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Filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)

Registration No. 333-201149

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered		Maximum Aggregate Offering Price		Amount of Registration Fee (1)(2)
Junior Subordinated Notes		$550,385,000		$55,424

 

(1)	Calculated in accordance with Rule 457(r) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

(2)	This “Calculation of Registration Fee” table shall be deemed to update the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-201149) in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

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PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

(To Prospectus Dated December 19, 2014)

$550,000,000

 

Dominion Resources, Inc.

4.104% Junior Subordinated Notes due 2021

This prospectus supplement relates to the remarketing of $550,000,000 aggregate principal amount of our 2013 Series A 1.07% remarketable subordinated notes due 2021 (the Series A RSNs), originally issued as components of our 2013 Series A Equity Units issued in June 2013 (the Equity Units). The Equity Units were initially issued in the form of a Corporate Unit consisting of a purchase contract issued for shares of our common stock and a 1/20, or a 5%, undivided beneficial ownership interest in $1,000 principal amount of the Series A RSNs. This remarketing is on behalf of holders of the Corporate Units. As used herein, the term “Junior Subordinated Notes” refers to the Series A RSNs after the remarketing.

The Junior Subordinated Notes will be sold with accrued interest at an annual rate of 1.07% from, and including, January 1, 2016 to, but excluding, March 7, 2016.

Interest on the Junior Subordinated Notes will be payable semi-annually on April 1 and October 1 of each year, beginning April 1, 2016. The Junior Subordinated Notes will mature on April 1, 2021.

The Junior Subordinated Notes will be subordinated to all of our existing and future “Priority Indebtedness” (as defined under “Description of the Junior Subordinated Notes—Subordination”). In addition, the Junior Subordinated Notes will be effectively subordinated to all liabilities of our subsidiaries.

The Junior Subordinated Notes will not be redeemable prior to maturity.

Investing in the Junior Subordinated Notes involves risks. For a description of these risks, see “Risk Factors” on page S-9 of this prospectus supplement, the Risk Factors section of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in our other reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

		Public  Offering Price(1)				Remarketing Fee(2)(3)
Per Junior Subordinated Note			100.070%				0.60%
Total		$	550,385,000			$	3,300,000

 

(1)

Plus interest accrued at an annual rate of 1.07% from, and including, January 1, 2016 to, but excluding, the date of delivery of the Junior Subordinated Notes, which must be paid by the purchasers thereof.

(2)

We will not directly receive any proceeds from this remarketing. See “Use of Proceeds” on page S-10.

(3)

We will pay all fees and expenses of the remarketing agents.

This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the Equity Units or any other securities issued by Dominion other than the Junior Subordinated Notes offered hereby. The information contained herein regarding the Equity Units is qualified in its entirety by reference to the prospectus dated January 27, 2012 and the related prospectus supplement of Dominion dated June 3, 2013, pursuant to which the Equity Units were issued on June 7, 2013.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus supplement or the accompanying base prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The Junior Subordinated Notes will be ready for delivery in book-entry form only through The Depository Trust Company on or about March 7, 2016.

Remarketing Agents

 

BofA Merrill Lynch		J.P. Morgan		Wells Fargo Securities

The date of this prospectus supplement is March 2, 2016.

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

This document is in two parts. The first part is the prospectus supplement, which describes the specific terms of the Junior Subordinated Notes and certain other matters relating to us and our financial condition. The second part, the accompanying base prospectus, gives more general information about the Debt Securities we may offer from time to time, some of which does not apply to the Junior Subordinated Notes we are offering at this time. Generally, when we refer to the prospectus, we are referring to both parts of this document combined. To the extent the description of the Junior Subordinated Notes in the prospectus supplement differs from the description of the Debt Securities and Junior Subordinated Notes in the accompanying base prospectus, you should only rely on the information in the prospectus supplement.

You should rely only on the information contained in this document or to which this document refers you, or in other offering materials filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). We have not authorized anyone, and we have not authorized the remarketing agents to authorize anyone, to provide you with different information. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any different or inconsistent information. This document may only be used where it is legal to sell these securities. The information which appears in this document and which is incorporated by reference in this document may only be accurate as of the date of this prospectus supplement or the date of the document in which incorporated information appears. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since the date of such information.

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Prospectus Supplement
		Page
About This Prospectus Supplement			S-2
Where You Can Find More Information			S-4
Forward-Looking Information			S-4
Prospectus Supplement Summary			S-7
Risk Factors			S-9
Use of Proceeds			S-10
Capitalization			S-11
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges			S-12
Description of the Junior Subordinated Notes			S-13
Book-Entry Procedures and Settlement			S-19
Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations			S-21
Remarketing			S-27
Legal Matters			S-28
Experts			S-28

Base Prospectus

 

		Page
About This Prospectus			2
Where You Can Find More Information			2
Safe Harbor and Cautionary Statements			3
Dominion			3
Use of Proceeds			5
Description of Debt Securities			5
Additional Terms of the Senior Debt Securities			16
Additional Terms of the Junior Subordinated Debentures			18
Additional Terms of the Junior Subordinated Notes			20
Description of Capital Stock			21
Virginia Stock Corporation Act and the Articles and the Bylaws			22
Description of Stock Purchase Contracts and Stock Purchase Units			26
Plan of Distribution			26
Legal Matters			28
Experts			29

 

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our file number with the SEC is 001-08489. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s web site at http://www.sec.gov. You may also read and copy any document we file at the SEC’s public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the public reference room.

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus supplement and information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update or supersede this information. We make some of our filings with the SEC on a combined basis with two of our subsidiaries, Virginia Electric and Power Company (Virginia Power) and Dominion Gas Holdings, LLC (Dominion Gas). Our combined filings with the SEC present separate filings by each of Virginia Power, Dominion Gas and the Company. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below (other than any portions of the documents not deemed to be filed) and any future filings made with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), except those portions of filings that relate to Virginia Power or Dominion Gas as a separate registrant, until such time as all of the securities covered by this prospectus supplement have been sold:

 

•

Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015; and

 

•

Current Reports on Form 8-K filed January 21, 2016 and February 1, 2016.

You may request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at:

Corporate Secretary, Dominion Resources, Inc., 120 Tredegar Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, Telephone (804) 819-2000.

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

We have included certain information in this prospectus supplement or other offering materials which is “forward-looking information” as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Examples include discussions as to our expectations, beliefs, plans, goals, objectives and future financial or other performance or assumptions concerning matters discussed in this prospectus. This information, by its nature, involves estimates, projections, forecasts and uncertainties that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ substantially from those expressed in the forward-looking statement.

Our business is influenced by many factors that are difficult to predict, involve uncertainties that may materially affect actual results and are often beyond our ability to control. We have identified a number of these factors in our annual and quarterly reports as described under the heading RISK FACTORS and we refer you to that discussion for further information. These factors include but are not limited to:

 

•

Unusual weather conditions and their effect on energy sales to customers and energy commodity prices;

 

•

Extreme weather events and other natural disasters, including hurricanes, high winds, severe storms, earthquakes, flooding and changes in water temperatures and availability that can cause outages and property damage to facilities;

 

•

Federal, state and local legislative and regulatory developments, including changes in federal and state tax laws and regulations;

 

•

Changes to federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations, including those related to climate change, the tightening of emission or discharge limits for greenhouse gases and other emissions, more extensive permitting requirements and the regulation of additional substances;

 

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•

Cost of environmental compliance, including those costs related to climate change;

 

•

Changes in enforcement practices of regulators relating to environmental standards and litigation exposure for remedial activities;

 

•

Changes in regulator implementation of environmental standards and litigation exposure for remedial activities;

 

•

Difficulty in anticipating mitigation requirements associated with environmental and other regulatory approvals;

 

•

Risks associated with the operation of nuclear facilities, including costs associated with the disposal of spent nuclear fuel, decommissioning, plant maintenance and changes in existing regulations governing such facilities;

 

•

Unplanned outages at facilities in which we have an ownership interest;

 

•

Fluctuations in energy-related commodity prices and the effect these could have on our earnings and our liquidity position and the underlying value of our assets;

 

•

Counterparty credit and performance risk;

 

•

Capital market conditions, including the availability of credit and the ability to obtain financing on reasonable terms;

 

•

Risks associated with Virginia Power’s membership and participation in PJM Interconnection, L.L.C., including risks related to obligations created by the default of other participants;

 

•

Fluctuations in the value of investments held in nuclear decommissioning trusts and in benefit plan trusts by us;

 

•

Fluctuations in interest rates;

 

•

Changes in rating agency requirements or credit ratings and their effect on availability and cost of capital;

 

•

Changes in financial or regulatory accounting principles or policies imposed by governing bodies;

 

•

Employee workforce factors including collective bargaining agreements and labor negotiations with union employees;

 

•

Risks of operating businesses in regulated industries that are subject to changing regulatory structures;

 

•

Impacts of acquisitions, divestitures, transfers of assets to joint ventures or Dominion Midstream Partners, LP (Dominion Midstream), and retirements of assets based on asset portfolio reviews;

 

•

The expected timing and likelihood of completion of the proposed acquisition of Questar Corporation (Questar), including the ability to obtain the requisite approvals of Questar’s shareholders and the terms and conditions of any required regulatory approvals;

 

•

Receipt of approvals for, and timing of, closing dates for other acquisitions and divestitures;

 

•

The timing and execution of Dominion Midstream’s growth strategy;

 

•

Changes in rules for regional transmission organizations and independent system operators in which we participate, including changes in rate designs, changes in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) interpretation of market rules and new and evolving capacity models;

 

•

Political and economic conditions, including inflation and deflation;

 

•

Domestic terrorism and other threats to our physical and intangible assets, as well as threats to cybersecurity;

 

•

Changes in demand for our services, including industrial, commercial and residential growth or decline in our service areas, changes in supplies of natural gas delivered to our pipeline and processing systems, failure to maintain or replace customer contracts on favorable terms, changes in customer growth or usage patterns, including as a result of energy conservation programs, the availability of energy efficient devices and the use of distributed generation methods;

 

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•

Additional competition in industries in which we operate, including in electric markets in which our merchant generation facilities operate, and competition in the development, construction and ownership of certain electric transmission facilities in Virginia Power’s service territory in connection with FERC Order 1000;

 

•

Changes in technology, particularly with respect to new, developing or alternative sources of generation and smart grid technologies;

 

•

Changes to regulated electric rates and regulated gas distribution, transportation and storage rates, including liquefied natural gas storage, collected by us;

 

•

Changes in operating, maintenance and construction costs;

 

•

Timing and receipt of regulatory approvals necessary for planned construction or expansion projects and compliance with conditions associated with such regulatory approvals;

 

•

The inability to complete planned construction, conversion or expansion projects at all, or with the outcomes or within the terms and time frames initially anticipated;

 

•

Adverse outcomes in litigation matters or regulatory proceedings; and

 

•

The impact of operational hazards, including adverse developments with respect to pipeline and plant safety or integrity, equipment loss, malfunction or failure, operator error, and other catastrophic events.

Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which it is made.

 

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RISK FACTORS

Your investment in the Junior Subordinated Notes involves certain risks. Our business is influenced by many factors that are difficult to predict, involve uncertainties that may materially affect actual results and are often beyond our control. We have identified a number of these factors under the heading “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement. In consultation with your own financial and legal advisers, you should carefully consider, among other matters, the discussions of risks that we have incorporated by reference before deciding whether an investment in the Junior Subordinated Notes is suitable for you.

See WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION on page S-4.

Risks Relating to the Junior Subordinated Notes

The indenture under which the Junior Subordinated Notes were issued does not limit our indebtedness, prevent dividends or generally prevent highly leveraged transactions; there are no financial covenants in the indenture.

Neither we nor any of our subsidiaries are restricted from incurring additional debt or other liabilities, including additional Priority Indebtedness (as defined under DESCRIPTION OF THE JUNIOR SUBORDINATED NOTES—Subordination), under the indenture pursuant to which the Junior Subordinated Notes were issued. As of December 31, 2015, we, and our subsidiaries, had total indebtedness of $29.0 billion. If we incur additional debt or liabilities, our ability to pay our obligations on the Junior Subordinated Notes could be adversely affected. We expect that we will from time to time incur additional debt and other liabilities. In addition, we are not restricted under the indenture from paying dividends or issuing or repurchasing our securities.

There are no financial covenants in the indenture. Except for the covenants described in the accompanying base prospectus under DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES—Consolidation, Merger or Sale, there are no covenants or any other provisions in the indenture which may afford you protection in the event of a highly leveraged transaction including one that may or may not result in a change of control of the Company.

The Junior Subordinated Notes are subordinated to our existing and future Priority Indebtedness and are structurally subordinated to any existing or future preferred stock, indebtedness, guarantees and other liabilities of our subsidiaries.

The Junior Subordinated Notes are obligations exclusively of Dominion and will not be guaranteed by any of our subsidiaries. The Junior Subordinated Notes are subordinated to our existing and future Priority Indebtedness (as defined under DESCRIPTION OF THE JUNIOR SUBORDINATED NOTES—Subordination) and will be structurally subordinated to existing or future preferred stock, indebtedness, guarantees and other liabilities, including trade payables, of our subsidiaries. The indenture under which the Junior Subordinated Notes were issued will not restrict us or our subsidiaries from incurring substantial additional indebtedness in the future.

As of December 31, 2015, we had approximately $9.3 billion principal amount of outstanding long-term debt on an unconsolidated basis (including securities due within one year and junior subordinated debentures issued under our Subordinated Indenture dated as of December 1, 1997) that will be senior to the Junior Subordinated Notes. Additionally, as of December 31, 2015, our subsidiaries had approximately $12.7 billion principal amount of outstanding long-term debt (including securities due within one year).

Our subsidiaries are separate and distinct legal entities from us. Our subsidiaries have no obligation to pay any amounts due on the Junior Subordinated Notes or to provide us with funds to meet our respective payment obligations on the Junior Subordinated Notes. Any payment of dividends, loans or advances by our subsidiaries to us could be subject to statutory or contractual restrictions and will be contingent upon the subsidiaries’

 

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earnings and business considerations. Our right to receive any assets of any of our subsidiaries upon their bankruptcy, liquidation or similar reorganization, and therefore the right of the holders of the Junior Subordinated Notes to participate in those assets, will be structurally subordinated to the claims of that subsidiary’s creditors, including trade creditors. Even if we are a creditor of any of our subsidiaries, our rights as a creditor would be subordinate to any security interest in the assets of our subsidiaries and any indebtedness of our subsidiaries senior to that held by us.

USE OF PROCEEDS

The remarketing agents are remarketing $550,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Series A RSNs on behalf of holders of the Corporate Units.

We will not directly receive any proceeds from the remarketing. The proceeds will be used to purchase a portfolio of treasury securities maturing on or about April 1, 2016. We expect that a portion of the funds generated upon maturity of the portfolio will be used to settle with us the Purchase Contracts on April 1, 2016.

We currently intend to use the proceeds from the settlement of the Purchase Contracts to repay debt issued in part to fund capital expenditures or for other corporate purposes. We do not intend to use such proceeds to repurchase shares of our common stock.

 

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CAPITALIZATION

The table below shows our audited capitalization on a consolidated basis as of December 31, 2015. The “As Adjusted” column reflects our capitalization after giving effect to this remarketing of the Series A RSNs. We will not directly receive any cash proceeds from this remarketing, and the table does not reflect the settlement of the Purchase Contracts, which is expected to take place on April 1, 2016. You should read this table along with our audited financial statements contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015. See WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION on page S-4 and USE OF PROCEEDS on page S-10.

 

		(audited) December 31, 2015
		(in millions)
		Actual				As Adjusted
Short-term debt(1)		$	5,335			$	5,335
Long-term debt:
Senior Notes and other long-term debt			20,172				20,172
Junior Subordinated Notes			1,358				1,908
Remarketable Subordinated Notes			2,086				1,536
Total long-term debt(2)(3)			23,616				23,616
Total equity			13,602				13,602
Total capitalization		$	42,553			$	42,553

 

(1)	Includes securities due within one year, which includes the effect of unamortized discount ($(0.1) million) net of unamortized premium ($0.1 million) and ($(0.1) million) loss on fair value hedges.

(2)	Includes a $7.2 million gain on fair value hedges.

(3)	Includes the effect of unamortized discount ($(57.4) million) net of unamortized premium ($17.7 million).

 

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RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

For purposes of this ratio, earnings are determined by adding distributed income of equity investees and fixed charges (excluding interest capitalized) to income from continuing operations before income taxes and adjustments for noncontrolling interest after eliminating the equity in earnings or losses of equity investees. These earnings are then divided by total fixed charges. Fixed charges consist of interest charges (without reduction for Allowance for Funds Used During Construction) on long-term and short-term debt, interest capitalized, the portion of rental expense that is representative of the interest factor and preferred stock dividends of consolidated subsidiaries (grossed-up by a factor of pre-tax net income divided by net income).

The ratio of earnings to fixed charges for each of the periods indicated is as follows:

 

Years Ended December 31,
2015(a)		2014(b)		2013(c)		2012(d)		2011(e)
3.72		2.33		3.42		3.10		3.10

 

(a)

Earnings for the twelve months ended December 31, 2015 include an $85 million write-off of prior-period deferred fuel costs associated with Virginia legislation; a $99 million charge associated to future ash pond and landfill closure costs; a $78 million charge related to other items; partially offset by a $60 million net gain related to our investments in nuclear decommissioning trust funds. Excluding the effect of these items from the calculation would result in a higher ratio of earnings to fixed charges for the twelve months ended December 31, 2015.

(b)

Earnings for the twelve months ended December 31, 2014 include a $374 million charge related to our North Anna nuclear power station and offshore wind facilities; a $284 million charge associated with our liability management effort, which is included in fixed charges; a $121 million accrued charge associated with future ash pond and landfill closure costs; a $93 million charge related to other items; partially offset by a $100 million net gain on the sale of our electric retail energy marketing business and a $72 million net gain related to our investments in nuclear decommissioning trust funds. Excluding the effect of these items from the calculation would result in a higher ratio of earnings to fixed charges for the twelve months ended December 31, 2014.

(c)

Earnings for the twelve months ended December 31, 2013 include a $55 million impairment charge related to certain natural gas infrastructure assets; a $40 million charge in connection with the Virginia State Corporation Commission’s final ruling associated with its biennial review of Virginia Power’s base rates for 2011-2012 test years; a $28 million charge associated with our operating expense reduction initiative, primarily reflecting severance pay and other employee related costs; a $26 million charge related to the expected early shutdown of certain coal-fired generating units; a $29 million charge related to other items; partially offset by an $81 million net gain related to our investments in nuclear decommissioning trust funds; a $47 million benefit due to a downward revision in the nuclear decommissioning asset retirement obligations for certain merchant nuclear units that are no longer in service; a $29 million net benefit primarily resulting from the sale of our Elwood power station. Excluding the net effect of these items from the calculation would result in a higher ratio of earnings to fixed charges for the twelve months ended December 31, 2013.

(d)

Earnings for the twelve months ended December 31, 2012 include $438 million of impairment and other charges related the planned shut-down of Kewaunee nuclear power station; $87 million of restoration costs associated with severe storms affecting our Dominion Virginia Power and Dominion North Carolina service territories; partially offset by a $36 million net gain related to our investments in nuclear decommissioning trust funds and $4 million net benefit related to other items. Excluding the net effect of these items from the calculation would result in a higher ratio of earnings to fixed charges for the twelve months ended December 31, 2012.

(e)

Earnings for the twelve months ended December 31, 2011 include $228 million of impairment charges related to electric utility generation assets; $96 million of restoration costs associated with Hurricane Irene; a $43 million impairment of excess emission allowances resulting from a new EPA Air Pollution Rule; a $31 million net charge in connection with the Virginia State Corporation Commission’s final ruling associated with its biennial review of Virginia Power’s base rates for 2009 and 2010 test years; $21 million of earthquake related costs, largely related to inspections following the safe shutdown of reactors at our North Anna nuclear power station; and a $45 million net charge related to other items; partially offset by a $24 million benefit related to litigation with the Department of Energy for spent nuclear fuel-related costs at our Millstone nuclear power station. Excluding the net effect of these items from the calculation would result in a higher ratio of earnings to fixed charges for the twelve months ended December 31, 2011.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF THE JUNIOR SUBORDINATED NOTES

In this Description of the Junior Subordinated Notes, “Dominion,” “we,” “us,” “our” and the “Company” refer only to Dominion Resources, Inc., and not to any of its subsidiaries.

The following summary description sets forth certain terms and provisions of the Junior Subordinated Notes and, to the extent inconsistent therewith, replaces the descriptions set forth in the accompanying base prospectus under the captions DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES and ADDITIONAL TERMS OF THE JUNIOR SUBORDINATED NOTES, to which we refer you. Because this description is a summary, it does not describe every aspect of the Junior Subordinated Notes and should be read together with the forms of the Series A RSNs, the subordinated indenture II (defined below under — Ranking) under which the Series A RSNs were issued, the fourth supplemental indenture (defined below under — Ranking) establishing the terms of the Series A RSNs, and the eighth supplemental indenture (defined below under — Ranking) which redesignates the Series A RSNs as the 4.104% Junior Subordinated Notes due 2021. The subordinated indenture II is filed as an exhibit to, and incorporated by reference in, the registration statement of which the accompanying base prospectus is a part. The fourth supplemental indenture is, and the eighth supplemental indenture will be, incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which the accompanying base prospectus is a part. In this summary, we refer to the subordinated indenture II, as previously supplemented and amended, including by the fourth supplemental indenture, and as supplemented by the eighth supplemental indenture, together, as the “indenture.”

The indenture and its associated documents contain the full legal text of the matters described in this section. The indenture has been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the Trust Indenture Act), and you should refer to the Trust Indenture Act for provisions that apply to the Junior Subordinated Notes.

General

The Junior Subordinated Notes are our unsecured and subordinated obligations and are subordinated to all of our Priority Indebtedness (as defined under —Subordination). Additional information about our current outstanding indebtedness and the relative priorities of our indebtedness is described below under —Ranking.

The Junior Subordinated Notes will be initially represented by one or more fully registered global securities (the global securities) deposited with the series trustee, as custodian for DTC, as depository, and registered in the name of DTC or DTC’s 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 PROCEDURES AND SETTLEMENT. The authorized denominations of the Junior Subordinated Notes will be $1,000 and any larger amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000. Except in certain circumstances described below, the Junior Subordinated Notes that are issued as global securities will not be exchangeable for Junior Subordinated Notes in definitive certificated form.

The Junior Subordinated Notes will be limited in aggregate principal amount to $550,000,000. The Junior Subordinated Notes are not subject to a sinking fund provision or repayable at the option of the holders. After the Purchase Contracts’ settlement date, the Junior Subordinated Notes will be subject to defeasance as described under DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES—Defeasance in the accompanying base prospectus. The entire principal amount of the Junior Subordinated Notes will mature and become due and payable, together with any accrued and unpaid interest thereon on April 1, 2021. The indenture does not contain any financial covenants or restrict us from paying dividends, making investments, incurring indebtedness or repurchasing our securities. Except for the covenants described in the accompanying base prospectus under DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES—Consolidation, Merger or Sale, the indenture does not contain provisions that afford holders of the Junior Subordinated Notes protection in the event we are involved in a highly leveraged transaction or other similar transaction that may adversely affect such holders. The indenture does not limit our ability to issue or incur other debt or issue preferred stock.

The Junior Subordinated Notes will be sold with accrued interest at an annual rate of 1.07% from, and including, January 1, 2016 to, but excluding, March 7, 2016.

 

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We will not pay any additional amounts to holders of the Junior Subordinated Notes that are not U.S. persons in respect of any tax, assessment or governmental charge.

Ranking

The Series A RSNs were issued by us under our Junior Subordinated Indenture II, dated as of June 1, 2006, between us and The Bank of New York Mellon (as successor trustee to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.) (referred to herein as the Indenture Trustee), as supplemented and amended by the Third Supplemental and Amending Indenture thereto, dated as of June 1, 2009, among us, the Indenture Trustee and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as Series Trustee, for the series of which the Series A RSNs are a part (the Junior Subordinated Indenture II, as supplemented by the Third Supplemental and Amending Indenture, is referred to herein as the subordinated indenture II) and the Fourth Supplemental Indenture dated as of June 1, 2013 (the fourth supplemental indenture). As provided for in the Eighth Supplemental Indenture dated as of March 1, 2016 (the eighth supplemental indenture), the Series A RSNs will be redesignated as the 4.104% Junior Subordinated Notes due 2021 following this remarketing. We have issued, and in the future may issue, under the subordinated indenture II additional debt securities that rank on parity with the Junior Subordinated Notes. See —Subordination.

The Junior Subordinated Notes are unsecured and rank junior in payment to all of our existing and future Priority Indebtedness, as described under —Subordination. The Junior Subordinated Notes are also effectively subordinated to all liabilities of our subsidiaries. A significant portion of our existing indebtedness is Priority Indebtedness. See —Subordination.

Because we are a holding company and conduct all of our operations through our subsidiaries, our ability to meet our obligations under the Junior Subordinated Notes is dependent on the earnings and cash flows of those subsidiaries and the ability of those subsidiaries to pay dividends or to advance or repay funds to us. Holders of the Junior Subordinated Notes will generally have a junior position to claims of creditors of our subsidiaries, including trade creditors, debtholders, secured creditors, taxing authorities, guarantee holders and any preferred stockholders. As of December 31, 2015, we had approximately $9.3 billion principal amount of outstanding long-term debt on an unconsolidated basis (including securities due within one year and junior subordinated debentures issued under our Subordinated Indenture dated as of December 1, 1997) that will be senior to the Junior Subordinated Notes. Additionally, as of December 31, 2015, our subsidiaries had approximately $12.7 billion principal amount of outstanding long-term debt (including securities due within one year). The provisions of the indenture do not limit the amount of indebtedness or preferred stock issuable by our subsidiaries. We and our subsidiaries expect to incur additional indebtedness from time to time.

Interest

Interest on the Junior Subordinated Notes will be payable semi-annually in arrears on April 1 and October 1. The first interest payment following this remarketing will be made on April 1, 2016 and will include interest accrued (i) at an annual rate of 1.07% from, and including, January 1, 2016 to, but excluding, March 7, 2016 and (ii) at an annual rate of 4.104% from, and including, March 7, 2016 to, but excluding, April 1, 2016. On and after March 7, 2016, the Junior Subordinated Notes will bear interest at 4.104% per year. Subject to certain exceptions, the indenture provides for the payment of interest on an interest payment date only to persons in whose names the Junior Subordinated Notes are registered at the close of business on the record date; if the Junior Subordinated Notes are held by a securities depository in book-entry form, the record date will be the close of business on the business day immediately preceding the applicable interest payment date; if the Junior Subordinated Notes are not held by a securities depository in book-entry form, then the record date will be the 15th day of the calendar month immediately preceding the calendar month in which the applicable interest payment date falls (or, if such day is not a business day, the business day next preceding such day). Notwithstanding the foregoing, any interest payable at maturity will be paid to the person to whom principal is payable. Interest will be calculated on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months, and with respect to any period less than a full calendar month, on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed during the period.

 

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If any interest payment date or the maturity date is not a business day, then the applicable payment will be made on the next succeeding day that is a business day, and no interest will accrue or be paid in respect of such delay. “Business day,” for purposes of the indenture, means any day that is not a Saturday or Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in The City of New York are authorized or required by law or executive order to close or a day on which the principal corporate trust office of the series trustee is closed for business.

Redemption

The Junior Subordinated Notes may not be redeemed by us or at the option of the holder prior to maturity.

Modification of Indenture

Without Holder Consent

Without the consent of any holders of Junior Subordinated Notes, we and the series trustee may from time to time amend and/or supplement the indenture and the Junior Subordinated Notes for the following purposes:

 

•

to evidence the succession of another corporation to us, or successive successions, and the assumption by such successor corporation of our covenants, agreements and obligations pursuant to the provisions described in the accompanying base prospectus under DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES—Consolidation, Merger or Sale;

 

•

to add to our covenants such further covenants, restrictions or conditions as we and the series trustee consider to be for the protection of the holders of the Junior Subordinated Notes, and to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and continuance, of a default in any such additional covenants, restrictions or conditions a default or an Event of Default; provided that such supplemental indenture may provide for a particular grace period or an immediate enforcement upon such default or limit the remedies available to the series trustee upon such default;

 

•

to change or eliminate any provision of the indenture; provided, however, that any such change or elimination becomes effective only when there are no Junior Subordinated Notes outstanding, or the Junior Subordinated Notes are not entitled to the benefit of such provision;

 

•

to cure any ambiguity or to correct or supplement any provision contained in the indenture that may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions contained therein, or to make such other provision in regard to matters or questions arising under the indenture; provided that such action will not adversely affect the interest of the holders of the Junior Subordinated Notes in any material respect;

 

•

to mortgage or pledge to the series trustee as security for the Junior Subordinated Notes any property or assets that we may desire to mortgage or pledge as security for the Junior Subordinated Notes;

 

•

to qualify, or maintain the qualification of, the indenture under the Trust Indenture Act;

 

•

following the Purchase Contracts’ settlement date, to supplement any of the provisions of the Junior Subordinated Notes to such extent as shall be necessary to permit or facilitate the defeasance and discharge of the Junior Subordinated Notes pursuant to the indenture, provided that any such action will not adversely affect the interests of any holder of any Junior Subordinated Note in any material respect;

 

•

set forth the terms of the Junior Subordinated Notes following a successful remarketing to incorporate the reset interest rate and semi-annual interest payment dates and to eliminate the Junior Subordinated Notes optional redemption and interest deferral provisions; and

 

•

to conform the terms of the indenture and the Junior Subordinated Notes to the descriptions thereof and of the Series A RSNs contained in the DESCRIPTION OF THE REMARKETABLE SUBORDINATED NOTES, DESCRIPTION OF THE EQUITY UNITS, DESCRIPTION OF THE PURCHASE CONTRACTS and CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE PURCHASE CONTRACT AND PLEDGE AGREEMENT sections in the preliminary prospectus supplement for the Equity Units, dated June 3, 2013, as supplemented and/or amended by the related pricing term sheet.

 

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With Holder Consent

Under the indenture, supplemental indentures for the purposes of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of the indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the holders of the Junior Subordinated Notes under the indenture may be entered into by us, when authorized by board resolution, and the series trustee, with the consent of the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Junior Subordinated Notes. However, no such supplemental indenture shall:

 

•

change the maturity of the Junior Subordinated Notes, or reduce the rate or extend the time of payment of any interest thereon or on any overdue principal amount or reduce the principal amount thereof, or change the provisions pursuant to which the rate of interest on the Junior Subordinated Notes is determined if such change could reduce the rate of interest thereon, or reduce the minimum rate of interest thereon (if any), or reduce any amount payable upon any redemption thereof, or reduce the amount to be paid at maturity or make the principal thereof or any interest thereon or on any overdue principal amount payable in any coin or currency other than U.S. dollars without the consent of the holder of each Junior Subordinated Note so affected;

 

•

reduce the percentage of Junior Subordinated Notes, the holders of which are required to consent to any such supplemental indenture, without the consent of the holders of all Junior Subordinated Notes then outstanding;

 

•

modify any of the provisions of the indenture relating to modifications, waivers of our compliance with covenants thereunder or direction of the series trustee by holders of Junior Subordinated Notes, except to increase the percentage of holders who must consent thereto or to provide that certain other provisions cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the holders of all Junior Subordinated Notes then outstanding; and

 

•

modify the provisions relating to the subordination of the Junior Subordinated Notes in a manner adverse to the holders thereof without the consent of the holder of each Junior Subordinated Note so affected.

A supplemental indenture that changes or eliminates any covenant or other provision of the indenture expressly included solely for the benefit of holders of securities other than the Junior Subordinated Notes, or which modifies the rights of the holders of securities other than the Junior Subordinated Notes with respect to such covenant or other provision, will be deemed not to affect the rights under the indenture of the holders of the Junior Subordinated Notes.

We may omit to comply with any covenant or condition contained in the indenture if holders of a majority in principal amount of the Junior Subordinated Notes waive such compliance.

The DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES—Modification of Indentures; Waiver section of the accompanying base prospectus does not apply to the Junior Subordinated Notes.

Subordination

The Junior Subordinated Notes will be subordinate and junior in right of payment to all Priority Indebtedness as defined below.

If:

 

•

we make a payment or distribution of any of our assets to creditors upon our dissolution, winding-up, liquidation or reorganization, whether in bankruptcy, insolvency or otherwise;

 

•

a default beyond any grace period has occurred and is continuing with respect to the payment of principal, interest or any other monetary amounts due and payable on any Priority Indebtedness; or

 

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•

the maturity of any Priority Indebtedness has been accelerated because of a default on that Priority Indebtedness,

then the holders of Priority Indebtedness generally will have the right to receive payment, in the case of the first instance, of all amounts due or to become due upon that Priority Indebtedness, and, in the case of the second and third instances, of all amounts due on that Priority Indebtedness, or we will make provision for those payments, before the holders of any Junior Subordinated Notes have the right to receive any payments of principal or interest on their Junior Subordinated Notes.

“Priority Indebtedness” means the principal, premium, interest and any other payment in respect of any of the following:

 

•

all of our current and future indebtedness for borrowed or purchase money whether or not evidenced by notes, debentures, bonds or other similar written instruments;

 

•

our obligations under synthetic leases, finance leases and capitalized leases;

 

•

our obligations for reimbursement under letters of credit, banker’s acceptances, security purchase facilities or similar facilities issued for our account;

 

•

any of our other indebtedness or 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

 

•

all indebtedness of others of the kinds described in the preceding categories which we have assumed, endorsed or guaranteed or with respect to which we have a similar contingent obligation.

However, “Priority Indebtedness” will not include trade accounts payable, accrued liabilities arising in the ordinary course of business, indebtedness to our subsidiaries, the “junior subordinated notes” (as defined in the accompanying base prospectus) and any other indebtedness that effectively by its terms, or expressly provides that it, ranks on parity with, or junior to, the “junior subordinated notes” (as defined in the accompanying base prospectus) or the Junior Subordinated Notes. “Priority Indebtedness” will include the “junior subordinated debentures” (as defined in the accompanying base prospectus).

Priority Indebtedness will be entitled to the benefits of the subordination provisions in the indenture irrespective of the amendment, modification or waiver of any term of the Priority Indebtedness. We may not amend the indenture to change the subordination provisions without the consent of each holder of Priority Indebtedness that the amendment would adversely affect.

The Junior Subordinated Notes will be unsecured and will be subordinated to all of our existing and future senior and subordinated debt except for our (i) $685 million aggregate principal amount of 2014 Series A 5.75% Enhanced Junior Subordinated Notes due 2054, (ii) $1 billion aggregate principal amount of 2014 Series A 1.50% Remarketable Subordinated Notes due 2020, (iii) $550 million aggregate principal amount of 2013 Series B 1.18% Remarketable Subordinated Notes due 2019, (iv) $376.3 million aggregate principal amount of 2006 Series B variable rate Enhanced Junior Subordinated Notes due 2066 and (v) $248.6 million aggregate principal amount of 2006 Series A 7.5% Enhanced Junior Subordinated Notes due 2066, and any other debt that is expressly excluded from the definition of “Priority Indebtedness,” as described above. The Junior Subordinated Notes will rank equally with the securities described above. The Junior Subordinated Notes will be effectively subordinated to all liabilities of our subsidiaries.

Holders of the Junior Subordinated Notes should recognize that contractual provisions in the indenture may prohibit us from making payments on the Junior Subordinated Notes. The Junior Subordinated Notes are subordinate and junior in right of payment, to the extent and in the manner stated in the indenture, to all of our Priority Indebtedness, as defined above.

The indenture does not restrict or limit in any way our ability to incur Priority Indebtedness. As of December 31, 2015, we had approximately $9.3 billion principal amount of outstanding long-term debt on an

 

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unconsolidated basis (including securities due within one year and junior subordinated debentures issued under our Subordinated Indenture dated as of December 1, 1997) that will be senior to the Junior Subordinated Notes. Additionally, as of December 31, 2015, our subsidiaries had approximately $12.7 billion principal amount of outstanding long-term debt (including securities due within one year).

The ADDITIONAL TERMS OF THE JUNIOR SUBORDINATED NOTES section of the accompanying base prospectus does not apply to the Junior Subordinated Notes.

Title

Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer of any Junior Subordinated Note, we, the series trustee and any agent of ours or the series trustee may deem and treat the person in whose name such Junior Subordinated Note is registered as the absolute owner of such Junior Subordinated Note (whether or not payments in respect of such Junior Subordinated Note are overdue and notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing thereon) for the purpose of receiving payment of or an account of the principal of and interest on such Junior Subordinated Note and for all other purposes; and neither we nor the series trustee nor any agent of ours or the series trustee will be affected by any notice to the contrary.

Governing Law

The indenture and the Junior Subordinated Notes provide that they will be governed by and for all purposes construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York (without regard to conflicts of laws principles thereof).

The Series Trustee and Indenture Trustee

The series trustee is Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas. The series trustee will administer its corporate trust business at 60 Wall Street, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10005. We and certain of our affiliates maintain banking relationships with Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas. Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas also serves as trustee under other indentures under which we and certain of our affiliates have issued securities. Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas and its affiliates have purchased, and are likely to purchase in the future, our securities and securities of our affiliates.

The trustee under the subordinated indenture II is The Bank of New York Mellon (successor to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.). We and certain of our affiliates maintain deposit accounts and banking relationships with The Bank of New York Mellon. The Bank of New York Mellon also serves as trustee under other indentures under which securities of certain of our affiliates are outstanding. The Bank of New York Mellon and its affiliates have purchased, and are likely to purchase in the future, our securities and securities of our affiliates.

 

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BOOK-ENTRY PROCEDURES AND SETTLEMENT

The Junior Subordinated Notes that are evidenced by one or more global notes registered in the name of DTC’s nominee, Cede & Co., or such other name as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. Such global notes will be deposited with the series trustee as custodian for DTC.

The following is based on information furnished to us by DTC:

DTC, the world’s largest securities depository, is a 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. DTC holds and provides asset servicing for over 3.5 million issues of U.S. and non-U.S. equity issues, corporate and municipal debt issues, and money market instruments (from over 100 countries) that DTC’s participants (Direct Participants) deposit with DTC. DTC 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. This eliminates 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 is the holding company for DTC, National Securities Clearing Corporation and Fixed Income Clearing Corporation, all of which are registered clearing agencies. DTCC is owned by the users of its regulated subsidiaries. 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). DTC has a Standard & Poor’s rating of AA+. The DTC Rules applicable to its Participants are on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. More information about DTC can be found at http://www.dtcc.com.

Payments of principal and interest on the Junior Subordinated Notes will be made to Cede & Co. (or such other nominee of DTC). DTC’s practice is to credit direct participants’ accounts upon DTC’s receipt of funds and corresponding detail information from us or the series trustee, on the payable date in accordance with their respective holdings shown on DTC’s 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 series trustee or us, subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements as may be in effect from time to time. Payment of 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.

In a few special situations described below, a book-entry security representing Dominion securities will terminate and interests in it will be exchanged for physical certificates representing the securities. After that exchange, the choice of whether to hold securities directly or in street name will be up to you. You must consult your bank, broker or other financial institution to find out how to have your interests in the securities transferred to your name, so that you will be a direct holder.

The special situations for termination of a global security representing the Junior Subordinated Notes are:

 

•

DTC notifies us that it is unwilling or unable to continue as depository for that global security or DTC ceases to be a “clearing agency” registered under the Exchange Act and we are unable to find a qualified replacement for DTC within 90 days; or

 

•

any Event of Default with respect to the Junior Subordinated Notes has occurred and is continuing, or any other event has occurred and is continuing, which after notice or lapse of time, would become an Event of Default with respect to the Junior Subordinated Notes, and any beneficial owner requests that its beneficial interest be exchanged for a physical certificate.

 

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DTC may discontinue providing its services as securities depository with respect to the Junior Subordinated Notes at any time by giving us or the series trustee reasonable notice. In the event no successor securities depository is obtained, certificates for the Junior Subordinated Notes will be printed and delivered.

The information in this section concerning DTC’s book-entry system has been obtained from sources that we believe to be reliable, but neither we nor the remarketing agents take any responsibility for the accuracy of this information.

The series trustee shall have no obligation or duty to monitor, determine or inquire as to compliance with any restrictions on transfer imposed under the indenture or under applicable law with respect to any transfer of any interest in any Junior Subordinated Note (including any transfers between or among direct participant of DTC or beneficial owners of interests in any Junior Subordinated Note) other than to require delivery of such certificates and other documentation or evidence as are expressly required by, and to do so if and when expressly required by the terms of, the indenture, and to examine the same to determine substantial compliance as to form with the express requirements hereof.

Neither the series trustee nor any agent shall have any responsibility or liability for any actions taken or not taken by DTC.

 

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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

The following is a general discussion of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to U.S. holders and non-U.S. holders (each as defined below) with respect to the ownership and disposition of Junior Subordinated Notes acquired in this offering, but does not purport to be a complete analysis of all the potential tax considerations. This discussion is limited to the U.S. federal income tax consequences relevant to holders who acquire Junior Subordinated Notes in the remarketing for cash at the offering price and that are held as “capital assets” within the meaning of Section 1221 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code) (generally, property held for investment). This discussion does not address tax consequences relevant to subsequent purchasers of the notes. This discussion is based on current provisions of the Code, the Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder, judicial interpretations thereof and administrative rulings and published positions of the Internal Revenue Service (the IRS), each as in effect as of the date hereof and all of which are subject to change or differing interpretations, possibly with retroactive effect, and any such change could affect the accuracy of the statements and conclusions set forth herein.

This discussion is for general information only and does not purport to address all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to particular holders in light of their particular circumstances and does not apply to holders subject to special rules under the U.S. federal income tax laws (including, for example, banks or other financial institutions, dealers in securities or currencies, traders in securities that elect to apply a mark-to-market method of accounting, insurance companies, tax-exempt entities, entities or arrangements treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes or other flow-through entities (and investors therein), subchapter S corporations, retirement plans, individual retirement accounts or other tax-deferred accounts, real estate investment trusts, regulated investment companies, holders liable for the alternative minimum tax, certain former citizens or former long-term residents of the United States, U.S. holders having a “functional currency” other than the U.S. dollar, holders who hold the Junior Subordinated Notes as part of a hedge, straddle, constructive sale, conversion transaction or other integrated transaction, “controlled foreign corporations,” and “passive foreign investment companies”). This discussion also does not address any considerations under U.S. federal tax laws other than those pertaining to the income tax, nor does it address any considerations under any state, local or non-U.S. tax laws. Prospective investors should consult with their own tax advisors as to the particular tax consequences to them of the ownership and disposition of the Junior Subordinated Notes, including with respect to the applicability and effect of any U.S. federal, state, local or non-U.S. income or other tax laws or any tax treaty.

If an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds Junior Subordinated Notes, the tax treatment of a person treated as a partner in such partnership generally will depend on the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. Persons that for U.S. federal income tax purposes are treated as a partner in a partnership holding Junior Subordinated Notes should consult their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences to them of the ownership and disposition of Junior Subordinated Notes.

THIS DISCUSSION IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PUPORSES ONLY, AND IS NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF ALL TAX CONSEQUENCES RELATING TO THE OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF THE JUNIOR SUBORDINATED NOTES. PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS SHOULD CONSULT THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS AS TO THE PARTICULAR TAX CONSEQUENCES TO THEM OF THE OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF THE NOTES, INCLUDING WITH RESPECT TO THE APPLICABILITY AND EFFECT OF ANY U.S. FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL OR NON-U.S. INCOME OR OTHER TAX LAWS OR ANY TAX TREATY.

For purposes of this discussion, the term “U.S. holder” means a beneficial owner of a Junior Subordinated Note that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

 

•

an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;

 

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a corporation (or any other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized under the laws of the United States, any state thereof, or the District of Columbia;

 

•

an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or

 

•

a trust (a) if a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over the trust’s administration and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (b) that has a valid election in effect under applicable Treasury regulations to be treated as a U.S. person for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

For purposes of this discussion, the term “non-U.S. holder” means a beneficial owner of a Junior Subordinated Note that is neither a U.S. holder nor a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

We have treated and will continue to treat, and, by purchasing the Junior Subordinated Notes, each holder agrees to treat, the Junior Subordinated Notes as indebtedness for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The remainder of this discussion assumes that the Junior Subordinated Notes will be so treated.

U.S. Holders

Treatment of the Junior Subordinated Notes

We have treated the Junior Subordinated Notes as “variable rate debt instruments,” and stated interest on the Junior Subordinated Notes as taxable to a U.S. holder as ordinary interest income at the time such interest is received or accrued, in accordance with such U.S. holder’s regular method of accounting for U.S. federal income tax purposes. We intend to continue treating the Junior Subordinated Notes and payments of stated interest on the Junior Subordinated Notes in this manner, and the remainder of this discussion assumes that this treatment will be respected. However, there are no legal authorities that address the U.S. federal income tax treatment of debt instruments that are substantially similar to the Junior Subordinated Notes, and therefore the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the Junior Subordinated Notes is unclear and alternative characterizations are possible. For example, it is possible that the Junior Subordinated Notes could be treated as “contingent payment debt instruments” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If such treatment were to apply to the Junior Subordinated Notes, it could affect the amount, timing and character of income, gain or loss recognized by a U.S. holder with respect to the Junior Subordinated Notes. U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the Junior Subordinated Notes.

Pre-Acquisition Accrued Interest

The purchase price of the Junior Subordinated Notes sold in this remarketing will include an amount of interest attributable to interest accrued for the period prior to this remarketing. We believe that the portion of the first interest payment on the Junior Subordinated Notes equal to the amount of such pre-acquisition accrued interest should be treated as a return of such pre-acquisition accrued interest, rather than as an amount payable on the Junior Subordinated Notes. Assuming this treatment is respected, the portion of the first interest payment on the Junior Subordinated Notes equal to the pre-acquisition accrued interest will not be treated as taxable interest income and a holder’s adjusted tax basis in the Junior Subordinated Notes will be reduced by a corresponding amount. This discussion assumes that this treatment will be respected, and references in this discussion to stated interest do not include such portion of the first interest payment equal to the pre-acquisition accrued interest. U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors concerning the tax treatment of any pre-acquisition accrued interest on the Junior Subordinated Notes.

Payments of Interest

Interest on a note generally will be taxable to a U.S. holder as ordinary interest income at the time it is received or accrued, in accordance with the U.S. holder’s regular method of accounting for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

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Bond Premium

If the amount paid by a U.S. holder for a Junior Subordinated Note pursuant to this offering (excluding any amount attributable to pre-acquisition accrued interest) is greater than its principal amount, such U.S. holder will generally be considered to have purchased the Junior Subordinated Note with “bond premium” in the amount equal to such excess. A U.S. holder generally may be able to elect to amortize this bond premium, using a constant-yield method, over the remaining term of the Junior Subordinated Note by offsetting the interest income on such Junior Subordinated Note allocable to an accrual period with the premium allocable to such accrual period. If a U.S. holder makes such an election, such U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in the note will be reduced by the amount of premium amortized. If a U.S. holder does not elect to amortize the premium, the premium will decrease the gain or increase the loss such U.S. holder would otherwise recognize on a disposition of such Junior Subordinated Note. An election to amortize bond premium applies to all taxable debt obligations owned or acquired by the U.S holder on or after the first day of the first taxable year for which the election is made and may be revoked only with the consent of the IRS. U.S. holders should consult with their own tax advisors regarding the election to amortize bond premium.

Sale, Exchange, Redemption or Other Taxable Disposition of the Junior Subordinated Notes

A U.S. holder generally will recognize gain or loss upon the sale, exchange, redemption or other taxable disposition of a note equal to the difference, if any, between (a) the sum of the cash and the fair market value of any property received on such disposition (other than amounts properly attributable to accrued but unpaid interest, which amounts will be treated as interest income as described above under “—Payments of Interest”) and (b) such U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in the note. A U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in a Junior Subordinated Note generally will be equal to the amount that such U.S. holder paid for the note, reduced by the amount of any bond premium previously amortized by such U.S. holder with respect to the Junior Subordinated Note and any payments on the Junior Subordinated Note other than payments of qualified stated interest. Any gain or loss recognized on a sale, exchange, redemption or other taxable disposition of a Junior Subordinated Note generally will be capital gain or loss, and will be long-term capital gain or loss, if, at the time of such disposition, the U.S. holder will have held the Junior Subordinated Note for a period of more than one year. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.

Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

Information reporting generally will apply to payments of interest on the Junior Subordinated Notes and to the proceeds of a sale or other taxable disposition of a Junior Subordinated Note paid to a U.S. holder unless the U.S. holder is an exempt recipient. U.S. federal backup withholding (currently, at a rate of 28%) will apply to such payments if the U.S. holder fails to provide the applicable withholding agent with a properly completed and executed IRS Form W-9 providing such U.S. holder’s correct taxpayer identification number and certifying that such U.S. holder is not subject to backup withholding, or to otherwise establish an exemption.

Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules will be allowed as a refund or a credit against a U.S. holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, provided that the required information is furnished timely to the IRS.

Additional Tax on Net Investment Income

Certain U.S. holders who are individuals, estates and trusts are subject to an additional 3.8% tax on the lesser of: (1) the U.S. holder’s “net investment income” for the relevant taxable year and (2) the excess of the U.S. holder’s modified adjusted gross income for the relevant taxable year over a certain threshold (over $250,000 in the case of a married individual filing a joint return or a surviving spouse, $125,000 in the case of a married individual filing a separate return, or $200,000 in the case of a single individual). A U.S. holder’s net investment income generally will include payments of interest on the Junior Subordinated Notes and net gains from the disposition of the Junior Subordinated Notes. U.S. holders that are individuals, estates or trusts should consult their tax advisors regarding the effect, if any, of this tax.

 

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Non-U.S. Holders

Payments of Interest

Subject to the discussion below under “—Information Reporting and Backup Withholding” and “—Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act,” payments of interest on the notes to a non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax under the “portfolio interest exemption,” provided that:

 

•

such interest is not effectively connected with the non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (or, in the case of an income tax treaty resident, is not attributable to a permanent establishment of the non-U.S. holder in the United States);

 

•

the non-U.S. holder does not actually or constructively own 10% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of our stock entitled to vote;

 

•

the non-U.S. holder is not a “controlled foreign corporation” with respect to which we are a “related person” within the meaning of the Code; and

 

•

either (a) the beneficial owner of the Junior Subordinated Notes provides the applicable withholding agent with a properly completed and executed IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-BEN-E, as applicable, certifying, under penalties of perjury, that it is not a “U.S. person” (as defined in the Code) and providing its name and address or (b) a financial institution that holds the Junior Subordinated Notes on behalf of the beneficial owner certifies to the applicable withholding agent, under penalties of perjury, that it has received such properly completed and executed IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E, as applicable, from the beneficial owner and provides the applicable withholding agent with a copy thereof.

If a non-U.S. holder cannot satisfy the requirements of the “portfolio interest exemption” described above, payments of interest made to the non-U.S. holder generally will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30%, or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty, unless such interest is effectively connected with such non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a permanent establishment of the non-U.S. holder in the United States) and such non-U.S. holder provides the applicable withholding agent with a properly completed and executed IRS Form W-8ECI. In order to claim an exemption from or reduction of withholding under an applicable income tax treaty, a non-U.S. holder generally must furnish to the applicable withholding agent a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E, as applicable. Non-U.S. holders eligible for an exemption from or reduced rate of U.S. federal withholding tax under an applicable income tax treaty may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim with the IRS. Non-U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding their entitlement to benefits under an applicable income tax treaty and the requirements for claiming any such benefits.

Interest paid to a non-U.S. holder that is effectively connected with such non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a permanent establishment of the non-U.S. holder in the United States) generally will not be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax, provided that the non-U.S. holder complies with applicable certification and other requirements. Instead, such interest generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis and at the regular graduated U.S. federal income tax rates in the same manner as if such non-U.S. holder were a U.S. person. A non-U.S. holder that is a corporation may be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty) of its “effectively connected earnings and profits” for the taxable year, subject to certain adjustments.

Sale, Exchange, Redemption or Other Taxable Disposition of the Notes

Subject to the discussion below under “—Information Reporting and Backup Withholding” and “—Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act,” except with respect to accrued and unpaid interest (which will be treated as

 

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described above under “—Non-U.S. Holders—Payments of Interest”), a non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax or withholding tax on any gain realized upon the sale, exchange, redemption or other taxable disposition of a Junior Subordinated Note unless:

 

•

such gain is effectively connected with the non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a permanent establishment of the non-U.S. holder in the United States); or

 

•

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.

Gain described in the first bullet point above generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis at the regular graduated U.S. federal income tax rates in the same manner as if such non-U.S. holder were a U.S. person. A non-U.S. holder that is a corporation also may be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty) of its “effectively connected earnings and profits” for the taxable year, subject to certain adjustments.

Gain described in the second bullet point above generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at a 30% rate (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty), but may be offset by U.S. source capital losses, if any, of the non-U.S. holder.

Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

Generally, we must report annually to the IRS and to each non-U.S. holder the amount of interest paid to such non-U.S. holder and the amount of tax, if any, withheld with respect to such payments. These reporting requirements apply regardless of whether withholding was reduced or eliminated by an applicable income tax treaty. This information may also be made available to the tax authorities in the country in which a non-U.S. holder resides or is established pursuant to the provisions of a specific treaty or agreement with those tax authorities.

U.S. backup withholding tax (currently, at a rate of 28%) is imposed on certain payments to persons that fail to furnish the information required under the U.S. information reporting rules. Interest paid to a non-U.S. holder generally will be exempt from backup withholding if the non-U.S. holder provides the applicable withholding agent with a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E, as applicable, or otherwise establishes an exemption.

Under Treasury regulations, the payment of proceeds from the disposition of a Junior Subordinated Note by a non-U.S. holder effected at a U.S. office of a broker generally will be subject to information reporting and backup withholding, unless the non-U.S. holder provides a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E, as applicable (or other applicable IRS Form W-8), certifying such non-U.S. holder’s non-U.S. status or by otherwise establishing an exemption. The payment of proceeds from the disposition of notes by a non-U.S. holder effected at a non-U.S. office of a U.S. broker or a non-U.S. broker with certain specified U.S. connections generally will be subject to information reporting (but not backup withholding) unless such non-U.S. holder provides a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E, as applicable (or other applicable IRS Form W-8), certifying such non-U.S. holder’s non-U.S. status or by otherwise establishing an exemption. Backup withholding will apply if the disposition is subject to information reporting and the broker has actual knowledge that the non-U.S. holder is a U.S. person.

Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules will be allowed as a refund or a credit against a non-U.S. holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, provided that the required information is furnished timely to the IRS. Non-U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the application of these rules to their particular circumstances.

 

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Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act

Under Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code and the Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, FATCA), U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% generally applies to payments of interest on, and beginning after December 31, 2018, to gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of, debt instruments and other “obligations” paid to certain non-U.S. entities (including, in some circumstances, where such an entity is acting as an intermediary) that fail to comply with certain certification and information reporting requirements.

Because the Junior Subordinated Notes were originally issued before July 1, 2014, FATCA withholding should not apply to payments of interest on, or gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of, the notes, unless there is a “significant modification” (within the meaning of the applicable Treasury regulations) to the terms of the notes after the date hereof. We believe that this remarketing will not be a significant modification for this purpose. Prospective investors should consult with their own tax advisors regarding the possible implications of FATCA on their investment in the notes.

 

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REMARKETING

Under the terms and subject to the conditions contained in the remarketing agreement, among us and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, as the remarketing agents, and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, solely in its capacity as purchase contract agent and as attorney-in-fact of the holders of purchase contracts, the remarketing agents have agreed to use their commercially reasonable efforts to remarket the Series A RSNs at a public offering price that will result in proceeds sufficient to purchase the treasury portfolio at the treasury portfolio purchase price, as required by the terms of the Corporate Units.

The remarketing agents have no obligation to purchase any of the Junior Subordinated Notes. The remarketing agreement provides that the remarketing is subject to customary conditions precedent, including the delivery of legal opinions.

We will pay a remarketing fee equal to 0.60% of the principal amount of the Junior Subordinated Notes. We will also pay all expenses of the remarketing agents. We estimate that our total expenses for this offering, excluding remarketing fees, will be $1.3 million.

We have agreed to indemnify each of the remarketing agents and their controlling persons against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

We do not intend to apply for listing of the Junior Subordinated Notes on a national securities exchange or for quotation on any automated quotation system, but have been advised by the remarketing agents that they intend to make a market in the Junior Subordinated Notes. The remarketing agents are not obligated, however, to do so and may discontinue their market making at any time without notice. No assurance can be given as to the development, maintenance or liquidity of the trading market for the Junior Subordinated Notes.

In order to facilitate the offering of the Junior Subordinated Notes, the remarketing agents may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the Junior Subordinated Notes. Specifically, the remarketing agents may overallot in connection with the remarketing, creating a short position in the Junior Subordinated Notes for the remarketing agents. In addition, to cover overallotments or to stabilize the price of the Junior Subordinated Notes, the remarketing agents may bid for, and purchase, the Junior Subordinated Notes in the open market. Finally, the remarketing agents may reclaim selling concessions allowed to a dealer for distributing the Junior Subordinated Notes in the remarketing, if they repurchase previously distributed Junior Subordinated Notes in transactions to cover short positions, in stabilization transactions or otherwise. Any of these activities may stabilize or maintain the market price for the Junior Subordinated Notes above independent market levels. The remarketing agents are not required to engage in these activities and may end any of these activities at any time.

The remarketing agents and their affiliates have, from time to time, performed, and currently perform and may in the future perform various investment or commercial banking, lending, trust and financial advisory services for us and our affiliates in the ordinary course of business.

In addition, in the ordinary course of their business activities, the remarketing agents and their affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers. Such investments and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of ours or our affiliates. If any of the remarketing agents or their affiliates has a lending relationship with us, certain of those remarketing agents or their affiliates routinely hedge and certain other of those remarketing agents or their affiliates may hedge their credit exposure to us consistent with their customary risk management policies. Typically, these remarketing agents and their affiliates would hedge such exposure by entering into transactions which consist of either the purchase of credit default swaps or the creation of short positions in our securities, including potentially the Junior Subordinated Notes offered hereby. Any such credit default swaps or short

 

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positions could adversely affect future trading prices of the Junior Subordinated Notes offered hereby. The remarketing agents and their affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or financial instruments and may hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.

Selling Restrictions

Canada

The Junior Subordinated Notes may be sold in Canada only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations. Any resale of the Junior Subordinated Notes must be made in accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws.

Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if this prospectus supplement (including any amendment thereto) contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.

Pursuant to section 3A.3 of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts (NI 33-105), the remarketing agents are not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI 33-105 regarding conflicts of interest in connection with this remarketing.

LEGAL MATTERS

Certain legal matters in connection with the remarketing will be passed upon for us by McGuireWoods LLP, and for the remarketing agents by Troutman Sanders LLP, which also performs certain legal services for us and our other affiliates on other matters.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements incorporated in this prospectus supplement by reference from the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports, which are incorporated herein by reference. Such financial statements have been so incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

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PROSPECTUS

 

 

DOMINION RESOURCES, INC.

120 Tredegar Street

Richmond, Virginia 23219

(804) 819-2000

 

Senior Debt Securities

 

Junior Subordinated Debentures

 

Junior Subordinated Notes

 

Common Stock

 

Preferred Stock

 

Stock Purchase Contracts

 

Stock Purchase Units

 

From time to time, we may offer and sell our securities. The securities we may offer may be convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for other securities of the Company.

 

We will file prospectus supplements and may provide other offering materials that furnish specific terms of the securities to be offered under this prospectus. The terms of the securities will include the initial offering price, aggregate amount of the offering, listing on any securities exchange or quotation system, investment considerations and the agents, dealers or underwriters, if any, to be used in connection with the sale of the securities. You should read this prospectus and any supplement or other offering materials carefully before you invest.

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

This prospectus is dated December 19, 2014.

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

 

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) utilizing a shelf registration process. Under this shelf process, we may, from time to time, sell either separately or in units any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings up to an unspecified dollar amount.

 

This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement or other offering materials that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. Material federal income tax considerations applicable to the offered securities will also be discussed in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials as necessary. The prospectus supplement or other offering materials may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or other offering materials together with additional information described under the heading WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION. When we use the terms “we”, “our”, “us”, “Dominion” or the “Company” in this prospectus, we are referring to Dominion Resources, Inc.

 

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

 

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our file number with the SEC is 001-08489. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s web site at http://www.sec.gov. You may also read and copy any document we file at the SEC’s public reference room at 100 F. Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the public reference room.

 

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus, and later information that we file with the SEC will automatically update or supersede this information. We make some of our filings with the SEC on a combined basis with two of our subsidiaries, Virginia Electric and Power Company (Virginia Power) and Dominion Gas Holdings, LLC (Dominion Gas). Our combined filings with the SEC present separate filings by each of Virginia Power, Dominion Gas and the Company. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below (other than any portions of the documents not deemed to be filed) and any future filings made with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except those portions of filings that relate to Virginia Power or Dominion Gas as a separate registrant, until we sell all of the securities:

 

•

Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013;

 

•

Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2014; June 30, 2014; and September 30, 2014;

 

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•

Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed January 23, 2014, February 4, 2014, March 24, 2014, May 7, 2014, May 19, 2014, June 2, 2014, July 1, 2014, September 2, 2014, October 3, 2014 and November 25, 2014; and

 

•

the description of our common stock contained in Amendment No. 1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K, filed June 25, 2013.

 

You may request a copy of these filings at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at: Corporate Secretary, Dominion Resources, Inc., 120 Tredegar Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, (804) 819-2000.

 

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus or to which this prospectus refers you. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. This prospectus may only be used where it is legal to sell these securities. The information which appears in this prospectus and which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus may only be accurate as of the date of this prospectus or the date of the document in which incorporated information appears. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.

 

SAFE HARBOR AND CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS

 

This prospectus or other offering materials may contain or incorporate by reference forward-looking statements. Examples include discussions as to our expectations, beliefs, plans, goals, objectives and future financial or other performance. These statements, by their nature, involve estimates, projections, forecasts and uncertainties that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ substantially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements may accompany the statements themselves; generally applicable factors that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ from those expressed in the forward-looking statements will be discussed in our reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K incorporated by reference herein and in prospectus supplements and other offering materials.

 

By making forward-looking statements, we are not intending to become obligated to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or other changes. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as at their dates.

 

DOMINION

 

Dominion, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia and incorporated in Virginia in 1983, is one of the nation’s largest producers and transporters of energy. We presently serve nearly 5 million utility and retail energy customers in 10 states and operate one of the nation’s largest underground natural gas storage systems.

 

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Our strategy is to be a leading provider of electricity, natural gas and related services to customers primarily in the eastern region of the U.S. Our portfolio of assets includes electric generating capacity, electric transmission lines, electric distribution lines, natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline and gas distribution pipeline. Our generation mix is diversified and includes coal, nuclear, gas, oil, hydro, renewables and purchased power. We are focused on expanding our investment in regulated electric generation, transmission and distribution and regulated natural gas transmission and distribution infrastructure within and around our existing footprint. Our non-regulated activities include merchant generation, energy marketing and price risk management activities.

 

We are a holding company that conducts all of our operations through our subsidiaries. Our principal direct, legal subsidiaries include Virginia Power, a regulated public utility that generates, transmits and distributes electricity for sale in Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, Dominion Gas, a holding company for the majority of our regulated natural gas businesses, which conduct business activities through an interstate natural gas transmission pipeline system and storage facilities, a local natural gas distribution network and natural gas gathering, processing and treatment facilities, and Dominion Energy, Inc., which is involved in merchant generation, energy marketing and price risk management activities.

 

We also own the general partner and 68.5% of the limited partner interests in Dominion Midstream Partners, LP, which owns a $50 million preferred equity interest and the general partner interest in Dominion Cove Point LNG, LP, which owns liquefied natural gas import, storage, regasification and transportation assets.

 

For additional information about us, see WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION on page 2.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

 

Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials, we will use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities offered by this prospectus to finance capital expenditures and future acquisitions and to retire or redeem debt securities issued by us and for other general corporate purposes which may include the repayment of commercial paper and debt under any of our credit facilities.

 

DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

 

The term Debt Securities includes the Senior Debt Securities, Junior Subordinated Debentures and Junior Subordinated Notes. We will issue the Senior Debt Securities in one or more series under our Senior Indenture to be entered into at a future date by us and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as Trustee, as supplemented from time to time. We will issue the Junior Subordinated Debentures in one or more series under our Junior Subordinated Indenture dated as of December 1, 1997 between us and The Bank of New York Mellon, successor to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank), as Trustee, as supplemented from time to time. We will issue Junior Subordinated Notes in one or more series under our Junior Subordinated Notes Indenture dated as of June 1, 2006 between us and The Bank of New York Mellon, successor to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Trustee, as amended and as supplemented from time to time. The indenture related to the Junior Subordinated Debentures is called the Subordinated Indenture in this prospectus and the indenture related to the Junior Subordinated Notes is called the Subordinated Indenture II; and together the Senior Indenture, the Subordinated Indenture and the Subordinated Indenture II are called the “Indentures”. We have summarized selected provisions of the Indentures below. The Senior Indenture, the Subordinated Indenture and the Subordinated Indenture II have been filed as exhibits to the registration statement and you should read the Indentures for provisions that may be important to you. In the summary below, we have included references to section numbers of the Indentures so that you can easily locate these provisions. Capitalized terms used in the summary have the meanings specified in the Indentures.

 

General

 

The Senior Debt Securities will be our direct, unsecured obligations and will rank equally with all of our other senior and unsubordinated debt, except to the extent provided in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials. The Junior Subordinated Debentures will be our unsecured obligations and are junior in right of payment to our Senior Indebtedness, as described under the caption ADDITIONAL TERMS OF THE JUNIOR SUBORDINATED DEBENTURES—Subordination. The Junior Subordinated Notes will be our unsecured obligation and are junior in right of payment to our Priority Indebtedness, as described under the caption ADDITIONAL TERMS OF THE JUNIOR SUBORDINATED NOTES—Subordination.

 

Because we are a holding company that conducts all of our operations through our subsidiaries, our ability to meet our obligations under the Debt Securities is dependent on the earnings and cash flows of those subsidiaries and the ability of those subsidiaries to pay

 

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dividends or to advance or repay funds to us. Holders of Debt Securities will generally have a junior position to claims of creditors of our subsidiaries, including trade creditors, debtholders, secured creditors, taxing authorities, guarantee holders and any preferred stockholders. As of September 30, 2014, our subsidiaries had approximately $10.0 billion in aggregate principal amount of outstanding long-term debt (including securities due within one year).

 

The Indentures do not limit the amount of Debt Securities that we may issue. We may issue Debt Securities from time to time under the Indentures in one or more series by entering into supplemental indentures or by our Board of Directors or duly authorized officers authorizing the issuance.

 

The Indentures do not protect the holders of Debt Securities if we incur additional indebtedness or engage in a highly leveraged transaction.

 

Provisions of a Particular Series

 

The Debt Securities of a series need not be issued at the same time, bear interest at the same rate or mature on the same date. Unless otherwise provided in the terms of a series, a series may be reopened, without notice to or consent of any holder of outstanding Debt Securities, for issuances of additional Debt Securities of that series. The prospectus supplement or other offering materials for a particular series of Debt Securities will describe the terms of that series, including, if applicable, some or all of the following:

 

•

the title and type of the Debt Securities;

 

•

the total principal amount of the Debt Securities;

 

•

the portion of the principal payable upon acceleration of maturity, if other than the entire principal;

 

•

the date or dates on which principal is payable or the method for determining the date or dates, and any right that we have to change the date on which principal is payable;

 

•

the interest rate or rates, if any, or the method for determining the rate or rates, and the date or dates from which interest will accrue;

 

•

any interest payment dates and the regular record date for the interest payable on each interest payment date, if any;

 

•

any payments due if the maturity of the Debt Securities is accelerated;

 

•

any optional redemption terms, or any repayment terms;

 

•

any provisions that would obligate us to repurchase, repay or otherwise redeem the Debt Securities, or any sinking fund provisions;

 

•

the currency in which payments will be made if other than U.S. dollars, and the manner of determining the equivalent of those amounts in U.S. dollars;

 

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•

if payments may be made, at our election or at the holder’s election, in a currency other than that in which the Debt Securities are stated to be payable, then the currency in which those payments may be made, the terms and conditions of the election and the manner of determining those amounts;

 

•

any index or formula used for determining principal, interest or premium, if any;

 

•

the percentage of the principal amount at which the Debt Securities will be issued, if other than 100% of the principal amount;

 

•

whether the Debt Securities will be issued in fully registered certificated form or book-entry form, represented by certificates deposited with the applicable trustee and registered in the name of a securities depositary or its nominee (Book-Entry Debt Securities);

 

•

denominations, if other than $1,000 each or multiples of $1,000;

 

•

any rights that would allow us to defer or extend an interest payment date in connection with any series of Debt Securities;

 

•

any provisions requiring payment of principal or interest in our capital stock or with proceeds from the sale of our capital stock or from any other specific source of funds in connection with any series of Debt Securities;

 

•

the identity of the series trustee, if other than the trustee;

 

•

any changes to events of defaults or covenants;

 

•

if any series of Debt Securities will not be subject to defeasance or covenant defeasance; and

 

•

any other terms of the Debt Securities. (Sections 201 & 301 of the Senior Indenture; Sections 2.1 & 2.3 of the Subordinated Indenture & the Subordinated Indenture II.)

 

The prospectus supplement will also indicate any special tax implications of the Debt Securities and any provisions granting special rights to holders when a specified event occurs.

 

Conversion or Redemption

 

No Debt Security will be subject to conversion, amortization or redemption, unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials. Any provisions relating to the conversion, amortization or redemption of Debt Securities will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials, including whether conversion, amortization or redemption is mandatory or at our option. If no redemption date or redemption price is indicated with respect to a Debt Security, we may not redeem the Debt Security prior to its stated maturity. Debt Securities subject to redemption by us will be subject to the following terms:

 

•

redeemable on and after the applicable redemption dates;

 

•

redemption dates and redemption prices fixed at the time of sale and set forth on the Debt Security; and

 

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•

redeemable in whole or in part (provided that any remaining principal amount of the Debt Security will be equal to an authorized denomination) at our option at the applicable redemption price, together with interest, payable to the date of redemption, on notice given not more than 60 nor less than 20 days prior to the date of redemption. (Section 1104 of the Senior Indenture; Section 3.2 of the Subordinated Indenture & the Subordinated Indenture II.)

 

We will not be required to:

 

•

issue, register the transfer of, or exchange any Debt Securities of a series during the period beginning 15 days before the date the Debt Securities of that series are selected for redemption; or

 

•

register the transfer of, or exchange any Debt Security of that series selected for redemption except the unredeemed portion of a Debt Security being partially redeemed. (Section 305 of the Senior Indenture; Section 2.5 of the Subordinated Indenture & the Subordinated Indenture II.)

 

Option to Extend Interest Payment Period

 

If elected in the applicable supplemental indenture, we may defer interest payments by extending the interest payment period for the number of consecutive extension periods specified in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials (each, an Extension Period). Other details regarding the Extension Period, including any limit on our ability to pay dividends during the Extension Period, will also be specified in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials. No Extension Period may extend beyond the maturity of the applicable series of Debt Securities. At the end of the Extension Period(s), we will pay all interest then accrued and unpaid, together with interest compounded quarterly at the interest rate for the applicable series of Debt Securities, to the extent permitted by applicable law. (Section 301(26) of the Senior Indenture; Section 2.10 of the Subordinated Indenture & the Subordinated Indenture II.)

 

Payment and Transfer; Paying Agent

 

The paying agent will pay the principal of any Debt Securities only if those Debt Securities are surrendered to it. Unless we state otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials, the paying agent will pay principal, interest and premium, if any, on Debt Securities, subject to such surrender, where applicable, at its office or, at our option:

 

•

by wire transfer to an account at a banking institution in the United States that is designated in writing to the applicable trustee prior to the deadline set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials by the person entitled to that payment (which in the case of Book-Entry Debt Securities is the securities depositary or its nominee); or

 

•

by check mailed to the address of the person entitled to that interest as that address appears in the security register for those Debt Securities. (Sections 307 & 1001 of the Senior Indenture; Section 4.1 of the Subordinated Indenture & the Subordinated Indenture II.)

 

 

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Neither we nor the applicable trustee will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in a Book-Entry Debt Security, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to the beneficial ownership interests. We expect that the securities depositary, upon receipt of any payment of principal, interest or premium, if any, in a Book-Entry Debt Security, will credit immediately the accounts of the related participants with payment in amounts proportionate to their respective holdings in principal amount of beneficial interest in the Book-Entry Debt Security as shown on the records of the securities depositary. We also expect that payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in a Book-Entry Debt Security will be governed by standing customer instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in “street name,” and will be the responsibility of the participants.

 

Unless we state otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials, the applicable trustee will act as paying agent for the Debt Securities, and the principal corporate trust office of the applicable trustee will be the office through which the paying agent acts. We may, however, change or add paying agents or approve a change in the office through which a paying agent acts. (Section 1002 of the Senior Indenture; Section 4.4 of the Subordinated Indenture & the Subordinated Indenture II.)

 

Any money that we have paid to a paying agent for principal or interest on any Debt Securities which remains unclaimed at the end of two years after that principal or interest has become due will be repaid to us at our request. After repayment to the Company, holders should look only to us for those payments. (Section 1003 of the Senior Indenture; Section 12.4 of the Subordinated Indenture & the Subordinated Indenture II.)

 

Fully registered securities may be transferred or exchanged at the corporate trust office of the applicable trustee or at any other office or agency we maintain for those purposes, without the payment of any service charge except for any tax or governmental charge and related expenses. (Section 1002 of the Senior Indenture; Section 2.5 of the Subordinated Indenture & the Subordinated Indenture II.)

 

Global Securities

 

We may issue some or all of the Debt Securities as Book-Entry Debt Securities. Book-Entry Debt Securities will be represented by one or more fully registered global certificates. Book-Entry Debt Securities of like tenor and terms up to $500,000,000 aggregate principal amount may be represented by a single global certificate. Each global certificate will be registered in the name of the securities depositary or its nominee and deposited with the applicable trustee, as agent for the securities depositary. Unless otherwise stated in any prospectus supplement or other offering materials, The Depository Trust Company will act as the securities depositary. Unless it is exchanged in whole or in part for Debt Securities in definitive form, a global certificate may generally be transferred only as a whole unless it is being transferred to certain nominees of the securities depositary. (Section 305 of the Senior Indenture; Section 2.5 of the Subordinated Indenture & the Subordinated Indenture II.)

 

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Beneficial interests in global certificates will be shown on, and transfers of global certificates will be effected only through, records maintained by the securities depositary and its participants. If there are any additional or differing terms of the depositary arrangement with respect to the Book-Entry Debt Securities, we will describe them in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials.

 

Holders of beneficial interests in Book-Entry Debt Securities represented by a global certificate are referred to as beneficial owners. Beneficial owners will be limited to institutions having accounts with the securities depositary or its nominee, which are called participants in this discussion, and to persons that hold beneficial interests through participants. When a global certificate representing Book-Entry Debt Securities is issued, the securities depositary will credit on its book-entry, registration and transfer system the principal amounts of Book- Entry Debt Securities the global certificate represents to the accounts of its participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in a global certificate will be shown only on, and the transfer of those ownership interests will be effected only through, records maintained by:

 

•

the securities depositary, with respect to participants’ interests; and

 

•

any participant, with respect to interests the participant holds on behalf of other persons.

 

As long as the securities depositary or its nominee is the registered holder of a global certificate representing Book-Entry Debt Securities, that person will be considered the sole owner and holder of the global certificate and the Book-Entry Debt Securities it represents for all purposes. Except in limited circumstances, beneficial owners:

 

•

may not have the global certificate or any Book-Entry Debt Securities it represents registered in their names;

 

•

may not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of certificated Book-Entry Debt Securities in exchange for the global certificate; and

 

•

will not be considered the owners or holders of the global certificate or any Book-Entry Debt Securities it represents for any purposes under the Debt Securities or the Indentures. (Section 308 of the Senior Indenture; Section 2.2 of the Subordinated Indenture & the Subordinated Indenture II.)

 

We will make all payments of principal, interest and premium, if any, on a Book-Entry Debt Security to the securities depositary or its nominee as the holder of the global certificate. The laws of some jurisdictions require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of securities in definitive form. These laws may impair the ability to transfer beneficial interests in a global certificate.

 

Payments participants make to beneficial owners holding interests through those participants will be the responsibility of those participants. The securities depositary may from time to time adopt various policies and procedures governing payments, transfers, exchanges and other matters relating to beneficial interests in a global certificate. None of the following will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the securities depositary’s or any

 

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participant’s records relating to beneficial interests in a global certificate representing Book-Entry Debt Securities, for payments made on account of those beneficial interests or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to those beneficial interests:

 

•

Dominion;

 

•

the applicable trustee; or

 

•

any agent of any of the above.

 

Covenants

 

Under the Indentures we will:

 

•

pay the principal, interest and premium, if any, on the Debt Securities when due;

 

•

maintain a place of payment;

 

•

deliver an officer’s certificate to the applicable trustee at the end of each fiscal year confirming our compliance with our obligations under each of the Indentures;

 

•

in the case of the Senior Indenture, preserve and keep in full force and effect our corporate existence except as otherwise provided in the Senior Indenture; and

 

•

deposit sufficient funds with any paying agent on or before the due date for any principal, interest or premium, if any. (Sections 1001, 1002, 1003, 1005 & 1006 of the Senior Indenture; Sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.4 & 4.6 of the Subordinated Indenture & the Subordinated Indenture II.)

 

Consolidation, Merger or Sale

 

The Indentures provide that we may not merge or consolidate with any other corporation or sell or convey all or substantially all of our assets to any person or acquire all or substantially all of the assets of another person unless (i) either we are the continuing corporation, or the successor corporation (if other than us) is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America or a State thereof or the District of Columbia and such corporation expressly assumes the due and punctual payment of the principal of and interest and other amounts due on the Debt Securities, and the due and punctual performance and observance of all of the covenants and conditions of the Indentures to be performed by us by supplemental indenture in form satisfactory to the applicable trustee, executed and delivered to the applicable trustee by such corporation, and (ii) we or such successor corporation, as the case may be, will not, immediately after such merger or consolidation, or such sale or conveyance, be in default in the performance of any such covenant or condition.

 

In case of any such consolidation, merger or conveyance, such successor corporation will succeed to and be substituted for us, with the same effect as if it had been named as us in the applicable Indenture, and in the event of such conveyance, we will be discharged of all of our obligations and covenants under the applicable Indenture and the Debt Securities. (Sections 801 & 802 of the Senior Indenture; Sections 11.1, 11.2 & 11.3 of the Subordinated Indenture & the Subordinated Indenture II.)

 

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Events of Default

 

Event of Default when used in each of the Indentures, will mean any of the following with respect to Debt Securities of any series:

 

•

failure to pay the principal or any premium on any Debt Security when due;

 

•

with respect to the Senior Debt Securities, failure to deposit any sinking fund payment for that series when due that continues for 60 days;

 

•

failure to pay any interest on any Debt Securities of that series, when due, that continues for 60 days (or for 30 days in the case of any Junior Subordinated Debentures or Junior Subordinated Notes, as applicable); provided that, if applicable, for this purpose, the date on which interest is due is the date on which we are required to make payment following any deferral of interest payments by us under the terms of the applicable series of Debt Securities that permit such deferrals;

 

•

failure to perform any other covenant in the Indentures (other than a covenant expressly included solely for the benefit of other series) that continues for 90 days after the applicable trustee or the holders of at least 33% of the outstanding Debt Securities (25% in the case of the Junior Subordinated Debentures or Junior Subordinated Notes, as applicable) of that series give written notice of the default;

 

•

certain events in bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of Dominion; or

 

•

any other Event of Default included in the Indentures or any supplemental indenture. (Section 501 of the Senior Indenture; Section 6.1 of the Subordinated Indenture & the Subordinated Indenture II.)

 

In the case of a general covenant default described above, the applicable trustee may extend the grace period. In addition, if holders of a particular series have given a notice of default, then holders of at least the same percentage of Debt Securities of that series, together with the applicable trustee, may also extend the grace period. The grace period will be automatically extended if we have initiated and are diligently pursuing corrective action.

 

An Event of Default for a particular series of Debt Securities does not necessarily constitute an Event of Default for any other series of Debt Securities issued under the Indentures. Additional events of default may be established for a particular series and, if established, will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials.

 

If an Event of Default for any series of Debt Securities occurs and continues, the applicable trustee or the holders of at least 33% (25%, in the case of the Junior Subordinated Debentures or Junior Subordinated Notes, as applicable) in aggregate principal amount of the Debt Securities of the series may declare the entire principal of all the Debt Securities of that series to be due and payable immediately. If this happens, subject to certain conditions, the holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the Debt Securities of that series can void the declaration. (Section 502 of the Senior Indenture; Section 6.1 of the Subordinated Indenture & the Subordinated Indenture II.)

 

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The applicable trustee may withhold notice to the holders of Debt Securities of any default (except in the payment of principal or interest) if it considers the withholding of notice to be in the best interests of the holders. Other than its duties in case of a default, a Trustee is not obligated to exercise any of its rights or powers under the Indentures at the request, order or direction of any holders, unless the holders offer the applicable trustee reasonable indemnity. If they provide this reasonable indemnification, the holders of a majority in principal amount of any series of Debt Securities may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding or any remedy available to the applicable trustee, or exercising any power conferred upon the applicable trustee, for any series of Debt Securities. However, the applicable trustee must give the holders of Debt Securities notice of any default to the extent provided by the Trust Indenture Act. (Sections 512, 601, 602 & 603 of the Senior Indenture; Sections 6.6, 6.7, 7.1 & 7.2 of the Subordinated Indenture & the Subordinated Indenture II.)

 

The holder of any Debt Security will have an absolute and unconditional right to receive payment of the principal, any premium and, within certain limitations, any interest on that Debt Security on its maturity date or redemption date and to enforce those payments. (Section 508 of the Senior Indenture; Section 14.2 of the Subordinated Indenture & the Subordinated Indenture II.)

 

Satisfaction; Discharge

 

We may discharge all our obligations (except those described below) to holders of the Debt Securities issued under the Indentures, which Debt Securities have not already been delivered to the applicable trustee for cancellation and which either have become due and payable or are by their terms due and payable within one year, or are to be called for redemption within one year, by depositing with the applicable trustee an amount certified to be sufficient to pay when due the principal, interest and premium, if any, on all outstanding Debt Securities. However, certain of our obligations under the Indentures will survive, including with respect to the following:

 

•

remaining rights to register the transfer, conversion, substitution or exchange of Debt Securities of the applicable series;

 

•

rights of holders to receive payments of principal of, and any interest on, the Debt Securities of the applicable series, and other rights, duties and obligations of the holders of Debt Securities with respect to any amounts deposited with the applicable trustee; and

 

•

the rights, obligations and immunities of the applicable trustee under the Indentures. (Section 401 of the Senior Indenture; Section 12.1 of the Subordinated Indenture & the Subordinated Indenture II.)

 

Under federal income tax law as of the date of this prospectus, a discharge under these circumstances may be treated as an exchange of the related Debt Securities. Each holder might be required to recognize gain or loss equal to the difference between the holder’s cost or other tax basis for the Debt Securities and the value of the holder’s interest in the amounts deposited with the applicable trustee. Holders might be required to include as income a different amount

 

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than would be includable without the discharge. We urge prospective investors to consult their own tax advisors as to the consequences of a discharge, including the applicability and effect of tax laws other than federal income tax law.

 

Defeasance

 

Unless we elect differently in the applicable supplemental indenture, we will be discharged from our obligations on the Senior Debt Securities or Junior Subordinated Notes of any series, as applicable, at any time if we deposit with the applicable trustee sufficient cash or government securities to pay the principal, interest, any premium and any other sums due to the stated maturity date or a redemption date of the Senior Debt Securities and Junior Subordinated Notes of the series. If this happens, the holders of the Senior Debt Securities or Junior Subordinated Notes of the series, as applicable, will not be entitled to the benefits of either the Senior Indenture or the Subordinated Indenture II, as applicable, except for registration of transfer and exchange of Senior Debt Securities or Junior Subordinated Notes, as applicable, and replacement of lost, stolen or mutilated Senior Debt Securities or Junior Subordinated Notes, as applicable. (Section 402 of the Senior Indenture; Section 12.5 of the Subordinated Indenture II.)

 

Under federal income tax law as of the date of this prospectus, a discharge under these circumstances may be treated as an exchange of the related Senior Debt Securities or Junior Subordinated Notes, as applicable. Each holder might be required to recognize gain or loss equal to the difference between the holder’s cost or other tax basis for the Senior Debt Securities or Junior Subordinated Notes, as applicable, and the value of the holder’s interest in the defeasance trust. Holders might be required to include as income a different amount than would be includable without the discharge. We urge prospective investors to consult their own tax advisors as to the consequences of such a discharge, including the applicability and effect of tax laws other than federal income tax law.

 

Modification of Indentures; Waiver

 

Under the Indentures our rights and obligations and the rights of the holders may be modified with the consent of the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Debt Securities of each series affected by the modification. No modification of the principal or interest payment terms, and no modification reducing the percentage required for modifications, is effective against any holder without its consent. (Section 902 of the Senior Indenture; Section 10.2 of the Subordinated Indenture & the Subordinated Indenture II.) In addition, we may supplement the Indentures to create new series of Debt Securities and for certain other purposes, without the consent of any holders of Debt Securities. (Section 901 of the Senior Indenture; Section 10.1 of the Subordinated Indenture & the Subordinated Indenture II.)

 

The holders of a majority of the outstanding Debt Securities of all series under the applicable Indenture with respect to which a default has occurred and is continuing may waive a default for all those series, except a default in the payment of principal or interest, or any

 

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premium, on any Debt Securities or a default with respect to a covenant or provision which cannot be amended or modified without the consent of the holder of each outstanding Debt Security of the series affected. (Section 513 of the Senior Indenture; Section 6.6 of the Subordinated Indenture & the Subordinated Indenture II.)

 

In addition, under certain circumstances, the holders of a majority of the outstanding Junior Subordinated Debentures or Junior Subordinated Notes of any series, as applicable, may waive in advance, for that series, our compliance with certain restrictive provisions of the Subordinated Indenture or the Subordinated Indenture II under which those Junior Subordinated Debentures or Junior Subordinated Notes, as applicable, were issued. (Section 4.7 of the Subordinated Indenture & the Subordinated Indenture II.)

 

Concerning the Trustees

 

Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas is expected to be the Trustee under the Senior Indenture if we enter into the Senior Indenture. We and certain of our affiliates maintain deposit accounts and banking relationships with Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas. Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas also serves as trustee under other indentures pursuant to which securities of certain of our affiliates are outstanding. Affiliates of Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas have purchased, and are likely to purchase in the future, our securities and securities of our affiliates.

 

As Trustee under the Senior Indenture, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas will perform only those duties that are specifically described in the Senior Indenture unless an event of default under the Senior Indenture occurs and is continuing. It is under no obligation to exercise any of its powers under the Senior Indenture at the request of any holder of Senior Debt Securities unless that holder offers reasonable indemnity to the Trustee against the costs, expenses and liabilities which it might incur as a result. (Section 601 of the Senior Indenture.)

 

The Senior Indenture permits us to name a different trustee for individual series of Senior Debt Securities. If named, a series trustee performs the duties that would otherwise be performed by the Trustee under the Senior Indenture with respect to that series; the series trustee will have no greater liabilities or obligations and will be entitled to all the rights and exculpations with respect to such series that would otherwise be available to the Trustee under the Senior Indenture. If a series trustee is named, information about any series trustee will be disclosed in the prospectus supplement and the Trustee under the Senior Indenture will have no responsibility with respect to that series.

 

Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas administers its corporate trust business at 60 Wall Street, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10005 or such other address as it may notify to the Company from time to time.

 

The Bank of New York Mellon, successor to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., is the Trustee under the Subordinated Indenture and the Subordinated Indenture II. We and certain of our affiliates maintain deposit accounts and banking relationships with The Bank of New York Mellon. The Bank of New York Mellon also serves as trustee under other indentures pursuant

 

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to which securities of ours and of certain of our affiliates are outstanding. Affiliates of The Bank of New York Mellon have purchased, and are likely to purchase in the future, our securities and securities of our affiliates.

 

As Trustee under the Subordinated Indenture and the Subordinated Indenture II, The Bank of New York Mellon will perform only those duties that are specifically described in the Subordinated Indenture and the Subordinated Indenture II unless an event of default under either indenture occurs and is continuing. It is under no obligation to exercise any of its powers under the Indentures at the request of any holder of Junior Subordinated Debenture or Junior Subordinated Notes unless that holder offers reasonable indemnity to the Trustee against the costs, expenses and liabilities which it might incur as a result. (Section 7.1 of the Subordinated Indenture & the Subordinated Indenture II.)

 

The Subordinated Indenture II permits us to name a different trustee for individual series of Junior Subordinated Notes. If named, a series trustee performs the duties that would otherwise be performed by the Trustee under the Subordinated Indenture II with respect to that series; the series trustee will have no greater liabilities or obligations and will be entitled to all the rights and exculpations with respect to such series that would otherwise be available to the Trustee under the Subordinated Indenture II. If a series trustee is named, information about any series trustee will be disclosed in the prospectus supplement and the Trustee under the Subordinated Indenture II will have no responsibility with respect to that series.

 

The Bank of New York Mellon administers its corporate trust business at 101 Barclay Street, 7W ATTN: Corporate Trust Administration, New York, New York 10286 or such other address as it may notify to the Company from time to time.

 

ADDITIONAL TERMS OF THE SENIOR DEBT SECURITIES

 

Repayment at the Option of the Holder

 

We must repay the Senior Debt Securities at the option of the holders prior to the Stated Maturity Date only if specified in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials. Unless otherwise provided in the prospectus supplement or other offering materials, the Senior Debt Securities subject to repayment at the option of the holder will be subject to repayment:

 

•

on the specified Repayment Dates; and

 

•

at a repayment price equal to 100% of the unpaid principal amount to be repaid, together with unpaid interest accrued to the Repayment Date. (Section 1302 of the Senior Indenture.)

 

For any Senior Debt Security to be repaid, the Trustee must receive, at its office maintained for that purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, New York City not more than 180 nor less than 60 calendar days prior to the date of repayment:

 

•

in the case of a certificated Senior Debt Security, the certificated Senior Debt Security and the form in the Senior Debt Security entitled Option of Holder to Elect Purchase duly completed; or

 

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•

in the case of a book-entry Senior Debt Security, instructions to that effect from the beneficial owner to the securities depositary and forwarded by the securities depositary. Exercise of the repayment option by the holder will be irrevocable. (Section 1303 of the Senior Indenture.)

 

Only the securities depositary may exercise the repayment option in respect of beneficial interests in the book-entry Senior Debt Securities. Accordingly, beneficial owners that desire repayment in respect of all or any portion of their beneficial interests must instruct the participants through which they own their interests to direct the securities depositary to exercise the repayment option on their behalf. All instructions given to participants from beneficial owners relating to the option to elect repayment will be irrevocable. In addition, at the time the instructions are given, each beneficial owner will cause the participant through which it owns its interest to transfer its interest in the book-entry Senior Debt Securities or the global certificate representing the related book-entry Senior Debt Securities, on the securities depositary’s records, to the Trustee. See DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES—Global Securities.

 

Limitation on Liens

 

While any of the Senior Debt Securities are outstanding (other than those to which the limitation on liens covenant is expressly inapplicable), we are not permitted to create liens upon any Principal Property (as defined below) or upon any shares of stock of any Material Subsidiary (as defined below), which we now own or will own in the future, to secure any of our debt, unless at the same time we provide that the Senior Debt Securities will also be secured by that lien on an equal and ratable basis. However, we are generally permitted to create the following types of liens:

 

(1)

purchase money liens on future property acquired by us; liens of any kind existing on property or shares of stock or other securities at the time they are acquired by us; conditional sales agreements and other title retention agreements on future property acquired by us (as long as none of those liens cover any of our other properties);

 

(2)

liens on our property or any shares of stock or other securities of any Material Subsidiary that existed as of the date the Notes were first issued; liens on the shares of stock or other securities of any legal entity, which liens existed at the time that entity became a Material Subsidiary; certain liens typically incurred in the ordinary course of business;

 

(3)

liens in favor of the United States (or any State), any foreign country or any department, agency or instrumentality or political subdivision of those jurisdictions, to secure payments pursuant to any contract or statute or to secure any debt incurred for the purpose of financing the purchase price or the cost of constructing or improving the property subject to those liens, including, for example liens to secure debt of the pollution control or industrial revenue bond type;

 

(4)

debt that we may issue in connection with a consolidation or merger of Dominion or any Material Subsidiary with or into any other company (including any of our affiliates or Material Subsidiaries) in exchange for secured debt of that company (Third Party

 

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Debt) as long as that debt (i) is secured by a mortgage on all or a portion of the property of that company, (ii) prohibits secured debt from being incurred by that company, unless the Third Party Debt is secured on an equal and ratable basis, or (iii) prohibits secured debt from being incurred by that company;

 

(5)

debt of another company that we must assume in connection with a consolidation or merger of that company, with respect to which any of our property is subjected to a lien;

 

(6)

liens on any property that we acquire, construct, develop or improve after the date the Senior Debt Securities are first issued that are created before or within 18 months after the acquisition, construction, development or improvement of the property and secure the payment of the purchase price or related costs;

 

(7)

liens in favor of us, our Material Subsidiaries or our wholly-owned subsidiaries;

 

(8)

the replacement, extension or renewal of any lien referred to above in clauses (1) through (7) as long as the amount secured by the liens or the property subject to the liens is not increased; and

 

(9)

any other lien not covered by clauses (1) through (8) above as long as immediately after the creation of the lien the aggregate principal amount of debt secured by all liens created or assumed under this clause (9) does not exceed 10% of the common shareholders’ equity, as shown on the company’s consolidated balance sheet for the accounting period occurring immediately prior to the creation or assumption of such lien.

 

When we use the term “lien” in this section, we mean any mortgage, lien, pledge, security interest or other encumbrance of any kind; “Material Subsidiary” means each of our subsidiaries whose total assets (as determined in accordance with GAAP in the United States) represent at least 20% of our total assets on a consolidated basis; and “Principal Property” means any of our plants or facilities located in the United States that in the opinion of our Board or management is of material importance to the business conducted by us and our consolidated subsidiaries taken as whole. (Section 1008 of the Senior Indenture.)

 

ADDITIONAL TERMS OF THE JUNIOR SUBORDINATED DEBENTURES

 

Subordination

 

Each series of Junior Subordinated Debentures will be subordinate and junior in right of payment, to the extent set forth in the Subordinated Indenture, to all Senior Indebtedness as defined below. If:

 

•

we make a payment or distribution of any of our assets to creditors upon our dissolution, winding-up, liquidation or reorganization, whether in bankruptcy, insolvency or otherwise;

 

•

a default beyond any grace period has occurred and is continuing with respect to the payment of principal, interest or any other monetary amounts due and payable on any Senior Indebtedness; or

 

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•

the maturity of any Senior Indebtedness has been accelerated because of a default on that Senior Indebtedness;

 

then the holders of Senior Indebtedness generally will have the right to receive payment, in the case of the first instance, of all amounts due or to become due upon that Senior Indebtedness, and, in the case of the second and third instances, of all amounts due on that Senior Indebtedness, or we will make provision for those payments, before the holders of any Junior Subordinated Debentures have the right to receive any payments of principal or interest on their Junior Subordinated Debentures. (Sections 14.1 & 14.9 of the Subordinated Indenture.)

 

Senior Indebtedness means, with respect to any series of Junior Subordinated Debentures, the principal, premium, interest and any other payment in respect of any of the following, unless otherwise specified in the prospectus supplement or offering materials:

 

•

all of our current and future indebtedness for borrowed or purchase money or other similar instruments whether or not evidenced by notes, debentures, bonds or other written instruments;

 

•

our obligations for reimbursement under letters of credit, banker’s acceptances, security purchase facilities or similar facilities issued for our account;

 

•

any of our other indebtedness or 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

 

•

all indebtedness of others of the kinds described in the preceding categories which we have assumed or guaranteed.

 

Senior Indebtedness will not include our obligations to trade creditors or indebtedness to our subsidiaries. (Section 1.1 of the Subordinated Indenture.)

 

Senior Indebtedness will be entitled to the benefits of the subordination provisions in the Subordinated Indenture irrespective of the amendment, modification or waiver of any term of the Senior Indebtedness. We may not amend the Subordinated Indenture to change the subordination of any outstanding Junior Subordinated Debentures without the consent of each holder of Senior Indebtedness that the amendment would adversely affect. (Sections 10.2 & 14.7 of the Subordinated Indenture.)

 

The Subordinated Indenture does not limit the amount of Senior Indebtedness that we may issue.

 

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ADDITIONAL TERMS OF THE JUNIOR SUBORDINATED NOTES

 

Subordination

 

Each series of Junior Subordinated Notes will be subordinate and junior in right of payment, to the extent set forth in the Subordinated Indenture II, to all Priority Indebtedness as defined below. If:

 

•

we make a payment or distribution of any of our assets to creditors upon our dissolution, winding-up, liquidation or reorganization, whether in bankruptcy, insolvency or otherwise;

 

•

a default beyond any grace period has occurred and is continuing with respect to the payment of principal, interest or any other monetary amounts due and payable on any Priority Indebtedness; or

 

•

the maturity of any Priority Indebtedness has been accelerated because of a default on that Priority Indebtedness unless otherwise specified in the prospectus supplement and offering materials;

 

then the holders of Priority Indebtedness generally will have the right to receive payment, in the case of the first instance, of all amounts due or to become due upon that Priority Indebtedness, and, in the case of the second and third instances, of all amounts due on that Priority Indebtedness, or we will make provision for those payments, before the holders of any Junior Subordinated Notes have the right to receive any payments of principal or interest on their Junior Subordinated Notes. (Sections 14.1 & 14.9 of the Subordinated Indenture II.)

 

Priority Indebtedness means, with respect to any series of Junior Subordinated Notes, the principal, premium, interest and any other payment in respect of any of the following:

 

•

all of our current and future indebtedness for borrowed or purchase money whether or not evidenced by notes, debentures, bonds or other similar written instruments;

 

•

our obligations under synthetic leases, finance leases and capitalized leases;

 

•

our obligations for reimbursement under letters of credit, banker’s acceptances, security purchase facilities or similar facilities issued for our account;

 

•

any of our other indebtedness or 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

 

•

all indebtedness of others of the kinds described in the preceding categories which we have assumed or guaranteed.

 

Priority Indebtedness will not include trade accounts payable, accrued liabilities arising in the ordinary course of business or indebtedness to our subsidiaries. (Section 1.1 of the Subordinated Indenture II.)

 

Priority Indebtedness will be entitled to the benefits of the subordination provisions in the Subordinated Indenture II irrespective of the amendment, modification or waiver of any term of the Priority Indebtedness. We may not amend the Subordinated Indenture II to change the

 

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subordination of any outstanding Priority Indebtedness without the consent of each holder of Priority Indebtedness that the amendment would adversely affect. (Sections 10.2 & 14.7 of the Subordinated Indenture II.)

 

The Subordinated Indenture II does not limit the amount of Priority Indebtedness that we may issue.

 

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

 

As of September 30, 2014, our authorized capital stock was 1.02 billion shares. Those shares consisted of 20 million shares of preferred stock and one billion shares of common stock. As of September 30, 2014, approximately 584 million shares of common stock were issued and outstanding. No holder of shares of common stock or preferred stock has any preemptive rights.

 

Common Stock

 

Listing

 

Our outstanding shares of common stock are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “D”. Any additional common stock we issue will also be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

 

Dividends

 

Common shareholders may receive dividends when declared by the Board of Directors. Dividends may be paid in cash, stock or other form. In certain cases, common shareholders may not receive dividends until we have satisfied our obligations to any preferred shareholders. Under certain circumstances, if specified in the applicable supplemental indenture, the Indentures may restrict our ability to pay cash dividends.

 

Authorized But Unissued Shares

 

Our authorized but unissued shares of common stock will be available for future issuance without shareholder approval. These additional shares may be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future public offerings to raise additional capital, corporate acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued shares of common stock and preferred stock could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of the Company by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.

 

Fully Paid

 

All outstanding shares of common stock are fully paid and non-assessable. Any additional common stock we issue will also be fully paid and non-assessable.

 

Voting Rights

 

Each share of common stock is entitled to one vote in the election of directors and other matters. Common shareholders are not entitled to cumulative voting rights.

 

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Other Rights

 

We will notify common shareholders of any shareholders’ meetings according to applicable law. If we liquidate, dissolve or wind up our business, either voluntarily or not, common shareholders will share equally in the assets remaining after we pay our creditors and preferred shareholders.

 

Transfer Agents and Registrars

 

We, along with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, are transfer agent and registrar for our common stock. You may contact us at the address listed on page 2 or at Continental located at 17 Battery Place, 8th Floor, New York, New York 10004.

 

Preferred Stock

 

The following description of the terms of the preferred stock sets forth certain general terms and provisions of our authorized preferred stock. If we issue preferred stock, the specific designations and rights will be described in the prospectus supplement or other offering materials and a description will be filed with the SEC.

 

Our Board of Directors can, without approval of shareholders, issue one or more series of preferred stock. The Board of Directors can also determine the number of shares of each series and the rights, preferences and limitations of each series including the dividend rights, voting rights, conversion rights, redemption rights and any liquidation preferences, the number of shares constituting each series and the terms and conditions of issue. In some cases, the issuance of preferred stock could delay a change in control of the Company and make it harder to remove present management. Under certain circumstances, preferred stock could also restrict dividend payments to holders of our common stock.

 

The preferred stock will, when issued, be fully paid and non-assessable. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials, the preferred stock will rank on a parity in all respects with any outstanding preferred stock we may have and will have priority over our common stock as to dividends and distributions of assets. Therefore, the rights of any preferred stock that may subsequently be issued may limit the rights of the holders of our common stock and preferred stock.

 

The transfer agent, registrar, and dividend disbursement agent for a series of preferred stock will be named in a prospectus supplement or other offering materials. The registrar for shares of preferred stock will send notices to shareholders of any meetings at which holders of the preferred stock have the right to elect directors or to vote on any other matter.

 

VIRGINIA STOCK CORPORATION ACT AND THE ARTICLES AND THE BYLAWS

 

General

 

We are a Virginia corporation subject to the Virginia Stock Corporation Act (the Virginia Act). Provisions of the Virginia Act, in addition to provisions of our Articles of Incorporation (Articles) and Bylaws, address corporate governance issues, including the rights of

 

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shareholders. Some of these provisions could hinder management changes while others could have an anti- takeover effect. This anti-takeover effect may, in some circumstances, reduce the control premium that might otherwise be reflected in the value of our common stock. If you are buying this stock as part of a short-term investment strategy, this might be especially important to you.

 

We have summarized the key provisions below. You should read the actual provisions of our Articles and Bylaws and the Virginia Act that relate to your individual investment strategy.

 

Business Combinations

 

Our Articles require that any merger, share exchange or sale of substantially all of the assets of the Company be approved by a majority of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter by each voting group entitled to vote on the matter. Abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome.

 

Article 14 of the Virginia Act contains several provisions relating to transactions with interested shareholders. Interested shareholders are holders of more than 10% of any class of a corporation’s outstanding voting shares. Transactions between a corporation and an interested shareholder are referred to as affiliated transactions. The Virginia Act requires that material affiliated transactions must be approved by at least two-thirds of the shareholders not including the interested shareholder. Affiliated transactions requiring this two-thirds approval include mergers, share exchanges, material dispositions of corporate assets, dissolution or any reclassification of securities or merger of the corporation with any of its subsidiaries which increases the percentage of voting shares owned by an interested shareholder by more than five percent.

 

For three years following the time that a shareholder becomes an interested shareholder, a Virginia corporation cannot engage in an affiliated transaction with the interested shareholder without approval of two-thirds of the disinterested voting shares, and majority approval of disinterested directors. A disinterested director is a director who was a director on the date on which an interested shareholder became an interested shareholder or was recommended for election or elected by a majority of the disinterested directors then on the board. After three years, an affiliated transaction must be approved by either two-thirds of disinterested voting shares or a majority of disinterested directors.

 

The provisions of the Virginia Act relating to affiliated transactions do not apply if a majority of disinterested directors approve the acquisition of shares making a person an interested shareholder.

 

The Virginia Act permits corporations to opt out of the affiliated transactions provisions. We have not opted out.

 

The Virginia Act also contains provisions regulating certain control share acquisitions, which are transactions causing the voting strength of any person acquiring beneficial ownership of shares of a public corporation in Virginia to meet or exceed certain threshold voting

 

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percentages (20%, 33 ¹/₃%, or 50%). Shares acquired in a control share acquisition have no voting rights unless the voting rights are granted by a majority vote of all outstanding shares other than those held by the acquiring person or any officer or employee-director of the corporation. The acquiring person may require that a special meeting of the shareholders be held to consider the grant of voting rights to the shares acquired in the control share acquisition.

 

Our Bylaws give us the right to redeem the shares purchased by an acquiring person in a control share acquisition. We can do this if the acquiring person fails to deliver a statement to us listing information required by the Virginia Act or if our shareholders vote not to grant voting rights to the acquiring person.

 

The Virginia Act permits corporations to opt out of the control share acquisition provisions. We have not opted out.

 

Directors’ Duties

 

The standards of conduct for directors of Virginia corporations are listed in Section 13.1-690 of the Virginia Act. Directors must discharge their duties in accordance with their good faith business judgment of the best interests of the corporation. Directors may rely on the advice or acts of others, including officers, employees, attorneys, accountants and board committees if they have a good faith belief in their competence. Directors’ actions are not subject to a reasonableness or prudent person standard. Virginia’s federal and state courts have focused on the process involved with directors’ decision-making and are generally supportive of directors if they have based their decision on an informed process. These elements of Virginia law could make it more difficult to take over a Virginia corporation than corporations in other states.

 

Board of Directors

 

Members of our Board of Directors serve one-year terms and are elected annually. Except when the number of nominees exceeds the number of directors to be elected (a contested election), directors are elected by majority vote. In the case of a contested election, directors are elected by a plurality vote. Directors may be removed from office for cause if the number of votes cast to remove the director constitutes a majority of the votes entitled to be cast at an election of directors of the voting group by which the director was elected.

 

Shareholder Proposals and Director Nominations

 

Our shareholders can submit shareholder proposals and nominate candidates for the Board of Directors if the shareholders follow advance notice procedures described in our Bylaws.

 

To nominate directors, shareholders must submit a written notice to our corporate secretary at least 60 days before a scheduled meeting. The notice must include the name and address of the shareholder and of the nominee, a description of any arrangements between the shareholder and the nominee, information about the nominee required by the SEC, the written consent of the nominee to serve as a director and other information.

 

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Shareholder proposals must be submitted to our corporate secretary at least 90 days before the first anniversary of the date of our last annual meeting. The notice must include a description of the proposal, the reasons for presenting the proposal at the annual meeting, the text of any resolutions to be presented, the shareholder’s name and address and number of shares held and any material interest of the shareholder in the proposal.

 

Director nominations and shareholder proposals that are late or that do not include all required information may be rejected. This could prevent shareholders from bringing certain matters before an annual or special meeting, including making nominations for directors.

 

Meetings of Shareholders

 

Under our Bylaws, meetings of the shareholders may be called by the chairman of the board, the vice chairman, the president or a majority of the Board of Directors. Special meetings of shareholders will also be held whenever called by the Corporate Secretary, upon the written request of shareholders owning continuously for a period of at least one year prior to the date of such request more than one-third of all of our outstanding shares of common stock. These provisions could have the effect of delaying until the next annual shareholders’ meeting shareholder actions which are favored by the holders of less than one-third of our outstanding shares of common stock, because such holders would be able to take action as shareholders, such as electing new directors or approving a merger, only at a duly called shareholders’ meeting.

 

Amendment of Articles

 

Generally, our Articles may be amended if the votes cast favoring the amendment exceed the votes cast opposing the amendment at a meeting where a quorum is present. Some provisions of the Articles, however, may only be amended or repealed by a majority of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter by each voting group entitled to vote on the matter.

 

Indemnification

 

Under our Articles, we indemnify our officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted under Virginia law against all liabilities incurred in connection with their service to us. We have also entered into agreements relating to the advancement of expenses for certain of our directors and officers in advance of a final disposition of proceedings or the making of any determination of eligibility for indemnification pursuant to our Articles.

 

Limitation of Liability

 

Our Articles provide that our directors and officers will not be personally liable for monetary damages to us for breaches of their fiduciary duty as directors or officers, unless they violated their duty of loyalty to us or our shareholders, acted in bad faith, knowingly or intentionally violated the law, authorized illegal dividends or redemptions or derived an improper personal benefit from their action as directors or officers. This provision applies only to claims against directors or officers arising out of their role as directors or officers and not in any other capacity. Directors and officers remain liable for violations of the federal securities

 

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laws and we retain the right to pursue legal remedies other than monetary damages, such as an injunction or rescission for breach of the officer’s or director’s duty of care.

 

DESCRIPTION OF STOCK PURCHASE CONTRACTS AND STOCK PURCHASE UNITS

 

We may issue stock purchase contracts, including contracts obligating holders to purchase from us, and us to sell to the holders, a specified or varying number of shares of common stock or preferred stock at a future date or dates, which we refer to in this prospectus as stock purchase contracts. Alternatively, the stock purchase contracts may obligate us to purchase from holders, and obligate holders to sell to us, a specified or varying number of shares of common stock or preferred stock. The price per share of common stock or preferred stock and the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock may be fixed at the time the stock purchase contracts are issued or may be determined by reference to a specific formula or method set forth in the stock purchase contracts. The stock purchase contracts may be issued separately or as part of units consisting of a stock purchase contract and beneficial interests in debt securities, preferred stock or debt obligations of third parties, including U.S. treasury securities or obligations of our subsidiaries, securing the holders’ obligations to purchase the common stock or preferred stock under the stock purchase contracts, which we refer to in this prospectus as stock purchase units. The stock purchase contracts may require us to make periodic payments to the holders of the stock purchase units or vice versa, and these payments may be unsecured or refunded and may be paid on a current or on a deferred basis. The stock purchase contracts may require holders to secure their obligations under those contracts in a specified manner.

 

The applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials will describe the terms of the stock purchase contracts or stock purchase units and will contain a discussion of the material federal income tax considerations applicable to the stock purchase contracts and stock purchase units. The description in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials will not necessarily be complete, and reference will be made for additional information to the purchase contract agreement or unit purchase agreement, as applicable, that we will enter into at the time of issue, and, if applicable, collateral or depositary arrangements, relating to the stock purchase contracts or stock purchase units.

 

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

 

We may sell the securities being offered hereby in any one or more of the following ways:

 

•

directly to purchasers;

 

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through agents;

 

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to or through underwriters; or

 

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through dealers.

 

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We may distribute the securities from time to time in one or more transactions at:

 

•

a fixed price or prices, which may be changed;

 

•

market prices prevailing at the time of sale;

 

•

prices related to prevailing market prices; or

 

•

negotiated prices.

 

We may directly solicit offers to purchase securities, or we may designate agents to solicit such offers. We will, in the prospectus supplement or other offering materials relating to such offering, name any agent that could be viewed as an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and describe any commissions we must pay. Any such agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment or, if indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials, on a firm commitment basis. Agents, dealers and underwriters may be customers of, engage in transactions with, or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.

 

If any underwriters or agents are utilized in the sale of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered, we will enter into an underwriting agreement or other agreement with them at the time of sale to them, and we will set forth in the prospectus supplement or other offering materials relating to such offering their names and the terms of our agreement with them.

 

If a dealer is utilized in the sale of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered, we will sell such securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell such securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by such dealer at the time of resale.

 

We may engage in at-the-market offerings to or through a market maker or into an existing trading market, on an exchange or otherwise, in accordance with Rule 415(a)(4). An at-the-market offering may be through an underwriter or underwriters acting as principal or agent for us.

 

The securities may also be offered and sold, if so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials, in connection with a remarketing upon their purchase, in accordance with a redemption or repayment pursuant to their terms, or otherwise, by one or more remarketing firms, acting as principals for their own accounts or as agents for us. Any remarketing firm will be identified and the terms of its agreement, if any, with us and its compensation will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials.

 

Remarketing firms, agents, underwriters and dealers may be entitled under agreements which they may enter into with us to indemnification by us against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.

 

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securities the prices of which may be used to determine payments on such securities. Specifically, any underwriters may over-allot in connection with the offering, creating a short position for their own accounts. In addition, to cover over-allotments or to stabilize the price of the securities or of any such other securities, the underwriters may bid for, and purchase, the securities or any such other securities in the open market. Finally, in any offering of the securities through a syndicate of underwriters, the underwriting syndicate may reclaim selling concessions allowed to an underwriter or a dealer for distributing the securities in the offering if the syndicate repurchases previously distributed securities in transactions to cover syndicate short positions, in stabilization transactions or otherwise. Any of these activities may stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities above independent market levels. Any such underwriters are not required to engage in these activities and may end any of these activities at any time.

 

We may enter into derivative transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials indicates, in connection with those derivatives, the third parties may sell securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials, including in short sale transactions. If so, the third parties may use securities pledged by us or borrowed from us or others to settle those sales or to close out any related open borrowings of securities, and may use securities received from us in settlement of those derivatives to close out any related open borrowings of securities. The third parties in such sale transactions will be underwriters and, if not identified in this prospectus, will be identified in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials (or a post-effective amendment).

 

We or one of our affiliates may loan or pledge securities to a financial institution or other third party that in turn may sell the securities using this prospectus. Such financial institution or third party may transfer its short position to investors in our securities or in connection with a simultaneous offering of other securities offered by this prospectus or otherwise.

 

Any underwriter, agent or dealer utilized in the initial offering of securities will not confirm sales to accounts over which it exercises discretionary authority without the prior specific written approval of its customer.

 

LEGAL MATTERS

 

McGuireWoods LLP, counsel to the Company, will issue an opinion about the legality of the offered securities for us. As of September 30, 2014, partners of McGuireWoods LLP owned less than one-half of one percent of our common stock. Underwriters, dealers or agents, if any, who we will identify in a prospectus supplement or other offering materials, may have their counsel pass upon certain legal matters in connection with the securities offered by this prospectus.

 

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EXPERTS

 

The consolidated financial statements incorporated in this Prospectus by reference from Dominion Resources, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 and the effectiveness of the Dominion Resources, Inc. and subsidiaries’ internal control over financial reporting have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports, which are incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements have been so incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

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