Sec. 19. (a) Use of the procedure in this chapter is voluntary to a public utility. The failure of a public utility to use the approval provisions of this chapter may not create a presumption of imprudence or nonrecovery in rates for environmental compliance plan costs.

     (b) This chapter does not require a public utility to utilize this chapter to recover a cost or expense otherwise recoverable in the public utility’s rates. A higher standard for the recovery of such costs or for determining the appropriateness of an environmental compliance plan may not be imposed because of a public utility’s election not to use the provisions of this chapter.

Terms Used In Indiana Code 8-1-28-19

  • commission: refers to the Indiana utility regulatory commission. See Indiana Code 8-1-1-1
  • environmental compliance plan: means a plan developed by a public utility to comply in whole or in part with the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act or the Clean Water Act. See Indiana Code 8-1-28-2
  • public utility: means a public utility, a municipally owned utility, or a cooperatively owned utility. See Indiana Code 8-1-28-3
     (c) An order of the commission approving an environmental compliance plan under this chapter may not limit or define the measures that may be proposed in a compliance plan submitted by another public utility or approved by the commission.

As added by P.L.76-1991, SEC.2.