(1) A natural gas utility may voluntarily offer its customers choice of natural gas supplier and provide open access to its transmission facilities, storage facilities, or distribution facilities.
(2) If a customer choice offering results in transition costs, the commission may allow those transition costs to be recovered in separate identifiable charges to customers. Upon commission approval, the natural gas utility must have the opportunity but not the obligation to finance the fixed transition costs and related financing costs using transition cost financing as provided for in 69-8-103 and 69-8-503.