Illinois § 11-117-7.1

§ 11-117-7.1.

Service rights in annexed areas; acquiring electric facilities after annexation. (a) Consistent with the first paragraph of Section 5, and with Section 14, of the Electric Supplier Act, an electric cooperative (as defined in the Electric Supplier Act) providing service in an area which is annexed to or otherwise becomes located within an incorporated municipality that owns and operates a municipal utility for the purpose of providing retail electric services shall have the right to continue to provide service without authorization by the incorporated municipality to all existing premises being served and may provide service to new premises located in such area that can be served from the cooperative's primary distribution facilities in existence upon the date such area is annexed to or otherwise becomes located within an incorporated municipality. If necessary, the cooperative may maintain or upgrade existing facilities or rebuild facilities to provide adequate and reliable service to customers served or to be served as permitted under this Section. The cooperative shall not extend primary distribution facilities into or within such area unless the cooperative is or shall become authorized to do so by the incorporated municipality. (b) Customers receiving service from an electric cooperative at premises located in an area that is annexed to or otherwise becomes located within an incorporated municipality that owns and operates a municipal utility for the purpose of providing retail electric service may elect to take service from either the cooperative or the municipality. Customers at new premises that may be served by an electric cooperative under subsection (a) may, at the time of connection, elect to take service from either the electric cooperative or the municipality. In all instances the customer's election of service supplier shall be binding upon the customer only for such time as the customer requires service at that premises. Subsequent customers at such premises shall have the same right of selection; provided, however, an electric cooperative providing service in an area which is annexed to or otherwise becomes located within an incorporated municipality is not obligated to provide retail electric service except as required under the Electric Supplier Act or the terms of a franchise granted by the incorporated municipality. (c) If any facilities located in such area are or become unnecessary to provide service to a customer or customers as a result of a customer's election to receive service from either the electric cooperative or the municipality, the owner of the facilities may require the other supplier of electric service to acquire the facilities for an amount agreed upon by the parties or an amount equal to the present-day reproduction cost, new, of the facilities being acquired, less depreciation computed on a straight-line basis according to the seller's standard schedule of depreciation, multiplied by the factor 1.1, but no less than the cost to disconnect and remove the facilities if the supplier acquiring the facilities requires them to be removed by the selling supplier. (d) The provisions of this Section are severable under Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes. (Source: P.A. 88-335.)