(a)(1) The Arkansas Public Service Commission shall render a decision upon the record either granting or denying the application as filed or granting it upon such terms, conditions, or modifications of the location, financing, construction, operation, or maintenance of the major utility facility as the commission may deem appropriate.
(2)The record may include by reference the findings of the commission in an energy resource declaration-of-need proceeding that the utility needs additional energy supply resources or transmission resources.
(b)The commission shall not grant a certificate for the location, financing, construction, operation, and maintenance of a major utility facility, either as proposed or as modified by the commission, unless it finds and determines:
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(a) (1) The Arkansas Public Service Commission shall render a decision upon the record either granting or denying the application as filed or granting it upon such terms, conditions, or modifications of the location, financing, construction, operation, or maintenance of the major utility facility as the commission may deem appropriate. (2) The record may include by reference the findings of the commission in an energy resource declaration-of-need proceeding that the utility needs additional energy supply resources or transmission resources. (b) The commission shall not grant a certificate for the location, financing, construction, operation, and maintenance of a major utility facility, either as proposed or as modified by the commission, unless it finds and determines: (1) (A) The basis of the need for the major utility facility. (B) In determining the basis of the need for the major utility facility, the commission may rely upon the commission's determination in an energy resource declaration-of-need proceeding that the utility needs additional energy supply resources or transmission resources; (2) That the major utility facility will serve the public interest, convenience, and necessity; (3) The nature of the probable environmental impact of the major utility facility; (4) That the major utility facility represents an acceptable adverse environmental impact, considering the state of available technology, the requirements of the customers of the applicant for utility service, the nature and economics of the proposal, any state or federal permit for the environmental impact, and the various alternatives, if any, and other pertinent considerations; (5) The nature of the probable economic impact of the major utility facility; (6) That the major utility facility financing method either as proposed or as modified by the commission represents an acceptable economic impact, considering economic conditions and the need for and cost of additional public utility services; (7) In the case of an electric transmission line, that the major utility facility is not inconsistent with plans of other electric systems serving the state that have been filed with the commission; (8) In the case of a gas transmission line, that the location of the line will not pose an undue hazard to persons or property along the area to be traversed by the line; (9) That the energy efficiency of the major utility facility, as described in § 23-18-503(6)(A) , has been given significant weight in the decision-making process; (10) That the location of the major utility facility as proposed conforms as closely as practicable to applicable state, regional, and local laws and regulations issued thereunder, except that the commission may refuse to apply all or part of any regional or local law or regulation if it finds that, as applied to the proposed major utility facility, the law or regulation is unreasonably restrictive in view of the existing technology, factors of cost or economics, or the needs of consumers whether located inside or outside of the directly affected government subdivisions; (11) The interstate benefits expected to be achieved by the proposed construction or modification of an electric transmission line and associated facilities, as described in § 23-18-503(6)(B) , that is located within a national interest electric transmission corridor; and (12) That any conditions attached to a certificate for the construction or modification of an electric transmission line and associated facilities, as described in § 23-18-503(6)(B) , that is located within a national interest electric transmission corridor do not interfere with reduction of electric transmission congestion in interstate commerce or render the project economically infeasible. (c) (1) If the commission determines that the location or design of all or a part of the proposed major utility facility should be modified, it may condition its certificate upon the modification, provided that the municipalities, counties, and persons residing therein affected by the modification shall have been given reasonable notice thereof, if the persons, municipalities, or counties have not previously been served with notice of the application. (2) If the commission requires in the case of a transmission line that a portion thereof shall be located underground in one (1) or more areas, the commission, after giving appropriate notice and an opportunity to be heard to affected ratepayers, shall have the power and authority to authorize the adjustment of rates and charges to customers within the areas where the underground portion of the transmission line is located in order to compensate for the additional costs, if any, of the underground construction. (d) (1) If the commission determines that financing of all or part of the proposed major utility facility should be modified, it may condition its certificate upon the modification. (2) If at the time of filing the application or within sixty (60) days thereafter, the federal income tax laws and the state laws would permit the issuance of tax-exempt bonds to finance the construction of the proposed major utility facility for the applicant and if the commission determines that financing the major utility facility with such tax-exempt bonds would be in the best interests of the people of the state, the commission, after giving appropriate notice and an opportunity to be heard to the parties, shall have the power and authority to require by order or rule that the major utility facility be financed in such manner as may be provided elsewhere by law. (e) A copy of the decision and any order issued therewith shall be served upon each party within sixty (60) days after the conclusion of each hearing held under this subchapter.