Title 65, Public Utilities and Carriers

Cooperatives and foreign corporations transacting business in this state pursuant to this chapter shall be deemed to be not-for-profit cooperatives and nonutilities, and, except as provided in § 65-25-122, exempt in all respects from the jurisdiction and control of the Tennessee …

Title 48, chapter 16 shall not apply to any note, bond, or other evidence of indebtedness issued by any cooperative or foreign corporation transacting business in this state pursuant to this chapter, to the United States or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or to any mortgag…

(a) The following sections of the Tennessee Nonprofit Corporation Act, all contained in title 48, shall not be applicable to cooperatives incorporated under or otherwise subject to this chapter: §§ 48-56-103, 48-56-204, title 48, chapter 56, part 3 and § 48-56-501; §§ 48-57-102 —…

This chapter shall be construed liberally. The enumeration of any object, purpose, power, manner, method, or thing shall not be deemed to exclude like or similar objects, purposes, powers, manner, methods, or things. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provisions in this c…

Notwithstanding any provision contained in this chapter to the contrary, it is the specific intent of this chapter that all utility districts heretofore or hereafter created under the “Utility District Law of 1937,” compiled in title 7, chapter 82, or any similar legislation, sha…

(a) An electric cooperative may not provide subsidies to a cable joint venture. Notwithstanding that limitation, an electric cooperative participating in a cable joint venture may:(1) Dedicate a reasonable portion of the electric plant to the provision of such service, the costs …

(a) (1) Each cooperative may, within its service area and with the authorization of its board, contract to establish a telecommunications joint venture with any entity for the provision of telephone, telegraph, or telecommunications services in compliance with chapters 4 and 5 of…

Each joint venture created pursuant to § 65-25-105 or § 65-25-131 in which one (1) or more of the owners of the joint venture is an entity subject to the taxes imposed by title 67, chapter 4, parts 20 and 21 shall itself be subject to and shall pay the taxes required by title 67,…

Nothing in chapter 430 of the Public Acts of 1999, shall be construed to allow an electric cooperative or a joint venture in which an electric cooperative is a member to engage in the business of providing alarm systems, as defined in title 62, chapter 32, part 3.

(a) (1) Notwithstanding § 7-59-316, every cooperative has the power and is authorized, acting through its board of directors, to acquire, construct, own, improve, operate, lease, maintain, sell, mortgage, pledge, or otherwise dispose of any system, plant or equipment for the prov…

(a) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, an electric cooperative may enter into or remain in the retail sales and distribution of liquefied petroleum gas (propane) and the services related to such business, including, but not limited to, the design, sale, distribution, …

To enable gas companies to establish such works, they are empowered to lay pipes and extend conductors through the streets, lanes, and alleys of any town, city, or village, in such manner, however, as to produce the least possible inconvenience to the town, city, or village, or i…

The corporation is authorized to charge a reasonable price for gas, not higher than the price allowed by existing charters to gas companies heretofore chartered in this state; provided, that the corporation shall never charge more than one cent (1¢) per every cubic foot of gas us…

The works and operations of the company shall be so constructed and managed that no annoyance shall accrue therefrom to the health and comfort of the inhabitants of the town; and nothing in this chapter shall be so construed as to absolve the company, its officers or agents, from…

If any person shall injure or destroy any portion of the gas fixtures, or other property belonging to the company, or shall willfully open a communication into the street or other gas pipes, or let on gas after it has been stopped by the company, such person shall be liable for a…

The corporation shall have the power of condemnation granted to electric companies in § 65-22-101.

(a) Any water company is empowered to acquire, by purchase, condemnation, or other proper method, the right to use and divert the water flowing and running into any stream or watercourse which may be necessary to the exercise of any of the powers of a public or quasi public chara…

Water companies incorporated under the laws of this state which have or may have contracts to supply with waters, state or national homes for disabled soldiers, insane asylums, state or national schools for the correction and reformation of juvenile criminals, or any like institu…

Such water company so condemning the water or riparian rights shall make compensation to the owners thereof for such water or rights as may be condemned and the compensation shall be paid by the water company.

Pending the assessment of damages and any litigation in regard thereto, the water company may give bond with good and solvent securities, payable to the owner or owners of the water or rights, to promptly pay to the owner any amount of damages which may be assessed by the jury as…

(1) To enable the corporation to establish its works, it is empowered to:(1) Lay down pipes through the streets, lanes, and alleys of the town, city, or village in such manner as to produce the least possible inconvenience to the town, city, or village, or to its inhabitants, or …

Such corporation, after having first obtained permission from the governing authorities thereof, is invested with the privilege of extending and placing its conductors, pipes, and pipelines along, through, or upon all or any of the streets, lanes, and alleys of the cities, towns,…

It is unlawful for any person to injure or destroy any of the pipes, fixtures, or other property of the company, or to turn on water, or to make any connection with the pipes, or other fixtures after the same has been shut off, stopped, or disconnected by the company.

It is also unlawful for any person to take or use any water, or other thing belonging to the company for any purpose without having previously contracted with the company therefor.

It is also unlawful for any person to willfully corrupt or permit anything to run or fall into any stream or reservoir from which the corporation takes water for the purpose of supplying any city, town, or village, or the inhabitants thereof, which will corrupt the same or render…

A pipeline corporation has the right, in pursuance of the general laws authorizing condemnation of private property for works of internal improvement, to appropriate as an easement or right-of-way of lands necessary for its pipelines; and also land, and rights in land for the dev…

A pipeline corporation has the right to exact and receive the same tolls or charges for the transportation of products as other common carriers.

(a) All such corporations shall furnish equal facilities to all persons and shall not discriminate in services, in charges, or otherwise, either for or against any person, and shall be charged with all duties, responsibilities, and liabilities imposed upon public utility corporat…

(1) As used in §§ 65-28-104 — 65-28-111, unless the context otherwise requires:(1) “Commission” means the Tennessee public utility commission;(2) “Federal safety standards” means the minimum federal safety standards adopted by the United States department of transportation pursua…

All pipeline systems used in this state shall be constructed, operated and maintained in such a manner as to at all times be in compliance with the defined minimum safety standards and amendments thereto, as well as such additions and amendments as may be ordered by the commissio…

(a) The commission has the right, power and authority to provide and make certifications, reports and information to the secretary of the United States department of transportation; to enter into agreements with the secretary to carry out the purposes of §§ 65-28-104 — 65-28-111;…

Upon petition of the commission, the chancery court, sitting in equity, in any county in which a violation of §§ 65-28-104 — 65-28-111 exists shall have jurisdiction to restrain such violation and to enforce compliance with the safety standards required by such sections.

(a) Any person who violates §§ 65-28-104 — 65-28-111, or of any regulation issued under such sections, is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for each such violation for each day that such violation persists, except that the maximum ci…

Nothing in §§ 65-28-104 — 65-28-111 shall be deemed to confer upon the commission any additional power and jurisdiction to supervise or regulate the rates, services, franchises or other matters pertaining to pipeline systems or transportation of gas except with respect to the enf…

(a) Every public utility engaged in the operation of gas pipeline systems in this state to which this chapter applies, with the exception of those utilities presently paying a fee as provided by chapter 4, part 3 of this title, shall pay to the state, on or before April 1 of each…

The default in payment of fees and civil penalties, penalties therefor, suits for collection, counsel fees and liens for any fees and penalties in case of default in the payment of any such fee or part thereof, as provided for in this chapter, shall be governed by §§ 65-4-308 and…

(a) This part shall be known and may be cited as the “Landfill Methane Development Act.” (b) It is recognized by the general assembly that the provision of dependable and economical sources of energy is vital to the health, welfare and economic well-being of the citizens and resi…

(1) As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires:(1) “Landfill methane” means the methane gas constituent of naturally-occurring emissions in gaseous form emanating from any landfill, whether such landfill is in current operation accepting additional fill material …

Any person, with the consent of the owner of any landfill where landfill methane may be produced, and in compliance with all applicable laws, may construct and operate a facility for extracting, purifying, dehydrating, or otherwise treating landfill methane, for the purpose of pr…

No person desiring to construct or operate a facility for gathering, extracting, purifying, dehydrating, or otherwise treating landfill methane shall be required to obtain any certificate of public convenience and necessity for such construction or operation of such facility from…

The rates and charges for transportation by pipeline of landfill methane, either alone or in combination with natural gas, and the construction of facilities for the transportation by pipeline of landfill methane, whether alone or in combination with natural gas, shall be subject…

Notwithstanding any other law, landfill methane may be transported by any pipeline corporation located wholly in this state or otherwise subject to the regulatory jurisdiction of the Tennessee public utility commission, without regard to where the landfill methane may have been p…

Nothing in this part shall be interpreted to require any natural gas local distribution system to purchase or transport any landfill produced methane gas.

The addition of refined landfill methane described in this part into any natural gas stream and the resulting use of the gas stream consisting in part of the refined landfill methane and in part of natural gas by any person purchasing or receiving the gas shall be considered for …

This chapter may be cited as the “Telephone Cooperative Act.”

Cooperative, nonprofit, membership corporations may be organized under this chapter for the purpose of furnishing telephone service in rural areas to the widest practical number of users of such service; provided, that there shall be no duplication of service where reasonably ade…