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HomeMy WebLinkAboutReso 92-404 - Approve & Authorize execution of the Fuel Supply Agreement dated 09/15/92, between COR & Coast Energy Group, Inc for supply of Natural Gas & Liquified Petroleum Gas for the Redding Power Site I 1 ! RESOLUTION NO. ?2- A 2A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF REDDING APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF THE FUEL SUPPLY AGREEMENT DATED SEPTEMBER 15, 1992, BETWEEN THE CITY OF REDDING AND COAST ENERGY GROUP, INC. FOR THE SUPPLY OF NATURAL GAS AND LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM GAS FOR THE REDDING j POWER SITE. WHEREAS, staff has negotiated the attached Fuel Supply Agreement with Coast Energy Group, Inc. dated September 15, 1992, to provide a reliable supply of natural gas and liquified petroleum gas (LPG) for the Redding Power site; and WHEREAS, said Agreement obligates Coast Energy Group, Inc. to deliver natural gas to the Redding Power site based upon the City' s needs; and WHEREAS, to the extent Coast Energy Group, Inc. is unable to meet the City' s natural gas requirements for any reason other than force majeure, Coast Energy Group, Inc. will deliver LPG at natural gas prices; and WHEREAS, the Agreement obligates the City as more particularly set forth in the accompanying Report to City Council dated September 8, 1992; and WHEREAS, funds for this request are available in the 1992 Electric Utility Project Financing; and ;a WHEREAS, the Electric Department respectfully recommends '+ execution of said Agreement as set forth below; NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Redding as follows: 1. That the foregoing recitals are true and correct. a 2. That Council believes entering into a Fuel Supply Agreement with Coast Energy Group, Inc. will benefit City N r Electric Utility customers. I i d 3. That the City Council of the City of Redding hereby approves the Fuel Supply Agreement dated September 15, 1992, between the City of Redding and Coast Energy Group, Inc. , a true copy of which is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference. 4 . That the Mayor of the City of Redding is hereby authorized and directed to sign said Agreement on behalf of the City of Redding; and the City Clerk is hereby authorized and directed to attest the signature of the Mayor and to impress the official seal of the City of Redding thereto. 5. That the Electric Utility Director or his designee is authorized to execute and modify Exhibits B, C, D and E of said Agreement as appropriate during the term of the Agreement. I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution was introduced and read at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Redding on the 15th day of September , 1992, and was duly adopted at said meeting by the following vote: AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: Anderson, Dahl, Kehoe and Moss NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: Arness ABSTAIN: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None a j CHARLIE MOSS, Mayor City of Redding A ST: CONNIE STROHMAYER, y Clerk FFOPX APPROVED: G(- RANDALL A. HAYi, City Attorney 2 a FUEL SUPPLY AGREEMENT BY AND BETWEEN COAST ENERGY GROUP, INC. , As Seller, AND THE CITY OF REDDING, As Buyer September 15, 1992 f TABLE OF CONTENTS Pacie ARTICLE I - DEFINITIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 ARTICLE II - PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUEL . . . . . . . . . . . 7 2 . 1 Purchase and Sale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 2 .2 Notice of Purchase and Delivery . . . . . . . . . . 7 2 . 3 Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 2 .4 Payment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 2 . 5 Right to Solicit, Right to Match . . . . . . . . . 10 2 . 6 Failure to Purchase the Buyer's Minimum Take . . . 11 2 .7 Service Initiation Fee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 2 . 8 Monthly Fee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 ARTICLE III - ADDITIONAL OBLIGATIONS OF THE SELLER . . . . . 13 3 . 1 Additional Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 3 . 2 The Inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 ARTICLE IV - FUEL QUALITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 4 . 1 Quality Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 4 .2 Failure to Meet Specifications . . . . . . . . . . 14 ARTICLE V - DELIVERY POINTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 ARTICLE VI - METERING OF FUEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 6. 1 Installation and Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 6.2 Periodic Verification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 6. 3 Range of Accuracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 6. 4 Check Meters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 ARTICLE VII - REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE SELLER 16 7 . 1 Due Organization and Good Standing . . . . . . . . 16 7. 2 Due Authorization and Execution . . . . . . . . . . 16 7. 3 Compliance With Applicable Regulations . . . . . . 17 7 . 4 Compliance With Other Instruments . . . . . . . . . 17 7 . 5 Title . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 7. 6 Broker's or Finder's Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 ARTICLE VIII - REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE BUYER 18 8 . 1 Due Organization and Good Standing . . . . . . . . 18 8 . 2 Due Authorization and Execution . . . . . . . . . . 18 8 . 3 Compliance With Applicable Regulations . . . . . . 18 8 .4 Compliance With Other Instruments . . . . . . . . . 18 8 . 5 Broker' s or Finder's Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 i r [ TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Page ARTICLE IX - TERM AND TERMINATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 9. 1 Term . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 9.2 Events of Default . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 9. 3 Early Termination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 9.4 Failure to Provide Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 9.5 Transfer of Inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 ARTICLE X - GENERAL PROVISIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 10. 1 Force Majeure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 10. 2 Entire Agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 10. 3 Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 10. 4 Successors and Assigns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 10. 5 Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 10. 6 Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 10.7 No Waiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 10.8 Severability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 10.9 Relationship Between the Parties; Insurance . . . 23 10. 10 Choice of Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 10. 11 Arbitration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 10. 12 Attorneys ' Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 10. 13 Books and Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 10. 14 Additional Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 10. 15 Headings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 10. 16 Time of the Essence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 10. 17 Exhibits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 EXHIBITS EXHIBIT A - FUEL PRICE INDEX EXEMPLAR EXHIBIT B - AGREED-UPON CARRIERS EXHIBIT C - FORM OF NOMINATION CONFIRMATION EXHIBIT D - FORM OF NOTICE OF BUYER'S EXPECTED FUEL REQUIREMENTS EXHIBIT E - FORM OF NOTICE OF FUELS POSTINGS ii r � FUEL SUPPLY AGREEMENT THIS FUEL SUPPLY AGREEMENT (the "Agreement") is entered into as of September 15, 1992 by and between COAST ENERGY GROUP, INC. , a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business located at 9494 Southwest Freeway, Suite 404, Houston, Texas 77074 (the "Seller") , and THE CITY OF REDDING, a municipal corporation with its principal business address at 760 Parkview Avenue, Redding, California, 96001-3396 (the "Buyer") . The Seller and the Buyer are sometimes hereinafter referred to individually as a "Party" and collectively as the "Parties" . RECITALS A. The Seller is in the business of, among other things, providing fuel and fuel supply services to various consumers of natural gas ("Gas") and liquefied petroleum gas ("LPG") . B. The Buyer is engaged in, among other things, the business of producing, transmitting and distributing electrical power to its customers. In connection therewith, the Buyer is currently in the process of developing electrical power production facilities (the "Project") at 17120 Clear Creek Road, Redding, California. C. The Buyer desires to acquire a reliable supply of back- up fuel for the Project, as well as an economically competitive supply for a portion of the fuel required to operate the Project. To that end, the Buyer desires to purchase Gas and LPG from the Seller and the Seller is willing to sell Gas and LPG to the Buyer. The purpose of this Agreement is to set forth the terms and conditions in accordance with which such purchases and sales shall take place. AGREEMENT NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, the Parties agree as follows: ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, the following capitalized terms shall, for the purposes of this Agreement and whether used in the singular or plural form, have the respective meanings accorded to them in this Article I. g:\genbus\rba\35295\0200 fuet1-14.agt-4456sn "Affiliate"Affiliate" shall mean any entity which controls, is controlled by or is under common control with either of the Parties. For purposes of this definition, the word "control" shall mean the right and ability to direct the management, activities or policies of an entity regardless of the ownership position which the controlling entity holds in the controlled entity. 1. 2 "Aggregate Purchase Price" shall mean the Purchase Price(s) of the type(s) of Fuel selected for delivery in a specified month multiplied by the respective amount of the selected type(s) of Fuel delivered during that month (measured in MMBtu's) , which aggregate product (or sum of products, as the case may be) the Buyer shall from time to time pay hereunder to the Seller for all Fuel purchased from the Seller under this Agreement during that month. 1. 3 "Btu" shall mean the measurement of the energy content of Fuel in British thermal units as determined by common test procedures using the higher heating value of the particular Fuel the energy content of which is being measured. 1.4 "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or any other day which is a legal holiday under United States, California or Texas law. 1. 5 "Buyer's Expected Fuel Requirements" shall mean the amount of Fuel (measured in MMBtu's) , the type(s) of Fuel and the maximum delivery rate of Fuel (by type, if applicable) which the Buyer estimates that it will require during a specified month, as more fully set forth in the Notice of Buyer's Expected Fuel Requirements which is provided by the Buyer to the Seller for that month. 1. 6 "Buyer' s Minimum Take" shall mean the minimum amount of Fuel (measured in MMBtu's) which the Buyer shall be required to purchase from the Seller in each month of the Term, which amount shall equal thirty percent (30%) of the Fuel used by the Buyer to operate the Peaking Plant in its presently contemplated simple cycle configuration during that month. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that the Buyer is obligated to purchase during a month Optional Fuel or Take-or-Pay Fuel in an amount in excess of thirty percent (30%) of the Fuel required to operate the Peaking Plant in its presently contemplated simple cycle configuration during that month, the Buyer shall continue to be obligated to purchase such Optional Fuel and/or Take-or-Pay Fuel but the Buyer' s purchase of such Fuel shall be credited towards meeting its obligation to purchase the Buyer's Minimum Take for that month. Except as otherwise specifically provided in Section 2 . 6 of this Agreement, the Buyer's Minimum Take shall not be cumulative; i.e. , if the Buyer purchases Fuel in one month which 9:\9enbus\rba\35295\0200 fueL1-14.a9t-4456sn 2 is in excess of the Buyer's Minimum Take, such excess shall not be credited against the Buyer's obligation to purchase the Buyer's Minimum Take in any prior or subsequent month. 1.7 "Day" shall mean a period of twenty-four (24) consecutive hours beginning and ending at midnight, local time, at the Site. 1.8 "Effective Date" shall mean that date stated in the written notice from the Buyer to the Seller as the date on which the Buyer desires the delivery of Fuel to commence at the Site, which date shall not be later than that date which is ten (10) Business Days prior to the earlier of (i) the date on which acceptance testing of the Peaking Plant is scheduled to commence or (ii) the date on which the Redding Plant is first returned to commercial operation. 1.9 "Event of Default" shall mean any Ievent described as such in Section 9 . 2 of this Agreement. 1. 10 "Event of Force Majeure" shall mean any event described as such in Section 10. 1 of this Agreement. 1. 11 "Fixed Charge(s) " shall mean that component of the total monthly cost for delivery of the Fuel selected by the Buyer which is not dependent upon the amount of Fuel purchased by the Buyer. 1. 12 "Fuel" shall mean either Gas or LPG, or both. 1. 13 "Gas" shall mean natural gas. 1. 14 "Gas Index" shall mean the index which the Seller shall utilize to determine the maximum Purchase Price under this Agreement which the Seller may charge the Buyer for Gas during the corresponding month of the Term, and shall be the sum (expressed in dollars per MMBtu) of the following: (i) the average of the monthly high and low California border price for the month of delivery as reported in Inside FERC, Natural Gas Weekly and Natural Gas Intelligence; plus (ii) the intrastate transportation rate from the California border to the burner tip as quoted from time to time to the Seller by the Transporter; plus (iii) a per MMBtu price, which shall be three and one-half cents ($0. 035) per MMBtu in the first calendar year (or portion thereof) of the Term and which per MMBtu price shall increase in each subsequent calendar year of the Term by an amount equal to the prior calendar year's per MMBtu price multiplied by an annual escalator which shall not exceed the inflation rate of the Producer Price Index-Electricity ("PPI-Electricity") as reported by Data Research Inc./McGraw Hill multiplied by one and one-half (1.50) (provided, however, that at no time shall the increase 9:\9enbus\rba\35295\0200 fue11-14.a9t-4456sn 3 resulting from application of the annual escalator exceed one hundred fifty percent (150%) of the increase which occurred in the immediately preceding calendar year) . Attached to this Agreement as Exhibit A is a Fuel Price Index Exemplar which illustrates the manner in which the Gas Index is to be calculated and applied to determine the maximum Purchase Price under this Agreement for Gas; provided, however, that the prices set forth in Exhibit A are included for the purpose of illustration only and are not a representation or warranty by the Seller that Fuel shall at any time during the Term be available at such prices. 1. 15 "Inventory" shall mean the LPG stored in the Storage Facility. 1. 16 "LPG" shall mean liquefied petroleum gas such as propane, propane-butane mix, normal butane and field grade butane. 1. 17 "LPG Index" shall mean the index which the Seller shall utilize to determine the maximum Purchase Price under this Agreement which the Seller may charge the Buyer for LPG during the corresponding month of the Term, and shall be the sum (expressed in dollars per MMBtu) of the following: (i) one ' hundred and ten percent (110%) of the average posting of Shell, Chevron and Suburban (Elk Grove) for LPG in the San Francisco metropolitan area (as stated in cents per gallon) , all as published on the first day of the month of delivery in the Oil Price Information Service; plus (ii) the average freight charges (as stated in cents per gallon) of those mutually agreed-upon carriers listed in Exhibit B to this Agreement. The Fuel Price Index Exemplar attached to this Agreement as Exhibit A illustrates the manner in which the LPG Index is to be calculated and applied to determine the maximum Purchase Price under this Agreement for LPG; provided, however, that the prices set forth in Exhibit A are included for the purpose of illustration only and are not a representation or warranty by the Seller that Fuel shall at any time during the Term be available at such prices. 1. 18 "Lowest Cost Available Fuel" shall mean, for each month of the Term, that type of Fuel which the Seller advises the Buyer prior to the beginning of that month is available from the Seller for delivery to the Buyer during that month in the amount and at the maximum delivery rate requested by the Buyer at the lowest cost to the Buyer of any Fuel available for delivery to the Buyer during that month in the specified volume and at the maximum delivery rate. 1. 19 "MMBtu" shall mean a unit of one million (1, 000, 000) Btu's. g:\genbus\rba\35295\0200 fuet1-14.agt-4456sn 4 1.20 "Nomination Confirmation" shall mean that document, a blank form of which is attached to this Agreement as Exhibit C, which shall be executed by the Parties during each month of the Term (and, with respect to Optional Fuel and Take-or-Pay Fuel, from time to time during the Term) for the purpose of confirming the purchase by the Buyer of a specified amount at a specified delivery rate of a particular type of Fuel at a specified Purchase Price in accordance with paragraph (d) of Section 2 . 2 of this Agreement. From time to time during the Term there may be more than one Nomination Confirmation in effect between the Parties, but each such Nomination Confirmation shall be deemed a separate transaction under, and subject to all of the terms and conditions of, this Agreement. A blank copy of a Nomination Confirmation shall be appended to each Notice of Fuels Postings which the Seller from time to time provides to the Buyer in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. 1.21 "Notice of Buyer's Expected Fuel Requirements" shall mean that notice, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit D, which the Buyer shall from time to time provide to the Seller in accordance with the terms of paragraph (b) of Section 2 . 2 of this Agreement. 1. 22 "Notice of Fuels Postings" shall mean the notice, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit E, which the Seller shall provide to the Buyer in each month of the Term in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (c) of Section 2 .2 of this Agreement. 1. 23 "Optional Fuel" shall mean Fuel which the Seller may from time to time offer for sale to the Buyer during any given month after nomination of the Fuel for that month as an alternative or supplement to the Primary Fuel selected by the Buyer for delivery during that month. Optional Fuel may be offered on a take-or-pay basis, and if it is offered on such a basis it shall be treated as Take-or-Pay Fuel for purposes of this Agreement. 1. 24 "Peaking Plant" shall mean that certain peaking power generation facility to be constructed at the Site. 1. 25 "Primary Fuel" shall mean those Fuels for which the Seller guarantees delivery to the Site in at least the amount and at the delivery rate specified by the Buyer as part of the Buyer's Expected Fuel Requirements. 1. 26 "Project" shall mean, collectively, those certain electrical power production facilities located or to be located at the Site. The Redding Plant and the Peaking Plant are currently the only facilities which shall constitute the Project. g:\genbus\rba\35295\0200 fueI1-14.agt-4456sn 5 s 1. 27 "Purchase Price" shall mean the per-MMBtu, delivered-to-the-Site price for the type(s) of Fuel selected by the Buyer which is in effect for the month of delivery, as quoted by the Seller and adjusted from time to time in accordance with the terms of this Agreement; provided, however, that at no time shall the Purchase Price for Gas delivered hereunder in any month exceed the price resulting from the application of the Gas Index in effect for the month in which the Gas is delivered to the Site nor shall the Purchase Price for LPG delivered hereunder in any month exceed the price resulting from the application of the LPG Index in effect for the month in which the LPG is delivered to the Site, and provided further that if Gas is the type of Fuel chosen by the Buyer for delivery in a particular month but the Seller delivers LPG for any reason other than that the occurrence of an Event of Force Majeure prevents the Seller from delivering Gas, the Buyer shall pay an Aggregate Purchase Price for the LPG based upon the Purchase Price(s) for Gas set forth in the Nomination Confirmation(s) in effect for the month of delivery for a like amount of Gas (measured in MMBtu's) which the Seller would have delivered pursuant to such Nomination Confirmation(s) . 1. 28 "Redding Plant" shall mean that certain electric generation facility currently located at the Site, as it may from time to time be modified. 1.29 "Service Initiation Fee" shall mean the fee payable by the Buyer to the Seller in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.7 of this Agreement. 1. 30 "Site" shall mean that certain parcel of real property located at 17120 Clear Creek Road, Redding, California upon which the Project and the Storage Facility are to be located. 1. 31 "Storage Facility" shall mean that certain facility to be constructed at the Site for the purpose of storing the Inventory, but nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to obligate the Seller to construct the Storage Facility for the Buyer. 1. 32 "Take-or-Pay Fuel" shall mean that type of Fuel which from time to time may be offered by the Seller for delivery to the Buyer as an alternative to Primary Fuel and/or Optional Fuel during any specified time period in accordance with a requirement that the Buyer pay the Seller a specified minimum Aggregate Purchase Price for a specified amount of that Fuel regardless of whether or not the Buyer consumes all or any portion of such Fuel during such specified time period. 1. 33 "Term" shall mean the term of this Agreement as set forth in Section 9. 1 of this Agreement. g:\genbus\rba\35295\0200 fuell-14.agt-4456sn 6 1. 34 "Transporter" shall mean the entity which owns the pipeline(s) through which the Gas purchased under this Agreement is delivered to the Site. 1. 35 "Transporter's GT&C" shall mean the general terms and conditions applicable to the Transporter's transportation agreements with the Seller as the same may from time to time be revised. ARTICLE II PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUEL 2 . 1 Purchase and Sale. The Seller hereby agrees that it shall sell and deliver to the Buyer at the Site, and the Buyer hereby agrees that it shall purchase and accept from the Seller, at the applicable Aggregate Purchase Price, Fuel of such type(s) , in such amount(s) and at such maximum delivery rate(s) as the Buyer shall from time to time advise the Seller pursuant to the terms of this Agreement; provided, however, that the Buyer shall in each month of the Term purchase and accept from the Seller at least that amount of Fuel which is equal to the greater of (i) the Buyer's Minimum Take or (ii) such amount of Take-or-Pay Fuel (if any) which the Buyer has contracted to take during that month. 2 .2 Notice of Purchase and Delivery. a. At least ninety (90) Days prior to the Effective Date, the Buyer shall notify the Seller in writing of the Effective Date, which notice shall be irrevocable. b. Thereafter, and not later than the first (1st) Business Day of each calendar month of the Term, the Buyer shall notify the Seller in writing of the Buyer's Expected Fuel Requirements for the next succeeding calendar month by providing the Seller with a completed Notice of Buyer's Expected Fuel Requirements. If the Buyer fails to so notify the Seller in a timely manner of the Buyer' s Expected Fuel Requirements for that month, the Seller shall have no obligation under this Agreement to furnish the Buyer with Fuel for that month. Such failure of the Buyer to notify the Seller shall not excuse the Buyer from its obligation under this Agreement to purchase from the Seller the Buyer's Minimum Take for that month, but the Seller shall, upon receipt of later notification from the Buyer that it desires to purchase Fuel under the terms of this Agreement for that month with respect to which the Buyer has failed to timely notify the Seller of the Buyer's Expected Fuel Requirements, use its best efforts to supply Fuel of the type(s) , in the amount(s) and at the maximum delivery rate(s) as the Buyer requests. g:\genbus\rba\35295\0200 fueL1-14.agt-4456sn 7 c. Not later than the fifth (5th) Business Day of each calendar month of the Term, the Seller shall provide the Buyer with a Notice of Fuels Postings based upon the Buyer's Expected Fuel Requirements of which the Seller has been notified in accordance with paragraph (b) of this Section 2 .2. The Notice of Fuels Postings shall set forth: (i) the Fixed Charges and Purchase Prices for each Primary Fuel which will be available for delivery to the Buyer, upon demand, during the next succeeding calendar month, and (ii) an accounting of all outstanding obligations arising in connection with existing Optional Fuel and/or Take-or-Pay Fuel arrangements. In no event shall the Fixed Charges posted by the Seller for any one month with respect to Gas exceed the transportation costs charged by the applicable Transporter for reserving capacity on the Transporter's pipeline system for the delivery of Gas during that month in an amount and at a rate of delivery sufficient to permit the Project to be run at the maximum output indicated by the Buyer in the Buyer's Expected Fuel Requirements for the entire calendar month in which such delivery is to occur. d. Not later than the tenth (10th) Business Day of each calendar month of the Term, the Buyer may notify the Seller of the type(s) of Fuel which the Buyer desires the Seller to deliver during the next succeeding month by providing the Seller with an executed Nomination Confirmation. In the event that the Buyer elects not to notify the Seller of the Buyer's choice of type(s) of Fuel by the tenth (10th) Business Day of the month, all Fuel delivered by the Seller during the next succeeding month shall be the Lowest Cost Available Fuel designated in the Notice of Fuels Postings for that month. e. From time to time during the Term, the Seller may notify the Buyer of the Fixed Charges, the Purchase Price(s) and other terms and conditions applicable to the purchase by the Buyer of Optional Fuel which may be delivered to the Buyer to either supplement or displace Primary Fuel. Such notification shall stipulate whether such purchase will supplement or displace existing purchase obligations and specify a date by which both Parties must execute a Nomination Confirmation reflecting the terms and conditions for the purchase and sale of such Optional Fuel. f. From time to time during the Term, and promptly upon the request of the Buyer, the Seller shall provide the Buyer with an annual price, take periods and minimum/maximum amounts for Take-or-Pay Fuel. Such annual price will be delineated by month and shall be provided ninety (90) Days prior to the start of each calendar year of the Term, commencing with the first (1st) calendar year after the calendar year in which the Effective Date occurs. In addition, upon the request of the Buyer, the Seller shall provide the Buyer with a monthly price 9:\genbus\rba\35295\0200 fueL1-14.agt-4456sn 8 and minimum/maximum amount(s) for Take-or-Pay Fuel not less than sixty (60) Days prior to the first Day of the subject month. In either event, if the Buyer elects to purchase Take-or-Pay Fuel the Buyer shall execute and return to the Seller a Nomination Confirmation concerning the Take-or-Pay Fuel not less than forty- five (45) Days prior to the commencement of the applicable one- year or one-month period. The Buyer acknowledges and agrees that, in the event that the Buyer elects to purchase Take-or-Pay Fuel, the Buyer shall pay to the Seller the Aggregate Purchase Price for the specified amount of such Take-or-Pay Fuel for which the Buyer has contracted regardless of whether or not the Buyer takes delivery of all or any portion of such Take-or-Pay Fuel. Monthly purchases of Take-or-Pay Fuel will not be credited against the Buyer's Minimum Take in future months but will on a unit-by-unit basis supersede the Buyer's purchase obligation for other Fuel for the month in which the Take-or-Pay Fuel is delivered. g. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, all notices under this Section 2 . 2 shall be given by telephonic facsimile transmission unless otherwise mutually agreed upon by both Parties. 2 .3 Delivery. a. In the event that the Buyer has nominated Gas as the Primary Fuel for a given month, the Seller shall, within one (1) hour of its receipt by telephonic facsimile transmission of the Buyer's demand to commence delivery of Gas, deliver to the Buyer Gas in up to the maximum amount and maximum delivery rate designated by the Buyer in the Nomination Confirmation in effect for the month in which delivery is to occur. In the event that the Buyer has nominated LPG as the Primary Fuel for a given month, the Seller shall, promptly upon its receipt of telephonic facsimile transmission of the Buyer's demand to commence delivery of LPG, deliver to the Buyer LPG in up to the maximum amount and the maximum delivery rate designated by the Buyer in the Nomination Confirmation in effect for the month in which delivery is to occur. The Seller's obligation hereunder to deliver Gas shall be contingent upon and subject to deliverability by the Transporters' pipeline facilities and the respective Transporter's GT&C's in effect at the time of delivery; provided, however, that if the Buyer elects Gas as the Primary Fuel, it shall be the Seller' s obligation to reserve on the Buyer's behalf and at the Buyer's expense adequate capacity on the Transporters' pipeline(s) to insure delivery of Gas at the rate and in the amount specified by the Buyer in the Nomination Confirmation in effect for that month. In the event that Gas cannot be delivered on the Transporters' pipeline(s) for any reason other than the occurrence of an Event of Force Majeure, the Seller shall automatically deliver to the Buyer an equivalent amount of LPG g:\genbus\rba\35295\0200 fueL1-14.agt-4456sn 9 (measured in MMBtu's) and the Buyer shall pay an Aggregate Purchase Price for such LPG based upon the Purchase Price(s) for Gas set forth in the Nomination Confirmation(s) in effect for the month of delivery for a like amount of Gas (measured in MMBtu's) which the Seller would have delivered pursuant to such Nomination Confirmation(s) . Except as provided in Section 2 .8 of this Agreement, and except as to Take-or-Pay Fuel not accepted by the Buyer, in no event shall the Buyer be liable for any Fixed Charges relating to Primary Fuel in any month in which the Seller does not deliver Primary Fuel to the Buyer. b. In the event that there is outstanding any obligation on the part of the Buyer to take Optional Fuel or Take-or-Pay Fuel, the Buyer shall promptly notify the Seller to deliver such Optional Fuel or Take-or-Pay Fuel in lieu of the Primary Fuel to be delivered in accordance with paragraph (a) of this Section 2 . 3 . In the event that the Buyer fails to notify the Seller of the Buyer's choice of Fuel, the Seller shall deliver to the Buyer the Lowest Cost Available Fuel, whether Primary Fuel, Optional Fuel or Take-or-Pay Fuel. 2 .4 Payment. Within the first ten (10) Days of each calendar month during the Term, the Seller shall furnish the Buyer with a statement setting forth all amounts due and owing as of the end of the prior calendar month under the terms of this Agreement. The statement shall specify the types and amounts of Fuel delivered as well as the amounts of Optional Fuel and/or Take-or-Pay Fuel which the Buyer was obligated to take but did not take, the Purchase Price and the Aggregate Purchase Price of such Fuel (s) , the Fixed Charges incurred in connection with the delivery of such Fuel (s) and all other applicable costs (including but not limited to the monthly fee described in Section 3 .2 of this Agreement) . The Buyer shall pay all undisputed amounts set forth on such statement within ten (10) Business Days of receipt of the statement. Such payment shall be made by wire transfer to the account of the Seller as follows (or to such other account as the Seller may from time to time notify the Buyer in writing) : Bank of America ABA #121000358 101 Park Center Plaza San Jose, CA 95115 Account to credit: Coast Gas, Inc. Account Number: 14872-02470 .2 . 5 Right to Solicit, Right to Match. The Buyer shall have a right to solicit bona fide offers from third parties for the supply of Fuel for the Project at any time during the Term; provided, however, that the Seller shall have the right at all g:\genbus\rba\35295\0200 fueL1-14.agt-4456sn 10 times during the Term to match any bona fide offer, the terms of which are acceptable to the Buyer, from any such third party to provide Fuel for the Project for a period of one (1) month or less. The Buyer shall promptly furnish the Seller with written notification of all particulars of each such bona fide offer and shall afford the Seller the same period of time in which to make an election to match the offer as the third party affords the Buyer to accept the offer. In the event that the Seller elects not to match such bona fide offer, the Buyer shall be free to purchase Fuel from such third party without penalty hereunder; provided, however, that the Buyer shall remain obligated under any and all outstanding Optional Fuel and Take-or-Pay Fuel arrangements then in effect and shall also remain obligated to purchase the Buyer's Minimum Take from the Seller. If the Seller does elect to match such bona fide offer, the Buyer shall be obligated to purchase Fuel from the Seller upon substantially the same terms as those which constitute the bona fide offer of the third party. For purposes of this Section 2 .5, "substantially the same terms" shall mean that all material terms of the sale by the Seller shall be substantially identical to the terms of the third party's bona fide offer, and the Buyer shall have the right to demand adequate assurances from the Seller, as provided under the California Commercial Code, that the Seller can perform its obligations under such terms in a timely manner. 2 . 6 Failure to Purchase the Buyer's Minimum Take. In the event that the Buyer fails in any calendar month during the Term to purchase from the Seller the Buyer's Minimum Take for that calendar month, the resulting shortfall shall be computed and carried over from month-to-month until the end of the third (3rd) calendar month following the calendar month in which such shortfall occurred. If by the end of such third calendar month the Buyer has not purchased Fuel of any type in an amount in excess of the Buyer's Minimum Take which is equal to or in excess of such shortfall, the Buyer shall pay to the Seller at that time an amount equal to the product of the amount of the shortfall (less the amount of any Fuel purchased by the Buyer in excess of the Buyer's Minimum Take in all other months of the 3-month period following the calendar month in which such shortfall occurred) multiplied by the applicable Purchase Price for the month in which the shortfall occurred of the type of Fuel selected by the Buyer for delivery in that month (if the Buyer selected a type of Fuel for delivery in that month) or the Lowest Cost Available Fuel (if the Buyer failed to select a type of Fuel for delivery in that month) . 2 . 7 Service Initiation Fee. In addition to the Aggregate Purchase Price, the monthly fee described in Section 2 .8 of this Agreement and any and all other amounts required to be paid by the Buyer under the terms of this Agreement, the Buyer shall pay to the Seller a Service Initiation Fee in the sum of Two Hundred g:\genbus\rba\35295\0200 fueL1-14.agt-4456sn 1 1 Forty Thousand and No/100 Dollars ($240, 000. 00) . The Service Initiation Fee shall be deemed to have been earned by the Seller upon the execution of this Agreement by both Parties, and shall be due and payable as follows: (i) One Hundred Twenty Thousand and No/100 Dollars ($120, 000. 00) upon execution of this Agreement; and (ii) One Hundred Twenty Thousand and No/100 Dollars ($120, 000. 00) upon the Buyer' s giving notice of the Effective Date as required by paragraph 2 .2 (a) of this Agreement. 2.8 Monthly Fee. The Buyer shall pay to the Seller, in addition to the Aggregate Purchase Price and the Service Initiation Fee, a fee for each calendar month of the Term commencing with the month in which construction of the Storage Facility is completed. For purposes of this Agreement, construction of the Storage Facility shall be deemed to be completed when the Storage Facility is accepted by the Buyer from the entity which has constructed the Storage Facility. The monthly fee for each calendar month of the first twelve months after completion of construction of the Storage Facility shall be Nine Thousand Dollars ($9, 000) ; provided, however, that for the month in which construction of the Storage Facility is completed said fee shall be prorated for the actual number of Days elapsed from the Day on which completion occurs through the end of said calendar month. In each succeeding twelve-month period of the Term, the monthly fee shall be increased to an amount equal to the sum of the monthly fee in effect during the immediately preceding twelve-month period plus the product of the monthly fee in effect during said preceding twelve-month period multiplied by the inflation rate for PPI-Electricity for that preceding twelve- month period as reported by Data Research, Inc./McGraw Hill. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that the Buyer purchases Fuel from the Seller in any calendar month in excess of the Buyer's Minimum Take for that month, the monthly fee for that month shall be evenly prorated in inverse proportion to such excess so that the Buyer shall pay the entire monthly fee in a calendar month during which the Buyer purchases from the Seller no Fuel in excess of the Buyer's Minimum Take and no monthly fee in a calendar month during which the Buyer purchases from the Seller one hundred percent (100%) of its Fuel requirements for the Peaking Plant. In addition to and concurrently with the payment of the monthly fee, the Buyer shall pay to the Seller all costs of parts and labor in excess of routine day-to-day costs and expenses incurred by the Seller in operating and maintaining the Storage Facility. The monthly fee and all such costs for each month shall be included on the corresponding monthly statement described in Section 2 .4 of this Agreement. g:\genbus\rba\35295\0200 fue11-14.a9t-4456sn 12 ARTICLE III ADDITIONAL OBLIGATIONS OF THE SELLER 3 . 1 Additional Notices. The Seller shall provide the Buyer with an 18-month forecast of projected Fuel costs, delineated by month, at least two (2) months prior to the start of each consecutive 18-month period of the Term. In addition, the Seller shall provide the Buyer with forecasts of quarterly projected Fuel costs not less than forty-five (45) Days prior to the start of each calendar quarter of the Term. No such forecast shall be regarded as a firm commitment by the Seller to provide Fuel at the prices forecast nor a warranty that Fuel shall be available for such periods or at such prices. All forecast prices shall include all costs associated with delivering the Fuel to the Project. 3 .2 The Inventory a. Except as otherwise provided in this Section 3 . 2, at all times during the Term the Seller shall maintain an Inventory of Two Hundred Forty Thousand (240, 000) gallons of LPG at the Storage Facility, in such mix of types of LPG as the Buyer shall from time to time request; provided, however, that at no time shall the Seller be required to replace a type of LPG stored in the Inventory for the purpose of complying with the Buyer's request for a particular mix of types of LPG. The Seller shall own all LPG contained in the Inventory until such time as the LPG is delivered to the Buyer at the delivery point(s) described in Article V of this Agreement in accordance with the provisions of Section 2 .3 of this Agreement. The Seller shall have a period of six (6) months, commencing on the Effective Date, in which to deliver the initial 240, 000 gallons of LPG to the Storage Facility for the purpose of establishing the Inventory. Thereafter, the Seller shall, promptly upon receipt of demand from the Buyer to deliver LPG from the Inventory to the Project, begin to replace all LPG so delivered. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Seller shall not be required to commence delivery of such replacement LPG to the Storage Facility prior to the expiration of the twelve-hour period commencing upon the Seller' s receipt of such demand from the Buyer, but the Seller shall deliver LPG at a rate sufficient to replenish the 240, 000 gallons of LPG held in the Inventory within twenty-four hours after receipt of such demand from the Buyer. b. The Seller shall operate and maintain the Storage Facility for the benefit of the Buyer at all times during the Term, using due diligence to ensure that the Storage Facility is operated and maintained in accordance with generally accepted industry standards and practices and with the terms of this Section 3 .2, so that LPG shall at all times be available to the g:\genbus\rba\35295\0200 fueL1-14.agt-4456sn 13 Buyer upon demand at a maximum delivery rate of Fourteen Thousand Five Hundred (14, 500) gallons of LPG per hour. ARTICLE IV FUEL QUALITY 4. 1 Quality Specifications. All Gas to be delivered hereunder by the Seller to the Buyer shall be of a quality which meets the Transporter's standard specifications for pipeline Gas. All LPG to be delivered hereunder by the Seller to the Buyer shall meet or exceed the then-current specifications applicable to the type of LPG delivered as is from time to time published by the Natural Gas Producers Association. 4. 2 Failure to Meet Specifications. Should any Fuel at any time fail to conform with the specifications required by Section 4. 1 of this Agreement, the Buyer may refuse to accept delivery of such nonconforming Fuel, in which event the Seller shall promptly procure replacement Fuel for delivery to the Buyer, in quantities sufficient to satisfy the specified purchase requirements of the Buyer, which meets said specifications. ARTICLE V DELIVERY POINTS The delivery point(s) for all Gas shall be the supply side of the meter(s) which connect the Project to the Transporter's Gas delivery system. The delivery point(s) for all LPG shall be the supply side of the meter(s) located on the pipeline(s) which connect the Project with the Storage Facility. Title to and ownership of the Fuel delivered hereunder shall pass to and vest in the Buyer at the delivery points. The Seller shall be solely liable and responsible for the Fuel prior to the time of delivery to the Buyer, and the Buyer shall be solely liable and responsible for the Fuel thereafter. ARTICLE VI METERING OF FUEL 6. 1 Installation and Operation. At such time as the Project and the Storage Facility are constructed, there shall be installed at each delivery point suitable solid-state Fuel flow telemetering equipment for the measuring of the quantities of Fuel delivered hereunder to the Buyer, all in accordance with the specifications prescribed in Gas Measurement Committee Report No. 3, dated April, 1955, of the Natural Gas Department of the American Gas Association, as said Report may from time to time be g:\genbus\rba\35295\0200 fueL1-14.agt-4456sn 14 updated. The Buyer shall maintain and operate all such telemetering equipment; provided, however, that as to any telemetering equipment connected to the Transporter's pipeline which the Transporter operates and maintains, the Seller and the Buyer shall cooperate to cause the Transporter to maintain and operate such telemetering equipment in a manner which is mutually agreeable to the Transporter and the Parties, and to keep the telemetering equipment and its maintenance records accessible at all reasonable times for inspection and examination by the Buyer and the Seller. 6. 2 Periodic Verification. From time to time and at least once in each three (3) month period of the Term, at as near equal intervals as is practicable, the accuracy of all metering equipment described in Section 6. 1 of this Agreement shall be verified by and at the expense of the Buyer and the Seller equally. If either Party or the Transporter shall at any time provide notice that it desires a special test of any such metering equipment, the Party or Parties receiving such notification shall cooperate, and shall take such actions as are within the Parties' respective powers to cause the Transporter to cooperate, to secure an immediate verification of the accuracy of such metering equipment and joint observation of any adjustments thereto. If upon such test the metering equipment shall be found to be registering correctly, the cost of such test shall be charged to the entity requesting that such test be conducted; otherwise, the cost of such test shall be borne entirely by that entity which is responsible for maintaining and operating the tested equipment. Each Party shall receive notice of the times of all tests in order that it may have a representative present at each such test. The reading, calibration and adjustment of the metering equipment shall be done only by the entity charged with maintaining the respective equipment. 6. 3 Range of Accuracy. If any test results in a finding that the metering equipment is inaccurate but less than two percent (2%) erroneous, previous readings of such equipment shall be considered correct in computing deliveries of Fuel hereunder. If any test results in a finding that the metering equipment is two percent (2%) or more erroneous, the previous readings of such metering equipment shall be corrected at the rate of such inaccuracy for any period which is definitely known or agreed upon, but with respect to such period as is not definitely known or agreed upon then for a period extending back one half (1/2) of the time elapsed since the date of the last calibration. Following any tests, metering equipment found to be inaccurate shall be restored as soon as practicable to a condition as close as possible to absolute accuracy by the entity charged with maintaining the respective equipment. If for any reason any metering equipment is out of service or out of repair so that the amount of Fuel delivered cannot be estimated or computed from the g:\genbus\rba\35295\0200 fueL1-14.agt-4456sn 15 • reading thereof, the amount of Fuel delivered during the period that such metering equipment is out of service or out of repair shall be estimated and agreed upon by the Parties on the basis of the best data available, using whichever of the following methods is most feasible: (i) Correcting the error if the percentage of error is ascertainable by calibration tests or mathematical calculation; (ii) Using readings from the Seller's check meter, if such check meter has been installed and is accurately registering; or (iii) Estimating the quantity of deliveries based upon deliveries during preceding periods under similar conditions when the metering equipment was registering accurately. 6. 4 Check Meters. The Seller may, at its option and expense, install and operate check meters, but all measurements of Fuel for the purposes of this Agreement shall be by the Buyer's or the Transporter' s metering equipment, as the case may be, except as hereinabove specifically provided to the contrary. Such check meters and equipment shall be so installed as not to interfere with the operation of the metering equipment to be installed and maintained by the Buyer or the Transporter, as the case may be, at or near the delivery points. ' ARTICLE VII REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE SELLER The Seller represents and warrants to the Buyer as I follows: 7. 1 Due Organization and Good Standing. The Seller is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware; has all requisite power and authority to own, operate and lease its own properties and assets and to carry on its businesses as currently conducted; and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in every jurisdiction in which the nature of its business or the location its properties owned or leased makes such qualification necessary. 7 . 2 Due Authorization and Execution. The Seller has full legal power and authority, and has taken all requisite corporate actions, necessary for the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby. The Seller is not subject to any charter, 9:\9enbus\rba\35295\0200 fueL1-14.a9t-4456sn 16 • i agreement, instrument, order or decree of any court or governmental body which would prohibit or prevent the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby. This Agreement, when duly executed and delivered by the Seller, shall constitute a valid and binding obligation of the Seller, enforceable in accordance with its terms except as limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or other laws of general application relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors ' rights generally and principles of equity. 7 . 3 Compliance With Applicable Regulations. The Seller has not been notified of the violation of any, and the Seller and all businesses currently conducted by it which are relevant to the performance by it of its obligations under this Agreement are in compliance with all, federal, state and local laws, statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations. The Seller has obtained and maintains in effect all licenses, permits, franchises and other governmental authorizations necessary for the operation of its businesses as currently conducted and the performance of its obligations as contemplated hereby. 7.4 Compliance With Other Instruments. The Seller is not in violation in any material respect of the terms of any license, commitment, agreement, instrument or other arrangement to which it is party or by which it is bound or to which any of its properties or assets is subject, or any provision of any judgment, writ, decree, order, arbitration award, statute, rule or governmental regulation applicable to it, which violation would render it unable to fully and timely perform each and every one of its obligations under this Agreement. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein by the Seller will not: (i) violate or result in any violation of, or be in conflict with or constitute a default under, any such provision, agreement, instrument or other arrangement, or be an event which, with a lapse of time or action by a third party (or both) , could result in a default, breach or violation thereof; (ii) result in the acceleration of, or permit any party to terminate or accelerate the performance provided by the terms of, any such agreement, instrument or other arrangement to which the Seller is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of its properties is subject; (iii) result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or other encumbrance upon any asset or property of the Seller; or (iv) violate or conflict with any other restriction of any kind or character to which the Seller or any of its properties or assets may be subject. 7.5 Title. The Seller holds good title to the Fuel to be sold by it hereunder and has the right to sell the same, and the Seller warrants that all such Fuel is owned by the Seller free from all liens, encumbrances and adverse claims. g:\genbus\rba\35295\0200 fuel1-14.agt-4456sn 17 7. 6 Broker' s or Finder's Fees. The Purchase Price includes all broker's and finder's fees, if any, which the Seller is obligated to pay, and the Buyer shall have no obligation hereunder to pay any broker's or finder's fees incurred by the Seller which are not included in the Purchase Price. ARTICLE VIII REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE BUYER The Buyer hereby represents and warrants to the Seller as follows: 8. 1 Due Organization and Good Standing. The Buyer is a municipal corporation duly organized and validly existing in accordance with the laws of the State of California, and has all requisite power and authority to own, operate and lease its own properties and assets and carry on its businesses as currently conducted. 8.2 Due Authorization and Execution. The Buyer has full legal power and authority, and has taken all requisite corporate actions, necessary for the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby. The Buyer is not subject to any charter, agreement, instrument or order or decree of any court or governmental body which would prohibit or prevent the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby. This Agreement, when duly executed and delivered by the Buyer, shall constitute a valid and binding obligation of the Buyer, enforceable in accordance with its terms except as limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or other laws of general application relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights generally and principles of equity. 8. 3 Compliance With Applicable Regulations. The Buyer has not been notified of the violation of any, and the Buyer and all businesses currently conducted by it which are relevant to the performance by it of its obligations under this Agreement are in compliance with all, federal, state and local laws, statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations. The Buyer has obtained and maintains in effect all licenses, permits, franchises and other governmental authorizations necessary for the operation of its businesses as currently conducted and the performance of its obligations as contemplated hereby. 8 .4 Compliance With Other Instruments. The Buyer is not in violation in any material respect of the terms of any license, commitment, agreement, instrument or other arrangement to which it is party or by which it is bound or to which any of its properties or assets is subject, or any provision of any g:\genbus\rba\35295\0200 fueL1-14.agt-4456sn 18 judgment, writ, decree, order, arbitration award, statute, rule or governmental regulation applicable to it, which violation would render it unable to fully and timely perform each and every one of its obligations under this Agreement. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and therein by the Buyer will not: (i) violate or result in any violation of, or be in conflict with or constitute a default under, any such provision, agreement, instrument or other arrangement, or be an event which, with a lapse of time or action by a third party (or both) , could result in a default, breach or violation thereof; (ii) result in the acceleration of, or permit any party to terminate or accelerate the performance provided by the terms of, any such agreement, instrument or other arrangement to which the Buyer is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of its properties is subject; (iii) result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or other encumbrance upon any asset or property of the Buyer; or (iv) violate or conflict with any other restriction of any kind or character to which the Buyer or any of its properties or assets may be subject. 8 .5 Broker's or Finder's Fees. The. Buyer has not incurred nor will it incur, directly or indirectly, any liability for any broker's or finder's fees or agent's commissions or any similar charges in connection with this Agreement or any transaction contemplated hereby, and the Buyer hereby agrees to hold the Seller harmless with respect to any such fees, commissions or expenses that may be claimed by any such person. ARTICLE IX TERM AND TERMINATION 9. 1 Term. The Term of this Agreement shall commence on the date first set forth above and shall expire on the date which is thirty (30) years after the Effective Date, unless earlier terminated in accordance with the provisions of this Article IX. 9.2 Events of Default. The occurrence of any of the following events shall constitute an Event of Default under this Agreement and the non-defaulting Party shall have the right, after the occurrence of an such event and the passage of all applicable cure periods without cure having been effected, to terminate this Agreement forthwith: a. The failure of the defaulting Party to pay any sums due hereunder and the expiration of a period of thirty (30) Days, commencing on the date that the non-defaulting Party provides the defaulting Party with written notice of such failure, without the defaulting Party having effected a cure; or g:\genbus\rba\35295\0200 fueL1-14.agt-4456sn 19 b. The dissolution or liquidation of, or discontinuance of business operations by, the defaulting Party; or C. The failure of the defaulting Party to remedy its breach of or default under any provision of this Agreement, other than a failure to pay any sums due hereunder to the non-defaulting Party, and the expiration of a period of sixty (60) Days, commencing on the date that the non- defaulting Party provides the defaulting Party with written notice specifying in detail the nature of such default, without the defaulting Party having effected a cure; provided, however, that if such default is of a nature that it cannot be cured within such 60-Day period, then the failure of the defaulting Party to commence a cure within such 60-Day period and proceed diligently thereafter to effect a cure. 9 . 3 Early Termination. Except for termination resulting from the occurrence of an Event of Default, neither Party shall terminate this Agreement before the fifth (5th) anniversary of the Effective Date. Thereafter, either Party may terminate this Agreement by giving the other Party ninety (90) Days ' prior written notice; provided, however, that if the Buyer is the Party electing to terminate this Agreement, the Buyer shall pay to the Seller on the effective date of such termination, in addition to all other sums then owing to the Seller, a sum equal to the product of seventeen and one-half cents ($0. 175) multiplied by the aggregate number of MMBtu's furnished to the Buyer by the Seller during the twelve month period immediately preceding the month in which the termination is effective multiplied by a percentage, which percentage shall be one hundred percent (100%) if the effective date of such termination occurs during the sixth (6th) year after the Effective Date and which percentage shall decline by ten percent (10%) for each subsequent year thereafter until the percentage reaches zero percent (0. 00%) on the Day after the fifteenth (15th) anniversary of the Effective Date. Each Party shall forthwith pay to the other Party all sums owing by it under the terms of this Agreement upon the effective date of termination or the expiration of the Term, as the case may be. 9 .4 Failure to Provide Fuel. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Buyer's only remedy for the Seller's failure to deliver Fuel as required hereunder shall be payment from the Seller of a sum equal to the difference between the Aggregate Purchase Price which the Buyer would have paid to the Seller for such Fuel had it been delivered by the Seller and the aggregate of all costs incurred by the Buyer in obtaining a like quantity of substitute Fuel (measured in MMBtu's) . The Buyer's costs for obtaining such substitute Fuel shall include all purchase and transportation costs without g:\genbus\rba\35295\0200 fueL1-14.agt-4456sn 2 0 regard to whether or not such costs are reasonable; provided, however, that the Buyer shall take all actions reasonable under the circumstances to minimize the costs incurred by it in obtaining such substitute Fuel and provided further, that the Seller shall not be obligated to pay those costs incurred by the Buyer which are in excess of what would be considered reasonable costs under the circumstances where such excess costs are attributable to the Buyer' s receiving additional benefits over and above the mere acquisition of substitute Fuel. 9.5 Transfer of Inventory. At the expiration of the Term or at such time as this Agreement is earlier terminated for any reason other than default by the Buyer, the Seller shall transfer to the Buyer without charge title to the LPG held in the Inventory at the time of such expiration or earlier termination. ARTICLE X GENERAL PROVISIONS 10. 1 Force Maieure. Neither Party shall be deemed to be in default as a result of its failure to perform an obligation to be performed by it under this Agreement, other than a failure to pay any monies due and owing hereunder, if said failure is occasioned by the occurrence of any of the following events (an "Event of Force Majeure") : war, fire, tsunami, flood, earthquake, interruption of transportation, embargo, accident, explosion, inability to procure supplies or production facilities, governmental regulations or restrictions, labor troubles or any other event beyond the control of the affected Party which the affected Party could not have reasonably been expected to avoid by the exercise of due diligence and foresight. A Party asserting the excuse of Force Majeure shall use due diligence to cure as promptly as possible its inability to fulfill its obligations under this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the occurrence of an Event of Force Majeure shall not excuse the Buyer from its obligations under this Agreement to accept and to pay for Optional Fuel and Take-or-Pay Fuel if the Buyer has elected to purchase such Fuel and if the Seller is not likewise excused as a result of the occurrence of the same Event of Force Majeure from its obligations to any third party to acquire such Fuel for delivery to the Buyer. The Seller shall use its best efforts to notify the Buyer in advance if the Seller will be so excused, but the Seller's failure to so notify the Buyer shall not excuse the Buyer from its obligations should the Seller not in fact be likewise so excused. 10. 2 Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement and understanding between the Parties as to the subject matter hereof and merges all prior discussions and 9:\9enbus\rba\35295\0200 fueL1-14.agt-4456sn 2 1 agreements between them. This Agreement may only be amended in a writing signed by the duly-authorized representatives of the Parties. 10. 3 Assignment. Neither Party may assign any of it rights or delegate any of its duties hereunder without the prior written consent thereto of the other Party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld; provided, however, that each Party may freely assign any or all of its rights hereunder to any Affiliate of that Party without the consent of the other Party. 10.4 Successors and Assigns. Subject to Section 10. 3 hereof, this Agreement and the rights and privileges hereunder of the Parties shall bind and inure to the benefit of the assigns and the successors-in-interest of both of the Parties hereto. 10.5 Notices. Any notice required or permitted by this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed given if delivered personally or if sent by one Party to the other by electronic facsimile transmission or by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the Party to be notified at the address of that Party stated on the first page of this Agreement or such other address as the Party to be notified from time to time has advised the sending Party in accordance with the terms of this Section 10. 5. Notice shall be deemed effective upon the earlier of (i) actual receipt or (ii) delivery at the stated address of the Party to be notified. 10. 6 Taxes. The Buyer shall pay all taxes and assessments imposed by any and all taxing authorities with respect to its purchases of Fuel hereunder; provided, however, that the Buyer shall not be obligated to pay any taxes which are not included in the Purchase Price which is quoted by the Seller from time to time hereunder except those taxes and assessments which are imposed by the State of California or any political subdivision thereof. 10.7 No Waiver. Any failure by either Party to enforce at any time any of the provisions, including without limitation the termination provisions, of this Agreement shall not be construed to be a waiver of such provision(s) or of the right of such Party thereafter to enforce such provision(s) . 10.8 Severability. All provisions of this Agreement shall be considered as separate covenants and conditions, and in the event that any one shall be held illegal, invalid or unenforceable, all of the other provisions hereof shall remain in g:\genbus\rba\35295\0200 fueL1-14.agt-4456sn 2 2 full force and effect as if the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision(s) were not a part hereof. 10.9 Relationship Between the Parties; Insurance. The relationship between the Seller and the Buyer shall be that of a seller and buyer. Neither Party shall have the power, either express or implied, to make any promise, warranty or representation on behalf of the other or to bind the other in any manner, and in no event shall the Seller and the Buyer be considered partners, joint venturers or agent and principal. Each Party shall employ its own personnel and shall be responsible for them and their acts and in no way shall either Party be liable to the other for any losses, injuries, damages or the like occasioned by the activities of that Party in connection with this Agreement, except as is otherwise provided for herein. Furthermore, each Party shall be solely responsible for, and hereby indemnifies and holds the other harmless from and against, any and all loss, liability, claims, damages and lawsuits arising out of the acts or omissions of that Party and its employees, servants or agents with respect to third parties, except as is otherwise provided for herein. Each Party shall carry adequate liability and property insurance at its own expense to cover such risks and, if requested by the other, shall deliver to the other reasonably satisfactory evidence of such insurance. In addition, the Seller shall insure the LPG held in the Inventory and the Buyer shall insure the Storage Facility, all such insurance to cover against such risks as are customarily insured against in the industry with coverage in such amounts as are sufficient to protect against reasonably foreseeable losses. 10. 10 Choice of Law. This Agreement has been entered into under the laws of the State of California and the Parties agree that this Agreement shall be interpreted and all disputes arising hereunder shall be resolved in accordance with California law, without regard to the conflicts of law principles thereof. 10. 11 Arbitration. Any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement, or the breach, termination or validity hereof, shall (if it is not settled by the mutual agreement of the Parties) be resolved by arbitration conducted by three (3) arbitrators (who are to be selected as provided in this Section 10. 11) in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association in effect at the date on which such arbitration is to commence. Each Party shall select one arbitrator and the two arbitrators so selected shall choose the third arbitrator or, if the two arbitrators cannot agree on a third arbitrator, the third arbitrator shall be selected by the American Arbitration Association. In the event that one Party fails to choose an arbitrator within thirty (30) Days after the other Party has chosen an arbitrator, the American Arbitration Association shall choose an arbitrator for the Party that has 9:\9enbus\rba\35295\0200 fueL1-14.agt-4456sn 23 failed to do so. The place of arbitration shall be Sacramento, California. Judgment on any award may be entered by any court of competent jurisdiction, or application may be made to such a court for judicial acceptance of the award and any appropriate order, including enforcement thereof. 10. 12 Attorneys' Fees. In the event of a dispute between the Parties, the prevailing Party (as determined by the arbitrators) shall receive, separate and apart from any other judgment, decree or award, a judgment or award for the reasonable costs and attorneys ' fees incurred by that Party in connection with such dispute. If an Event of Default occurs hereunder, the non-defaulting Party shall be entitled to the reasonable costs and attorneys ' fees incurred by it in enforcing its rights under this Agreement, regardless of whether arbitration occurs. 10. 13 Books and Records. Each Party shall be given limited access to the books and records of the other Party, the Buyer to the books and records of the Seller for the sole purpose of verifying the costs to be passed through to the Buyer under this Agreement for the maintenance of the Storage Facility and the Seller to the books and records of the Buyer for the sole purpose of verifying that the Buyer is purchasing the Buyer's Minimum Take and, if it is not, the magnitude of each and every shortfall. All books and records of a Party shall be made available to the other Party or its designated agent at the respective principal place of business of the Party to which the books and records belong during that Party's normal business hours. The Party inspecting such books and records shall bear all reasonable copying costs. Each Party shall keep all information about the other Party which is disclosed by an inspection of the other Party's books and records confidential at all times during the Term and for a period of two (2) years thereafter, and shall not disclose such information to any other entity except upon the legitimate demand of any governmental or regulatory authority. All copies of books and records shall be promptly returned to the Party to which such books and records belong at the expiration of the Term or the earlier termination of this Agreement, as the case may be. 10. 14 Additional Documents. Each of the Parties agrees that it shall in a timely manner execute and deliver, or cause to be executed and delivered, to or for the benefit of the other Party such additional instruments and other documents as may be necessary or desirable to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including but not limited to all Notices of Buyer' s Expected Fuel Requirements, Notices of Fuels Postings and Nomination Confirmations. 10. 15 Headings. The captions and headings of the different articles and sections of this Agreement are inserted for g:\genbus\rba\35295\0200 fueL1-14.agt-4456sn 2 4 r convenience of reference only and are not to be taken as part of this Agreement or to control or affect the meaning or construction of the same. 10. 16 Time of the Essence. Time is of the essence with respect to the performance by each Party of its respective obligations under this Agreement. 10. 17 Exhibits. The attached Exhibits A-E have been included for the purpose of example and may be changed from time to time upon the mutual agreement of the Parties. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Parties intend that the forms of notice set forth in Exhibits C-E will be utilized by the appropriate Party for the intended purposes of such notices in the attached form until so changed. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the Parties has caused this Agreement to be executed by its duly authorized representative as of the date and year first written above. THE SELLER: THE BUYER: COAST ENERGY GROUP, INC. , a T]HE CITY OF REDDING, a Delaware corporation municipal corporation Its irector �Mus ness Development Its g:\genbus\rba\35295\0200 fueL1-14.agt-4456sn 25 EXHIBIT A FUEL PRICE INDEX EXEMPLAR I. EXEMPLAR FOR GAS INDEX Postings by Publication: High Low Average Inside FERC $1.700 $1.700 $1.700 Natural Gas Week $1. 800 $1.870 $1. 835 Natural Gas Intelligence $1.700 $1.410 $1. 705 Average Cost of Gas to California Border: $1.747 Intrastate Transport Charge: $1. 450 Maximum Seller's Fee: $0. 035 Cost to the Buyer: $3 .232/MMBtu II. EXEMPLAR FOR LPG INDEX Postings by Supplier (dollars/gal. ) : Shell $0.270 Chevron $0.270 Suburban $0. 270 Average of Postings (dollars/gal. ) : $0.270 Maximum Seller's Fee (10% of Average of Postings) : $0. 027 Freight Charge (dollars/gal. ) : Pacific Energy $0. 0730 Tippin $0. 0638 Coast Gas, Inc. $0. 0638 Amerigas/P.T. I. $0. 0638 Average Freight Charge (dollars/gal. ) : $0. 0661 Total Charge (dollars/gal. ) : $0. 363 Conversion Factor ( . 0915 MMBtu/gal. ) : _ 0. 0915 Cost to the Buyer: $3 .967/MMBtu NOTE: THE FOREGOING HAS BEEN INCLUDED FOR THE PURPOSE OF EXAMPLE ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE, NOR SHALL IT BE DEEMED TO CONSTITUTE, A REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY ON THE PART OF THE SELLER AS TO THE AVAILABILITY OF FUEL AT A SPECIFIC PURCHASE PRICE. EXHIBIT B AGREED-UPON CARRIERS 1. Pacific Energy 2 . Tippin 3 . Coast Gas, Inc. 4 . Amerigas/P.T.I. EXHIBIT C FORM OF NOMINATION CONFIRMATION 19 VIA FACSIMILE Coast Energy Group, Inc. 9494 Southwest Freeway, Suite 404 Houston, TX 77074 Attn: Re: Purchase of Fuel Gentlemen: Reference is made to that certain document entitled "Fuel Supply Agreement" (the "Agreement") dated as of September 15, 1992 , between the City of Redding as Buyer and Coast Energy Group, Inc. as Seller. The general terms of the Agreement are incorporated by reference into this Confirmation and made a part of it. Pursuant to the Agreement, the Buyer hereby notifies the Seller of the Buyer's desire to purchase Fuel in accordance with the Agreement and the following specific terms: 1. PRIMARY FUEL Fixed Charges (if any) : $ Purchase Period: Type of Fuel: Purchase Price: Maximum Amount of Fuel (in MMBtu's) : Maximum Delivery Rate: 2 . OPTIONAL FUEL and/or TAKE-OR- PAY FUEL [Terms and conditions will be developed on a case-by-case basis. ] Very truly yours, THE CITY OF REDDING, a municipal corporation By: Its Accepted and Agreed to: COAST ENERGY GROUP, INC. , a Delaware corporation By: Its Dated: 2 EXHIBIT D FORM OF NOTICE OF BUYER'S EXPECTED FUEL REQUIREMENTS 19 VIA FACSIMILE Coast Energy Group, Inc. 9494 Southwest Freeway, Suite 404 Houston, TX 77074 Attn: Re: Purchase of Fuel Gentlemen: Reference is made to that certain document entitled "Fuel Supply Agreement" (the "Agreement") dated as of September 15, 1992 , between the City of Redding as Buyer and Coast Energy Group, Inc. as Seller. The general terms of the Agreement are incorporated by reference into this Notice and made a part of it. Pursuant to the Agreement, the Buyer hereby notifies the Seller of the Buyer's Expected Fuel Requirements for the calendar month indicated below in accordance with terms of the Agreement: Calendar Month: Type(s) of Fuel: Maximum Amount of Fuel (in MMBtu's) : Maximum Delivery Rate(s) : We look forward to receiving your Notice of Fuels Postings predicated upon the foregoing information. Very truly yours, THE CITY OF REDDING, a municipal corporation By: Its EXHIBIT E FORM OF NOTICE OF FUELS POSTINGS 19 VIA FACSIMILE The City of Redding 760 Parkview Avenue Redding, CA 96001 Attn: Dear Sir or Madam: Pursuant to Section 2 . 2 of that certain Fuel Supply Agreement between the City of Redding as Buyer and Coast Energy Group, Inc. as Seller dated as of September 15, 1992 , the Buyer must select for the next succeeding calendar month one of the options listed below for the delivery and purchase of any amount of Primary Fuel to be delivered to the Site, up to the amount specified by the Buyer as the Buyer's Expected Fuel Requirements for the calendar month, for the Purchase Price and Fixed Charge set forth below. If the Buyer fails to make a selection within five (5) Business Days of receipt of this notice the Buyer shall be deemed to have chosen the Lowest Cost Available Fuel set forth below. DELIVERIES FOR THE MONTH OF (Insert Month) BUYER'S EXPECTED FUEL REQUIREMENTS: MMBtu's 1. Gas: a. First MMBtu' s: (i) Fixed Charge: $ (ii) Purchase Price: $ /MMBtu's b. Next MMBtu' s: (i) Fixed Charge: $ (ii) Purchase Price: $ /MMBtu's • / 1 C. Next MMBtu' s: (i) Fixed Charge: $ (ii) Purchase Price: $ /MMBtu's d. All additional MMBtu's: (i) Fixed Charge: $ (ii) Purchase Price: $ /MMBtu' s 2 . LPG: a. First MMBtu' s: (i) Fixed Charge: $ (ii) Purchase Price: $ /MMBtu' s b. Next MMBtu's: (i) Fixed Charge: $ (ii) Purchase Price: $_ /MMBtu's C. Next MMBtu' s: (i) Fixed Charge: $ (ii) Purchase Price: $ /MMBtu's d. All additional MMBtu's: (i) Fixed Charge: $ (ii) Purchase Price: $ /MMBtu' s THE LOWEST COST AVAILABLE FUEL IS OUTSTANDING OPTIONAL FUEL AND/OR TAKE-OR-PAY FUEL OBLIGATIONS: The Seller and the Buyer have previously agreed to Optional Fuel and/or Take-or-Pay Fuel arrangements. As of the first Business Day of this month, outstanding obligations of those arrangements are as follows: 2 c r ' a 1. Outstanding obligation dated a. Remaining fuel: MMBtu's b. Remaining fuel must be used or paid for by C. Force Majeure relief ❑ is/ ❑ is not (check one) applicable. 2 . Outstanding obligation dated a. Remaining fuel: MMBtu's b. Remaining fuel must be used or paid for by C. Force Majeure relief ❑ is/ ❑ is not (check one) applicable. 3 . Outstanding obligation dated a. Remaining fuel: MMBtu's b. Remaining fuel must be used or paid for by C. Force Majeure relief ❑ is/ ❑ is not (check one) applicable. Please indicate your choice of Primary Fuel on the attached Nomination Confirmation and return the Nomination Confirmation to the attention of the undersigned by telephonic facsimile transmission within the next five (5) Business Days. Very truly yours, COAST ENERGY GROUP, INC. , a Delaware corporation By: Its 3