(1) A qualified electric utility that receives a large-scale service request shall:
(a) acknowledge receipt of the request;
(b) notify the customer of any missing information within 15 business days after beginning to process the request under Subsection (2); and
(c) complete an evaluation as soon as reasonably practicable after beginning the study under Subsection (2), but in no case more than 6 months after beginning the evaluation.
(2) A qualified electric utility shall begin processing large-scale service requests, including conducting evaluations, no later than:
(a) April 1, for requests received after September 30 of the prior year and on or before March 31; or
(b) October 1, for requests received after March 31 and on or before September 30.
(3) During the evaluation process, the qualified electric utility shall:
(a) provide the customer with regular updates; and
(b) notify the customer when the evaluation is completed.
(4) Within 15 business days after completing an evaluation, the qualified electric utility shall provide to the customer a written service proposal that includes:
(a) whether the qualified electric utility can provide the requested service within the time frame required by the customer;
(b) the estimated large load incremental costs that will be allocated to the customer, based on the information provided by the customer;
(c) any required:
(i) system upgrades;
(ii) improvements; or
(iii) transmission service requests;
(d) the estimated timeline for commencing the requested electric service; and
(e) the proposed terms and conditions of service, including provisions for addressing long-term operation and maintenance costs for large load facilities.
(5) A qualified electric utility:
(a) may charge reasonable fees for costs incurred in:
(i) evaluating a large-scale service request; and
(ii) necessary subsequent or related assessments; and
(b) is not required to begin work on an evaluation until the customer:
(i) pays applicable fees; and
(ii) provides the information required to the qualified electric utility to conduct an evaluation.