Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 52, December 27, 2024
a) If
an extension of a entity's distribution system is necessary in order to serve
an applicant or group of applicants, the entity providing distribution
services, upon written request for service by the applicants, shall make the
necessary line extension. The line extension shall be made along a street,
highway or other right-of-way to the nearest point adjacent to the point of
delivery for the applicants. The applicant or group of applicants must agree to
the provisions of this Section before the line extension is made.
1) The entity providing distribution services
may file a line extension provision in conjunction with its rate schedule. If
the entity providing distribution services files a line extension provision,
that provision shall be worded so that the applicant will have a choice of
obtaining the extension under the provision or obtaining the extension under
subsections (b) and (c). If the line extension provision is permitted to become
effective by the Commission, then the applicant may proceed under the line
extension provision or under subsections (b) and (c).
2) Alternatively, the filed line extension
provision may be in lieu of subsections (b) and (c) instead of an option;
however, if the entity providing distribution services files a line extension
provision in lieu of subsections (b) and (c), the line extension provision
shall not become effective unless the entity providing distribution services
demonstrates that the line extension provision is generally more favorable to
applicants than the provisions of subsections (b) and (c). After specific
action by the Commission by order, the line extension provision shall become
effective.
b) Free
extensions
1) If an extension of the entity's
distribution system is necessary in order to serve an applicant or a group of
applicants, the entity shall extend its line without charge for each applicant
along the street, highway or other available right of way to the nearest point
adjacent to the premises of the applicants, upon written request for service.
If the entity believes the cost of providing the extension is excessive, the
entity may file a request with the Commission for a modification of this
requirement for a specific extension. The line extension furnished without
charge shall be the cost equivalent of up to 250 feet of single-phase overhead
line per customer and shall include any necessary delivery voltage transformer
and its associated protective devices for each customer. No free extension
shall be made from existing lines on which refunds are due from previous
deposits. If a refund is due from a previous deposit, any further extension
shall be made only upon the applicant making a deposit equal to the full
estimated cost of the required additional extension.
2) If all or part of a line extension is made
on existing poles and costs less than the cost of constructing the free
extension described in subsection (b)(1), the entity shall not charge for the
extension.
c) Extension
in excess of the free limit
1) If the cost of
the line extension is greater than that allowed in subsection (b), the entity
shall make the line extension and shall own, maintain, and replace the line
extension upon agreement by the applicant or group of applicants to deposit
with the entity an amount under the original or any subsequent extension, equal
to the estimated cost of the extension above the free limits.
2) The cost of extensions in excess of the
free limit, and any resulting deposits, shall be allocated among customers
based on their respective share of the length of the line extension. Deposits
will be refundable based on changed circumstances or shared use for a period of
ten years from the date the line extension is placed in service.
3) In no case shall a refund exceed the
original deposit.
4) If the
premises of a customer are so located that they could be served by extending a
parallel separate line at less cost than the amount of deposit that would be
required from them for connection to the existing extension, the customer shall
not be required to deposit in excess of the estimated cost of the separate
line. The customer shall not share in any refunds so long as the deposit
remains less than that of other depositors on the line extension.
5) Combining of rural service. For the
purposes of determination of the deposits and refunds, a farm applicant whose
premises include a number of buildings such as barns, employees' houses, etc.,
for which electric service is desired may qualify as a single applicant,
provided the farm applicant constructs the necessary facilities required to
supply the various buildings from a mutually agreed upon point conveniently
located near the entity's lines. This shall not be construed as including
electric service to buildings occupied by a tenant who leases land or conducts
a business separate from that of the land owner.
6) In the event an option is available for a
line extension to a group of applicants, the decision of the majority of the
applicants will determine which option is implemented.
7) Determination of deposit. The distance of
the electrical equipment installation from the available primary or secondary
circuit that is nearest to the route that normally would be used in making the
extension that is on available right-of-way shall be considered in determining
whether an applicant is entitled to a free extension, and the cost of extending
this circuit shall be used as the basis in determining the amount of deposit
necessary in case the extension is above the free limit.
d) Commission review. If the extension is of
such length and the prospective business that may be developed by it is so
meager as to make it doubtful whether the business from the extension would
ever pay a fair compensation for its investment, operation, maintenance and
replacement, or for other substantial reasons is unwarranted, the fact shall be
reported to the Commission for investigation and determination as to the
reasonableness of the extension.