CHAPTER 113
Substitute for SENATE BILL No. 104*
(Amended by Chapter 148)
An Act relating to public utilities; concerning prior determination
of rate-making principles
and treatment by the corporation commission.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. (a) As used in this
section:
(1) ``Commission'' means the state
corporation commission;
(2) ``contract'' means a public utility's
contract for the purchase of
electric power in the amount of at least $5,000,000 annually;
(3) ``generating facility'' means any
electric generating plant or im-
provement to existing generation facilities;
(4) ``stake'' means a public utility's
whole or fractional ownership
share or leasehold or other proprietary interest in a generating
facility or
transmission facility;
(5) ``public utility'' has the meaning
provided by K.S.A. 66-104, and
amendments thereto; and
(6) ``transmission facility'' means: (A)
Any existing line, and support-
ing structures and equipment, being upgraded for the transfer of
elec-
tricity with an operating voltage of 115 kilovolts or more of
electricity; or
(B) any new line, and supporting structures and equipment, being
con-
structed for the transfer of electricity with an operating voltage
of 69
kilovolts or more of electricity.
(b) (1) Prior to undertaking the
construction of, or participation in,
a transmission facility, a public utility may file with the
commission a
petition for a determination of the rate-making principles and
treatment,
as proposed by the public utility, that will apply to the recovery
in whole-
sale or retail rates of the cost to be incurred by the public
utility to acquire
such public utility's stake in the transmission facility during the
expected
useful life of the transmission facility.
(2) The commission shall issue an order
setting forth the rate-making
principles and treatment that will be applicable to the public
utility's stake
in the transmission facility in all rate-making proceedings on and
after
such time as the transmission facility is placed in service or the
term of
the contract commences.
(3) The commission in all proceedings in
which the cost of the public
utility's stake in the transmission facility is considered shall
utilize the
rate-making principles and treatment applicable to the transmission
fa-
cility.
(4) If the commission fails to issue a
determination within 180 days
of the date a petition for a determination of rate-making
principles and
treatment is filed, the rate-making principles and treatment
proposed by
the petitioning public utility will be deemed to have been approved
by
the commission and shall be binding for rate-making purposes during
the
useful life of the transmission facility.
(5) If the commission does not have
jurisdiction to set wholesale rates
for use of the transmission facility the commission need not
consider rate-
making principles and treatment for wholesale rates for the
transmission
facility.
(c) (1) Prior to undertaking the
construction of, or participation in,
a generating facility or prior to entering into a new contract, a
public
utility may file with the commission a petition for a determination
of the
rate-making principles and treatment, as proposed by the public
utility,
that will apply to recovery in wholesale or retail rates of the
cost to be
incurred by the public utility to acquire such public utility's
stake in the
generating facility during the expected useful life of the
generating facility
or the recovery in rates of the contract during the term
thereof.
(2) Any utility seeking a determination
of rate-making principles and
treatment under subsection (c)(1) shall as a part of its filing
submit the
following information: (A) A description of the public utility's
conserva-
tion measures; (B) a description of the public utility's demand
side man-
agement efforts; (C) the public utility's ten-year generation and
load fore-
casts; and (D) a description of all power supply alternatives
considered
to meet the public utility's load requirements.
(3) In considering the public utility's
supply plan, the commission
may consider if the public utility issued a request for proposal
from a
wide audience of participants willing and able to meet the needs
identi-
fied under the public utility's generating supply plan, and if the
plan
selected by the public utility is reasonable, reliable and
efficient.
(4) The commission shall issue an order
setting forth the rate-making
principles and treatment that will be applicable to the public
utility's stake
in the generating facility or to the contract in all rate-making
proceedings
on and after such time as the generating facility is placed in
service or
the term of the contract commences.
(5) The commission in all proceedings in
which the cost of the public
utility's stake in the generating facility or the cost of the
purchased power
under the contract is considered shall utilize the rate-making
principles
and treatment applicable to the generating facility or
contract.
(6) If the commission fails to issue a
determination within 180 days
of the date a petition for a determination of rate-making
principles and
treatment is filed, the rate-making principles and treatment
proposed by
the petitioning public utility will be deemed to have been approved
by
the commission and shall be binding for rate-making purposes during
the
useful life of the generating facility or during the term of the
contract.
(d) The public utility shall have one
year from the effective date of
the determination of the commission to notify the commission
whether
it will construct or participate in the construction of the
generating or
transmission facility or whether it will perform under terms of the
con-
tract.
(e) If the public utility notifies the
commission within the one-year
period that the public utility will not construct or participate in
the con-
struction of the generating or transmission facility or that it
will not per-
form under the terms of the contract, then the determination of
rate-
making principles pursuant to subsection (b) or (c) shall be of no
further
force or effect, shall have no precedential value in any subsequent
pro-
ceeding, and there shall be no adverse presumption applied in any
future
proceeding as a result of such notification.
(f) If the public utility notifies the
commission under subsection (d)
that it will construct or participate in a generating facility or
purchase
power contract and subsequently does not, it will be required to
notify
the commission immediately and file an alternative supply plan with
the
commission per subsection (c) within 90 days.
Sec. 2. This act shall take effect and be in force
from and after its
publication in the statute book.
Approved April 21, 2003.
__________