Sec. 3. Assigned Service Areas. (a) Unless otherwise agreed upon between adjacent electricity suppliers, all areas inside existing municipal limits are hereby assigned to the electricity supplier serving a plurality of the electric meters within the municipality on January 1, 1979.

     (b) Where two (2) or more electricity suppliers are rendering retail electric service within existing municipal limits, those suppliers shall take one (1) or more of the following actions to assure that only one (1) electricity supplier shall serve within the existing municipal limits:

(1) The electricity supplier serving a plurality of electric meters within the municipality on January 1, 1979, may purchase the electric utility property of any other electricity supplier which is devoted to retail electric service and is located within the existing municipal limits, at its then reproduction cost new depreciated value plus severance damages.

(2) At the option of the electricity supplier serving a plurality of electric meters within the municipality on January 1, 1979, and subject to commission approval, the electricity suppliers may exchange all or part of the electric utility property located outside of the existing municipal limits for the electric utility property located within the existing municipal limits.

(3) If the affected electricity suppliers do not agree upon a purchase or exchange of the electric utility property before September 1, 1980, the commission shall determine the appropriate purchase price for the electric utility property according to subsection (b)(1) of this section.

     (c) On or before July 1, 1981, each electricity supplier in each county shall exchange with all other electricity suppliers in the county a map or maps showing all of its existing electric distribution lines in the county which are relevant to the assignment of service areas outside existing municipal limits and any other information it considers useful in determining the boundaries of an assigned service area.

     (d) Until otherwise agreed upon between electricity suppliers or ordered by the commission under section 3(g) of this chapter, the boundaries of the assigned service area for each adjacent electricity supplier outside existing municipal limits shall be set as a line equidistant from its existing electric distribution lines and the nearest existing electric distribution lines of any other electricity supplier; the resulting assigned service area outside existing municipal limits of an electricity supplier will be that area which is closer to the existing electric distribution lines of a supplier than to the existing electric distribution lines of any other electricity supplier.

     (e) Each electricity supplier shall negotiate with all adjacent electricity suppliers as soon as practicable in an effort to agree on the boundaries of the service areas to be assigned.

     (f) Maps depicting the boundaries of such proposed service area assignments shall be prepared by each electricity supplier for each county in which the electricity supplier provides electric retail service, and shall be filed, together with a petition requesting approval and assignment of such service areas with the commission on or before July 1, 1982, or on such other date as the commission may determine, but in any event on or before March 1, 1983. Thereafter, the commission shall hold a public hearing regarding the proposed service areas, after publication of notice of the hearing at least ten (10) days before the hearing in the county or counties in which such proposed service areas are located. If the commission finds that the proposed service areas comply with this chapter, it shall issue an order within twelve (12) months of the filing of the petition and related maps, approving and assigning the service areas as designated on the prepared maps.

     (g) If two (2) or more adjacent electricity suppliers cannot agree upon the boundary line or lines between their respective proposed service areas on or before July 1, 1982, or such other date as the commission may determine, but in any event on or before March 1, 1983, the commission on its own motion or upon petition of one (1) of the electricity suppliers shall hold a public hearing regarding the location of the boundary line or lines, after publication of notice of the hearing at least ten (10) days before the hearing in the county or counties in which the boundary line or lines are located. The commission shall determine the boundary line or lines based as nearly as practicable upon a line equidistant between the existing electric distribution lines of the adjacent electricity suppliers, consistent with good utility practice and public convenience and necessity. The commission shall issue an order determining the boundary line or lines and assigning the service areas, and shall direct the parties to file with the commission maps showing such assigned service areas. If the commission determines that the maps comply with its order, it shall issue a supplemental order approving the assigned service areas as designated on the maps.

     (h) Once established according to this section, the boundaries of assigned service areas may not be changed except as provided in section 6 of this chapter.

As added by Acts 1980, P.L.69, SEC.1. Amended by Acts 1982, P.L.71, SEC.1.