GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1995

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 792

Short Title:  Gas Franchise/Use It or Lose It.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Representative Owens.

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Referred to:  Public Utilities.

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April 10, 1995

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO DIRECT THE UTILITIES COMMISSION TO PROVIDE THAT EACH FRANCHISED NATURAL GAS DISTRIBUTION COMPANY SHALL EXPAND SERVICE TO ALL AREAS OF ITS FRANCHISE TERRITORY WITHIN THREE YEARS OR LOSE ITS EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS TO THE FRANCHISE TERRITORY.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 62-36A(b) reads as rewritten:
"(b)	The Commission shall develop rules to carry out the intent of subsection (a) of this section, and to produce an orderly system for reviewing current levels of natural gas service and planning the orderly expansion of natural gas service to areas not served.  These rules shall provide for expansion of service by each franchised natural gas local distribution company to all areas of its franchise territory by July 1, 1998, and shall provide that any local distribution company that the Commission determines is not providing adequate service to at least some portion of each county within its franchise territory by July 1, 1998, shall forfeit its exclusive franchise rights to that portion of its territory not being served."
Sec. 2.  This act is effective upon ratification.