1. The utilities board within the utilities division of the department of commerce shall regulate the rates and services of public utilities to the extent and in the manner hereinafter provided.

Terms Used In Iowa Code 476.1

  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Department: means the department of natural resources. See Iowa Code 462A.2
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Person: means an individual, partnership, firm, corporation, or association. See Iowa Code 462A.2
  • Use: means to operate, navigate, or employ a vessel. See Iowa Code 462A.2
  • utilities board: means the utilities board within the utilities division of the department of commerce. See Iowa Code 476.1
 2. As used in this chapter, “board” or “utilities board” means the utilities board within the utilities division of the department of commerce.
 3. As used in this chapter, “public utility” shall include any person, partnership, business association, or corporation, domestic or foreign, owning or operating any facilities for:

 a. Furnishing gas by piped distribution system or electricity to the public for compensation.
 b. Furnishing communications services to the public for compensation.
 c. Furnishing water by piped distribution system to the public for compensation.
 d. Furnishing sanitary sewage or storm water drainage disposal by piped collection system to the public for compensation.
 4. This chapter does not apply to municipally owned waterworks, waterworks having less than two thousand customers, joint water utilities established pursuant to chapter 389, rural water districts incorporated and organized pursuant to chapters 357A and 504, cooperative water associations incorporated and organized pursuant to chapter 499, municipally owned sanitary sewage or storm water drainage systems, sanitary districts incorporated and organized pursuant to chapter 358, districts organized pursuant to chapter 468, or a person furnishing electricity to five or fewer customers either by secondary line or from an alternate energy production facility or small hydro facility, from electricity that is produced primarily for the person’s own use.
 5. The jurisdiction of the board under this chapter shall include efforts designed to promote the use of energy efficiency strategies by gas and electric utilities required to be rate-regulated.
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