Arkansas Code of 1987 (2023) › Title 23 - PUBLIC UTILITIES AND REGULATED INDUSTRIES (§§ 23-1-101 — 23-119-105) › Subtitle 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS (§§ 23-1-101 — 23-19-210) › Chapter 18 - LIGHT, HEAT, AND POWER UTILITIES (§§ 23-18-101 — 23-18-1209) › Subchapter 9 - ARKANSAS ELECTRIC UTILITY AND GAS UTILITY STORM RECOVERY SECURITIZATION ACT (§§ 23-18-901 — 23-18-912) › Section 23-18-905 - Storm recovery property

(a)
(1)
All storm recovery property that is specified in a financing order shall constitute an existing, present intangible property right or interest therein, notwithstanding that the imposition and collection of storm recovery charges depend on the utility to which the financing order is issued performing its servicing functions relating to the collection of storm recovery charges and on future electricity or natural gas consumption.
(2)
The property shall exist whether or not the revenues or proceeds arising from the property have been billed, have accrued, or have been collected and notwithstanding the fact that the value or amount of the property is or may be dependent on the future provision of service to customers by the utility or its successors or assignees and the future consumption by customers of electricity or natural gas.
(b)
Storm recovery property specified in a financing order shall continue to exist until the storm recovery bonds issued pursuant to the financing order are indefeasibly paid in full and all financing costs of the bonds have been paid in full.
(c)
(1)
All or any portion of storm recovery property specified in a financing order issued to a utility, if storm recovery bonds are to be issued, shall be sold, assigned, or transferred to a successor or an assignee, including an affiliate or affiliates of the utility created for the limited purpose of acquiring, owning, or administering storm recovery property or issuing storm recovery bonds under the financing order.
(2)
All or any portion of storm recovery property may be encumbered by a security interest to secure storm recovery bonds issued pursuant to the financing order, amounts payable to financing parties and to counterparties under any ancillary agreements, and other financing costs.
(3)
Each sale, assignment, transfer, conveyance, or pledge made by or security interest granted by a utility or affiliate of a utility or assignee is considered to be a transaction in the ordinary course of business.
(d)
(1)
The description of storm recovery property being sold, assigned, or transferred to an assignee in any sale agreement, purchase agreement, or other transfer agreement, being encumbered, granted, or pledged to a secured party in any security agreement, pledge agreement, or other security document, or indicated in any financing statement is only sufficient if the description or indication refers to the specific financing order that created the storm recovery property and states that the agreement or financing statement covers all or part of the storm recovery property described in the financing order.
(2)
A description of storm recovery property in a financing statement shall be sufficient if it refers to the financing order creating the storm recovery property.
(3)
This subsection applies to all purported sales, assignments, or transfers of and all purported grants of liens or security interests in storm recovery property, regardless of whether the related sale agreement, purchase agreement, other transfer agreement, security agreement, pledge agreement, or other security document was entered into, or any financing statement was filed, before or after April 1, 2009.
(e)
(1)
If a utility defaults on any required payment of charges arising from storm recovery property specified in a financing order, the court specified in §
23-18-903(f)
upon application by an interested party and without limiting any other remedies available to the applying party shall order the sequestration and payment of the revenues arising from the storm recovery property to the financing parties or their representatives.
(2)
An order described in subdivision (e)(1) of this section shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding any reorganization, bankruptcy, or other insolvency proceedings with respect to the utility or its successors or assigns.
(f)
The interest of a transferee, purchaser, acquirer, assignee, or secured party in storm recovery property specified in a financing order is not subject to setoff, counterclaim, surcharge, or defense by the utility or any other person or in connection with the reorganization, bankruptcy, or other insolvency of the utility, its successors or assignees, or any other entity.
(g)
Any successor to a utility, whether pursuant to any reorganization, bankruptcy, or other insolvency proceeding or whether pursuant to any merger or acquisition, sale, or other business combination or transfer by operation of law, as a result of utility restructuring or otherwise, shall perform and satisfy all obligations of, and have the same rights under a financing order as, the utility under the financing order in the same manner and to the same extent as the utility, including collecting and paying to the person entitled to receive them, the revenues, collections, payments, or proceeds of the storm recovery property.
(h)
Storm recovery bonds shall be nonrecourse to the credit or any assets of the utility other than the storm recovery property as specified in the financing order and any rights under any ancillary agreement.
Amended by Act 2021, No. 641,§ 1, eff. 4/12/2021.
Acts 2009, No. 729, § 1.