PART I. MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY WATERWORKS AND ELECTRIC POWER

SYSTEMS AUTHORIZED; DEFINITION.

§8-19-1. Acquisition and operation of municipal and county waterworks and electric power systems; construction of improvements to municipal and county electric power systems; extension beyond corporate limits; definitions.

(a) Subject to and in accordance with the provisions of this article, any municipality or county commission may acquire, construct, establish, extend, equip, repair, maintain and operate, or lease to others for operation, a waterworks system or an electric power system or construct, maintain and operate additions, betterments and improvements to an existing waterworks system or an existing electric power system, notwithstanding any provision or limitation to the contrary in any other law or charter: Provided, That such municipality or county commission shall not serve or supply water facilities or electric power facilities or services within the corporate limits of any other municipality or county commission without the consent of the governing body of such other municipality or county commission.

(b) Any municipality or county commission which intends to file an application with the federal energy regulatory commission for a license to acquire, construct, establish, extend, maintain and operate, or lease to others for operation, an electric power system, shall give written notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, and shall give public notice by Class I legal advertisement in compliance with the provisions of article three, chapter fifty-nine of this code and the publication area shall be the municipality or county in which the system is to be located to the governing body of the municipality or the county commission in which such system is or shall be located or, if such system is or shall be located outside of a municipality or county, to the county commission of the county in which such system is or shall be located, at least sixty days prior to the filing of such application: Provided, That the provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any municipality or county commission which, on the date of the passage of this act, has obtained a license from the federal energy regulatory commission to acquire, construct, establish, extend, maintain and operate, or lease to others for operation, an electric power system. If the municipality or county commission receiving such notice does not respond to the notice within sixty days of receipt of such notice, then such other municipality or the county commission shall be deemed to have consented to the application for the proposed electric power system. If such other municipality or the county commission notifies the municipality or county commission that it objects to the proposed electric power system, such other municipality or the county commission shall hold a public hearing on the proposed system within sixty days of receipt of such notice from the municipality or county commission.

(c) As used in this article:

(1) "Waterworks system" means a waterworks system in its entirety or any integral part thereof, including mains, hydrants, meters, valves, standpipes, storage tanks, pump tanks, pumping stations, intakes, wells, impounding reservoirs, pumps, machinery, purification plants, softening apparatus and all other facilities necessary, appropriate, useful, convenient or incidental in connection with or to a water supply system.

(2) "Electric power system" means a system or facility which produces electric power in its entirety or provides for the distribution of electric power for local consumption and use or for distribution and resale or any combination thereof, or any integral part thereof, including, but not limited to, power lines and wires, power poles, guy wires, insulators, transformers, generators, cables, power line towers, voltage regulators, meters, power substations, machinery and all other facilities necessary, appropriate, useful or convenient or incidental in connection with or to an electric power supply system.