Sec. 19. (a) Prior to the acquisition or the commencement of construction of any project to be financed by the issuance of bonds under this chapter, the municipality or municipalities or joint agency shall file a verified petition with the commission for approval of the project, for approval of participation of the municipality or municipalities or joint agency in the project, and for approval of any bonds to be issued under this chapter. If the commission shall determine:

(1) that the participation of the municipality or municipalities or joint agency in the project is economically and technically feasible;

(2) that the project will be integrated with existing or planned transmission line facilities in the state in a manner that will avoid economic and physical duplication of existing or planned transmission line facilities;

(3) that the municipality or municipalities or joint agency own or have access to the transmission facilities to transmit such power and energy from the project to the municipality or municipalities or joint agency;

(4) that for a project involving a coal-consuming facility, the facility utilizes Indiana coal or is justified, because of economic considerations or governmental requirements, in utilizing non-Indiana coal;

(5) that for a project involving the acquisition or participation in the ownership of an electric generating facility located outside Indiana, the municipality, municipalities, or joint agency has been unable to acquire or participate in the ownership of a comparable generating facility in Indiana at a comparable cost and unable to purchase sufficient amounts of electricity in Indiana at a comparable cost giving due consideration to all factors, including but not limited to the length and terms of available purchases and the expected useful life of the facility;

(6) that for a project involving the acquisition or participation in the ownership of an electric generating facility located outside Indiana, acquisition of or participation in the ownership of the facility provides the municipality, municipalities, or joint agency with greater economic benefits than either:

(A) the acquisition or participation in the ownership of a comparable generating facility in Indiana available for ownership; or

(B) the purchase of sufficient amounts of electricity in Indiana at a comparable cost giving due consideration to all factors, including but not limited to the length and terms of available purchases and the expected useful life of the facility; and

(7) that the determinations of the governing body or bodies with respect to the items listed in section 3(c) or 8(b) of this chapter have been or should be approved;

then the commission shall issue an order approving the project and the participation of the municipality or municipalities or joint agency in the project and the issuance of bonds by the municipality or municipalities or by the joint agency. For the purpose of enabling it to determine whether it should issue such an order, the commission shall make such inquiry or investigation, hold such hearings, and examine such witnesses, books, papers, documents, or contracts as it may deem of importance in enabling it to reach a determination. The determinations required by this subsection are in addition to the requirements of IC 8-1-8.5-4 and IC 8-1-8.5-5.

     (b) A joint agency is not a public utility (as defined in IC 8-1-2). However, with respect to proceedings initiated by a joint agency under this section, the commission is given jurisdiction to proceed in the same manner and with like power as is provided by IC 8-1-2 in the case of public utilities (as defined in IC 8-1-2).

As added by Acts 1980, P.L.68, SEC.1. Amended by P.L.82-1988, SEC.5; P.L.54-1992, SEC.3; P.L.81-1997, SEC.6.