Section 58-27-1115 - Treatment of storm recovery bonds and storm recovery charges(A) The commission may not, in exercising its powers and carrying out its duties regarding any matter within its authority pursuant to this chapter, consider the storm recovery bonds issued pursuant to a financing order to be the debt of the electrical utility other than for federal income tax purposes, consider the storm recovery charges paid under the financing order to be the revenue of the electrical utility for any purpose, or consider the storm recovery costs or financing costs specified in the financing order to be the costs of the electrical utility, nor may the commission determine any action taken by an electrical utility which is consistent with the financing order to be unjust or unreasonable unless the electrical utility abandons the issuance of storm recovery bonds or the electrical utility's petition for a financing order is ultimately denied.(B) The commission may not order or otherwise directly or indirectly require an electrical utility to use storm recovery bonds to finance any project, addition, plant, facility, extension, capital improvement, equipment, or any other expenditure except as permitted under this article. After the issuance of a financing order, the electrical utility retains sole discretion regarding whether to cause the storm recovery bonds to be issued, including the right to defer or postpone such sale, assignment, transfer, or issuance, unless otherwise provided in the financing order. Nothing shall prevent the electrical utility from abandoning the issuance of storm recovery bonds under the financing order by filing with the commission a statement of abandonment and the reasons therefor. The commission may not refuse to allow an electrical utility to recover storm recovery costs in an otherwise permissible fashion, or refuse or condition authorization or approval of the issuance and sale by an electrical utility of securities or the assumption by the electrical utility of liabilities or obligations, solely because of the potential availability of storm recovery bond financing.Added by 2022 S.C. Acts, Act No. 227 (SB 1077),s 1, eff. 6/17/2022.