Opinion ID: 2273432
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: proceedings in the court of appeals and trial court.

Text: The Court of Appeals held that the PSC lacked this plenary authority absent a statute specifically allowing the recovery of such costs outside a general rate case. To that extent, the Court of Appeals affirmed trial court orders invalidating the rider as it existed before the enactment of Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS) 278.509 [1] in 2005. But the Court of Appeals reversed trial court orders invalidating the rider after the enactment of KRS 278.509 because the Court of Appeals disagreed with the trial court's ruling that KRS 278.509 was unconstitutional. By our holding today, we disagree with the Court of Appeals' view that the legitimacy of the rider depended upon the enactment of a specific statute authorizing recovery of that particular cost outside a general rate case. Accordingly, we reverse, in part, affirm, in part, and remand to the trial court with directions to reinstate the PSC orders allowing for the rider or surcharge. [2]