(a) No person or entity seeking to construct electric transmission lines as defined in Kan. Stat. Ann. § 66-1,177, and amendments thereto, or common carrier or public utility, including that portion of any municipally owned utility defined as a public utility by Kan. Stat. Ann. § 66-104, and amendments thereto, governed by the provisions of this act shall transact business in the state of Kansas until it shall have obtained a certificate from the corporation commission that public convenience and necessity will be promoted by the transaction of said business and permitting said applicants to transact the business of a common carrier or public utility in this state. In no event shall such jurisdiction authorize the corporation commission to review, consider or effect the facilities or rates charged for services or in any way the operation of such municipally owned or operated electric or gas utility within the corporate limits or outside but within three miles of the corporate limits of any city, or facilities, or rates charged for services or in any way the operation of facilities or their replacements now owned by any such utility. No prescribed rates, orders or other regulatory supervision of the corporation commission shall be contrary to any lawful provision of any revenue bond ordinance authorizing the issuance of revenue bonds to finance all or any part of the municipally owned or operated electric or gas utility so subjected to the jurisdiction of the corporation commission. This section shall not apply to any common carrier or public utility governed by the provisions of this act now transacting business in this state, nor shall this section apply to the facilities and operations of any municipally owned or operated utility supplying electricity or gas outside of the corporate limits of any municipality where such facilities and operations are in existence on the effective date of this act, but any extension of such facilities or any new facilities located outside of and more than three miles from the municipality’s corporate limits, shall be subject to the requirements of this section, nor shall this section apply to any municipally owned or operated electric or gas utility furnishing electricity or gas to a facility owned or jointly owned by such municipality and located outside the corporate limits of such municipality.

(b) The commission shall issue a decision on a common carrier or public utility’s application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity within 180 days of receiving the application. Nothing in this subsection shall preclude an applicant and the commission from agreeing to a waiver or an extension of the 180-day period.

(c) The commission shall issue a decision on a common carrier or public utility’s application for mergers or acquisitions within 300 days of receiving the application. Nothing in this subsection shall preclude an applicant and the commission from agreeing to a waiver or an extension of the 300-day period. The commission shall expeditiously process every application covered within this subsection.