196.81 Abandonment; commission approval required.
(1) No public utility may abandon or discontinue any line or extension or service thereon without first securing the approval of the commission. In granting its approval, the commission may impose any term, condition or requirement it deems necessary to protect the public interest. If a public utility abandons or discontinues a line or extension or service thereon upon receiving commission approval, the public utility shall be deemed to have waived any objection to any term, condition or requirement imposed by the commission in granting the approval.
(2) The commission may not approve a request by an electric or telecommunications utility to abandon a right-of-way, unless the commission requires the public utility to remove any pole at ground level from the right-of-way and any other structure which extends more than 3 feet above ground level and which belongs to the utility at the time of abandonment. If the commission approves a request under this section it shall require any part of the abandoned right-of-way which is in a rural area and which was obtained by the utility by condemnation to be disposed of by the utility within 3 years from the date of approval. The commission may rescind the disposal requirement if the utility applies for rescission within 6 months prior to the end of the 3-year period and if the commission finds that the requirement would subject the utility to undue hardship.
(3) This section does not apply to any of the following:
(a) A service discontinuance by a public utility that is a telecommunications provider.
(b) A public utility's removal, at the request of a customer, of the customer's electric service drop or electric, natural gas, or steam service lateral, including any primary voltage or natural gas or steam line that is used exclusively to serve the customer requesting the removal.
History: 1973 c. 157; 1977 c. 29, 203, 418; 1983 a. 53; 1985 a. 297; 1993 a. 496; 2011 a. 22, 155; 2013 a. 300.
Structure Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 196 - Regulation of public utilities.
196.012 - Interstate commerce.
196.015 - Total service long-run incremental cost.
196.016 - Relationship to certain federal telecommunications law.
196.025 - Duties of the commission.
196.027 - Environmental trust financing.
196.029 - Energy administration.
196.03 - Utility charges and service; reasonable and adequate.
196.05 - Public utility property; valuation; revaluation.
196.06 - Uniform accounting; forms; books; office.
196.07 - Balance sheet filed annually.
196.08 - Audit and inspection.
196.10 - Construction; accounting.
196.11 - Profit sharing and sliding scales.
196.12 - Report by public utilities; items.
196.135 - Confidential handling of records.
196.137 - Municipal utility customer information.
196.14 - Public record exception.
196.15 - Units of product or service.
196.16 - Standard measurements; accurate appliances.
196.17 - Tests of meters; fees.
196.171 - Examination of meters, pipes, fittings, wires and works; entering buildings for.
196.175 - Construction and occupancy standards.
196.19 - Publish schedules; regulations; files; joint rates.
196.191 - Telecommunications utility and alternative telecommunications utility tariffs.
196.192 - Market-based compensation, rates and contracts.
196.193 - Water and sewer rate increases without hearings.
196.194 - Gas utility individual contracts.
196.195 - Alternative telecommunications regulation plans.
196.197 - Unbundled network elements.
196.198 - Local measured telecommunications service.
196.199 - Interconnection agreements.
196.20 - Rules on service; changes in rates.
196.201 - Regulation of private shared telecommunications systems.
196.202 - Exemption of commercial mobile radio service providers.
196.203 - Exemption of alternative telecommunications utilities.
196.204 - Local government telecommunications utilities.
196.205 - Election of rate regulation.
196.206 - Interconnected voice over Internet protocol service.
196.207 - Telephone caller identification services.
196.208 - Telecommunications pay-per-call and toll-free services.
196.212 - Switched access rates.
196.216 - Small telecommunications utilities as small businesses.
196.218 - Universal service fund.
196.219 - Protection of telecommunications consumers.
196.22 - Discrimination forbidden.
196.23 - Utility service for victims of misappropriated identifying information.
196.24 - Agents of commission; powers.
196.26 - Complaint by consumers; hearing; notice; order; costs.
196.28 - Summary investigations.
196.30 - Utilities may complain.
196.31 - Intervenor financing.
196.315 - Consumer advocate funding.
196.32 - Witness fees and mileage.
196.36 - Transcripts and tapes.
196.37 - Lawful rates; reasonable service.
196.371 - Rate-making principles for electric generation facilities.
196.372 - Financial assistance for lead-containing customer-side water service lines.
196.373 - Water heater thermostat settings.
196.374 - Energy efficiency and renewable resource programs.
196.375 - Adequate service; reasonable rates.
196.377 - Renewable energy sources.
196.378 - Renewable resources.
196.39 - Change, amendment and rescission of orders; reopening cases.
196.395 - Test, conditional, emergency and supplemental orders; order conditions.
196.40 - Orders and determinations; time of taking effect.
196.43 - Injunction procedure.
196.48 - Incriminating evidence.
196.485 - Transmission system requirements.
196.487 - Reliability of electric service.
196.494 - Regional transmission planning.
196.495 - Avoidance of duplication in electric facilities.
196.496 - Distributed generation facilities.
196.499 - Regulation of telecommunications carriers.
196.503 - Telecommunications provider of last-resort obligations.
196.504 - Broadband expansion grant program; Broadband Forward! community certification.
196.5045 - Telecommuter Forward! certification.
196.505 - Construction of chapter.
196.51 - Prior permits and franchises validated.
196.53 - Franchise, foreign corporation not to have.
196.54 - Indeterminate permits.
196.58 - Municipality to regulate utilities; appeal.
196.59 - Merchandising by utilities.
196.595 - Utility advertising practices.
196.60 - Discrimination prohibited; penalty.
196.604 - Rebates, concessions and discriminations unlawful.
196.605 - Telecommunications cooperatives with federal loans.
196.61 - Facilities in exchange for compensation prohibited.
196.625 - Discrimination by telecommunications utilities.
196.63 - Telecommunications interruption in crisis situation.
196.635 - Unbilled utility service.
196.64 - Public utilities, liability for treble damages.
196.642 - Customer liability for treble damages.
196.643 - Public utility service to rental dwelling unit.
196.65 - Penalties relating to information and records.
196.66 - General forfeiture provisions.
196.665 - Unlawful combinations, trusts.
196.68 - Municipal officers, malfeasance.
196.69 - Interference with commission's equipment.
196.70 - Temporary alteration or suspension of rates.
196.71 - Municipal public utility contracts.
196.72 - Accidents; public utility report; investigation.
196.74 - Electric lines; safety and interference.
196.745 - Construction and operation; safety; commission orders.
196.76 - Other rights of action; penalties cumulative.
196.78 - Voluntary dissolution.
196.79 - Reorganization subject to commission approval.
196.795 - Public utility holding companies.
196.796 - Real estate activities.
196.80 - Consolidation or merger of utilities.
196.807 - Energy affiliate and utility employees.
196.81 - Abandonment; commission approval required.
196.84 - Commission's holding company and nonutility affiliate regulation costs.
196.85 - Payment of commission's expenditures.
196.855 - Assessment of costs against municipalities.
196.857 - Stray voltage program.
196.858 - Assessment for telephone relay service.
196.859 - Assessment for telecommunications utility trade practices.
196.86 - Assessments for air quality improvement program.