§ 62-133.14.  Cost recovery for acquisition of joint municipal power agency ownership interest in generating facilities.

(a) The Commission shall, upon the petition of an electric public utility and after hearing, approve an annual rider to the electric public utility's rates to recover the North Carolina retail portion of all reasonable and prudent costs incurred to acquire, operate, and maintain the proportional interest in electric generating facilities purchased from a joint agency established under Chapter 159B of the General Statutes. For the purposes of this section, "acquisition costs" means the amount paid by an electric public utility on or before December 31, 2016, to acquire the generating facilities, including the amount paid above the net book value of the generating facilities. The Commission shall adopt rules to implement the provisions of this section.

(b) In determining the amount of the rider, the Commission shall:

(1) Allow an electric public utility to recover acquisition costs, as reasonable and prudent costs. For the benefit of the consumer, the acquisition costs shall be levelized over the useful life of the assets at the time of acquisition.

(2) Include financing costs equal to the weighted average cost of capital as authorized by the Commission in the electric public utility's most recent general rate case.

(3) Include an estimate of operating costs based on prior year's experience and the costs projected for the next 12-month period for any proportional capital investments in the acquired electric generating facilities.

(4) Include adjustments to reflect the North Carolina retail portion of financing and operating costs related to the electric public utility's other used and useful generating facilities owned at the time of the acquisition to properly account for updated jurisdictional allocation factors.

(5) Utilize the customer allocation methodology approved by the Commission in the electric public utility's most recent general rate case.

(c) The Commission shall require that an electric public utility file the following proposed annual adjustments to the rider:

(1) Any under-recovery or over-recovery resulting from the operation of the rider.

(2) Any changes necessary to recover costs as forecast for the next 12-month period.

(3) Any changes to cost of capital determined in any general rate proceeding occurring after the initial establishment of the rider, where the cost of capital applies to both the remaining acquisition costs and additional capital investment in the electric generating facilities.

(4) Any changes to the customer allocation methodology determined in any general rate proceeding occurring after the initial establishment of the rider.

(d) Any rider established under this section will expire after the end of the useful life of the acquired electric generating facilities at the time of acquisition, with any remaining unrecovered costs deferred until the electric public utility's next general rate proceeding under G.S. 62-133. (2015-3, s. 1.)