(a) An electric cooperative may not provide subsidies to a cable joint venture. Notwithstanding that limitation, an electric cooperative participating in a cable joint venture may:

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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 65-25-130

  • Agriculture: means :
    (i) The land, buildings and machinery used in the commercial production of farm products and nursery stock. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Member: means a person having the right to vote for the directors of a cooperative and upon other matters as provided in this chapter, a cooperative's articles of incorporation or bylaws, and includes each incorporator of a cooperative thereof, and also a husband and wife admitted to joint membership. See Tennessee Code 65-25-102
  • services: includes sales, exchanges, rentals, repairs and maintenance of land, facilities, equipment, machinery, appliances, accessories and goods and the financing of their acquisition by patrons. See Tennessee Code 65-25-102
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
  • United States: includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
(1) Dedicate a reasonable portion of the electric plant to the provision of such service, the costs of which shall be allocated to such services by agreement of the parties to the joint venture; and
(2) Lend funds, at a rate of interest not less than the highest rate then earned by the electric cooperative on invested electric plant funds, to acquire, construct, and provide working capital for the system, plant, and equipment necessary to provide any such services; provided, that such interest costs shall be allocated to the cost of such service for regulatory purposes, and further provided that no financing for a cable joint venture shall come from loans from the rural utility service of the United States department of agriculture unless and until such loans are specifically authorized by federal statute.
(b) To the extent that an electric cooperative offers services through a cable joint venture, such cooperative shall have all the powers, obligations, and authority granted other entities providing such services under the applicable laws of the United States, the state of Tennessee, or local governments; provided, that the franchise under which the joint venture shall operate shall in no way be considered an overlapping franchise nor in any way modify or amend § 7-59-203.
(c) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to alter or amend the process or procedure for renewal of franchises.
(d) It is unlawful during the negotiation of the joint venture or thereafter for any party to a cable joint venture or the local franchising authority, as defined in title 7, chapter 59, to use unfair or anti-competitive practices under any applicable state or federal law. Such practices shall include, but are not limited to, predatory pricing, collusion, and price tying.
(e) The parties to a cable joint venture or the local franchising authority, as defined in title 7, chapter 59, may bring a civil action for injunctive or declaratory relief in chancery court to enforce subsection (d). Venue for such action may be in any county where the unfair or anti-competitive practice is alleged to have occurred or to be threatened.
(f) If the cable joint venture or any member of the cable joint venture providing such service is exempt from paying federal, state, or local taxes, then, for regulatory purposes, the cable joint venture shall allocate to the costs of such services an amount equal to a reasonable determination of the state, local and federal taxes which would be required to be paid if the cable joint venture were not exempt and each of its members were not exempt from paying such taxes.
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