GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

1989 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 338

HOUSE BILL 970

 

AN ACT TO REQUIRE NATURAL GAS LOCAL DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES TO REPORT PLANS FOR PROVIDING NATURAL GAS SERVICE IN UNSERVED AREAS TO THE UTILITIES COMMISSION AND TO REQUIRE THE UTILITIES COMMISSION TO REPORT ON EXPANSION OF NATURAL GAS SERVICE TO THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE UTILITY REVIEW COMMITTEE.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1.  Chapter 62 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:

"§ 62-36A.  Natural gas planning.

(a)       The Commission shall require each franchised natural gas local distribution company to file reports with the Commission detailing its plans for providing natural gas service in areas of its franchise territory in which natural gas service is not available.  Initial reports shall be filed at a time set by the Commission, but not later than January 1, 1990.  Commission rules shall require that each local distribution company shall update its report at least every two years.

(b)       The Commission shall develop rules to carry out the intent of subsection (a) of this section, and to produce an orderly system for reviewing current levels of natural gas service and planning the orderly expansion of natural gas service to areas not served.

(c)       Within 120 days after all local distribution companies have filed their initial or biennial update reports, the Commission and the Public Staff shall independently provide analyses and summaries of those reports, together with status reports of natural gas service in the State, to the Joint Legislative Utility Review Committee."

Sec. 2.  This act is effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 15th day of June, 1989.