Energy Services of America (ESOA) S-8Registration of securities for employees

Articles XVII and XVIII of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (or referred to as the “Corporation” below) set forth circumstances under which directors, officers, employees and agents of the Company may be insured or indemnified against liability which they incur in their capacities as such.

A. Any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, other than an action by or in the right of the Corporation, by reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee, trustee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee trustee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, expressly including service as a director, officer or in a similar position with any exchange, board of trade, clearing corporation or similar institution on which the Corporation or any other corporation a majority of the stock of which is owned directly or indirectly by the Corporation had membership privileges at the relevant time during which any such position was held, shall be indemnified by the Corporation against expenses including attorneys' fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful; provided that funds paid or required to be paid to any person as a result of the provisions of this Article XVII shall be returned to the Corporation or reduced, as the case may be, to the extent that such person receives funds pursuant to an indemnification from any other corporation or organization. Any such person who could be indemnified pursuant to the preceding sentence except for the fact that the subject action or suit is or was by or in the right of the Corporation shall be indemnified by the Corporation against expenses including attorneys' fees actually or reasonably incurred by him in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit, except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable for negligence or misconduct in the performance of his duty to the Corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

B. To the extent that a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in Article XVII.A above, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, he shall be indemnified by the Corporation against expenses, including attorneys' fees, actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection therewith without the necessity of any action being taken by the Corporation other than the determination, in good faith, that such defense has been successful. In all other cases wherein such indemnification is provided by this Article XVII, unless ordered by a court, indemnification shall be made by the Corporation only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the director, officer, employee or agent is proper in the circumstances because he has met the applicable standard of conduct specified in this Article XVII. Such determination shall be made (1) by the Board of Directors by a majority vote of a quorum consisting of directors who were not parties to such action, suit or proceeding, or (2) if such quorum is not obtainable, or, even if obtainable, a quorum of disinterested directors so directs, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion, or (3) by the holders of a majority of the shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon.

C. The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person seeking indemnification did not act in good faith and in a manner which he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful.  Entry of a judgment by consent as part of a settlement shall not be deemed a final adjudication of liability for negligence or misconduct in the performance of duty, nor of any other issue or matter.

D. Expenses incurred in defending a civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding may be paid by the Corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding as authorized by the Board of

E. The indemnification hereby provided shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification may be entitled under any Bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in an official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office, and shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such person.

F. By action of the Board of Directors, notwithstanding any interest of the directors in the action, the Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance, in such amounts as the Board of Directors deems appropriate, on behalf of any person who is or was a director, owner, employee, trustee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee trustee or of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against him and incurred by him in any such capacity, or arising out of his status as such, whether or not the Corporation shall have the power to indemnify him against such liability under the provisions of this Article XVII.

The Corporation, to the full extent permitted by Section 145 of the GCL, as amended from time to time, shall indemnify all persons whom it may indemnify pursuant thereto.  Expenses (including attorneys' fees) incurred by an officer or director in defending any civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative action, suit or proceeding for which such officer or director may be entitled to indemnification hereunder shall be paid by the Corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such director or officer to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that he is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation as authorized hereby.