(a)
(1) As used in this section, “transition costs” means those costs, investments, or unfunded mandates, either recurring or nonrecurring, incurred by an electric utility after July 30, 1999, that are found to have been necessary to carry out the electric utility's responsibilities associated with efforts to implement retail open access or were mandated by statute or rule and are not otherwise recoverable.
(2) In no event shall transition costs include retirement or severance programs, marketing or promotional activities, professional or advisory services, or legal costs associated with any competitive strategy.
(3) In no event shall costs that are allowable in the utility's regulated cost of service and rates be included as transition costs, and the electric utility shall be required to demonstrate that its requested transition cost recovery does not contain amounts that are otherwise reflected in current rate levels.
(4) Additionally, no electric utility shall recover transition costs unless approved by the Arkansas Public Service Commission pursuant to this chapter.
(b)
(1) An electric utility shall be allowed to recover transition costs incurred no later than January 1, 2002, as may be determined by the commission after notice and hearing.
(2) The recovery shall be by a customer transition charge during a period of time ending thirty-six (36) months after February 21, 2003.
(3) The customer transition charges shall be subject to annual review by the commission. Costs included in the charges shall be prudent, reasonable, and directly caused by Acts 1999, No. 1556, and rules and orders adopted by the commission to implement that act.
(c) An electric utility shall have a right to recover from its customers any nuclear decommissioning costs, as determined by the commission, associated with the utility's generating assets. The commission shall retain jurisdiction sufficient to authorize the recovery of those costs.