(a) Borrowers will take out, as the respective risks are incurred, and maintain the classes and amounts of insurance in conformance with generally accepted utility industry standards for such classes and amounts of coverage for utilities of the size and character of the borrower and consistent with Prudent Utility Practice. Prudent Utility Practice shall mean any of the practices, methods, and acts which, in the exercise of reasonable judgment, in light of the facts, including but not limited to, the practices, methods, and acts engaged in or approved by a significant portion of the electric utility industry in the case of an electric borrower or of the telecommunications industry in the case of a telecommunications borrowers prior thereto, known at the time the decision was made, would have been expected to accomplish the desired result consistent with cost-effectiveness, reliability, safety, and expedition. It is recognized that Prudent Utility Practice is not intended to be limited to optimum practice, method, or act to the exclusion of all others, but rather is a spectrum of possible practices, methods, or act which could have been expected to accomplish the desired result at the lowest reasonable cost consistent with cost-effectiveness, reliability, safety, and expedition.

(b) The foregoing insurance coverage shall be obtained by means of bond and policy forms approved by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction, and, with respect to insurance upon any part of the mortgaged property securing an RUS loan, shall provide that the insurance shall be payable to the mortgagees as their interests may appear by means of the standard mortgagee clause without contribution. Each policy or other contract for such insurance shall contain an agreement by the insurer that, notwithstanding any right of cancellation reserved to such insurer, such policy or contract shall continue in force for at least 30 days after written notice to each mortgagee of suspension, cancellation, or termination.

(c) In the event of damage to or the destruction or loss of any portion of the mortgaged property which is used or useful in the borrower's business and which shall be covered by insurance, unless each mortgagee shall otherwise agree, the borrower shall replace or restore such damaged, destroyed, or lost portion so that such mortgaged property shall be in substantially the same condition as it was in prior to such damage, destruction, or loss and shall apply the proceeds of the insurance for that purpose. The borrower shall replace the lost portion of such mortgaged property or shall commence such restoration promptly after such damage, destruction, or loss shall have occurred and shall complete such replacement or restoration as expeditiously as practicable, and shall pay or cause to be paid out of the proceeds of such insurance form all costs and expenses in connection therewith.

(d) Sums recovered under any policy or fidelity bond by the borrower for a loss of funds advanced under a note secured by a mortgage or recovered by any mortgagee or holder of any note secured by the mortgage for any loss under such policy or bond shall, unless applied as provided in the preceding paragraph, be used as directed by the borrower's mortgage.

(e) Borrowers shall furnish evidence annually that the required insurance and fidelity coverage has been in force for the entire year, and that the borrower has taken all steps currently necessary and will continue to take all steps necessary to ensure that the coverage will remain in force until all loans made or guaranteed by RUS are paid in full. Such evidence shall be in a form satisfactory to RUS. Generally a certification included as part of the RUS Financial and Statistical Report filed by the borrower annually (RUS Form 7 or Form 12 for electric borrowers, RUS Form 479 for telecommunications borrowers, or the successors to these forms) is sufficient evidence of this coverage.