I. If the municipality and the utility fail to agree upon a price, or if it cannot be agreed as to how much, if any, of the plant and property lying within or without the municipality the public interest requires the municipality to purchase, or if the schedules of property submitted in accordance with RSA 38:7 are not satisfactory, either the municipality or the utility may petition the commission for a determination of these questions.II. The commission, after proper notice and hearing, shall decide the matters in dispute.III. When required to fix the price to be paid for such plant and property, the commission shall determine the amount of damages, if any, caused by the severance of the plant and property proposed to be purchased from the other plant and property of the owner. In the case of electric utilities, such amount shall be limited to the value of such plant and property and the cost of direct remedial requirements, such as new through-connections in transmission lines, and shall exclude consequential damages such as stranded investment in generation, storage, or supply arrangements which shall be determined as provided in RSA 38:33.IV. The expense to the commission for the investigation of the matters covered by the petition, including the amounts expended for experts, accountants, or other assistants, and salaries and expenses of all employees of the commission for the time actually devoted to the investigation, but not including any part of the salaries of the commissioners, shall be paid by the parties involved, in the manner fixed by the commission.1997, 206:1, eff. July 1, 1997.