§ 23-18-703 - Authority of Arkansas Public Service Commission.

23-18-703. Authority of Arkansas Public Service Commission.

(a) (1) The Arkansas Public Service Commission may consider, propose, develop, solicit, approve, implement, and monitor measures by electric public utilities subject to its jurisdiction that cause the electric public utilities to incur costs of service and investments that utilize, generate, or involve clean energy resources or renewable energy resources, or both.

(2) The commission may encourage or require electric public utilities subject to its jurisdiction to consider clean energy or renewable energy resources, or both, as part of any resource plan.

(3) After proper notice and hearings, the commission may approve any clean energy resource or renewable energy resource that it determines to be in the public interest.

(4) If the commission determines that the cost of a clean energy resource or renewable energy resource is in the public interest, the commission may allow the affected electric public utility to implement a temporary surcharge to recover a portion of the costs of such a resource until the implementation of new rate schedules in connection with the electric public utility's next general rate filing in which such costs can be included in the electric public utility's base rate schedules.

(b) Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed as limiting or diminishing the authority of the commission to order, require, promote, or engage in any other energy resource practices or procedures.