196.491(3m)(b)3.d.
d. Any other factor that the commission determines is necessary to determine whether to make a finding under
par. (a) 2.
196.491(3m)(c)1.a.
a. "Electric sale" means a sale of electricity that is generated at a wholesale merchant plant that is owned, operated or controlled by an affiliated interest.
196.491(3m)(c)1.b.
b. "Firm sale" means an electric sale in which electricity is intended to be available to a purchaser at all times during a specified period on an uninterruptible basis.
196.491(3m)(c)2.
2. The commission shall review any electric sale by an affiliated interest to a public utility with which the affiliated interest is affiliated. If the commission finds that an electric sale is not in the public interest, the commission shall do any of the following:
196.491(3m)(c)2.a.
a. Disallow the public utility's costs related to the sale in a rate-setting proceeding.
196.491(3m)(c)2.b.
b. Order the public utility to provide a refund, in an amount determined by the commission, to its customers.
196.491(3m)(c)2.c.
c. Order the public utility or affiliated interest to take any action that the commission determines is in the public interest, except that the commission may not order the public utility or affiliated interest to void the sale.
196.491(3m)(c)3.
3. An affiliated interest may not make any firm sale to a public utility with which the affiliated interest is affiliated if the firm sale satisfies any of the following:
196.491(3m)(c)3.b.
b. The period of the firm sale is less than 3 years and either the public utility or the affiliated interest has an option to extend the period to 3 years or more.
196.491(3m)(d)
(d)
Retail sales outside this state. The commission may not promulgate rules or issue orders that prohibit owners or operators of wholesale merchant plants from providing electric service to retail customers in another state.
196.491(3m)(e)
(e)
Exemption. An approval under
par. (a) is not required for an affiliated interest to own, operate or control a wholesale merchant plant in Grant County if the affiliated interest owned, operated or controlled the wholesale merchant plant before January 1, 1998.
196.491(4)(b)(b) Subsection (3) does not apply to a person that constructs electric generating equipment and associated facilities if the person satisfies each of the following:
196.491(4)(b)1.
1. The person is not a public utility or a cooperative association organized under
ch. 185 for the purpose of generating, distributing or furnishing electric energy at retail or wholesale to its members only.
196.491(4)(b)2.
2. The person shows to the satisfaction of the commission that the person reasonably anticipates, at the time that construction of the equipment or facilities commences, that on each day that the equipment and facilities are in operation the person will consume no less than 70% of the aggregate kilowatt hours output from the equipment and facilities in manufacturing processes at the site where the equipment and facilities are located.
196.491(4)(c)
(c) A certificate under
sub. (3) is not required for a person to construct a high-voltage transmission line designed for operation at a nominal voltage of less than 230 kilovolts if all related construction activity takes place entirely within the area of an existing electric transmission line right-of-way.
196.491(5)
(5) Service standards for electric generation, transmission and distribution facilities. The commission shall promulgate rules that establish all of the following:
196.491(5)(a)
(a) Standards for inspecting, maintaining and repairing each of the following:
196.491(5)(a)1.
1. Electric generation facilities in this state that are owned by public utilities or provide service to public utilities under contracts with terms of 5 years or more.
196.491(5)(a)2.
2. Electric transmission or distribution facilities in this state that are owned by public utilities.
196.491(5)(b)
(b) Standards that the commission determines are necessary for the safe and reliable operation of each of the following:
196.491(5)(b)1.
1. Electric generation facilities in this state that are owned by public utilities or provide service to public utilities under contracts with terms of 5 years or more.
196.491(5)(b)2.
2. Electric transmission or distribution facilities in this state that are owned by public utilities.
196.493
196.493
Construction of nuclear power plants limited. 196.493(1)(1)
Definition. In this section, "nuclear power plant" means a nuclear-fired large electric generating facility as defined under
s. 196.491 (1) (g).
196.493(2)(a)
(a) A federally licensed facility, or a facility outside of the United States which the commission determines will satisfy the public welfare requirements of the people of this state, with adequate capacity to dispose of high-level nuclear waste from all nuclear power plants operating in this state will be available, as necessary, for disposal of the waste; and
196.493(2)(b)
(b) The proposed nuclear power plant, in comparison with feasible alternatives, is economically advantageous to ratepayers, based upon:
196.493(2)(b)1.
1. The existence of a reliable and adequate nuclear fuel supply;
196.493(2)(b)2.
2. The costs for construction, operation and decommissioning of nuclear power plants and for nuclear waste disposal; and
196.493(2)(b)3.
3. Any other factor having an impact on the economics of nuclear power plants, as determined by the commission.
196.493 History
History: 1983 a. 401;
1997 a. 204.
196.494
196.494
Regional transmission planning. 196.494(1)(a)
(a) "Electric utility" means a public utility, other than a municipal utility, as defined in
s. 196.377 (2) (a) 3., that provides retail electric service to customers in this state.
196.494(1)(b)
(b) "Transmission facility" means any pipe, pipeline, duct, wire, line, conduit, pole, tower, equipment or other structure used for the transmission of electric power as determined by the commission.
196.494(2)
(2) The commission shall conduct a study on identifying and relieving any constraint on an intrastate or interstate electric transmission system that adversely affects the reliability of transmission service provided to electric customers in this state and shall, no later than September 1, 1998, submit a report on the results of the study to the legislature in the manner provided under
s. 13.172 (2).
196.494(3)
(3) The commission shall, under this subsection, issue an order requiring the transmission company, as defined in
s. 196.485 (1) (ge), or an electric utility to construct or procure, on a competitive basis, the construction of transmission facilities specified by the commission in its order if the commission determines that such construction is necessary to relieve a constraint on a transmission system and the construction will materially benefit the customers of the transmission company or electric utility or other electric utilities or of an independent system operator, as defined in
s. 196.485 (1) (d), or independent transmission owner, as defined in
s. 196.485 (1) (dm).
196.494(4)
(4) The commission shall allow an electric utility to recover in its retail electric rates any costs that are prudently incurred by the utility in complying with an order under
sub. (3).
196.494(5)
(5) The governor may, on behalf of this state, enter into an interstate compact that establishes a joint process for the states in the upper midwest region of the United States to determine the need for and siting of regional electric transmission facilities that may affect electric service in this state. The governor may not enter into a compact under this subsection unless the compact includes requirements and procedures for establishing each of the following:
196.494(5)(a)
(a) Compliance with each state's environmental and siting standards for transmission facilities.
196.494(5)(b)
(b) A regional need determination for transmission facilities.
196.494(5)(c)
(c) A mechanism for resolving conflicts between the states regarding the siting of transmission facilities.
196.494 History
History: 1997 a. 204;
1999 a. 9.
196.495
196.495
Avoidance of duplication in electric facilities. 196.495(1)(a)1.
1. "Primary voltage extension" means an extension of 500 feet or more.
196.495(1)(a)2.
2. "Secondary voltage extension" means an extension that is less than 500 feet.
196.495(1)(b)
(b) The length of an extension shall be measured as the air line distance between an existing local service distribution line that normally operates at less than 35 kilovolts and the nearest point on the principal building or facility to be served by a primary voltage extension or a secondary voltage extension.
196.495(1m)
(1m) No public utility, and no cooperative association organized under
ch. 185 for the purpose of furnishing electric service to its members only, may:
196.495(1m)(a)
(a) Extend or render electric service directly or indirectly to the premises of any person already receiving electric service directly or indirectly from another public utility or another cooperative association.
196.495(1m)(b)
(b) Make a primary voltage extension to serve the premises of any person not receiving electric service and to which service is available from the facilities of another public utility or another such cooperative association through a secondary voltage extension, unless the other public utility or cooperative association consents to the primary voltage extension in writing or unless the commission, after notice to the interested parties and hearing, determines that the service rendered or to be rendered by the other public utility or cooperative association is inadequate and is not likely to be made adequate, or that the rates charged for service are unreasonable and are not likely to be made reasonable.
196.495(2)
(2) If a public utility is rendering electric service under an indeterminate permit to a city or village, no cooperative association may extend any new electric service to the premises of any person inside the corporate limits, existing on January 1, 1961, of the city or village without the written consent of the public utility. Within any area annexed to a city or village after January 1, 1961, in which annexed area a cooperative association or public utility, other than the public utility serving the city or village under an indeterminate permit, has electric distribution facilities at the time of the annexation, the cooperative association or other public utility may make a primary voltage extension or a secondary voltage extension in the annexed area, subject to
sub. (1m).
196.495(2m)
(2m) The distribution service facilities of a cooperative association or public utility rendering electric service in an annexed area under
sub. (2) shall be subject to acquisition under
ch. 197 by a city or village if the city or village operates or proposes to operate its own electric public utility.
196.495(3)
(3) Nothing in this section shall preclude any public utility or any cooperative association from extending electric service to its own property or facilities or to another cooperative association for resale.
196.495(4)
(4) To avoid duplication of facilities, a public utility and a cooperative association may enter into a written agreement governing the extension of electric distribution lines and the right to serve customers. The commission shall enforce an agreement if the agreement has been filed with the commission and approved by the commission as being in the public interest.
196.495(5)
(5) If an interested party files a complaint with the commission that an electric public utility or a cooperative association has made a primary voltage extension that requires approval or consent under this section without obtaining approval or consent, the commission shall hear the complaint upon notice to the interested parties. If the commission determines that the primary voltage extension was made in violation of this section, it shall order the prompt removal of the primary voltage extension.
196.495(6)
(6) A cooperative association shall be subject to the authority of the commission to enforce the provisions of this section and to issue rules and orders relating to the provisions.
196.495(7)
(7) A cooperative association shall be subject to the authority of the commission to allocate, assess and collect expenditures of the commission against a cooperative association involved in a proceeding under this section in the same manner as provided for public utilities under
s. 196.85.
196.495 History
History: 1971 c. 125 s.
521;
1983 a. 53;
1991 a. 94.
196.495 Annotation
Although one utility was serving a farm, when the farm is annexed to a city and a large shopping center is built, the utility having an indeterminate permit to serve the city cannot be barred from serving the area; the PSC should determine which utility should serve the area. Adams-Marquette E. Coop. v. P.S.C.
51 Wis. 2d 718,
188 N.W.2d 515.
196.495 Annotation
The phrase "premises of a person already receiving electrical service" refers to the premises to be served, not the person. Adams-Marquette E. Coop. v. P.S.C.
51 Wis. 2d 718,
188 N.W.2d 515.
196.495 Annotation
Application of this section discussed. A court's order to a utility in violation of this section to remove the offending line or sell it to the utility who should have provided the service was within the authority granted by sub. (5). Barron Electric Cooperative v. PSC,
212 Wis. 2d 752,
569 N.W.2d 726 (Ct. App. 1997).
196.497
196.497
State policy regarding the long-term disposal of high-level radioactive waste and transuranic waste. 196.497(1)(1)
Definitions. As used in this section unless the context requires otherwise:
196.497(1)(b)
(b) "Federal department of energy" means the federal department of energy or any successor agency assigned responsibility for the long-term disposal of high-level radioactive waste and transuranic waste.
196.497(1)(c)1.
1. Fuel that is withdrawn from a nuclear reactor after irradiation and which is packaged and prepared for disposal; or
196.497(1)(c)2.
2. Highly radioactive waste resulting from reprocessing irradiated nuclear fuel including both the liquid waste which is produced directly in reprocessing and any solid material into which the liquid waste is transformed.
196.497(1)(d)
(d) "Transuranic waste" means waste material containing alpha-emitting radioactive elements having an atomic number greater than 92 in concentrations greater than 10 nanocuries per gram.
196.497(2)(a)(a)
Initial agency to be contacted. The commission shall serve as the initial agency in this state to be contacted by the federal department of energy or any other federal agency on any matter related to the long-term disposal of high-level radioactive waste or transuranic waste.
196.497(2)(b)
(b)
Receipt of information. The commission shall serve as the initial agency in this state to receive any report, study, document, information or notification of proposed plans from the federal department of energy or any other federal agency on any matter related to the long-term disposal of high-level radioactive waste or transuranic waste. Notification of proposed plans include notification of proposals to conduct field work, on-site evaluation, on-site testing or similar activities.
196.497(2)(c)
(c)
Dissemination of information. The commission shall disseminate or arrange with the federal department of energy or other federal agency to disseminate information received under
par. (b) to appropriate state agencies, local units of government, regional planning commissions, American Indian tribal governing bodies, the general public, interested citizen groups and persons who have requested in writing to receive this information.
196.497(2)(d)
(d)
Response. The commission shall respond to contacts under
par. (a) and information received under
par. (b) if a response is appropriate. The commission shall consult with appropriate state agencies, local units of government, regional planning commissions, American Indian tribal governing bodies, the general public and interested citizen groups in preparing this response.
196.497(3)
(3) Advocate. The commission shall serve as an advocate on behalf of the citizens of this state before the federal department of energy and other federal agencies on matters related to the long-term disposal of radioactive waste and transuranic waste.
196.497(5)
(5) Review of applications for federal funds. The commission shall review any application to the federal department of energy or other federal agency by a state agency, local unit of government or regional planning commission for funds for any program related to the long-term disposal of high-level radioactive waste or transuranic waste. If the commission finds that the application is not consistent with the commission's policy related to the long-term disposal of high-level radioactive waste or transuranic waste or that the application is not in the best interest of the state, the commission shall forward its findings to the governor, the joint committee on finance and the federal agency to which the application for funds is being made. If the commission finds that the application of a state agency is not consistent with the commission's policy related to the long-term disposal of high-level radioactive waste or transuranic waste or that the application of a state agency is not in the best interest of the state, the findings forwarded to the governor shall include a recommendation that the governor act under
s. 16.54 (1) and stipulate conditions for the acceptance of the funds which are necessary to safeguard the interests of the state.
196.497(6)
(6) Monitor federal activity. The commission shall monitor activity in congress and the federal government related to the long-term disposal of high-level radioactive waste and transuranic waste. The commission may advise the congressional delegation from this state of action which is needed to protect the interests of the state.
196.497(7)
(7) Request attorney general to intervene. If appropriate the commission shall request the attorney general to intervene in federal proceedings to protect the state's interests and present the state's point of view on matters related to the long-term disposal of high-level radioactive waste or transuranic waste.
196.497(8)(a)(a)
Negotiations with the federal department of energy. The commission shall serve as the agency in this state to negotiate written agreements and modifications to these agreements, with the federal department of energy on any matter related to the long-term disposal of high-level radioactive waste or transuranic waste.
196.497(8)(b)
(b)
Negotiations with other federal agencies. The commission shall serve as the agency in this state to negotiate written agreements and modifications to these agreements, with any federal agency other than the federal department of energy on any matter related to the long-term disposal of high-level radioactive waste or transuranic waste.
196.497(8)(d)
(d)
Hearings. The commission shall conduct public hearings on any proposed agreement or modification to an agreement negotiated under
par. (a) or
(b). The commission shall provide 30 days' notice of the date and location of hearings conducted under this paragraph. The commission shall prepare a written summary of testimony presented at hearings conducted under this paragraph and shall consider the need for modifications to the negotiated agreement as a result of the hearings.
196.497(8)(f)
(f)
Approval of agreements and modifications by the legislature and governor. No agreement or modification to an agreement negotiated under
par. (a) or
(b) may take effect unless it is approved under
sub. (10).
