1705 - Budgets of public utilities.

     § 1705.  Budgets of public utilities.        (a)  Proposed budgets; adjustments; determination.--The     commission may, by regulation, require any class of public     utilities, except common carriers, to file proposed budgets with     the commission on or before the first day of each budgetary     period, showing the amount of money which each public utility     within such class, will in its judgment, expend during the     budgetary period for payment of salaries of executive officers,     donations, advertising, lobbying expenses, entertainment,     political contributions, expenditures, and major contracts for     the sale or purchase of facilities, and all items covering or     contemplating any payment to any affiliated interest for advice,     auditing, associating, sponsoring, engineering, managing,     operating, financing, legal, or other services. Adjustments or     additions to any such budget may be made from time to time by     filing supplementary budgets with the commission. When any such     budget or supplemental budget has been filed, the commission may     examine into and investigate the same to determine whether any     or all of the contemplated expenditures are unreasonable or     contrary to the public interest and if after reasonable notice     and hearing, it shall so determine, it shall make its findings     and order in writing rejecting the same or any part thereof.        (b)  Rejected budgets.--Upon such rejection, the public     utility concerned shall not make further expenditures or     payments under the budget or part thereof rejected, and no     expenditures at any time made under such rejected budget, or     part thereof, shall be allowed as an operating expense, or     capital expenditure in any rate or valuation proceeding, or in     any other proceeding or hearing before the commission, unless     and until the propriety thereof shall have been established to     the satisfaction of the commission, and any such finding or     order shall remain in full force and effect, unless and until     such finding or order shall be vacated, modified or set aside by     the commission, or upon an appeal, as provided in this part.        (c)  Use of budgets.--The filing of any budget, its     examination, investigation, or determination by the commission,     under this section, shall not bar or estop the commission from     determining, in any rate valuation or other proceeding, whether     any or all of the expenditures made under any budget or     supplemental budget are reasonable or commensurate with the     service or facilities received.