Section 8-1.5-2-6.1 - Sale of nonsurplus property; ordinance adopted after March 28, 2016; approval of commission; terms and conditions; public interest determination; net original cost rate base; submission to voters(a) This section applies to a municipality that adopts an ordinance under section 5(d) of this chapter after March 28, 2016.(b) Before a municipality may proceed to sell or otherwise dispose of all or part of its nonsurplus utility property under an ordinance adopted under section 5(d) of this chapter, the municipality and the prospective purchaser must obtain the approval of the commission under this section.(c) As part of the sale or disposition of the property, the municipality and the prospective purchaser may include terms and conditions that the municipality and the prospective purchaser consider to be equitable to the existing utility customers of: (1) the municipality's municipally owned utility; and(2) the prospective purchaser; as applicable.
(d) The commission shall approve the sale or disposition of the property according to the terms and conditions proposed by the municipality and the prospective purchaser if the commission finds that the sale or disposition according to the terms and conditions proposed is in the public interest. For purposes of this section, the purchase price of the municipality's nonsurplus utility property shall be considered reasonable if it does not exceed the appraised value set forth in the appraisal required under section 5 of this chapter.(e) The following apply to the commission's determination under subsection (d) as to whether the proposed sale or disposition according to the proposed terms and conditions is in the public interest:(1) If: (A) the prospective purchaser petitions the commission under IC 8-1-30.3-5(d); and(B) the commission approves the prospective purchaser's petition; the proposed sale or disposition is considered to be in the public interest.
(2) If subdivision (1) does not apply and subject to subsection (h), the commission shall consider the extent to which the proposed terms and conditions of the proposed sale or disposition would require the existing utility customers of either the prospective purchaser or the municipality's municipally owned utility, as applicable, to pay rates that would subsidize utility service to the other party's existing customers. For purposes of this subdivision, the proposed terms and conditions will not result in rates that would subsidize service to other customers if the amount to be recorded as net original cost under subsection (f) is not greater than two percent (2%) of the prospective purchaser's net original cost rate base as determined in the prospective purchaser's most recent general rate case, plus any adjustments to the rate base under IC 8-1-31 and IC 8-1-31.7 that have occurred after the rate case. If the amount to be recorded is greater than two percent (2%), the commission shall proceed to determine whether: (A) the proposed terms and conditions would result in a subsidy described in this subdivision; and(B) the subsidy would cause the proposed terms and conditions of the proposed sale or disposition not to be in the public interest. The commission shall calculate the amount of the subsidy that would result and shall set forth in an order under this section such changes to the proposed terms and conditions as the commission considers appropriate to address the subsidy. The prospective purchaser and the municipality shall each have thirty (30) days from the date of the commission's order setting forth the commission's changes to either accept or reject the changes. If either party rejects the commission's changes, the proposed sale or disposition is considered not to be in the public interest.
(3) In reviewing the proposed terms and conditions of the proposed sale or disposition under either subdivision (1) or (2), the commission shall consider the financial, managerial, and technical ability of the prospective purchaser to provide the utility service required after the proposed sale or disposition.(4) In reviewing the proposed terms and conditions of the proposed sale or disposition under either subdivision (1) or (2), the commission shall accept as reasonable the valuation of the nonsurplus utility property determined through an appraisal and review under section 5 of this chapter.(f) As part of an order approving a sale or disposition of property under this section, the commission shall, without regard to amounts that may be recorded on the books and records of the municipality and without regard to any grants or contributions previously received by the municipality, provide that for ratemaking purposes, the prospective purchaser shall record as the net original cost rate base an amount equal to:(1) the full purchase price;(2) incidental expenses; and(3) other costs of acquisition; allocated in a reasonable manner among appropriate utility plant in service accounts.
(g) The commission shall issue a final order under this section not later than two hundred ten (210) days after the filing of the parties' case in chief.(h) In reviewing a proposed sale or disposition under subsection (e), the commission shall determine whether the factors set forth in IC 8-1-30.3-5(d) are satisfied as applied to the proposed sale or disposition of the municipality's nonsurplus municipally owned utility property for purposes of section 5(m) of this chapter. If the commission determines that the factors set forth in IC 8-1-30.3-5(d): (1) are satisfied as applied to the proposed sale or disposition, section 5(g) through 5(k) of this chapter does not apply to the municipality's ordinance adopted under section 5(d) of this chapter; or(2) are not satisfied as applied to the proposed sale or disposition:(A) section 5(g) through 5(k) of this chapter applies to the municipality's ordinance adopted under section 5(d) of this chapter; and(B) the question as to whether the sale or disposition should be made must be submitted to the voters of the municipality at a special or general election if at least the number of the registered voters of the municipality set forth in section 5(h) of this chapter sign and present a petition to the legislative body opposing the sale or disposition, in accordance with section 5(g) through 5(k) of this chapter. However, notwithstanding this subsection, in reviewing a proposed sale or disposition under subsection (e)(2), the commission may not condition its approval of the proposed sale or disposition on whether the factors set forth in IC 8-1-30.3-5(d) are satisfied or on any other factors except those provided for in subsection (e)(2), (e)(3), and (e)(4).
Amended by P.L. 61-2022,SEC. 12, eff. 7/1/2022.Amended by P.L. 229-2019,SEC. 9, eff. 5/5/2019.Amended by P.L. 64-2018,SEC. 2, eff. 7/1/2018.Added by P.L. 98-2016, SEC. 10, eff. 3/22/2016.