State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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91_SB0963

 
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 1        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  Public Utilities Act by changing
 2    Section 16-111.

 3        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:

 5        Section  5.  The  Public  Utilities  Act  is  amended  by
 6    changing Section 16-111 as follows:

 7        (220 ILCS 5/16-111)
 8        Sec.  16-111. Rates and restructuring transactions during
 9    mandatory transition period.
10        (a)  During    the    mandatory    transition     period,
11    notwithstanding  any provision of Article IX of this Act, and
12    except as provided in subsections (b), (d), (e), and  (f)  of
13    this   Section,   the  Commission  shall  not  (i)  initiate,
14    authorize or order any change by way of increase (other  than
15    in  connection  with  a  request  for rate increase which was
16    filed after September 1, 1997 but prior to October 15,  1997,
17    by  an electric utility serving less than 12,500 customers in
18    this state),  (ii)  initiate  or,  unless  requested  by  the
19    electric  utility,  authorize  or  order any change by way of
20    decrease, restructuring or unbundling (except as provided  in
21    Section  16-109A),  in the rates of any electric utility that
22    were in effect on October 1, 1996,  or  (iii)  in  any  order
23    approving  any  application  for a merger pursuant to Section
24    7-204 that was  pending  as  of  May  16,  1997,  impose  any
25    condition  requiring any filing for an increase, decrease, or
26    change in, or other review of, an electric utility's rates or
27    enforce any such  condition  of  any  such  order;  provided,
28    however,   that   this  subsection  shall  not  prohibit  the
29    Commission from:
30             (1)  approving  the  application  of   an   electric
31        utility  to  implement  an  alternative to rate of return
 
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 1        regulation or a  regulatory  mechanism  that  rewards  or
 2        penalizes  the  electric  utility  through  adjustment of
 3        rates based on utility performance, pursuant  to  Section
 4        9-244;
 5             (2)  authorizing  an  electric  utility to eliminate
 6        its fuel adjustment  clause  and  adjust  its  base  rate
 7        tariffs in accordance with subsection (b), (d), or (f) of
 8        Section  9-220  of  this  Act, to fix its fuel adjustment
 9        factor in accordance with subsection (c) of Section 9-220
10        of this Act, or to eliminate its fuel  adjustment  clause
11        in  accordance  with  subsection  (e) of Section 9-220 of
12        this Act;
13             (3)  ordering  into  effect  tariffs  for   delivery
14        services   and  transition  charges  in  accordance  with
15        Sections 16-104 and  16-108,  for  real-time  pricing  in
16        accordance  with  Section 16-107, or the options required
17        by Section 16-110 and subsection  (n) of 16-112, allowing
18        a billing experiment in accordance with  Section  16-106,
19        or modifying delivery services tariffs in accordance with
20        Section 16-109; or
21             (4)  ordering  or allowing into effect any tariff to
22        recover charges pursuant to  Sections  9-201.5,  9-220.1,
23        9-221,  9-222  (except  as  provided in Section 9-222.1),
24        16-108, and 16-114  of  this  Act,  Section  5-5  of  the
25        Electricity  Infrastructure  Maintenance Fee Law, Section
26        6-5 of the Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and  Coal
27        Resources  Development Law of 1997, and Section 13 of the
28        Energy Assistance Act of 1989.
29        (b)  Notwithstanding the provisions  of  subsection  (a),
30    each  Illinois  electric  utility  serving  more  than 12,500
31    customers  in  Illinois  shall  file  tariffs  (i)  reducing,
32    effective August 1, 1998, each component of its base rates to
33    residential retail customers by 15% from the  base  rates  in
34    effect  immediately  prior to January 1, 1998 and (ii) if the
 
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 1    public utility provides electric service to more than 500,000
 2    customers in  this  State  on  the  effective  date  of  this
 3    amendatory Act of 1997, reducing, effective May 1, 2002, each
 4    component  of  its base rates to residential retail customers
 5    by an additional 5% from the base rates in effect immediately
 6    prior to January 1, 1998. Provided, however, that (A)  if  an
 7    electric  utility's  average  residential retail rate is less
 8    than or equal to the average residential retail  rate  for  a
 9    group  of Midwest Utilities (consisting of all investor-owned
10    electric utilities with annual system peaks in excess of 1000
11    megawatts in the States of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky,
12    Michigan, Missouri,  Ohio,  and  Wisconsin),  based  on  data
13    reported   on   Form  1  to  the  Federal  Energy  Regulatory
14    Commission for calendar year 1995,  then  it  shall  only  be
15    required  to  file  tariffs (i) reducing, effective August 1,
16    1998, each component of its base rates to residential  retail
17    customers  by  5%  from  the base rates in effect immediately
18    prior to January 1, 1998, (ii) reducing, effective October 1,
19    2000, each component of its base rates to residential  retail
20    customers  by  the  lesser  of 5% of the base rates in effect
21    immediately prior to January 1, 1998  or  the  percentage  by
22    which  the electric utility's average residential retail rate
23    exceeds the average residential retail rate  of  the  Midwest
24    Utilities,  based  on  data reported on Form 1 to the Federal
25    Energy Regulatory Commission  for  calendar  year  1999,  and
26    (iii)  reducing, effective October 1, 2002, each component of
27    its  base  rates  to  residential  retail  customers  by   an
28    additional amount equal to the lesser of 5% of the base rates
29    in  effect  immediately  prior  to  January  1,  1998  or the
30    percentage  by   which   the   electric   utility's   average
31    residential  retail  rate  exceeds  the  average  residential
32    retail  rate of the Midwest Utilities, based on data reported
33    on Form 1 to the Federal  Energy  Regulatory  Commission  for
34    calendar year 2001; and (B) if the average residential retail
 
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 1    rate  of  an  electric  utility  serving  between 150,000 and
 2    250,000 retail customers in this State on January 1, 1995  is
 3    less  than  or equal to 90% of the average residential retail
 4    rate for the Midwest Utilities, based  on  data  reported  on
 5    Form  1  to  the  Federal  Energy  Regulatory  Commission for
 6    calendar year 1995, then it shall only be  required  to  file
 7    tariffs   (i)   reducing,  effective  August  1,  1998,  each
 8    component of its base rates to residential  retail  customers
 9    by  2%  from  the  base  rates in effect immediately prior to
10    January 1, 1998; (ii) reducing, effective  October  1,  2000,
11    each  component  of  its  base  rates  to  residential retail
12    customers by 2% from the  base  rate  in  effect  immediately
13    prior  to  January  1,  1998;  and  (iii) reducing, effective
14    October  1,  2002,  each  component  of  its  base  rates  to
15    residential retail customers by 1% from  the  base  rates  in
16    effect  immediately  prior  to  January  1,  1998.  Provided,
17    further,  that  any  electric utility for which a decrease in
18    base rates has been or is placed into effect between  October
19    1, 1996 and the dates specified in the preceding sentences of
20    this  subsection,  other than pursuant to the requirements of
21    this subsection, shall be entitled to reduce  the  amount  of
22    any  reduction  or  reductions  in its base rates required by
23    this subsection by the amount of  such  other  decrease.  The
24    tariffs required under this subsection shall be filed 45 days
25    in advance of the effective date. Notwithstanding anything to
26    the  contrary in Section 9-220 of this Act, no restatement of
27    base rates in conjunction with  the  elimination  of  a  fuel
28    adjustment clause under that Section shall result in a lesser
29    decrease in base rates than customers would otherwise receive
30    under   this  subsection  had  the  electric  utility's  fuel
31    adjustment clause not been eliminated.
32        (c)  Any utility reducing its base rates by 15% on August
33    1,  1998  pursuant  to  subsection  (b)  shall  include   the
34    following  statement  on  its bills for residential customers
 
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 1    from August 1 through December 31, 1998: "Effective August 1,
 2    1998, your rates have been reduced by  15%  by  the  Electric
 3    Service Customer Choice and Rate Relief Law of 1997 passed by
 4    the  Illinois  General  Assembly.".  Any utility reducing its
 5    base rates by 5% on August 1, 1998,  pursuant  to  subsection
 6    (b)  shall  include  the following statement on its bills for
 7    residential customers from  August  1  through  December  31,
 8    1998:   "Effective  August  1,  1998,  your  rates  have been
 9    reduced by 5% by the Electric  Service  Customer  Choice  and
10    Rate  Relief  Law  of  1997  passed  by  the Illinois General
11    Assembly.".
12        Any utility reducing its base rates by 2%  on  August  1,
13    1998  pursuant  to subsection (b) shall include the following
14    statement on its bills for residential customers from  August
15    1  through December 31, 1998: "Effective August 1, 1998, your
16    rates have  been  reduced  by  2%  by  the  Electric  Service
17    Customer  Choice  and  Rate  Relief Law of 1997 passed by the
18    Illinois General Assembly.".
19        (d)  During the  mandatory  transition  period,  but  not
20    before  January  1, 2000, and notwithstanding  the provisions
21    of  subsection  (a),  an  electric  utility  may  request  an
22    increase  in  its  base  rates  if   the   electric   utility
23    demonstrates  that  the  2-year average of its earned rate of
24    return  on  common  equity,  calculated  as  its  net  income
25    applicable to common stock divided  by  the  average  of  its
26    beginning  and  ending  balances  of common equity using data
27    reported in the electric  utility's  Form  1  report  to  the
28    Federal  Energy  Regulatory Commission but adjusted to remove
29    the effects of accelerated depreciation  or  amortization  or
30    other  transition  or  mitigation measures implemented by the
31    electric utility pursuant to subsection (g) of  this  Section
32    and  the effect of any refund paid pursuant to subsection (e)
33    of this Section, is below the 2-year average for the  same  2
34    years of the monthly average yields of 30-year  U.S. Treasury
 
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 1    bonds  published  by  the  Board of Governors of the  Federal
 2    Reserve System in its  weekly  H.15  Statistical  Release  or
 3    successor   publication.  The  Commission  shall  review  the
 4    electric utility's request, and may review the  justness  and
 5    reasonableness   of  all  rates  for  tariffed  services,  in
 6    accordance with the provisions of Article  IX  of  this  Act,
 7    provided  that  the  Commission shall consider any special or
 8    negotiated adjustments to the revenue requirement  agreed  to
 9    between  the  electric  utility  and the other parties to the
10    proceeding.   In  setting  rates  under  this  Section,   the
11    Commission  shall  exclude  the  costs  and revenues that are
12    associated with  competitive  services  and  any  billing  or
13    pricing experiments conducted under Section 16-106.
14        (e)  For   the   purposes  of  this  subsection  (e)  all
15    calculations and  comparisons  shall  be  performed  for  the
16    Illinois operations of multijurisdictional utilities.  During
17    the   mandatory   transition   period,   notwithstanding  the
18    provisions of subsection (a), if the  2-year  average  of  an
19    electric  utility's  earned  rate of return on common equity,
20    calculated as its  net  income  applicable  to  common  stock
21    divided  by  the average of its beginning and ending balances
22    of  common  equity  using  data  reported  in  the   electric
23    utility's  Form  1  report  to  the Federal Energy Regulatory
24    Commission but adjusted to remove the effect  of  any  refund
25    paid  under  this  subsection  (e),  and  further adjusted to
26    include the annual amortization of any difference between the
27    consideration received  by  an  affiliated  interest  of  the
28    electric  utility in the sale of an asset which had been sold
29    or transferred by the  electric  utility  to  the  affiliated
30    interest  subsequent to the effective date of this amendatory
31    Act of 1997 and the consideration for which  such  asset  had
32    been  sold  or  transferred  to the affiliated interest, with
33    such difference to be amortized ratably from the date of  the
34    sale by the affiliated interest to December 31, 2006, exceeds
 
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 1    the  2-year  average of the Index for the same 2 years by 1.5
 2    or more percentage points, the electric  utility  shall  make
 3    refunds to customers beginning the first billing day of April
 4    in  the  following  year in the manner described in paragraph
 5    (3) of this subsection. For purposes of this subsection  (e),
 6    the  "Index"  shall  be the sum of (A) the average for the 12
 7    months ended September 30 of the monthly  average  yields  of
 8    30-year  U.S.  Treasury  bonds  published  by  the  Board  of
 9    Governors  of  the  Federal Reserve System in its weekly H.15
10    Statistical Release or successor publication  for  each  year
11    1998  through  2004,  and  (B) (i) 4.00 percentage points for
12    each of  the  12-month  periods  ending  September  30,  1998
13    through  September  30, 1999 or 8.00 percentage points if the
14    electric utility's average residential retail  rate  is  less
15    than  or  equal to 90% of the average residential retail rate
16    for the "Midwest Utilities",  as  that  term  is  defined  in
17    subsection  (b)  of  this  Section, based on data reported on
18    Form 1  to  the  Federal  Energy  Regulatory  Commission  for
19    calendar  year  1995, and the electric utility served between
20    150,000 and 250,000 retail customers on January 1,  1995,  or
21    (ii)  5.00 percentage points for each of the 12-month periods
22    ending September 30, 2000 through September 30, 2004 or  9.00
23    percentage   points   if   the   electric  utility's  average
24    residential retail rate is less than or equal to 90%  of  the
25    average  residential retail rate for the "Midwest Utilities",
26    as that term is defined in subsection (b)  of  this  Section,
27    based  on  data  reported  on  Form  1  to the Federal Energy
28    Regulatory Commission for calendar year 1995 and the electric
29    utility served between 150,000 and 250,000  retail  customers
30    in this State on January 1, 1995.
31             (1)  For  purposes  of  this subsection (e), "excess
32        earnings" means the difference  between  (A)  the  2-year
33        average  of  the electric utility's earned rate of return
34        on common equity, less (B) the 2-year average of the  sum
 
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 1        of  (i)  the  Index applicable to each of the 2 years and
 2        (ii)  1.5  percentage  points;  provided,  that   "excess
 3        earnings" shall never be less than zero.
 4             (2)  On or before March 31 of each year 2000 through
 5        2005  each  electric utility shall file a report with the
 6        Commission showing its earned rate of  return  on  common
 7        equity,  calculated  in  accordance with this subsection,
 8        for the preceding calendar year and the average  for  the
 9        preceding 2 calendar years.
10             (3)  If  an  electric  utility  has excess earnings,
11        determined in accordance with paragraphs (1) and  (2)  of
12        this  subsection,  the refunds which the electric utility
13        shall pay  to its customers beginning the  first  billing
14        day  of  April  in the following year shall be calculated
15        and applied as follows:
16                  (i)  The  electric  utility's  excess  earnings
17             shall be multiplied by the average of the  beginning
18             and ending balances of the electric utility's common
19             equity   for  the  2-year  period  in  which  excess
20             earnings occurred.
21                  (ii)  The result  of  the  calculation  in  (i)
22             shall  be  multiplied  by 0.50 and then divided by a
23             number equal  to  1  minus  the  electric  utility's
24             composite federal and State income tax rate.
25                  (iii)  The  result  of  the calculation in (ii)
26             shall  be  divided  by  the  sum  of  the   electric
27             utility's  projected  total  kilowatt-hour  sales to
28             retail customers plus projected kilowatt-hours to be
29             delivered to delivery services customers over a  one
30             year period beginning with the first billing date in
31             April  in  the  succeeding year to determine a cents
32             per kilowatt-hour refund factor.
33                  (iv)  The cents per kilowatt-hour refund factor
34             calculated  in  (iii)  shall  be  credited  to   the
 
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 1             electric  utility's customers by applying the factor
 2             on   the   customer's   monthly   bills   to    each
 3             kilowatt-hour  sold  or  delivered  until  the total
 4             amount  calculated  in  (ii)  has   been   paid   to
 5             customers.
 6        (f)  During  the mandatory transition period, an electric
 7    utility may file revised tariffs reducing the  price  of  any
 8    tariffed  service  offered  by  the  electric utility for all
 9    customers  taking  that  tariffed  service,  which  shall  be
10    effective 7 days after filing.
11        (g)  During the mandatory transition period, an  electric
12    utility may, without obtaining any approval of the Commission
13    other   than   that  provided  for  in  this  subsection  and
14    notwithstanding any other provision of this Act or  any  rule
15    or  regulation  of  the  Commission  that  would require such
16    approval:
17             (1)  implement a reorganization, other than a merger
18        of 2 or more public utilities as defined in Section 3-105
19        or their holding companies;
20             (2)  retire generating plants from service;
21             (3)  sell,  assign,  lease  or  otherwise   transfer
22        assets  to  an  affiliated  or unaffiliated entity and as
23        part of such transaction enter into  service  agreements,
24        power  purchase  agreements, or other agreements with the
25        transferee; provided, however, that the prices, terms and
26        conditions  of  any  power  purchase  agreement  must  be
27        approved or allowed into effect  by  the  Federal  Energy
28        Regulatory Commission; or
29             (4)  use   any   accelerated  cost  recovery  method
30        including    accelerated    depreciation,     accelerated
31        amortization or other capital recovery methods, or record
32        reductions to the original cost of its assets.
33        In order to implement a reorganization, retire generating
34    plants  from  service,  or  sell,  assign, lease or otherwise
 
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 1    transfer  assets  pursuant  to  this  Section,  the  electric
 2    utility shall comply with subsections (c) and (d) of  Section
 3    16-128,  if  applicable,  and  provide the Commission with at
 4    least 30  days  notice  of  the  proposed  reorganization  or
 5    transaction,   which   notice  shall  include  the  following
 6    information:
 7                  (i)  a complete statement of the  entries  that
 8             the  electric  utility  will  make  on its books and
 9             records  of  account  to  implement   the   proposed
10             reorganization   or   transaction  together  with  a
11             certification from an independent  certified  public
12             accountant  that  such  entries  are  in accord with
13             generally accepted accounting principles and, if the
14             Commission has previously  approved  guidelines  for
15             cost   allocations   between  the  utility  and  its
16             affiliates,   a   certification   from   the   chief
17             accounting officer of the utility that such  entries
18             are in accord with those cost allocation guidelines;
19                  (ii)  a description of how the electric utility
20             will  use proceeds of any sale, assignment, lease or
21             transfer to  retire  debt  or  otherwise  reduce  or
22             recover  the  costs  of  services  provided  by such
23             electric utility;
24                  (iii)  a  list  of  all  federal  approvals  or
25             approvals required from departments and agencies  of
26             this  State,  other  than  the  Commission, that the
27             electric  utility  has   or   will   obtain   before
28             implementing the reorganization or transaction;
29                  (iv)  an irrevocable commitment by the electric
30             utility  that  it  will  not,  as  a  result  of the
31             transaction, impose any stranded cost  charges  that
32             it  might  otherwise  be  allowed  to  charge retail
33             customers  under  federal  law   or   increase   the
34             transition  charges that it is otherwise entitled to
 
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 1             collect under this Article XVI; and
 2                  (v)  If the electric utility proposes to  sell,
 3             assign,  lease, or otherwise transfer any generating
 4             plants, it must make an irrevocable commitment that,
 5             within 30 months after the transfer of  an  electric
 6             generating  plant, emissions of nitrogen oxides from
 7             the plant will be  reduced  to  0.15  lbs/mmbtu  and
 8             emissions  of sulfur dioxides from the plant will be
 9             reduced to 0.30 lbs/mmbtu.  It must put in escrow in
10             a form to be determined by the Commission an  amount
11             equal  to  30%  of the proceeds from the transfer of
12             the plant.  The escrow amount may  not  be  released
13             until  the  Commission determines that the emissions
14             have been reduced to the levels set  forth  in  this
15             item,  provided,  however, that the electric utility
16             may elect to sell more than one electric  generating
17             plant  as a package and, for purposes of determining
18             compliance with the emissions limits in  this  item,
19             may  use  a weighted average of the emissions of the
20             coal-fired  plants  in  the  package  to  reach  the
21             emissions levels required by this item; and
22                  (vi)(v)  if the electric  utility  proposes  to
23             sell,   assign,   lease   or  otherwise  transfer  a
24             generating plant  that  brings  the  amount  of  net
25             dependable  generating capacity transferred pursuant
26             to this subsection to an amount equal to or  greater
27             than  15%  of  the electric utility's net dependable
28             capacity as of the effective date of this amendatory
29             Act of  1997,  and  enters  into  a  power  purchase
30             agreement  with  the entity to which such generating
31             plant  is  sold,  assigned,  leased,  or   otherwise
32             transferred,  the  electric  utility also agrees, if
33             its fuel adjustment  clause  has  not  already  been
34             eliminated,  to eliminate its fuel adjustment clause
 
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 1             in accordance with subsection (b) of  Section  9-220
 2             for a period of time equal to the length of any such
 3             power  purchase agreement or successor agreement, or
 4             until January 1, 2005, whichever is longer;  if  the
 5             capacity  of the generating plant so transferred and
 6             related power purchase agreement does not result  in
 7             the  elimination of the fuel adjustment clause under
 8             this subsection, and the fuel adjustment clause  has
 9             not  already  been  eliminated, the electric utility
10             shall agree  that  the  costs  associated  with  the
11             transferred   plant   that   are   included  in  the
12             calculation of the  rate  per  kilowatt-hour  to  be
13             applied  pursuant  to  the  electric  utility's fuel
14             adjustment  clause  during  such  period  shall  not
15             exceed the per kilowatt-hour  cost  associated  with
16             such  generating  plant  included  in  the  electric
17             utility's  fuel  adjustment  clause  during the full
18             calendar year  preceding  the  transfer,  with  such
19             limit  to  be   adjusted each year thereafter by the
20             Gross Domestic Product Implicit Price Deflator.
21                  (vii)(vi)  In addition, if the electric utility
22             proposes to sell, assign, or lease, (A)  either  (1)
23             an amount of generating plant that brings the amount
24             of  net  dependable  generating capacity transferred
25             pursuant to this subsection to an amount equal to or
26             greater than 15% of its net dependable  capacity  on
27             the  effective  date of this amendatory Act of 1997,
28             or (2) one or more generating plants  with  a  total
29             net  dependable  capacity  of 1100 megawatts, or (B)
30             transmission and distribution facilities that either
31             (1)   bring   the   amount   of   transmission   and
32             distribution facilities transferred pursuant to this
33             subsection to an amount equal to or greater than 15%
34             of the electric utility's total depreciated original
 
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 1             cost investment in such facilities, or (2) represent
 2             an investment  of  $25,000,000  in  terms  of  total
 3             depreciated  original  cost,  the  electric  utility
 4             shall provide, in addition to the information listed
 5             in subparagraphs (i) through (vi) (v), the following
 6             information:  (A)  a description of how the electric
 7             utility will meet its service obligations under this
 8             Act in a  safe  and  reliable  manner  and  (B)  the
 9             electric  utility's  projected earned rate of return
10             on common  equity,  calculated  in  accordance  with
11             subsection  (d)  of this Section, for each year from
12             the date of the notice  through  December  31,  2004
13             both  with and without the proposed transaction.  If
14             the Commission has not issued an order initiating  a
15             hearing  on  the proposed transaction within 30 days
16             after the date  the  electric  utility's  notice  is
17             filed,  the  transaction  shall  be deemed approved.
18             The  Commission  may,  after  notice  and   hearing,
19             prohibit the proposed transaction if it makes either
20             or  both  of  the  following  findings: (1) that the
21             proposed  transaction  will  render   the   electric
22             utility unable to provide its tariffed services in a
23             safe  and  reliable  manner,  or (2) that there is a
24             strong likelihood that consummation of the  proposed
25             transaction  will  result  in  the  electric utility
26             being entitled to request an increase  in  its  base
27             rates   during   the   mandatory  transition  period
28             pursuant to subsection (d)  of  this  Section.   Any
29             hearing   initiated   by  the  Commission  into  the
30             proposed transaction shall  be  completed,  and  the
31             Commission's  final  order  approving or prohibiting
32             the proposed transaction shall be entered, within 90
33             days after the date the  electric  utility's  notice
34             was   filed.   Provided,   however,   that  a  sale,
 
                            -14-               LRB9103287JSpc
 1             assignment, or lease of transmission  facilities  to
 2             an   independent  system  operator  that  meets  the
 3             requirements of Section 16-126 shall not be  subject
 4             to Commission approval under this Section.
 5                  In  any  proceeding conducted by the Commission
 6             pursuant   to   this   subparagraph   (vii)    (vi),
 7             intervention  shall  be  limited  to  parties with a
 8             direct interest in  the  transaction  which  is  the
 9             subject  of  the  hearing and any statutory consumer
10             protection agency as defined in  subsection  (d)  of
11             Section  9-102.1.  Notwithstanding the provisions of
12             Section 10-113 of this Act, any application  seeking
13             rehearing of an order issued under this subparagraph
14             (vii) (vi), whether filed by the electric utility or
15             by  an  intervening  party, shall be filed within 10
16             days after service of the order.
17        The Commission shall not in any subsequent proceeding  or
18    otherwise,  review such a reorganization or other transaction
19    authorized by this Section, but shall retain the authority to
20    allocate costs as stated in Section 16-111(i). An  entity  to
21    which an electric utility sells, assigns, leases or transfers
22    assets pursuant to this subsection (g) shall not, as a result
23    of  the  transactions  specified  in  this subsection (g), be
24    deemed a public utility as defined in Section 3-105.  Nothing
25    in this subsection (g) shall change any requirement under the
26    jurisdiction of the Illinois  Department  of  Nuclear  Safety
27    including,  but  not limited to, the payment of fees. Nothing
28    in this subsection (g) shall exempt a utility from  obtaining
29    a  certificate  pursuant to Section 8-406 of this Act for the
30    construction of a new electric generating facility.   Nothing
31    in this subsection (g) is intended to exempt the transactions
32    hereunder   from  the  operation  of  the  federal  or  State
33    antitrust laws. Nothing in this subsection (g) shall  require
34    an  electric  utility to use the procedures specified in this
 
                            -15-               LRB9103287JSpc
 1    subsection for any of the transactions specified herein.  Any
 2    other procedure available under this Act may, at the electric
 3    utility's election, be used for any such transaction.
 4        (h)  During  the   mandatory   transition   period,   the
 5    Commission   shall   not   establish  or  use  any  rates  of
 6    depreciation, which for purposes  of  this  subsection  shall
 7    include  amortization,  for  any  electric utility other than
 8    those established pursuant to subsection (c) of Section 5-104
 9    of this Act or utilized pursuant to subsection  (g)  of  this
10    Section.  Provided, however, that in any proceeding to review
11    an electric utility's rates for tariffed services pursuant to
12    Section  9-201,  9-202,  9-250  or 16-111(d) of this Act, the
13    Commission may establish new rates of  depreciation  for  the
14    electric  utility  in  the same manner provided in subsection
15    (d) of  Section  5-104  of  this  Act.  An  electric  utility
16    implementing  an  accelerated  cost recovery method including
17    accelerated depreciation, accelerated amortization  or  other
18    capital  recovery  methods,  or  recording  reductions to the
19    original cost of its assets, pursuant to  subsection  (g)  of
20    this  Section,  shall  file  a  statement with the Commission
21    describing  the  accelerated  cost  recovery  method  to   be
22    implemented  or  the  reduction  in  the original cost of its
23    assets to be recorded.  Upon the filing  of  such  statement,
24    the  accelerated cost recovery method or the reduction in the
25    original cost of assets shall be deemed to be approved by the
26    Commission as  though  an  order  had  been  entered  by  the
27    Commission.
28        (i)  Subsequent  to  the mandatory transition period, the
29    Commission, in any proceeding to establish rates and  charges
30    for  tariffed  services offered by an electric utility, shall
31    consider only (1) the then  current  or  projected  revenues,
32    costs, investments and cost of capital directly or indirectly
33    associated  with the provision of such tariffed services; (2)
34    collection of transition charges in accordance with  Sections
 
                            -16-               LRB9103287JSpc
 1    16-102  and  16-108 of this Act; (3) recovery of any employee
 2    transition costs as described in  Section  16-128  which  the
 3    electric  utility  is continuing to incur, including recovery
 4    of any unamortized portion of such costs previously  incurred
 5    or committed, with such costs to be equitably allocated among
 6    bundled  services,  delivery  services,  and  contracts  with
 7    alternative  retail  electric  suppliers; and (4) recovery of
 8    the costs associated with the electric  utility's  compliance
 9    with  decommissioning  funding  requirements;  and  shall not
10    consider any other revenues, costs, investments  or  cost  of
11    capital of either the electric utility or of any affiliate of
12    the  electric  utility  that  are  not  associated  with  the
13    provision   of  tariffed  services.   In  setting  rates  for
14    tariffed services, the Commission  shall  equitably  allocate
15    joint  and  common costs and investments between the electric
16    utility's competitive and tariffed services.  In  determining
17    the  justness  and  reasonableness  of the electric power and
18    energy component of an electric utility's rates for  tariffed
19    services  subsequent  to  the mandatory transition period and
20    prior to the time that the provision of such  electric  power
21    and  energy  is  declared  competitive,  the Commission shall
22    consider the extent to which the electric utility's  tariffed
23    rates  for  such component for each customer class exceed the
24    market value determined pursuant to Section 16-112,  and,  if
25    the electric power and energy component of such tariffed rate
26    exceeds  the  market  value by more than 10% for any customer
27    class, may establish such electric power and energy component
28    at a rate equal to the market value plus  10%.  In  any  such
29    case,  the Commission may also elect to extend the provisions
30    of Section 16-111(e) for any period  in  which  the  electric
31    utility  is  collecting transition charges, using information
32    applicable to such period.
33        (j)  During the mandatory transition period, an  electric
34    utility  may  elect  to  transfer  to  a non-operating income
 
                            -17-               LRB9103287JSpc
 1    account under the Commission's  Uniform  System  of  Accounts
 2    either or both of (i) an amount of unamortized investment tax
 3    credit  that  is  in  addition to the ratable amount which is
 4    credited to the electric utility's operating  income  account
 5    for  the  year  in  accordance  with  Section 46(f)(2) of the
 6    federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as in effect prior  to
 7    P.L.  101-508, or (ii) "excess tax reserves", as that term is
 8    defined in Section 203(e)(2)(A) of the federal Tax Reform Act
 9    of 1986, provided that (A) the  amount  transferred  may  not
10    exceed  the amount of the electric utility's assets that were
11    created  pursuant  to  Statement  of   Financial   Accounting
12    Standards  No.  71 which the electric utility has written off
13    during the mandatory transition period, and (B) the  transfer
14    shall not be effective until approved by the Internal Revenue
15    Service.   An  electric  utility  electing  to  make  such  a
16    transfer  shall  file a statement with the Commission stating
17    the amount and timing of the transfer for which it intends to
18    request approval of the Internal Revenue Service, along  with
19    a  copy  of  its  proposed  request  to  the Internal Revenue
20    Service for a ruling.  The Commission shall  issue  an  order
21    within 14 days after the electric utility's filing approving,
22    subject  to  receipt  of  approval  from the Internal Revenue
23    Service, the proposed transfer.
24    (Source: P.A. 90-561, eff. 12-16-97; 90-563, eff. 12-16-97.)

25        Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
26    becoming law.

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