Senate Bill 2341

AN ACT TO MAINTAIN STATE JURISDICTION OVER THE INTEGRITY OF ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION INFRASTRUCTURE TO ASSURE LANDOWNER SAFEGUARDS, TRANSPARENCY AND OVERSIGHT OF CUSTOMER RATES, RELIABILITY AND RELIEF; TO PRESCRIBE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ISSUANCE OF A CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY TO BUILD CERTAIN ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION FACILITIES IN A REGIONAL TRANSMISSION ORGANIZATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) In order to promote the policy declared in Section 77-3-2 and to assure a local forum for landowner safeguards, transparency and oversight of customer rates, reliability and relief, an application filed under Section 77-3-11 or 77-3-14 after the effective date of this act can only satisfy the public convenience and necessity if such facilities will ultimately be owned by:

(a) An entity over which the commission has the jurisdiction to set rates as described in Sections 77-3-5 or 77-3-33; or

(b) A "generation and transmission cooperative" or "G&T cooperative" as defined in Section 77-5-256.

(2) Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring a certificate for facilities that the commission has determined by rule do not require certification to build, own or operate.

SECTION 2. Section 1 of this act shall be codified in Title 77, Chapter 3 of the Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.