§ 41. Foreign corporations. Any foreign non-profit or cooperative corporation supplying or authorized to supply electric energy and owning or operating electric transmission or distribution lines in an adjacent state may construct or acquire extensions of such lines in this state within an area no point of which is more than ten miles from the boundary line of this state and operate such extensions, provided that any such corporation shall, before constructing or operating such extensions, by an instrument executed and acknowledged on its behalf by its president or vice-president, under its seal attested by its secretary, and filed in the department of state, designate the secretary of state its agent to accept service of process on its behalf. Thereafter, such corporation shall have all the rights, powers, privileges and immunities of a cooperative, and shall be subject to the provisions of this chapter. In the event any process shall be served upon the secretary of state, he shall forthwith forward the same by registered mail to such corporation at the address thereof specified in the aforesaid instrument.