(1)Whenever the Commission finds that the capital of any public utility has become impaired, or will be impaired by the payment of a dividend, the Commission shall have power to order said public utility to cease and desist the declaration and payment of any dividend upon its common and preferred stock, and no such public utility shall pay any dividend upon its common and preferred stock until such impairment shall have been made good.
(2)No utility shall pay any dividend upon its common stock and preferred stock unless:
(a)The utility's earnings and earned surplus are sufficient to declare and pay same after provision is made for reasonable and proper reserves.
(b)The dividend proposed to be paid upon such common stock can reasonably be declared and paid without impairment of the abil
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(1) Whenever the Commission finds that the capital of any public utility has become impaired, or will be impaired by the payment of a dividend, the Commission shall have power to order said public utility to cease and desist the declaration and payment of any dividend upon its common and preferred stock, and no such public utility shall pay any dividend upon its common and preferred stock until such impairment shall have been made good. (2) No utility shall pay any dividend upon its common stock and preferred stock unless: (a) The utility's earnings and earned surplus are sufficient to declare and pay same after provision is made for reasonable and proper reserves. (b) The dividend proposed to be paid upon such common stock can reasonably be declared and paid without impairment of the ability of the utility to perform its duty to render reasonable and adequate service at reasonable rates. (c) It shall have set aside the depreciation annuity prescribed by the Commission or a reasonable depreciation annuity if none has been prescribed. If any dividends on common stock are proposed to be declared and paid other than as above provided, the utility shall give the Commission at least thirty days' notice in writing of its intention to so declare and pay such dividends and the Commission shall authorize the payment of such dividends only if it finds that the public interest requires such payment. Provided, however, that the Commission may grant such authority upon such conditions as it may deem necessary to safeguard the public interest.