(a) Powers and duties. Unless otherwise provided, the powers and duties authorized by this chapter shall be exercised by the Department, except that the Public Utility Commission shall exercise those powers and duties over nonfederal dams and projects that relate to or are incident to the generation of electric energy for public use or as a part of a public utility system.

(b) Transfer of jurisdiction. Jurisdiction over a nonfederal dam is transferred from the Department to the Public Utility Commission when the Public Utility Commission receives an application for a certificate of public good for electricity generation at that dam. Jurisdiction is transferred to the Department when the license or exemption for a federal dam expires or is otherwise lost; when a certificate of public good is revoked or otherwise lost; or when the Public Utility Commission denies an application for a certificate of public good.

(c) Transfer of records. Upon transfer of jurisdiction as set forth in subsection (b) of this section and upon written request, the State agency having former jurisdiction over a dam shall transfer copies of all records pertaining to the dam to the agency acquiring jurisdiction. (Amended 1959, No. 203; 1959, No. 329 (Adj. Sess.), § 39, eff. March 1, 1961; 1961, No. 100, § 2; 1981, No. 242 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 2017, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)