S.
Employer
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File
Number
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Address;
and Telephone Number
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Identification
No.
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1-3141
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JERSEY
CENTRAL POWER & LIGHT COMPANY
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21-0485010
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(A
New
Jersey Corporation)
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c/o
FirstEnergy Corp.
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76
South Main Street
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Akron,
OH 44308
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Telephone
(800)736-3402
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Check
the
appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously
satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following
provisions (see General Instruction A.2.):
[
]
Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR
230.425)
[
]
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.14a-12)
[
]
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange
Act
(17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
[
]
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange
Act
(17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Item
1.01
Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.
Item
2.03
Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance
Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant.
On
May 12, 2006,
Jersey Central Power & Light Company (JCP&L) completed an offering of
$200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 6.40% Senior Notes due 2036
(Senior Notes) issued under the Indenture dated as of July 1, 1999 (Indenture),
between JCP&L and The Bank of New York, as successor trustee (Trustee).
JCP&L sold the Senior Notes pursuant to a purchase agreement, dated May 9,
2006 (Purchase Agreement), among JCP&L and UBS Securities LLC and Greenwich
Capital Markets, Inc., as representatives of the several initial purchasers
named in the Purchase Agreement (collectively, the Initial Purchasers), in
a
private placement exempt from the registration requirements under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (Securities Act). The Senior Notes were resold by the
Initial Purchasers within the United States only to qualified institutional
buyers in reliance on Rule 144A under the Securities Act.
The
Senior Notes
will mature on May 15, 2036. Interest on the Senior Notes will accrue at a
rate
of 6.40% per annum from the date of original issuance and will be payable
semi-annually in arrears on each May 15 and November 15, beginning on November
15, 2006, and on the date of maturity.
The
Senior Notes
will be redeemable in whole or in part, at JCP&L’s option, at any time prior
to maturity, at a redemption price equal to the greater of: (i) 100% of the
principal amount of the Senior Notes being redeemed or (ii) as determined by
an
independent investment banker, the sum of the present values of the remaining
scheduled payments of principal of and interest on such Senior Notes that would
be due after the related redemption date but for such redemption, discounted
to
the redemption date on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting
of twelve 30-day months) at an adjusted Treasury rate determined by reference
to
a comparable Treasury issue having a maturity comparable to the remaining term
of the Senior Notes to be redeemed, plus 20 basis points, plus, in each case,
accrued and unpaid interest on the Senior Notes being redeemed to the date
of
redemption.
The
Senior Notes
will initially be secured by a series of JCP&L’s first mortgage bonds,
issued and delivered by JCP&L to the Trustee. Upon the occurrence of the
release date (as defined below), the first mortgage bonds securing the Senior
Notes will be released, and the Senior Notes will become JCP&L’s unsecured
general obligations and will rank equally with all of JCP&L’s other
unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness.
Under
the Indenture,
the “release date” means the earlier of: (i) the date that all of JCP&L’s
first mortgage bonds, other than first mortgage bonds securing senior notes
issued under the Indenture, have been retired (whether at, before or after
the
maturity thereof) through payment, redemption, purchase, defeasance or
otherwise, and (ii) the date upon which the Trustee holds first mortgage bonds
securing senior notes issued under the Indenture constituting not less than
80%
in aggregate principal amount of all of JCP&L’s outstanding first mortgage
bonds.
Subject
to certain
exceptions, so long as any Senior Notes are outstanding, JCP&L may not
issue, assume, guarantee or permit to exist after the release date any debt
secured by any lien upon any of JCP&L’s operating property, except for
certain permitted secured debt, without effectively securing all outstanding
senior notes issued under the Indenture, including the Senior Notes, equally
and
ratably with that debt (but only so long as such debt is secured). In addition,
subject to certain exceptions, so long as any Senior Notes are outstanding,
JCP&L may not enter into or permit to exist, after the release date, any
sale and lease-back transaction with respect to any operating property (except
for transactions involving leases for a term, including renewals, of not more
than 48 months), if the purchasers’ commitment is obtained more than 18 months
after the later of the completion of the acquisition, construction or
development of that operating property or the placing in operation of that
operating property or of that operating property as constructed or developed
or
substantially repaired, altered or improved.
Pursuant
to a
Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of May 12, 2006, among JCP&L and the
representatives of the Initial Purchasers, JCP&L has agreed to consummate an
exchange offer pursuant to an effective registration statement filed with the
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to allow holders of
Senior Notes to exchange the Senior Notes for a new issue of substantially
identical debt securities registered under the Securities Act. In addition,
JCP&L has agreed to file, under certain circumstances, a shelf registration
statement to cover resales of the Senior Notes. JCP&L has agreed to use its
reasonable best efforts, subject to applicable law, to file a registration
statement within 180 calendar days of the date of the original issuance of
the
Senior Notes and to consummate the exchange offer within 210 calendar days
of
the date of the original issuance of the Senior Notes. If JCP&L fails to
complete the exchange offer or register the Senior Notes for resale within
210
calendar days of the date of original issuance of the Senior Notes, JCP&L
will be required to pay 0.25% per annum additional interest on the Senior Notes
until the exchange offer is consummated or the shelf registration statement
relating to resale of the Senior Notes is declared effective by the SEC or
otherwise becomes effective under the Securities Act.
Proceeds
received
from the issuance of the Senior Notes will be used to pay at maturity $150
million aggregate principal amount of JCP&L’s 6.45% senior secured notes due
May 15, 2006 and for general corporate purposes.
The
above
descriptions of the Senior Notes, the Indenture
and the
Registration Rights
Agreement
do not purport to
be a complete statement of the parties' rights and obligations under the Senior
Notes, the Indenture
and Registration
Rights
Agreement
and the
transactions contemplated by the Indenture
and Registration
Rights
Agreement.
The above
description is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Senior Notes,
the
Indenture
and the
Registration Rights
Agreement.
The form of
Indenture was previously filed as Exhibit 4-A to JCP&L’s Registration
Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-78717). Copies of the form of Senior Note
and the Registration Rights Agreement are attached to this Current Report on
Form 8-K as Exhibit
10.1
and Exhibit
10.3,
respectively, and are, together with the form of Indenture, incorporated
herein
by reference.
Item
9.01
Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(c)
Exhibits.
Exhibit
No.
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Description
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10.1
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Form
of Jersey
Central Power & Light Company 6.40% Senior Note due
2036.
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10.2
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Indenture,
dated as of July 1, 1999 between Jersey Central Power & Light Company
and The Bank of New York, as successor Trustee (incorporated by reference
to Exhibit 4-A to the registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-3
(File No. 333-78717)).
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10.3
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Registration
Rights Agreement, dated as of May 12, 2006, among Jersey Central
Power
& Light Company and UBS Securities LLC and Greenwich Capital Markets,
Inc., as representatives of the several initial purchasers named
in the
Purchase Agreement.
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant
to the
requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly
caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto
duly
authorized.
May
12,
2006
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JERSEY
CENTRAL POWER & LIGHT COMPANY
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Registrant
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/s/
Harvey L.
Wagner
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Harvey
L.
Wagner
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Vice
President
and Controller
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