SECTION 165:80-5-1. Determination of cost, engineering, and rate design

(a)   The Commission will order cost, engineering, and rate design studies to be made by the telephone company/companies within a reasonable time. Any interested party may have their own cost, engineering, and rate design studies made for use in the cause, but such studies will be at the expense of that party. Summaries of the cost, engineering, and rate design studies will be filed with the Commission's Court Clerk within the time ordered by the Commission and a copy sent to all interested parties.

(b)   Upon receipt of the cost, engineering, and rate design studies summaries and after appropriate review, the attorney for the Public Utility Division staff will arrange and conduct a technical conference for the purposes of discussing the cost, engineering, and rate design studies and summaries, and considering appropriate rate design and cost recovery methods to be recommended to the Commissioners or their designee. If it appears that the rate design and cost recovery methods for the WACP are cost prohibitive, any interested party may propose alternatives to WACP in writing. At the technical conference, the scheduling of prefiled testimony and responsive testimony dates shall also be determined.

(c)   Recovery of the revenue requirement caused by the WACP will be borne by the subscribers benefiting from the plan or as the Commission may so direct.