IDACORP, Inc. 2000 Long-Term Incentive and Compensation Plan Plan Document and Additional Information

 

1.1          Establishment of the Plan.  IDACORP, Inc., an Idaho corporation (hereinafter referred to as the "Company"), hereby establishes an incentive and compensation plan for officers, key employees and directors, to be known as the "IDACORP, Inc. 2000 Long-Term Incentive and Compensation Plan" (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan"), as set forth in this document.  The Plan permits the grant of nonqualified stock options (“NQSO”), incentive stock options (“ISO”), stock appreciation rights (“SAR”), restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance units, performance shares and other awards.

 

The Plan became effective when approved by the shareholders at the 2000 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the "Effective Date") and shall remain in effect as provided in Section 1.3 herein, as amended from time to time.

 

1.2          Purpose of the Plan.  The purpose of the Plan is to promote the success and enhance the value of the Company by linking the personal interests of Participants to those of Company shareholders and customers.

 

The Plan is further intended to provide flexibility to the Company in its ability to motivate, attract and retain the services of Participants upon whose judgment, interest and special effort the successful conduct of its operations is largely dependent.

 

1.3          Duration of the Plan.  The Plan shall commence on the Effective Date, as described in Section 1.1 herein, and shall remain in effect, subject to the right of the Board of Directors to terminate the Plan at any time pursuant to Article 14 herein, until all Shares subject to it shall have been purchased or acquired according to the Plan's provisions.

 

 

Whenever used in the Plan, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below and, when such meaning is intended, the initial letter of the word is capitalized:

 

2.1          Award means, individually or collectively, a grant under the Plan of NQSOs, ISOs, SARs, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Units, Performance Shares or any other type of award permitted under Article 10 of the Plan.

 

2.2          Award Agreement means an agreement entered into by each Participant and the Company, setting forth the terms and provisions applicable to an Award granted to a Participant under the Plan.

 

2.3          Base Value of an SAR shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.1 herein.

 

2.4          Board or Board of Directors means the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

2.5          Change in Control means the earliest of the following to occur:

 

(a) any Person, excluding (i) the Company or any Subsidiary, (ii) a corporation or other entity owned, directly or indirectly, by the shareholders of the Company immediately prior to the transaction in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company, (iii) an employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any Subsidiary or (iv) an underwriter temporarily holding securities pursuant to an offering of such securities ("Change in Control Person") is the beneficial owner (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of 20% or more of the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities eligible to vote generally in the election of directors of the Company; provided, however, that no Change in Control will be deemed to have occurred as a result of a change in ownership percentage resulting solely from an acquisition of securities by the Company;

 

(b) consummation of a merger, consolidation, reorganization or share exchange, or sale of all or substantially all of the assets, of the Company or Idaho Power Company (a "Qualifying Transaction"), unless, immediately following such Qualifying Transaction, all of the following have occurred: (i) all or substantially all of the beneficial owners of the Company immediately prior to such Qualifying Transaction beneficially own in substantially the same proportions, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of the corporation or other entity resulting from such Qualifying Transaction (including, without limitation, a corporation or other entity which, as a result of such transaction, owns the Company or all or substantially all of the Company's assets either directly or through one or more subsidiaries) (as the case may be, the "Successor Entity"), (ii) no Change in Control Person is the beneficial owner (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the 1934 Act), directly or indirectly, of 20% or more of the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities eligible to vote generally in the election of directors of the Successor Entity and (iii) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors of the Successor Entity are Incumbent Directors;

 

(c) a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company or Idaho Power Company; or

 

(d) within a 24-month period, individuals who were directors of the Board immediately before such period ("Incumbent Directors") cease to constitute at least a majority of the directors of the Board; provided, however, that any director who was not a director of the Board at the beginning of such period shall be deemed to be an Incumbent Director if the election or nomination for election of such director was approved by the vote of at least two-thirds of the directors of the Board then still in office (i) who were in office at the beginning of the 24-month period or (ii) whose election or nomination for election was so approved, in each case, unless such individual was elected or nominated as a result of an actual or threatened election contest or as a result of an actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of any Change in Control Person other than the Board.

 

For avoidance of doubt, transactions for the purpose of dividing Idaho Power Company's assets into separate distribution, transmission or generation entities or such other entities as the Company or Idaho Power Company may determine shall not constitute a Change in Control unless so determined by the Board.

 

2.6          Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.

 

2.7          Committee means the committee, as specified in Article 3, appointed by the Board to administer the Plan with respect to Awards.

 

2.8          Company means IDACORP, Inc., an Idaho corporation, or any successor thereto as provided in Article 16 herein.

 

2.9          Covered Employee means any Participant who would be considered a "covered employee" for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code.

 

2.10        Director means any individual who is a member of the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

2.11        Disability means the continuous inability of an Employee because of illness or injury to engage in any occupation or employment for wage or profit with the Company or any other employer (including self-employment) for which he is reasonably qualified by education, training or experience.  An Employee will not be considered disabled during any period unless he is under the regular care and attendance of a duly qualified physician.

2.12        Dividend Equivalent means, with respect to Shares subject to an Award, a right to be paid an amount equal to dividends declared on an equal number of outstanding Shares.

 

2.13        Eligible Person means an individual who is eligible to participate in the Plan, as set forth in Section 5.1 herein.

 

2.14        Employee means an individual who is paid on the payroll of the Company or of the Company's Subsidiaries, who is not covered by any collective bargaining agreement to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party, and is classified in the payroll system as a regular full-time, part-time or temporary employee.  For purposes of the Plan, transfer of employment of a Participant between the Company and any one of its Subsidiaries (or between Subsidiaries) shall not be deemed a termination of employment.

 

2.15        Exchange Act means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, or any successor act thereto.

 

2.16        Exercise Period means the period during which an SAR or Option is exercisable, as set forth in the related Award Agreement.

 

2.17        Fair Market Value means the fair market value of a Share as determined in good faith by the Committee or pursuant to a procedure specified in good faith by the Committee; provided, however, that if the Committee has not specified otherwise, Fair Market Value shall mean the closing price of a Share as reported in the consolidated transaction reporting system, or, if there was no such sale on the relevant date, then on the last previous day on which a sale was reported.

 

2.18        Freestanding SAR means an SAR that is not a Tandem SAR.

 

2.19        Incentive Stock Option or ISO means an option to purchase Shares, granted under Article 6 herein, which is designated as an Incentive Stock Option and satisfies the requirements of Section 422 of the Code.

 

2.20        Nonqualified Stock Option or NQSO means an option to purchase Shares, granted under Article 6 herein, which is not intended to be an Incentive Stock Option under Section 422 of the Code.

 

2.21        Option means an Incentive Stock Option or a Nonqualified Stock Option.

     2.22        Option Exercise Price means the price at which a Share may be purchased by a Participant pursuant to an Option, as determined by the Committee and set forth in the Option Award Agreement.

 

2.23        Participant means an Eligible Person who has outstanding an Award granted under the Plan.

 

2.24        Performance Goals  means the performance goals established by the Committee, which shall be based on one or more of the following measures:  sales or revenues, earnings per share, shareholder return and/or value, funds from operations, operating income, gross income, net income, cash flow, return on equity, return on capital, earnings before interest, operating ratios, stock price, customer satisfaction, accomplishment of mergers, acquisitions, dispositions or similar extraordinary business transactions, profit returns and margins, financial return ratios, budget achievement, performance against budget, and/or market performance.  Performance goals may be measured solely on a corporate, subsidiary or business unit basis, or a combination thereof.  Performance goals may reflect absolute entity performance or a relative comparison of entity performance to the performance of a peer group of entities or other external measure.

 

2.25        Performance Period means the time period during which Performance Unit/Performance Share Performance Goals must be met.

 

2.26        Performance Share means an Award described in Article 9 herein.

 

2.27        Performance Unit means an Award described in Article 9 herein.

 

2.28        Period of Restriction means the period during which the transfer of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units is limited in some way, as provided in Article 8 herein.

 

2.29        Person shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act, as used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) thereof, including usage in the definition of a "group" in Section 13(d) thereof.

 

2.30        Plan means the IDACORP, Inc. 2000 Long-Term Incentive and Compensation Plan, as amended from time to time.

 

2.31        Qualified Restricted Stock means an Award of Restricted Stock designated as Qualified Restricted Stock by the Committee at the time of grant and intended to qualify for the exemption from the limitation on deductibility imposed by Section 162(m) of the Code that is set forth in Section 162(m)(4)(C).

 

2.32        Qualified Restricted Stock Unit means an Award of Restricted Stock Units designated as Qualified Restricted Stock Units by the Committee at the time of grant and intended to qualify for the exemption from the limitation on deductibility imposed by Section 162(m) of the Code that is set forth in Section 162(m)(4)(C).

 

2.33        Restricted Stock means an Award described in Article 8 herein.

 

2.34        Restricted Stock Unit means an Award described in Article 8 herein.

2.35        Retirement means a Participant's Separation from Service if (i) the Participant is age 55 or older at the time of the Separation from Service and (ii) the Committee determines that the Separation from Service constitutes Retirement for purposes of the Participant's Award.

 

2.36        Securities Act means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

2.37        Separation from Service means "separation from service" as that term is used in Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Code.

 

2.38        Shares means the shares of common stock, no par value, of the Company.

 

2.39        Stock Appreciation Right or SAR means a right, granted alone or in connection with a related Option, designated as an SAR, to receive a payment on the day the right is exercised, pursuant to the terms of Article 7 herein. Each SAR shall be denominated in terms of one Share.

 

2.40        Subsidiary means any corporation (other than the Company) in an unbroken chain of corporations beginning with the Company if each of the corporations other than the last corporation in the unbroken chain owns stock possessing 50 percent or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in such chain.

 

2.41        Tandem SAR means an SAR that is granted in connection with a related Option, the exercise of which shall require forfeiture of the right to purchase a Share under the related Option (and when a Share is purchased under the Option, the Tandem SAR shall be similarly canceled).

 

 

3.1          The Committee.  The Plan shall be administered by the Compensation Committee or such other committee (the "Committee") as the Board of Directors shall select consisting solely of two or more members of the Board.  The members of the Committee shall be appointed from time to time by, and shall serve at the discretion of, the Board of Directors.

3.2          Authority of the Committee.  The Committee shall have full power except as limited by law, the Articles of Incorporation or the Bylaws of the Company, subject to such other restricting limitations or directions as may be imposed by the Board and subject to the provisions herein, to determine the Eligible Persons to receive Awards; to determine the size and types of Awards; to determine the terms and conditions of such Awards; to construe and interpret the Plan and any agreement or instrument entered into under the Plan; to establish, amend or waive rules and regulations for the Plan's administration; and (subject to the provisions of Article 14 herein) to amend the terms and conditions of any outstanding Award.  Further, the Committee shall make all other determinations which may be necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan.  As permitted by law, the Committee may delegate its authorities as identified hereunder.

 

3.3          Restrictions on Distribution of Shares and Share Transferability.  Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the Company shall have no liability to deliver any Shares or benefits under the Plan unless such delivery would comply with all applicable laws (including, without limitation, the Securities Act) and applicable requirements of any securities exchange or similar entity and unless the Participant's tax obligations have been satisfied as set forth in Article 15.  The Committee may impose such restrictions on any Shares acquired pursuant to Awards under the Plan as it may deem advisable, including, without limitation, restrictions to comply with applicable Federal securities laws, with the requirements of any stock exchange or market upon which such Shares are then listed and/or traded and with any blue sky or state securities laws applicable to such Shares.

 

3.4          Decisions Binding.  All determinations and decisions (including, without limitation, all interpretations) made by the Committee pursuant to the provisions of the Plan and all related orders or resolutions of the Board shall be final, conclusive and binding on all persons, including the Company, its shareholders, Eligible Persons, Employees, Participants and their estates and beneficiaries.

 

3.5          Costs.  The Company shall pay all costs of administration of the Plan.

 

Article 4.               Shares Subject to the Plan

 

4.1          Number of Shares.  Subject to Section 4.2 herein, the maximum number of Shares available for grant under the Plan shall be 3,100,000.  Shares underlying lapsed or forfeited Awards, or Awards that are not paid in Shares, may be reused for other Awards; provided, however, that the following Shares shall not be added to Shares available for grant under the Plan: (i) Shares that were subject to a stock-settled Stock Appreciation Right and were not issued upon the net settlement or net exercise of such Stock Appreciation Right, (ii) Shares tendered to the Company to pay the exercise price of an Option or (iii) Shares tendered to or withheld by the Company to pay the withholding taxes with respect to an Award.  Shares granted pursuant to the Plan may be (i) authorized but unissued Shares of common stock, (ii) treasury shares or (iii) Shares purchased on the open market.

 

4.2          Adjustments in Authorized Shares and Awards.  In the event of any equity restructuring (within the meaning of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123R), such as a stock dividend, stock split, spinoff, rights offering or recapitalization through a large, nonrecurring cash dividend, the Committee shall cause an equitable adjustment to be made (i) in the number and kind of Shares that may be delivered under the Plan, (ii) in the individual limitations set forth in Section 4.3 and (iii) with respect to outstanding Awards, in the number and kind of Shares subject to outstanding Awards, the Option Exercise Price, Base Value or other price of Shares subject to outstanding Awards, any performance conditions relating to Shares, the market price of Shares, or per-Share results, and other terms and conditions of outstanding Awards, in the case of (i), (ii) and (iii) to prevent dilution or enlargement of rights.  In the event of any other change in corporate capitalization, such as a merger, consolidation or liquidation, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, cause an equitable adjustment as described in the foregoing sentence to be made, to prevent dilution or enlargement of rights.  The number of Shares subject to any Award shall always be rounded down to a whole number when adjustments are made pursuant to this Section 4.2.  Adjustments made by the Committee pursuant to this Section 4.2 shall be final, binding and conclusive.

 

4.3          Individual Limitations.  Subject to Section 4.2 above, (i) the total number of Shares with respect to which Options or SARs may be granted in any calendar year to any Covered Employee shall not exceed 250,000 Shares; (ii) the total number of Qualified Restricted Stock Shares or Qualified Restricted Stock Units that may be granted in any calendar year to any Covered Employee shall not exceed 250,000 Shares or Units, as the case may be; (iii) the total number of Performance Shares or Performance Units that may be granted in any calendar year to any Covered Employee shall not exceed 250,000 Shares or Units, as the case may be; (iv) the total number of Shares that are intended to qualify as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code granted pursuant to Article 10 herein in any calendar year to any Covered Employee shall not exceed 250,000 Shares; (v) the total cash Award that is intended to qualify as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code that may be paid pursuant to Article 10 herein in any calendar year to any Covered Employee shall not exceed $500,000; and (vi) the aggregate amount of Dividend Equivalents that are intended to qualify as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code that a Covered Employee may receive in any calendar year shall not exceed $1,000,000.

4.4          Direct Registration.  Except as provided in Section 8.4 herein, Shares issued pursuant to the Plan will be recorded in the Participant’s direct registration account and a direct registration statement will be issued to the Participant, unless the Participant specifically requests a stock certificate.

 

 

5.1          Eligibility. Persons eligible to participate in the Plan ("Eligible Persons") include all officers, key employees and directors of the Company and its Subsidiaries, as determined by the Committee.

 

5.2          Actual Participation. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee may, from time to time, select from all Eligible Persons those to whom Awards shall be granted.

 

 

6.1          Grant of Options. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, Options may be granted to an Eligible Person at any time and from time to time, as shall be determined by the Committee.

 

The Committee shall have complete discretion in determining the number of Shares subject to Options granted to each Eligible Person (subject to Article 4 herein) and, consistent with the provisions of the Plan, in determining the terms and conditions pertaining to such Options.  The Committee may grant ISOs, NQSOs or a combination thereof.

 

6.2          Option Award Agreement.  Each Option grant shall be evidenced by an Option Award Agreement that shall specify the Option Exercise Price, the term of the Option, the number of Shares to which the Option pertains, the Exercise Period and such other provisions as the Committee shall determine.  The Option Award Agreement shall also specify whether the Option is intended to be an ISO or a NQSO.  Rights, if any, to Dividend Equivalents shall be determined by the Committee.

 

6.3          Option Exercise Price.  Except for Options adjusted or granted pursuant to Article 4 herein, and replacement Options granted in connection with a merger, acquisition, reorganization or similar transaction, the Option Exercise Price of Options granted under the Plan shall be at least equal to the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant of the Option.  Except as provided in Articles 4 and 13 herein, the following actions may not be taken with respect to outstanding Options without prior shareholder approval: (i) reduction of the Option Exercise Price of outstanding Options, (ii) cancellation of outstanding Options in exchange for cash, other Awards or Options with a lower Option Exercise Price at a time when the Option Exercise Price exceeds the Fair Market Value of a Share and (iii) any other action with respect to outstanding Options that would constitute a "re-pricing" (determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, as amended from time to time and applied in preparing the Company’s financial statements, or other successor accounting principles similarly applied).

 

6.4          Exercise of and Payment for Options. Options granted under the Plan shall be exercisable at such times and shall be subject to such restrictions and conditions as the Committee shall in each instance approve.

 

Options shall be exercised by the delivery of a written notice of exercise to the Company, setting forth the number of Shares with respect to which the Option is to be exercised, accompanied by provision for full payment for the Shares.

The Option Exercise Price shall be payable:  (a) in cash or its equivalent, (b) by tendering (or attesting to the ownership of) previously acquired Shares having an aggregate Fair Market Value at the time of exercise equal to the total Option Exercise Price, (c) by broker-assisted cashless exercise, (d) by such other methods as the Committee may prescribe or (e) by a combination of (a), (b), (c) and/or (d).

 

6.5          Termination.  Each Option Award Agreement shall set forth the extent to which the Participant shall have the right to exercise the Option following termination of the Participant's employment with or service on the Board of the Company and its Subsidiaries.  Such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee (subject to applicable law), need not be uniform among all Options granted pursuant to the Plan or among Participants and may reflect distinctions based on the reasons for termination.

 

6.6          Transferability of Options.  Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, all Options granted to a Participant under the Plan shall be exercisable during his or her lifetime only by such Participant, and no Option granted under the Plan may be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution.  ISOs are not transferable other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution.

 

 

7.1          Grant of SARs. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, an SAR may be granted to an Eligible Person at any time and from time to time as shall be determined by the Committee.  The Committee may grant Freestanding SARs, Tandem SARs or any combination of these forms of SARs.

 

The Committee shall have complete discretion in determining the number of SARs granted to each Eligible Person (subject to Article 4 herein) and, consistent with the provisions of the Plan, in determining the terms and conditions pertaining to such SARs.  Rights, if any, to Dividend Equivalents shall be determined by the Committee.

 

Except for SARs adjusted or granted pursuant to Article 4 herein, and replacement SARs granted in connection with a merger, acquisition, reorganization or similar transaction, the Base Value of a Freestanding SAR shall equal the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant of the SAR. The Base Value of Tandem SARs shall equal the Option Exercise Price of the related Option.

 

Except as provided in Articles 4 and 13 herein, the following actions may not be taken with respect to outstanding SARs without prior shareholder approval:  (i) reduction of the Base Value of outstanding SARs, (ii) cancellation of outstanding SARs in exchange for cash, other Awards or SARs with a lower Base Value at a time when the Base Value exceeds the Fair Market Value of a Share and (iii) any other action with respect to outstanding SARs that would constitute a "re-pricing" (determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, as amended from time to time and applied in preparing the Company’s financial statements, or other successor accounting principles similarly applied).

 

7.2          SAR Award Agreement.  Each SAR grant shall be evidenced by an SAR Award Agreement that shall specify the number of SARs granted, the Base Value, the term of the SAR, the Exercise Period and such other provisions as the Committee shall determine.

 

7.3          Exercise and Payment of SARs.  Tandem SARs may be exercised for all or part of the Shares subject to the related Option upon the surrender of the right to exercise the equivalent portion of the related Option.  A Tandem SAR may be exercised only with respect to the Shares for which its related Option is then exercisable.

Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan to the contrary, with respect to a Tandem SAR granted in connection with an ISO: (i) the Tandem SAR will expire no later than the expiration of the underlying ISO; (ii) the value of the payout with respect to the Tandem SAR may be for no more than one hundred percent (100%) of the difference between the Option Exercise Price of the underlying ISO and the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to the underlying ISO at the time the Tandem SAR is exercised; and (iii) the Tandem SAR may be exercised only when the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to the ISO exceeds the Option Exercise Price of the ISO.

 

Freestanding SARs may be exercised upon whatever terms and conditions the Committee, in its sole discretion, imposes upon them.

 

A Participant may exercise an SAR at any time during the Exercise Period.  SARs shall be exercised by the delivery of a written notice of exercise to the Company, setting forth the number of SARs being exercised.  Upon exercise of an SAR, a Participant shall be entitled to receive payment from the Company in an amount equal to the product of:

 

(a)           the excess of (i) the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of exercise over (ii) the Base Value multiplied by

 

(b)           the number of Shares with respect to which the SAR is exercised.

 

At the sole discretion of the Committee, the payment to the Participant upon SAR exercise may be in cash, in Shares of equivalent value or in some combination thereof.

 

7.4          Termination.  Each SAR Award Agreement shall set forth the extent to which the Participant shall have the right to exercise the SAR following termination of the Participant's employment with or service on the Board of the Company and its Subsidiaries.  Such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee, need not be uniform among all SARs granted pursuant to the Plan or among Participants and may reflect distinctions based on the reasons for termination.

 

7.5          Transferability of SARs.  Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, all SARs granted to a Participant under the Plan shall be exercisable during his or her lifetime only by such Participant or his or her legal representative, and no SAR granted under the Plan may be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution.

 

 

8.1          Grant of Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units.  Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, Restricted Stock and/or Restricted Stock Units may be granted to an Eligible Person at any time and from time to time, as shall be determined by the Committee.

 

The Committee shall have complete discretion in determining the number of shares of Restricted Stock and/or Restricted Stock Units granted to each Eligible Person (subject to Article 4 herein) and, consistent with the provisions of the Plan, in determining the terms and conditions pertaining to such Awards.

 

In addition, the Committee may, prior to or at the time of grant, designate an Award of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units as Qualified Restricted Stock or Qualified Restricted Stock

Units, as the case may be, in which event it will condition the grant or vesting, as applicable, of such Qualified Restricted Stock or Qualified Restricted Stock Units, as the case may be, upon the attainment of the Performance Goals selected by the Committee.

 

8.2          Restricted Stock/Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement.  Each grant of Restricted Stock and/or Restricted Stock Units shall be evidenced by a Restricted Stock and/or Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement that shall specify the number of shares of Restricted Stock and/or Restricted Stock Units granted, the initial value (if applicable), the Period or Periods of Restriction, and such other provisions as the Committee shall determine.

 

8.3          Transferability.  Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units granted hereunder may not be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated until the end of the applicable Period of Restriction established by the Committee.  During the applicable Period of Restriction, all rights with respect to the Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units granted to a Participant under the Plan shall be available during his or her lifetime only to such Participant or his or her legal representative.

 

8.4          Certificates and Account Entries.  Restricted Stock shall be registered in the name of a Participant and held in the Company's custody until such time as all restrictions applicable to such Shares have been satisfied.

 

8.5          Removal of Restrictions.  Restricted Stock shall become freely transferable by the Participant after the last day of the Period of Restriction applicable thereto.  Once Restricted Stock is released from the restrictions, the number of Shares with respect to which the restrictions have lapsed will be recorded in the Participant’s direct registration account and a direct registration statement will be issued to the Participant, unless the Participant specifically requests a stock certificate.  Payment of Restricted Stock Units shall be made after the last day of the Period of Restriction applicable thereto.  The Committee, in its sole discretion, may pay Restricted Stock Units in cash or in Shares (or in a combination thereof), which have an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the value of the Restricted Stock Units.

 

8.6          Voting Rights.  During the Period of Restriction, Participants may exercise full voting rights with respect to the Restricted Stock.

 

8.7          Dividends and Other Distributions.  Subject to the Committee's right to determine otherwise, during the Period of Restriction, Participants shall receive all regular cash dividends paid with respect to the Restricted Stock while it is so held, and all other distributions paid with respect to such Restricted Stock shall be credited to Participants subject to the same restrictions on transferability and forfeitability as the Restricted Stock with respect to which they were paid and shall vest or be paid, as the case may be, to the Participant promptly after the full vesting of the Restricted Stock with respect to which such distributions were made.

 

Rights, if any, to Dividend Equivalents on Restricted Stock Units shall be determined by the Committee.

 

8.8          Termination.  Each Restricted Stock/Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement shall set forth the extent to which the Participant shall have the right to receive Restricted Stock and/or a Restricted Stock Unit payment following termination of the Participant's employment with or service on the Board of the Company and its Subsidiaries.  Such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee, need not be uniform among all grants of Restricted Stock/Restricted Stock Units or among Participants and may reflect distinctions based on the reasons for termination.

 

9.1          Grant of Performance Units and Performance Shares.  Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, Performance Units and/or Performance Shares may be granted to an Eligible Person at any time and from time to time, as shall be determined by the Committee.

 

The Committee shall have complete discretion in determining the number of Performance Units and/or Performance Shares granted to each Eligible Person (subject to Article 4 herein) and, consistent with the provisions of the Plan, in determining the terms and conditions pertaining to such Awards.

 

9.2          Performance Unit/Performance Share Award Agreement.  Each grant of Performance Units and/or Performance Shares shall be evidenced by a Performance Unit and/or Performance Share Award Agreement that shall specify the number of Performance Units and/or Performance Shares granted, the initial value (if applicable), the Performance Period, the Performance Goals and such other provisions as the Committee shall determine.  Rights, if any, to Dividend Equivalents shall be determined by the Committee.

 

9.3          Value of Performance Units/Performance Shares.  Each Performance Unit shall have an initial value that is established by the Committee at the time of grant.  In no event shall the value of a Performance Unit intended to qualify as performance-based compensation under Code Section 162(m) exceed the value of a Share.  The value of a Performance Share shall be equal to the Fair Market Value of a Share.  The Committee shall set Performance Goals in its discretion which, depending on the extent to which they are met, will determine the number and/or value of Performance Units/Performance Shares that will be paid out to the Participants.

 

9.4          Earning of Performance Units/Performance Shares.  After the applicable Performance Period has ended, the Participant shall be entitled to receive a payout with respect to the Performance Units/Performance Shares earned by the Participant over the Performance Period, to be determined as a function of the extent to which the corresponding Performance Goals have been achieved.

 

9.5          Form and Timing of Payment of Performance Units/Performance Shares.  Payment of earned Performance Units/Performance Shares shall be made following the close of the applicable Performance Period.  The Committee, in its sole discretion, may pay earned Performance Units/Shares in cash or in Shares (or in a combination thereof), which have an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the value of the earned Performance Units/Shares at the close of the applicable Performance Period.  Such Shares may be granted subject to any restrictions deemed appropriate by the Committee.

 

9.6          Termination.  Each Performance Unit/Performance Share Award Agreement shall set forth the extent to which the Participant shall have the right to receive a Performance Unit/Performance Share payment following termination of the Participant's employment with or service on the Board of the Company and its Subsidiaries during a Performance Period.  Such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee, need not be uniform among all grants of Performance Units/Performance Shares or among Participants and may reflect distinctions based on reasons for termination.

 

9.7          Transferability.  Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, a Participant's rights with respect to Performance Units/Performance Shares granted under the Plan shall be available during the Participant's lifetime only to such Participant or the Participant's legal representative and Performance Units/Performance Shares may not be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned or otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution.

 

The Committee shall have the right to grant other Awards which may include, without limitation, the grant of Shares based on attainment of Performance Goals established by the Committee, the payment of Shares in lieu of cash or cash based on attainment of Performance Goals established by the Committee, and the payment of Shares in lieu of cash under other Company incentive or bonus programs.  Payment under or settlement of any such Awards shall be made in such manner and at such times as the Committee may determine.

 

 

The Committee may permit a Participant to defer the Participant's receipt of the payment of cash or the delivery of Shares that would otherwise be due to such Participant under the Plan.  If any such deferral election is permitted, the Committee shall, in its sole discretion, establish rules and procedures for such payment deferrals.

 

 

12.1        Termination.  Nothing in the Plan shall interfere with or limit in any way the right of the Company or any Subsidiary to terminate any Participant's employment or other relationship with the Company or any Subsidiary at any time, for any reason or no reason in the Company's or the Subsidiary's sole discretion, nor confer upon any Participant any right to continue in the employ of, or otherwise in any relationship with, the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

12.2        Participation.  No Eligible Person shall have the right to be selected to receive an Award under the Plan, or, having been so selected, to be selected to receive a future Award.

 

12.3        Limitation of Implied Rights.  Neither a Participant nor any other Person shall, by reason of the Plan, acquire any right in or title to any assets, funds or property of the Company or any Subsidiary whatsoever, including, without limitation, any specific funds, assets or other property which the Company or any Subsidiary, in their sole discretion, may set aside in anticipation of a liability under the Plan.  A Participant shall have only a contractual right to the Shares or amounts, if any, payable under the Plan, unsecured by any assets of the Company or any Subsidiary.  Nothing contained in the Plan shall constitute a guarantee that the assets of such companies shall be sufficient to pay any benefits to any Person.

 

Except as otherwise provided in the Plan, no Award under the Plan shall confer upon the holder thereof any right as a shareholder of the Company prior to the date on which the individual fulfills all conditions for receipt of such rights.

 

 

The terms of this Article 13 shall immediately become operative, without further action or consent by any Person, upon a Change in Control, and once operative shall supersede and take control over any other provisions of this Plan.

 

Upon a Change in Control

 

(a)    Any and all Options and SARs granted hereunder shall become immediately vested and exercisable;

 

(b)    Any restriction periods and restrictions imposed on Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Qualified Restricted Stock or Qualified Restricted Stock Units shall be deemed to have expired; any Performance Goals shall be deemed to have been met at the target level; such Restricted Stock and Qualified Restricted Stock shall become immediately vested in full, and such Restricted Stock Units and Qualified Restricted Stock Units shall be paid out in cash on the date of the Change in Control or as soon as practicable (but not more than 60 days) following the date of the Change in Control;

 

(c)    The target payout opportunity attainable under all outstanding Awards of Performance Units and Performance Shares and any Awards granted pursuant to Article 10 shall be deemed to have been fully earned for the entire Performance Period(s) as of the effective date of the Change in Control.  All such Awards shall become immediately vested.  All Performance Shares and other Awards granted pursuant to Article 10 denominated in Shares shall be paid out in Shares, and all Performance Units and other Awards granted pursuant to Article 10 shall be paid out in cash, in each case, on the date of the Change in Control or as soon as practicable (but not more than 60 days) following the date of the Change in Control; and

 

(d)   All credited but not yet paid cash dividends and Dividend Equivalents attributable to the portion of any Award that vests, is earned and/or is paid, as the case may be, pursuant to this Article 13 shall be paid in cash on the date of the Change in Control or as soon as practicable (but not more than 60 days) following the date of the Change in Control.

 

Notwithstanding anything contained herein or in any Award Agreement to the contrary, no payment or distribution under the Plan or pursuant to an Award that (1) is determined by the Company to be deferred compensation subject to Code Section 409A and (2) would be distributed because of a Change in Control shall be so distributed because of the Change in Control pursuant to this Article 13 unless the distribution qualifies under Code Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(v) as a distribution upon a change in ownership or effective control or a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of assets or otherwise qualifies as a permissible distribution under Code Section 409A.  To the extent an amount would have been distributed pursuant to an Award because of a Change in Control pursuant to this Article 13, but the distribution is prohibited by the prior sentence, the following shall occur:  (i) the Award shall nevertheless vest or be deemed earned, as the case may be, pursuant to Sections (a), (b), (c) and/or (d) of this Article 13 as of the date of the Change in Control (except to the extent it would violate Code Section 409A), but distribution of such vested or earned amounts shall not occur until the event or date distribution would have occurred absent the Change in Control and (ii) no further dividends or Dividend Equivalents shall be credited with respect to the Award after the date of the Change in Control.

 

In the event of a Change in Control, the Board or the board of directors of any surviving entity or acquiring entity may provide or require that the surviving or acquiring entity shall:  (1) assume or continue all or any part of the Options and SARs outstanding under the Plan or (2) substitute substantially equivalent Options and SARs (including an award to acquire substantially the same consideration paid to the shareholders in the transaction by which the Change in Control occurs) for those outstanding under the Plan.  In the event any surviving entity or acquiring entity refuses to assume or continue such Awards or to substitute similar awards for those outstanding under the Plan, then with respect to Awards held by Participants whose continuous service has not terminated, the Board in its sole discretion and without liability to any person may:  (1) provide for the payment of a cash amount in exchange for the cancellation of an Option or SAR equal to the product of (x) the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value per Share at such time over the Option Exercise Price or Base Value, as the case may be, if any, times (y) the total number of Shares then subject to such Award; (2) continue the Awards; or (3) notify Participants holding

an Option or SAR that they must exercise or redeem any portion of such Award (including, at the discretion of the Board, any unvested portion of such Award) at or prior to the closing of the transaction by which the Change in Control occurs and that the Awards shall terminate if not so exercised or redeemed at or prior to the closing of the transaction by which the Change in Control occurs.  The Board shall not be obligated to treat all Awards, even those that are of the same type, in the same manner.

 

 

14.1        Amendment, Modification and Termination.  The Board may, at any time and from time to time, alter, amend, suspend or terminate the Plan in whole or in part.

 

14.2        Awards Previously Granted.  No termination, amendment or modification of the Plan shall adversely affect in any material way any Award previously granted under the Plan without the written consent of the Participant holding such Award, unless such termination, modification or amendment is required by applicable law and except as otherwise provided herein.

 

 

15.1        Tax Withholding.  The Company shall have the power and the right to deduct or withhold, or require a Participant to remit to the Company, an amount (including any Shares withheld as provided below) sufficient to satisfy Federal, state and local taxes (including the Participant's FICA obligation) required by law to be withheld with respect to an Award made under the Plan.

 

15.2        Share Withholding.  With respect to tax withholding required upon the exercise of Options or SARs, upon the lapse of restrictions on Restricted Stock, or upon any other taxable event arising out of or as a result of Awards granted hereunder, subject to such restrictions as the Committee may prescribe, Participants may elect to satisfy the withholding requirement, in whole or in part, by tendering Shares held by the Participant or by having the Company withhold Shares with a value that does not exceed the employer’s minimum statutory tax rate; provided, however, that, in the discretion of the Committee and to the extent permitted under applicable financial accounting standards, the value of Shares so tendered or withheld may exceed the employer’s minimum statutory tax rate but may not be greater than the maximum statutory tax rate.  All elections shall be irrevocable, made in writing and signed by the Participant.

 

 

All obligations of the Company under the Plan, with respect to Awards granted hereunder, shall be binding on any successor to the Company, whether the existence of such successor is the result of a direct or indirect purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise of all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company.

 

 

17.1        Gender and Number.  Except where otherwise indicated by the context, any masculine term used herein also shall include the feminine, the plural shall include the singular and the singular shall include the plural.

 

17.2        Severability.  In the event any provision of the Plan shall be held illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts of the Plan, and the Plan shall be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provision had not been included.

 

17.3        Requirements of Law.  The granting of Awards and the issuance of Shares under the Plan shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules and regulations, and to such approvals by any governmental agencies or national securities exchanges as may be required.

 

17.4        Governing Law.  To the extent not preempted by Federal law, the Plan, and all agreements hereunder, shall be construed in accordance with, and governed by, the laws of the State of Idaho without regard to any conflicts of law or choice of law rule or principle that might otherwise reference construction or interpretation of the Plan or any agreements hereunder to the substantive law of another jurisdiction.

 

17.5        Section 409A.  No amendment to the Plan made pursuant to the amendments approved by the Board on March 17, 2005, July 20, 2006 or November 20, 2008 shall be applicable to an Award that is not subject to Section 409A of the Code to the extent such amendment would cause the Award to become subject to Section 409A of the Code.  To the extent applicable to an Award that provides for the payment of deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code, it is intended that the Plan will comply with Section 409A of the Code and any regulations and guidance issued thereunder, and the Plan shall be interpreted accordingly.  To the extent an Award is subject to Section 409A of the Code and payment of deferred compensation pursuant to the Award is to be made because of the Participant's termination of employment or termination of service as a Director, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the Plan, the Participant's Award Agreement or any other plan or agreement that governs payment of the Award, the Participant's employment or service as a Director shall not be deemed to have terminated unless and until the Participant has experienced a Separation from Service.  Notwithstanding anything contained herein or in any Award Agreement to the contrary, if it is determined that any amounts to be provided upon a Separation from Service constitute deferred compensation for purposes of Section 409A of the Code and the Participant is a "specified employee," as determined under the Company’s policy for determining specified employees, on the date on which the Separation from Service occurs, no such amounts shall be provided before the date that is six months following the Participant’s Separation from Service unless the Participant dies during such six-month period, in which case payment may be made as soon as practicable (but not more than 60 days) after the Participant’s death.  If the Participant's Award Agreement (or any other plan or agreement that governs payment of the Award) provides for payment to occur as soon as practicable after an event, date or time period, and payment of the Award is to be made pursuant to that provision, in no event will the payment be made more than 60 days after such event, date or time period.

 

Adopted by the Board January 20, 2000 Approved by the Shareholders May 11, 2000

Amended by the Board January 18, 2001

Approved by the Shareholders May 17, 2001

Amended by the Board March 17, 2005

Approved by the Shareholders May 19, 2005

Amended by the Board July 20, 2006

Amended by the Board September 20, 2007

Amended by the Board November 20, 2008

Amended by the Board November 18, 2010

Amended by the Board February 9, 2017

While the IDACORP, Inc. 2000 Long-Term Incentive and Compensation Plan (the “Plan”) does not place restrictions on resales of common stock, shares of common stock acquired pursuant to the Plan by an "affiliate," as that term is defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of IDACORP, Inc. (the “Company”) may be resold only pursuant to the registration requirements of the Securities Act or an applicable exemption therefrom. In addition, acquisitions and dispositions of the Company’s common stock or derivative securities by persons subject to Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), within any period of less than six months may give rise to the right of the Company to recapture any profit from such transactions pursuant to Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act.

The Plan is not subject to any provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.

NOTE: The following discussion of income tax consequences is not a complete description of the federal income tax aspects of the Plan. In addition, administrative and judicial interpretations of the application of the federal income tax laws are subject to change. Furthermore, the following discussion does not address state or local tax consequences. RECIPIENTS OF AWARDS UNDER THE PLAN ARE ADVISED TO CONSULT THEIR PERSONAL TAX ADVISORS WITH REGARD TO ALL TAX CONSEQUENCES ARISING WI1H RESPECT TO THEIR AWARDS.

The Plan is not qualified under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The following is a brief description of the federal income tax consequences of the Plan.

Grant. There are no federal income tax consequences to the optionholder solely by reason of the grant of incentive stock options (“ISOs”) or non-qualified stock options (“NQSOs”) under the Plan.

Exercise. The exercise of an ISO is not a taxable event for regular federal income tax purposes if certain requirements are satisfied, including the requirement that the optionholder generally must exercise the ISO no later than three months following the termination of the optionholder's employment with the Company. However, such exercise may give rise to alternative minimum tax liability (see "Alternative Minimum Tax" below).

Upon the exercise of a NQSO, the optionholder will generally recognize ordinary income in an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of the shares of common stock at the time of exercise over the amount paid therefor by the optionholder as the exercise price. The ordinary income recognized in connection with the exercise by an optionholder of a NQSO will be subject to both wage and employment tax withholding.

The optionholder's tax basis in the shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of an option will be the amount paid upon exercise plus, in the case of a NQSO, the amount of ordinary income, if any, recognized by the optionholder upon exercise thereof.

Qualifying Disposition. If an optionholder disposes of shares of Company common stock acquired upon exercise of an ISO in a taxable transaction, and such disposition occurs more than two years from the date on which the option was granted and more than one year after the date on which the shares were transferred to the optionholder pursuant to the exercise of the ISO, the optionholder will recognize long-term capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized upon such disposition and the optionholder's adjusted basis in the shares (generally the option exercise price).

Disqualifying Disposition. If the optionholder disposes of shares of Company common stock acquired upon the exercise of an ISO (other than in certain tax-free transactions) within two years from the date on which the ISO was granted or within one year after the transfer of shares to the optionholder pursuant to the exercise of the ISO, at the time of disposition the optionholder will generally recognize ordinary income equal to the lesser of (i) the excess of each such share's fair market value on the date of exercise over the exercise price paid by the optionholder, or (ii) the optionholder's actual gain (i.e., the excess, if any, of the amount realized on the disposition over the exercise price paid by the optionholder). If the total amount realized on a taxable disposition (including return of capital and capital gain) exceeds the fair market value on the date of exercise of the shares of Company common stock purchased by the optionholder under the option, the optionholder will recognize a capital gain in the amount of such excess. If the optionholder incurs a loss on the disposition (i.e., if the total amount realized is less than the exercise price paid by the optionholder), the loss will be a capital loss.

Other Disposition. If an optionholder disposes of shares of Company common stock acquired upon exercise of a NQSO in a taxable transaction, the optionholder will recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the optionholder's basis (as discussed above) in the shares sold and the total amount realized upon disposition. Any such capital gain or loss (and any capital gain or loss recognized on a disqualifying disposition of shares of Company common stock acquired upon exercise of ISOs as discussed above) will be short-term or long-term depending on whether the shares of Company common stock were held for more than one year from the date such shares were transferred to the optionholder.

Alternative Minimum Tax. Alternative minimum tax ("AMT") is payable if and to the extent the amount thereof exceeds the amount of the taxpayer's regular tax liability, and any AMT paid generally may be credited against future regular tax liability (but not future AMT liability). AMT applies to alternative minimum taxable income; generally, regular taxable income as adjusted for tax preferences and other items is treated differently under the AMT.

For AMT purposes, the spread upon exercise of an ISO (but not a NQSO) will be included in alternative minimum taxable income, and the taxpayer will receive a tax basis equal to the fair market value of the shares of Company common stock at such time for subsequent AMT purposes. However, if the optionholder disposes of the ISO shares in the year of exercise, the AMT income cannot exceed the gain recognized for regular tax purposes, provided that the disposition meets certain third-party requirements for limiting the gain on a disqualifying disposition. If there is a disqualifying disposition in a year other than the year of exercise, the income on the disqualifying disposition is not considered alternative minimum taxable income.

There are no federal income tax consequences to the Company by reason of the grant of ISOs or NQSOs or the exercise of an ISO (other than disqualifying dispositions).

At the time the optionholder recognizes ordinary income from the exercise of a NQSO, the Company will be entitled to a federal income tax deduction in the amount of the ordinary income so recognized (as described above). To the extent the optionholder recognizes ordinary income by reason of a disqualifying disposition of the stock acquired upon exercise of an ISO, the Company will be entitled to a corresponding deduction in the year in which the disposition occurs.

The Company will be required to report to the Internal Revenue Service any ordinary income recognized by any optionholder by reason of the exercise of a NQSO. The Company will be required to withhold income and employment taxes (and pay the employer's share of employment taxes) with respect to ordinary income recognized by the optionholder upon the exercise of NQSOs.

The recipient of a stock appreciation right (“SAR”) is not taxed and the Company is not entitled to a federal income tax deduction at the time of grant. When the SAR is exercised, the recipient recognizes ordinary income in an amount equal to the amount of cash received and the fair market value of shares of stock received, and the Company will be entitled to a federal income tax deduction in an amount equal to such amount.

The grantee of Restricted Stock Awards is not taxed and the Company is not entitled to a federal income tax deduction at the time of grant. However, when shares of Restricted Stock are no longer subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture, the grantee recognizes ordinary income in an amount equal to the fair market value of the stock less the amount paid, if any, for the stock. Alternatively, the grantee of shares of Restricted Stock may file an election with the Internal Revenue Service within 30 days of the date of his or her receipt of the shares to recognize ordinary income at the time of grant rather than at the time the restrictions lapse. The Company is entitled to a federal income tax deduction in an amount equal to the fair market value of the stock at the time the grantee recognizes income related to the grant of Restricted Stock.

The grantee of Restricted Stock Units is not taxed and the Company is not entitled to a federal income tax deduction at the time of grant. The grantee will recognize ordinary income at the time, and to the extent, the award becomes nonforfeitable following the end of the restriction period in an amount equal to the amount of cash or fair market value of Company common stock received. The Company is entitled to a deduction in the same amount and at the same time as the grantee recognizes ordinary income.

The grantee of performance units and performance shares is not taxed and the Company is not entitled to a federal income tax deduction at the time of grant. The grantee will recognize ordinary income at the time of payment following the end of the performance period (subject to the special rules applicable if the performance units are paid in restricted stock) in an amount equal to the amount of cash or fair market

value of Company common stock received. The Company is entitled to a deduction in the same amount and at the same time as the grantee recognizes ordinary income.

No person, under the Plan or any contract therein, has, or may create, a lien on any funds, securities, or other property held under the Plan.

The Company hereby undertakes to provide without charge to each participant to whom this document is delivered, upon written or oral request of such participant, a copy of any and all the documents that have been incorporated by reference in Item 3 of Part II of the latest registration statement on Form S-8 relating to the Plan (which documents are incorporated by reference into the Section 10(a) prospectus) and any other documents required to be delivered to participants pursuant to Rule 428(b) of the Securities Act.

Requests for all documents and additional information about the Plan and its administrators should be addressed to:

The Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently completed fiscal year is available on the Company’s web site, www.idacorpinc.com.