§ 8-1-2-48 — Conduct of business; information; excessive wages; inquiry or audit of utility's power plant efficiency and system reliability

Indiana § 8-1-2-48

• Jurisdiction: Indiana
• Art. 1: UTILITIES GENERALLY
• Ch. 2: Utility Regulation

Text

(a) The commission shall inquire into the
management of the business of all public utilities, and shall keep itself
informed as to the manner and method in which the same is conducted
and shall have the right to obtain from any public utility all necessary
information to enable the commission to perform its duties. If, in its
inquiry into the management of any public utility, the commission finds
that the amount paid for the services of its officers, employees, or any
of them, is excessive, or that the number of officers or persons
employed by such utility is not justified by the actual needs of the
utility, or that any other item of expense is being incurred by the utility
which is either unnecessary or excessive, the commission shall
designate such item or items, and such item or items so designated, or
such parts thereof as the commission may deem unnecessary or
excessive, shall not be taken into consideration in determining and
fixing the rates which such utility is permitted to charge for the service
which it renders.
(b) For purposes of IC 8-1-2, IC 8-1-8.5, IC 8-1-8.7, IC 8-1-8.8, and
IC 8-1-27, wages paid to an independent contractor of a utility for
construction or maintenance performed for the utility shall not be found
to be excessive merely because the wages are those normally paid for
work of the same type and quality in the labor market in which the
work for the utility is being performed.
(c) In carrying out its duties and powers under subsection (a) with
regard to any utility which sells or generates electricity, the commission
may also inquire into or audit a utility's powerplant efficiency and
system reliability.
Formerly: Acts 1913, c.76, s.51; Acts 1927, c.146, s.1. As
amended by Acts 1981, P.L.104, SEC.4; P.L.53-1992, SEC.1;
P.L.1-1993, SEC.47; P.L.159-2002, SEC.5.