Commission authority required when closing an electric generating plant and circumstances of closure in another jurisdiction

(a) A public electric utility may not retire, abandon, close, or otherwise permanently render incapable of operating, any electric generating plant or unit without the prior consent and approval of the commission. No funds obtained from (1) the Grid Stabilization and Security Fund set forth in 5B-2N-2a, (2) an environmental control bond issued pursuant to 24-2-4e, (3) a consumer rate relief bond issued pursuant to 24-2-4f, (4) or a utility consumer rate relief bond issued pursuant to 24-2-4h shall be used by a public utility to retire, abandon, close, or otherwise permanently render incapable of operating, any electric generating plant or unit. (b) If an electric utility serving customers in both West Virginia and in an area not subject to the jurisdiction of the commission is ordered to cease operations of a generating plant or unit by the regulating authority of the other jurisdiction and the costs of the plant or unit had been shared through an allocation process for rate making purposes and after a commission proceeding and determination that a generating plant or unit should continue to operate, then the utility shall recover all of the capital, operating and maintenance costs of the electric generation plant or unit from its West Virginia customers to the extent that such costs are no longer allocable to the other jurisdiction, and all of the associated capacity, energy, and environmental attributes shall be assigned to its customers and operations in West Virginia.