Curt H bert, Jr. Interstate Power Company and Docket No. Applicants, public utilities within the meaning of the FPA, provide retail and wholesale electrical services and retail natural gas services. Applicants' transmission systems are integrated and operated pursuant to 3 Alliant Energy's Open Access Transmission Tariff.
Applicants state that the proposed merger is consistent with the public interest.
Applicants state that the competitive effects of the proposed merger have already been addressed by the 4 Commission in Opinion No. 419. Interstate Power and IES commit 5 to abide by the conditions set forth in Opinion No. 419. Applicants contend that wholesale rates will not be adversely affected by the proposed merger since the ratepayer protection mechanisms accepted by the Commission in Opinion No. With regard to regulation, Applicants indicate that Alliant Energy has previously agreed to abide by the Commission's policy on intra-system transactions and each of the affected state commissions have the authority to review the proposed merger. Applicants therefore conclude that neither state nor federal regulation will be adversely affected.