(220 ILCS 5/8-503) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 8-503)
Sec. 8-503. Whenever the Commission, after a hearing, shall find that
additions, extensions, repairs or improvements to, or changes in, the
existing plant, equipment, apparatus, facilities or other physical property
of any public utility or of any 2 or more public utilities are
necessary
and ought reasonably to be made or that a new structure or structures is or
are necessary and should be erected, to promote the security or convenience
of its employees or the public or promote the development of an effectively competitive electricity market, or in any other way to secure adequate
service or facilities, the Commission shall make and serve an order
authorizing or directing that such additions, extensions, repairs,
improvements or changes be made, or such structure or structures be erected
at the location, in the manner and within the time specified in said order;
provided, however, that the
Commission shall have no authority to order the construction,
addition or extension of any electric generating plant unless
the public utility requests a certificate for the construction
of the plant pursuant to Section 8-406 and in conjunction with
such request also requests the entry of an order under this
Section.
If any additions, extensions, repairs, improvements or changes, or any new
structure or structures, which the Commission has authorized or ordered to
be erected, require joint action by 2 or more public utilities, the
Commission shall notify the said public utilities that such additions,
extensions, repairs, improvements or changes or new structure or structures
have been authorized or ordered and that the same shall be made at the
joint cost whereupon the said public utilities shall have such reasonable
time as the Commission may grant within which to agree upon the
apportionment or division of cost of such additions, extensions, repairs,
improvements or changes or new structure or structures, which each shall
bear. If at the expiration of such time such public utilities shall fail to
file with the Commission a statement that an agreement has been made for a
division or apportionment of the cost or expense of such additions,
extensions, repairs, improvements or changes, or new structure or
structures, the Commission shall have authority, after further hearing, to
make an order fixing the proportion of such cost or expense to be borne by
each public utility and the manner in which the same shall be paid or secured.
Nothing in this Act shall prevent the Commission, upon its own motion
or upon petition, from ordering, after a hearing, the extension, construction,
connection or interconnection of plant, equipment, pipe, line, facilities
or other physical property of a public utility in whatever configuration the
Commission finds necessary to ensure that natural gas is made available to
consumers at no increased cost to the customers of the utility supplying the gas.
Whenever the Commission finds, after a hearing, that the public convenience
or necessity requires it, the Commission may order public utilities subject
to its jurisdiction to work jointly (1) for the purpose of purchasing and
distributing natural gas or gas substitutes, provided it shall not increase
the cost of gas to the customers of the participating utilities, or (2) for
any other reasonable purpose.
(Source: P.A. 95-700, eff. 11-9-07.)
|