FOURTH AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT

    THIS FOURTH AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT (this "Amendment") is entered into as of March 22, 2010 among PNM RESOURCES, INC., a New Mexico corporation (the "Company"), FIRST CHOICE POWER, L.P., a Texas limited partnership ("FCP", collectively with the Company, the "Borrowers" and each individually, a "Borrower"), the Lenders party hereto, and BANK OF AMERIC A, N.A., as Administrative Agent for the Lenders (in such capacity, the "Administrative Agent").  Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Credit Agreement (as defined below).

(a)         On the Effective Date (as defined in Section 3 below), the Commitment of Aurora Bank FSB (formerly known as Lehman Brothers Bank, FSB, and hereinafter "Aurora") under the Credit Agreement, whether used or unused, is irrevocably reduced to zero ($0.00) and, from and after the Effective Date, Aurora shall have no further obligation to fund any amount or extend any credit under the Credit Documents.

(b)         On the Effective Date, Aurora shall receive from the Borrowers all outstanding amounts of principal of Revolving Loans then due and owing to Aurora and all accrued interest with respect thereto.  Aurora agrees that, upon receipt of the amounts in the preceding sentence, it shall have been paid in full for all Revolving Loans, all interest with respect thereto and all fees owed to it under the Credit Agreement and it shall not be entitled to any other amounts under the Credit Agreement except, if applicable, (i) as set forth in Section 2 below and (ii) any fees provided under Section 3.4 of the Credit Agreement as to which Aurora and the Borrowers have otherwise reached agreement on the Effective Date and that have been communicated in writing to the Administ rative Agent.

(c)           The Revolving Committed Amount is reduced by the amount of Aurora's Commitment from $600,000,000 to $568,000,000 and the definition of "Revolving Committed

 

4.           Ratification of Credit Agreement.  The term "Credit Agreement" as used in each of the Credit Documents shall hereafter mean the Credit Agreement as amended and modified by this Amendment.  Except as herein specifically agreed, the Credit Agreement, as amended by this Amendment, is hereby ratified and confirmed and shall remain in full force and effect according to its terms.  Each party hereto acknowledges and consents to the modifications set forth herein and agrees that, other than as explicitly set forth in Section 1 above, this Amendment does not impair, reduce or limit any of its obligations under the Credit Documents (including, without limitation, the indemn ity obligations set forth therein) and that, after the date hereof, this Amendment shall constitute a Credit Document.

(b)           This Amendment has been duly executed and delivered by such Person and constitutes such Person's legal, valid and binding obligations, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be subject to (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent conveyance or transfer, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors' rights generally and (ii) general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity).

(c)           No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing, registration or qualification with, any court or governmental authority or third party is required in connection with the execution, delivery or performance by such Person of this Amendment.

6.           Representations and Warranties.  Each Borrower represents and warrants to the Lenders that (a) the representations and warranties of such Borrower set forth in Section 6 of the Credit

Agreement are true and correct as of the date hereof, unless they specifically refer to an earlier date, (b) no event has occurred and is continuing which constitutes a Default or an Event of Default, and (c) it has no claims, counterclaims, offsets, credits or defenses to its obligations under the Credit Documents or to the extent it has any they are hereby released in consideration of the Lenders entering into this Amendment.

7.           No Conflicts.  Neither the execution and delivery of this Amendment, nor the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein, nor performance of and compliance with the terms and provisions hereof by any Borrower will (a) violate, contravene or conflict with any provision of its respective articles or certificate of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or governing document, (b) violate, contravene or conflict with any law, rule, regulation, order, writ, judgment, injunction, decree or permit applicable to a Borrower, (c) violate, contravene or conflict with contractual provisions of, or cause an event of default under, any indenture, loan agreement, mortgage, deed of trust, contract or other agreement or instrument to which a Borrower is a party or by which it or its properties may be bound or (d) result in or require the creation of any Lien upon or with respect to a Borrower's properties.