220 ILCS 5/8-503
2021 Illinois Compiled Statutes|Chapter 220 - UTILITIES|220 ILCS 5/ - Public Utilities Act.|Article VIII - Service Obligations And Conditions

 (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 8-503)Sec. 8-503. Whenever the Commission, after a hearing, shall find that  additions, extensions, repairs or improvements to, or changes in, the  existing plant, equipment, apparatus, facilities or other physical property  of any public utility or of any 2 or more public utilities are  necessary  and ought reasonably to be made or that a new structure or structures is or  are necessary and should be erected, to promote the security or convenience  of its employees or the public or promote the development of an effectively competitive electricity market, or in any other way to secure adequate  service or facilities, the Commission shall make and serve an order  authorizing or directing that such additions, extensions, repairs,  improvements or changes be made, or such structure or structures be erected  at the location, in the manner and within the time specified in said order;  provided, however, that the  Commission shall have no authority to order the construction,  addition or extension of any electric generating plant unless  the public utility requests a certificate for the construction  of the plant pursuant to Section 8-406 and in conjunction with  such request also requests the entry of an order under this  Section.  If any additions, extensions, repairs, improvements or changes, or any new  structure or structures, which the Commission has authorized or ordered to  be erected, require joint action by 2 or more public utilities, the  Commission shall notify the said public utilities that such additions,  extensions, repairs, improvements or changes or new structure or structures  have been authorized or ordered and that the same shall be made at the  joint cost whereupon the said public utilities shall have such reasonable  time as the Commission may grant within which to agree upon the  apportionment or division of cost of such additions, extensions, repairs,  improvements or changes or new structure or structures, which each shall  bear. If at the expiration of such time such public utilities shall fail to  file with the Commission a statement that an agreement has been made for a  division or apportionment of the cost or expense of such additions,  extensions, repairs, improvements or changes, or new structure or  structures, the Commission shall have authority, after further hearing, to  make an order fixing the proportion of such cost or expense to be borne by  each public utility and the manner in which the same shall be paid or secured.Nothing in this Act shall prevent the Commission, upon its own motion  or upon petition, from ordering, after a hearing, the extension, construction,  connection or interconnection of plant, equipment, pipe, line, facilities  or other physical property of a public utility in whatever configuration the  Commission finds necessary to ensure that natural gas is made available to  consumers at no increased cost to the customers of the utility supplying the gas.Whenever the Commission finds, after a hearing, that the public convenience  or necessity requires it, the Commission may order public utilities subject  to its jurisdiction to work jointly (1) for the purpose of purchasing and  distributing natural gas or gas substitutes, provided it shall not increase  the cost of gas to the customers of the participating utilities, or (2) for  any other reasonable purpose.  (Source: P.A. 95-700, eff. 11-9-07.)