State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
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90_SB1934

      220 ILCS 5/16-111
          Amends the Public Utilities Act.  Provides that under the
      Electric Service Customer Choice and Rate Relief Law of  1997
      residential  retail rates shall be reduced effective February
      1, rather than August 1, 1998.  Effective immediately.
                                                     LRB9010020JSbd
                                               LRB9010020JSbd
 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
                            -2-                LRB9010020JSbd
 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 February August 1, 1998, each component of its base
33    rates  to  residential  retail customers by 15% from the base
34    rates in effect immediately prior to January 1, 1998 and (ii)
                            -3-                LRB9010020JSbd
 1    if the public utility provides electric service to more  than
 2    500,000 customers in this State on December 16, the effective
 3    date  of this amendatory Act of 1997, reducing, effective May
 4    1, 2002, each component of  its  base  rates  to  residential
 5    retail  customers  by an additional 5% from the base rates in
 6    effect  immediately  prior  to  January  1,  1998.  Provided,
 7    however,  that  (A)  if   an   electric   utility's   average
 8    residential  retail rate is less than or equal to the average
 9    residential retail rate for  a  group  of  Midwest  Utilities
10    (consisting  of  all  investor-owned  electric utilities with
11    annual system peaks in excess of 1000 megawatts in the States
12    of Illinois, Indiana,  Iowa,  Kentucky,  Michigan,  Missouri,
13    Ohio, and Wisconsin), based on data reported on Form 1 to the
14    Federal  Energy Regulatory Commission for calendar year 1995,
15    then it shall only be required to file tariffs (i)  reducing,
16    effective February August 1, 1998, each component of its base
17    rates  to  residential  retail  customers by 5% from the base
18    rates in effect immediately prior to January  1,  1998,  (ii)
19    reducing,  effective  October  1, 2000, each component of its
20    base rates to residential retail customers by the  lesser  of
21    5%  of  the base rates in effect immediately prior to January
22    1, 1998 or the percentage by  which  the  electric  utility's
23    average   residential   retail   rate   exceeds  the  average
24    residential retail rate of the Midwest  Utilities,  based  on
25    data  reported  on  Form  1  to the Federal Energy Regulatory
26    Commission  for  calendar  year  1999,  and  (iii)  reducing,
27    effective October 1, 2002, each component of its  base  rates
28    to residential retail customers by an additional amount equal
29    to  the  lesser of 5% of the base rates in effect immediately
30    prior to January 1, 1998  or  the  percentage  by  which  the
31    electric  utility's  average  residential retail rate exceeds
32    the average residential retail rate of the Midwest Utilities,
33    based on data reported  on  Form  1  to  the  Federal  Energy
34    Regulatory  Commission for calendar year 2001; and (B) if the
                            -4-                LRB9010020JSbd
 1    average  residential  retail  rate  of  an  electric  utility
 2    serving between 150,000 and 250,000 retail customers in  this
 3    State  on January 1, 1995 is less than or equal to 90% of the
 4    average residential retail rate for  the  Midwest  Utilities,
 5    based  on  data  reported  on  Form  1  to the Federal Energy
 6    Regulatory Commission for calendar year 1995, then  it  shall
 7    only  be  required  to  file  tariffs (i) reducing, effective
 8    February August 1, 1998, each component of its base rates  to
 9    residential  retail  customers  by  2% from the base rates in
10    effect immediately prior to January 1, 1998;  (ii)  reducing,
11    effective  October  1, 2000, each component of its base rates
12    to residential retail customers by 2% from the base  rate  in
13    effect  immediately  prior  to  January  1,  1998;  and (iii)
14    reducing, effective October 1, 2002, each  component  of  its
15    base  rates  to  residential  retail customers by 1% from the
16    base rates in effect immediately prior to  January  1,  1998.
17    Provided,  further,  that  any  electric  utility for which a
18    decrease in base rates has been  or  is  placed  into  effect
19    between  October  1,  1996  and  the  dates  specified in the
20    preceding sentences of this subsection, other  than  pursuant
21    to  the requirements of this subsection, shall be entitled to
22    reduce the amount of any reduction or reductions in its  base
23    rates required by this subsection by the amount of such other
24    decrease. The tariffs required under this subsection shall be
25    filed   45   days   in   advance   of   the  effective  date.
26    Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 9-220  of
27    this  Act,  no  restatement of base rates in conjunction with
28    the elimination  of  a  fuel  adjustment  clause  under  that
29    Section  shall result in a lesser decrease in base rates than
30    customers would otherwise receive under this  subsection  had
31    the  electric  utility's  fuel  adjustment  clause  not  been
32    eliminated.
33        (c)  Any  utility  reducing  its  base  rates  by  15% on
34    February August 1, 1998  pursuant  to  subsection  (b)  shall
                            -5-                LRB9010020JSbd
 1    include  the following statement on its bills for residential
 2    customers from February August 1 through December  31,  1998:
 3    "Effective  February  August  1,  1998,  your rates have been
 4    reduced by 15% by the Electric Service  Customer  Choice  and
 5    Rate  Relief  Law  of  1997  passed  by  the Illinois General
 6    Assembly.".  Any utility reducing its base  rates  by  5%  on
 7    February  August  1,  1998,  pursuant to subsection (b) shall
 8    include the following statement on its bills for  residential
 9    customers  from  February August 1 through December 31, 1998:
10    "Effective February August 1,  1998,  your  rates  have  been
11    reduced  by  5%  by  the Electric Service Customer Choice and
12    Rate Relief Law  of  1997  passed  by  the  Illinois  General
13    Assembly.".
14        Any  utility  reducing  its  base rates by 2% on February
15    August 1, 1998 pursuant to subsection (b) shall  include  the
16    following  statement  on  its bills for residential customers
17    from February August 1 through December 31, 1998:  "Effective
18    February  August  1, 1998, your rates have been reduced by 2%
19    by the Electric Service Customer Choice and Rate  Relief  Law
20    of 1997 passed by the Illinois General Assembly.".
21        (d)  During  the  mandatory  transition  period,  but not
22    before January 1, 2000, and notwithstanding   the  provisions
23    of  subsection  (a),  an  electric  utility  may  request  an
24    increase   in   its   base  rates  if  the  electric  utility
25    demonstrates that the 2-year average of its  earned  rate  of
26    return  on  common  equity,  calculated  as  its  net  income
27    applicable  to  common  stock  divided  by the average of its
28    beginning and ending balances of  common  equity  using  data
29    reported  in  the  electric  utility's  Form  1 report to the
30    Federal Energy Regulatory Commission but adjusted  to  remove
31    the  effects  of  accelerated depreciation or amortization or
32    other transition or mitigation measures  implemented  by  the
33    electric  utility  pursuant to subsection (g) of this Section
34    and the effect of any refund paid pursuant to subsection  (e)
                            -6-                LRB9010020JSbd
 1    of  this  Section, is below the 2-year average for the same 2
 2    years of the monthly average yields of 30-year  U.S. Treasury
 3    bonds published by the Board of Governors  of  the    Federal
 4    Reserve  System  in  its  weekly  H.15 Statistical Release or
 5    successor  publication.  The  Commission  shall  review   the
 6    electric  utility's  request, and may review the justness and
 7    reasonableness  of  all  rates  for  tariffed  services,   in
 8    accordance  with  the  provisions  of Article IX of this Act,
 9    provided that the Commission shall consider  any  special  or
10    negotiated  adjustments  to the revenue requirement agreed to
11    between the electric utility and the  other  parties  to  the
12    proceeding.    In  setting  rates  under  this  Section,  the
13    Commission shall exclude the  costs  and  revenues  that  are
14    associated  with  competitive  services  and  any  billing or
15    pricing experiments conducted under Section 16-106.
16        (e)  For  the  purposes  of  this  subsection   (e)   all
17    calculations  and  comparisons  shall  be  performed  for the
18    Illinois operations of multijurisdictional utilities.  During
19    the  mandatory   transition   period,   notwithstanding   the
20    provisions  of  subsection  (a),  if the 2-year average of an
21    electric utility's earned rate of return  on  common  equity,
22    calculated  as  its  net  income  applicable  to common stock
23    divided by the average of its beginning and  ending  balances
24    of   common  equity  using  data  reported  in  the  electric
25    utility's Form 1 report  to  the  Federal  Energy  Regulatory
26    Commission  but  adjusted  to remove the effect of any refund
27    paid under this  subsection  (e),  and  further  adjusted  to
28    include the annual amortization of any difference between the
29    consideration  received  by  an  affiliated  interest  of the
30    electric utility in the sale of an asset which had been  sold
31    or  transferred  by  the  electric  utility to the affiliated
32    interest subsequent to December 16,  the  effective  date  of
33    this  amendatory  Act of 1997 and the consideration for which
34    such asset had been sold or  transferred  to  the  affiliated
                            -7-                LRB9010020JSbd
 1    interest,  with  such difference to be amortized ratably from
 2    the date of the sale by the affiliated interest  to  December
 3    31,  2006,  exceeds  the  2-year average of the Index for the
 4    same 2 years by 1.5 or more percentage points,  the  electric
 5    utility  shall  make refunds to customers beginning the first
 6    billing day of April in the  following  year  in  the  manner
 7    described  in  paragraph (3) of this subsection. For purposes
 8    of this subsection (e), the "Index" shall be the sum  of  (A)
 9    the  average  for  the  12  months  ended September 30 of the
10    monthly  average  yields  of  30-year  U.S.  Treasury   bonds
11    published  by  the  Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
12    System in its weekly H.15 Statistical  Release  or  successor
13    publication for each year 1998 through 2004, and (B) (i) 4.00
14    percentage  points  for  each  of the 12-month periods ending
15    September  30,  1998  through  September  30,  1999  or  8.00
16    percentage  points  if   the   electric   utility's   average
17    residential  retail  rate is less than or equal to 90% of the
18    average residential retail rate for the "Midwest  Utilities",
19    as  that  term  is defined in subsection (b) of this Section,
20    based on data reported  on  Form  1  to  the  Federal  Energy
21    Regulatory   Commission  for  calendar  year  1995,  and  the
22    electric utility served between 150,000  and  250,000  retail
23    customers  on January 1, 1995, or (ii) 5.00 percentage points
24    for each of the 12-month periods ending  September  30,  2000
25    through  September  30, 2004 or 9.00 percentage points if the
26    electric utility's average residential retail  rate  is  less
27    than  or  equal to 90% of the average residential retail rate
28    for the "Midwest Utilities",  as  that  term  is  defined  in
29    subsection  (b)  of  this  Section, based on data reported on
30    Form 1  to  the  Federal  Energy  Regulatory  Commission  for
31    calendar  year  1995  and the electric utility served between
32    150,000 and 250,000 retail customers in this State on January
33    1, 1995.
34             (1)  For purposes of this  subsection  (e),  "excess
                            -8-                LRB9010020JSbd
 1        earnings"  means  the  difference  between (A) the 2-year
 2        average of the electric utility's earned rate  of  return
 3        on  common equity, less (B) the 2-year average of the sum
 4        of (i) the Index applicable to each of the  2  years  and
 5        (ii)   1.5  percentage  points;  provided,  that  "excess
 6        earnings" shall never be less than zero.
 7             (2)  On or before March 31 of each year 2000 through
 8        2005 each electric utility shall file a report  with  the
 9        Commission  showing  its  earned rate of return on common
10        equity, calculated in accordance  with  this  subsection,
11        for  the  preceding calendar year and the average for the
12        preceding 2 calendar years.
13             (3)  If an electric  utility  has  excess  earnings,
14        determined  in  accordance with paragraphs (1) and (2) of
15        this subsection, the refunds which the  electric  utility
16        shall  pay   to its customers beginning the first billing
17        day of April in the following year  shall  be  calculated
18        and applied as follows:
19                  (i)  The  electric  utility's  excess  earnings
20             shall  be multiplied by the average of the beginning
21             and ending balances of the electric utility's common
22             equity  for  the  2-year  period  in  which   excess
23             earnings occurred.
24                  (ii)  The  result  of  the  calculation  in (i)
25             shall be multiplied by 0.50 and then  divided  by  a
26             number  equal  to  1  minus  the  electric utility's
27             composite federal and State income tax rate.
28                  (iii)  The result of the  calculation  in  (ii)
29             shall   be  divided  by  the  sum  of  the  electric
30             utility's projected  total  kilowatt-hour  sales  to
31             retail customers plus projected kilowatt-hours to be
32             delivered  to delivery services customers over a one
33             year period beginning with the first billing date in
34             April in the succeeding year to  determine  a  cents
                            -9-                LRB9010020JSbd
 1             per kilowatt-hour refund factor.
 2                  (iv)  The cents per kilowatt-hour refund factor
 3             calculated   in  (iii)  shall  be  credited  to  the
 4             electric utility's customers by applying the  factor
 5             on    the   customer's   monthly   bills   to   each
 6             kilowatt-hour sold  or  delivered  until  the  total
 7             amount   calculated   in   (ii)  has  been  paid  to
 8             customers.
 9        (f)  During the mandatory transition period, an  electric
10    utility  may  file  revised tariffs reducing the price of any
11    tariffed service offered by  the  electric  utility  for  all
12    customers  taking  that  tariffed  service,  which  shall  be
13    effective 7 days after filing.
14        (g)  During  the mandatory transition period, an electric
15    utility may, without obtaining any approval of the Commission
16    other  than  that  provided  for  in  this   subsection   and
17    notwithstanding  any  other provision of this Act or any rule
18    or regulation of  the  Commission  that  would  require  such
19    approval:
20             (1)  implement a reorganization, other than a merger
21        of 2 or more public utilities as defined in Section 3-105
22        or their holding companies;
23             (2)  retire generating plants from service;
24             (3)  sell,   assign,  lease  or  otherwise  transfer
25        assets to an affiliated or  unaffiliated  entity  and  as
26        part  of  such transaction enter into service agreements,
27        power purchase agreements, or other agreements  with  the
28        transferee; provided, however, that the prices, terms and
29        conditions  of  any  power  purchase  agreement  must  be
30        approved  or  allowed  into  effect by the Federal Energy
31        Regulatory Commission; or
32             (4)  use  any  accelerated  cost   recovery   method
33        including     accelerated    depreciation,    accelerated
34        amortization or other capital recovery methods, or record
                            -10-               LRB9010020JSbd
 1        reductions to the original cost of its assets.
 2        In order to implement a reorganization, retire generating
 3    plants from service, or  sell,  assign,  lease  or  otherwise
 4    transfer  assets  pursuant  to  this  Section,  the  electric
 5    utility  shall comply with subsections (c) and (d) of Section
 6    16-128, if applicable, and provide  the  Commission  with  at
 7    least  30  days  notice  of  the  proposed  reorganization or
 8    transaction,  which  notice  shall  include   the   following
 9    information:
10                  (i)  a  complete  statement of the entries that
11             the electric utility will  make  on  its  books  and
12             records   of   account  to  implement  the  proposed
13             reorganization  or  transaction  together   with   a
14             certification  from  an independent certified public
15             accountant that such  entries  are  in  accord  with
16             generally accepted accounting principles and, if the
17             Commission  has  previously  approved guidelines for
18             cost  allocations  between  the  utility   and   its
19             affiliates,   a   certification   from   the   chief
20             accounting  officer of the utility that such entries
21             are in accord with those cost allocation guidelines;
22                  (ii)  a description of how the electric utility
23             will use proceeds of any sale, assignment, lease  or
24             transfer  to  retire  debt  or  otherwise  reduce or
25             recover the  costs  of  services  provided  by  such
26             electric utility;
27                  (iii)  a  list  of  all  federal  approvals  or
28             approvals  required from departments and agencies of
29             this State, other  than  the  Commission,  that  the
30             electric   utility   has   or   will  obtain  before
31             implementing the reorganization or transaction;
32                  (iv)  an irrevocable commitment by the electric
33             utility that  it  will  not,  as  a  result  of  the
34             transaction,  impose  any stranded cost charges that
                            -11-               LRB9010020JSbd
 1             it might  otherwise  be  allowed  to  charge  retail
 2             customers   under   federal   law  or  increase  the
 3             transition charges that it is otherwise entitled  to
 4             collect under this Article XVI; and
 5                  (v)  if  the electric utility proposes to sell,
 6             assign, lease or  otherwise  transfer  a  generating
 7             plant  that  brings  the  amount  of  net dependable
 8             generating capacity  transferred  pursuant  to  this
 9             subsection to an amount equal to or greater than 15%
10             of the electric utility's net dependable capacity as
11             of   December   16,   the  effective  date  of  this
12             amendatory Act of 1997,  and  enters  into  a  power
13             purchase  agreement  with  the  entity to which such
14             generating  plant  is  sold,  assigned,  leased,  or
15             otherwise transferred,  the  electric  utility  also
16             agrees,  if   its  fuel  adjustment  clause  has not
17             already  been  eliminated,  to  eliminate  its  fuel
18             adjustment clause in accordance with subsection  (b)
19             of  Section  9-220 for a period of time equal to the
20             length of  any  such  power  purchase  agreement  or
21             successor  agreement,  or  until  January  1,  2005,
22             whichever   is   longer;  if  the  capacity  of  the
23             generating plant so transferred  and  related  power
24             purchase   agreement   does   not   result   in  the
25             elimination of the fuel adjustment clause under this
26             subsection, and the fuel adjustment clause  has  not
27             already  been eliminated, the electric utility shall
28             agree that the costs associated with the transferred
29             plant that are included in the  calculation  of  the
30             rate per kilowatt-hour to be applied pursuant to the
31             electric  utility's  fuel  adjustment  clause during
32             such period shall not exceed the  per  kilowatt-hour
33             cost  associated with such generating plant included
34             in the electric  utility's  fuel  adjustment  clause
                            -12-               LRB9010020JSbd
 1             during   the   full   calendar  year  preceding  the
 2             transfer, with such limit to be  adjusted each  year
 3             thereafter  by  the  Gross Domestic Product Implicit
 4             Price Deflator.
 5                  (vi)  In  addition,  if  the  electric  utility
 6             proposes to sell, assign, or lease, (A)  either  (1)
 7             an amount of generating plant that brings the amount
 8             of  net  dependable  generating capacity transferred
 9             pursuant to this subsection to an amount equal to or
10             greater than 15% of its net dependable  capacity  on
11             December  16,  the effective date of this amendatory
12             Act of 1997, or (2) one or  more  generating  plants
13             with   a  total  net  dependable  capacity  of  1100
14             megawatts,  or  (B)  transmission  and  distribution
15             facilities that  either  (1)  bring  the  amount  of
16             transmission and distribution facilities transferred
17             pursuant to this subsection to an amount equal to or
18             greater  than  15%  of  the electric utility's total
19             depreciated  original  cost   investment   in   such
20             facilities,   or  (2)  represent  an  investment  of
21             $25,000,000 in terms of total  depreciated  original
22             cost,   the   electric  utility  shall  provide,  in
23             addition to the information listed in  subparagraphs
24             (i)  through  (v),  the following information: (A) a
25             description of how the electric  utility  will  meet
26             its service obligations under this Act in a safe and
27             reliable  manner  and  (B)  the  electric  utility's
28             projected  earned  rate  of return on common equity,
29             calculated in accordance with subsection (d) of this
30             Section, for each year from the date of  the  notice
31             through  December 31, 2004 both with and without the
32             proposed transaction.  If  the  Commission  has  not
33             issued an order initiating a hearing on the proposed
34             transaction  within  30  days  after  the  date  the
                            -13-               LRB9010020JSbd
 1             electric  utility's notice is filed, the transaction
 2             shall be deemed approved.  The Commission may, after
 3             notice   and   hearing,   prohibit   the    proposed
 4             transaction  if  it  makes  either  or  both  of the
 5             following   findings:   (1)   that   the    proposed
 6             transaction  will render the electric utility unable
 7             to provide its  tariffed  services  in  a  safe  and
 8             reliable  manner,  or  (2)  that  there  is a strong
 9             likelihood  that  consummation   of   the   proposed
10             transaction  will  result  in  the  electric utility
11             being entitled to request an increase  in  its  base
12             rates   during   the   mandatory  transition  period
13             pursuant to subsection (d)  of  this  Section.   Any
14             hearing   initiated   by  the  Commission  into  the
15             proposed transaction shall  be  completed,  and  the
16             Commission's  final  order  approving or prohibiting
17             the proposed transaction shall be entered, within 90
18             days after the date the  electric  utility's  notice
19             was   filed.   Provided,   however,   that  a  sale,
20             assignment, or lease of transmission  facilities  to
21             an   independent  system  operator  that  meets  the
22             requirements of Section 16-126 shall not be  subject
23             to Commission approval under this Section.
24                  In  any  proceeding conducted by the Commission
25             pursuant to  this  subparagraph  (vi),  intervention
26             shall  be  limited to parties with a direct interest
27             in the transaction  which  is  the  subject  of  the
28             hearing and any statutory consumer protection agency
29             as  defined  in  subsection  (d) of Section 9-102.1.
30             Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 10-113  of
31             this  Act,  any  application seeking rehearing of an
32             order issued under this subparagraph  (vi),  whether
33             filed  by  the electric utility or by an intervening
34             party, shall be filed within 10 days  after  service
                            -14-               LRB9010020JSbd
 1             of the order.
 2        The  Commission shall not in any subsequent proceeding or
 3    otherwise, review such a reorganization or other  transaction
 4    authorized by this Section, but shall retain the authority to
 5    allocate  costs  as stated in Section 16-111(i). An entity to
 6    which an electric utility sells, assigns, leases or transfers
 7    assets pursuant to this subsection (g) shall not, as a result
 8    of the transactions specified  in  this  subsection  (g),  be
 9    deemed a public utility as defined in Section 3-105.  Nothing
10    in this subsection (g) shall change any requirement under the
11    jurisdiction  of  the  Illinois  Department of Nuclear Safety
12    including, but not limited to, the payment of  fees.  Nothing
13    in  this subsection (g) shall exempt a utility from obtaining
14    a certificate pursuant to Section 8-406 of this Act  for  the
15    construction  of a new electric generating facility.  Nothing
16    in this subsection (g) is intended to exempt the transactions
17    hereunder  from  the  operation  of  the  federal  or   State
18    antitrust  laws. Nothing in this subsection (g) shall require
19    an electric utility to use the procedures specified  in  this
20    subsection for any of the transactions specified herein.  Any
21    other procedure available under this Act may, at the electric
22    utility's election, be used for any such transaction.
23        (h)  During   the   mandatory   transition   period,  the
24    Commission  shall  not  establish  or  use   any   rates   of
25    depreciation,  which  for  purposes  of this subsection shall
26    include amortization, for any  electric  utility  other  than
27    those established pursuant to subsection (c) of Section 5-104
28    of  this  Act  or utilized pursuant to subsection (g) of this
29    Section.  Provided, however, that in any proceeding to review
30    an electric utility's rates for tariffed services pursuant to
31    Section 9-201, 9-202, 9-250 or 16-111(d)  of  this  Act,  the
32    Commission  may  establish  new rates of depreciation for the
33    electric utility in the same manner  provided  in  subsection
34    (d)  of  Section  5-104  of  this  Act.  An  electric utility
                            -15-               LRB9010020JSbd
 1    implementing an accelerated cost  recovery  method  including
 2    accelerated  depreciation,  accelerated amortization or other
 3    capital recovery methods,  or  recording  reductions  to  the
 4    original  cost  of  its assets, pursuant to subsection (g) of
 5    this Section, shall file  a  statement  with  the  Commission
 6    describing   the  accelerated  cost  recovery  method  to  be
 7    implemented or the reduction in  the  original  cost  of  its
 8    assets  to  be  recorded.  Upon the filing of such statement,
 9    the accelerated cost recovery method or the reduction in  the
10    original cost of assets shall be deemed to be approved by the
11    Commission  as  though  an  order  had  been  entered  by the
12    Commission.
13        (i)  Subsequent to the mandatory transition  period,  the
14    Commission,  in any proceeding to establish rates and charges
15    for tariffed services offered by an electric  utility,  shall
16    consider  only  (1)  the  then current or projected revenues,
17    costs, investments and cost of capital directly or indirectly
18    associated with the provision of such tariffed services;  (2)
19    collection  of transition charges in accordance with Sections
20    16-102 and 16-108 of this Act; (3) recovery of  any  employee
21    transition  costs  as  described  in Section 16-128 which the
22    electric utility is continuing to incur,  including  recovery
23    of  any unamortized portion of such costs previously incurred
24    or committed, with such costs to be equitably allocated among
25    bundled  services,  delivery  services,  and  contracts  with
26    alternative retail electric suppliers; and  (4)  recovery  of
27    the  costs  associated with the electric utility's compliance
28    with decommissioning  funding  requirements;  and  shall  not
29    consider  any  other  revenues, costs, investments or cost of
30    capital of either the electric utility or of any affiliate of
31    the  electric  utility  that  are  not  associated  with  the
32    provision  of  tariffed  services.   In  setting  rates   for
33    tariffed  services,  the  Commission shall equitably allocate
34    joint and common costs and investments between  the  electric
                            -16-               LRB9010020JSbd
 1    utility's  competitive and tariffed services.  In determining
 2    the justness and reasonableness of  the  electric  power  and
 3    energy  component of an electric utility's rates for tariffed
 4    services subsequent to the mandatory  transition  period  and
 5    prior  to  the time that the provision of such electric power
 6    and energy is  declared  competitive,  the  Commission  shall
 7    consider  the extent to which the electric utility's tariffed
 8    rates for such component for each customer class  exceed  the
 9    market  value  determined pursuant to Section 16-112, and, if
10    the electric power and energy component of such tariffed rate
11    exceeds the market value by more than 10%  for  any  customer
12    class, may establish such electric power and energy component
13    at  a  rate  equal  to the market value plus 10%. In any such
14    case, the Commission may also elect to extend the  provisions
15    of  Section  16-111(e)  for  any period in which the electric
16    utility is collecting transition charges,  using  information
17    applicable to such period.
18        (j)  During  the mandatory transition period, an electric
19    utility may elect  to  transfer  to  a  non-operating  income
20    account  under  the  Commission's  Uniform System of Accounts
21    either or both of (i) an amount of unamortized investment tax
22    credit that is in addition to the  ratable  amount  which  is
23    credited  to  the electric utility's operating income account
24    for the year in  accordance  with  Section  46(f)(2)  of  the
25    federal  Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as in effect prior to
26    P.L. 101-508, or (ii) "excess tax reserves", as that term  is
27    defined in Section 203(e)(2)(A) of the federal Tax Reform Act
28    of  1986,  provided  that  (A) the amount transferred may not
29    exceed the amount of the electric utility's assets that  were
30    created   pursuant   to  Statement  of  Financial  Accounting
31    Standards No. 71 which the electric utility has  written  off
32    during  the mandatory transition period, and (B) the transfer
33    shall not be effective until approved by the Internal Revenue
34    Service.   An  electric  utility  electing  to  make  such  a
                            -17-               LRB9010020JSbd
 1    transfer shall file a statement with the  Commission  stating
 2    the amount and timing of the transfer for which it intends to
 3    request  approval of the Internal Revenue Service, along with
 4    a copy of  its  proposed  request  to  the  Internal  Revenue
 5    Service  for  a  ruling.  The Commission shall issue an order
 6    within 14 days after the electric utility's filing approving,
 7    subject to receipt of  approval  from  the  Internal  Revenue
 8    Service, the proposed transfer.
 9    (Source: P.A. 90-561, eff. 12-16-97; 90-563, eff. 12-16-97.)
10        Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
11    becoming law.

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