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Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 30 Sec. 251

  • companies: means and includes individuals, partnerships, associations, corporations, and municipalities owning or conducting any public service business or property used in connection therewith and covered by the provisions of this chapter. See
  • Energy: means not only the traditional scientific characteristic of "ability to do work" but also the substances or processes used to produce heat, light, or motion, including petroleum or other liquid fuels, natural or synthetic fuel gas, solid carbonaceous fuels, solar radiation, geothermal sources, nuclear sources, biomass, organic waste products, wind, or flowing water. See
  • Person: shall include any natural person, corporation, municipality, the State of Vermont or any department, agency, or subdivision of the State, and any partnership, unincorporated association, or other legal entity. See
  • said: when used by way of reference to a person or thing shall apply to the same person or thing last mentioned. See

§ 251. Areas served by several companies

(a) In any area which two or more companies distributing electrical energy are authorized to serve, a company shall not construct or extend its facilities, or furnish or offer to furnish its service to any person or property presently served by another public utility, without the written consent of the other public utility, or unless the Public Utility Commission, after notice and hearing, finds and determines that the service rendered by the serving public utility is inadequate and is not likely to be made adequate.

(b) In the event service is requested for premises in an area which two or more companies distributing electrical energy are authorized to serve and have facilities available for service to the property, the public utility company the existing service facilities of which are nearest the metering point on the premises to be served shall, subject to the other applicable provisions of this section, be entitled to serve the premise.

(c) In the event that service is requested for premises not within the service territory of any company, and if more than one other public utility is available for service to the property, the public utility whose existing service facilities are nearest the metering point on the premises to be served shall, subject to the other applicable provisions of this section, be entitled to serve said premises.

(d) A company shall not construct or extend its facilities or furnish or offer to furnish its services to premises within the service territory of another company without being requested to do so by the company in whose territory the premises are located, or unless the Public Utility Commission, upon petition of the person served or to be served, after notice and hearing, finds and determines that the service rendered by such public utility in whose territory and premises are located is inadequate and will not be likely to be made adequate.

(e) In resolving any dispute under subsections (b), (c), and (d) of this section, the Commission shall consider the factors set forth in section 249 of this title. (Added 1969, No. 257 (Adj. Sess.), § 5.)