Chapter 01. Non-Residential Electric Underground Facilities

After August 28, 1969, extensions of electric distribution lines on applicants' owned and leased properties, and in industrial parks, necessary to furnish permanent electric service to new commercial and industrial buildings, and to new multiple-occupancy buildings shall be made underground.

These regulations do not apply to extensions of lines of nominal 33,000 volts and higher.

The application of these regulations is not mandatory for extensions of lines to provide electric service to customers whose premises are so unesthetic that the construction of underground lines would serve no purpose. Customers of this nature might include gravel pits and other mining operations, junk yards, railroad yards, and steel mills.

In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated.

Terms Defined.

Rights-of-way and easements suitable to the utility shall be furnished at no cost to the utility by the applicant in a reasonable time to meet service requirements, shall be cleared of trees, tree stumps, and other obstructions at no charge to the utility, and shall be graded to within 6 inches of final grade by the applicant before the utility will commence construction. The clearance and grading shall be maintained by the applicant during construction by the utility.

If, subsequent to construction, the clearance or grade is changed in such a way as to require relocation of the underground facilities, the cost of the relocation shall be borne by the applicant or his successor.

Upon receipt of a proper application, the utility shall install an underground extension with sufficient capacity and suitable materials which, in its judgment, will assure that the applicant, or customer, will receive safe, adequate, and reasonable electric service to meet his requirements.

The design and construction of the underground extension shall conform to accepted good engineering practice in the electric industry to provide an installation at reasonable cost, consistent with the objectives of §A of this regulation.

If the applicant demands an installation more costly than that normally furnished by the utility to meet the objectives of §B of this regulation, then the applicant shall pay the cost of his additional requirements.

Rights-of-way and easements in accordance with Regulation .03 of this chapter;

Required suitable conduit systems, including conduits or raceways within a building on the line side of the meter;

Required suitable transformer vaults and entrance facilities;

Required suitable enclosures for switching and protective equipment; and

All equipment and facilities, other than those specified above, required by the utility's rate schedule for the type of service received.

The utility shall construct a connection from the utility's existing supply facilities to the underground extension in accordance with the extension rules of the utility on file with the Commission.

An electric company may not permit any person not a public service company to make attachment to any electric company existing overhead facilities for the purpose or intended purpose of providing overhead service to a customer to whom the electric company is required to provide underground service in accordance with the regulations of the Commission with respect to underground service.

To the extent practicable, electric cables, communications cables, and gas pipes shall be installed in the same trench, care being taken to conform to any applicable code and utility specification.

Upon timely application, an electric company shall allow any person precluded from using overhead facilities as set forth in Regulation .08B, of this chapter, joint use of its open trenches wherever reasonable and technically feasible in accordance with mutually agreeable terms and conditions.