Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for a Franchise

(a)A utility seeking authority to provide service pursuant to a franchise shall file an application pursuant to this rule. When a utility enters into a franchise agreement with a municipality for the first time, it shall obtain authority from the Commission pursuant to § 40-5-102, C.R.S. prior to providing service under that initial franchise agreement. A utility maintains the right and obligation to serve a municipality within its service territory after the expiration of any franchise agreement.#

(b)An application for certificate of public convenience and necessity to exercise franchise rights shall include, in the following order and specifically identified, the following information, either in the application or in appropriately identified attachments:#

(I)the information required in paragraphs 4002(b) and 4002(c);#

(II)a statement of the facts (not conclusory statements) relied upon by the applying utility to show that the public convenience and necessity require the granting of the application;#

(III)a statement describing the franchise rights proposed to be exercised. The statement shall include a description of the type of utility service to be rendered and a description of the city or town sought to be served;#

(IV)a certified copy of the franchise ordinance; proof of publication, adoption, and acceptance by the applying utility; a statement as to the number of customers served or to be served and the population of the city or town; and any other pertinent information;#

(V)a statement describing in detail the extent to which the applying utility is an affiliate of any other utility which holds authority duplicating in any respect the authority sought;#

(VI)the feasibility study for areas previously not served by the applying utility, which study shall at least include estimated investment, income, and expense. An applying utility may request that its most recent audited balance sheet, income statement, statement of retained earnings, and statement of cash flows be submitted in lieu of a feasibility study; and#

(VII)a statement of the names of public utilities and other entities of like character providing similar service in or near the area sought to be served.#