18-412.09. Electric facilities; joint exercise of power; agreement; terms and conditions; agent; powers and duties; liability of city or village.

Any city or village participating jointly and in cooperation with others in an electric generation or transmission facility may own an undivided interest in such facility and be entitled to the share of the output or capacity therefrom attributable to such undivided interest. Such city or village may enter into an agreement or agreements with respect to each such electric generation or transmission facility with the other participants therein, and any such agreement shall contain such terms, conditions, and provisions consistent with the provisions of sections 18-412.07 to 18-412.10 as the governing body of such city or village shall deem to be in the interests of such city or village. The agreement may include, but not be limited to, provision for the construction, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning of such electric generation or transmission facility by any one of the participants, which shall be designated in or pursuant to such agreement as agent, on behalf of itself and the other participants or by such other means as may be determined by the participants and provision for a uniform method of determining and allocating among participants costs of construction, operation, maintenance, renewals, replacements, decommissioning, and improvements with respect to such facility. In carrying out its functions and activities as such agent with respect to construction, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning of such a facility, including without limitation the letting of contracts therefor, such agent shall be governed by the laws and regulations applicable to such agent as a separate legal entity and not by any laws or regulations which may be applicable to any of the other participants. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law to the contrary, pursuant to the terms of any such agreement in which or pursuant to which a public power district or a public power and irrigation district or a city or village of this state shall be designated as the agent thereunder for the construction, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning of such a facility, each of the participants may delegate its powers and duties with respect to the construction, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning of such facility to such agent, and all actions taken by such agent in accordance with the provisions of such agreement shall be binding upon each of such participants without further action or approval by their respective boards of directors or governing bodies. Such agent shall be required to exercise all such powers and perform its duties and functions under such agreement in a manner consistent with prudent utility practice. As used in this section, prudent utility practice shall mean any of the practices, methods, and acts at a particular time which, in the exercise of reasonable judgment in the light of the facts, including, but not limited to, the practices, methods, and acts engaged in or approved by a significant portion of the electrical utility industry prior thereto, known at the time the decision was made, would have been expected to accomplish the desired result at the lowest reasonable cost consistent with reliability, safety, and expedition. Unless specifically contracted otherwise by written agreement, no city or village shall become liable for and pay for any costs, expenses, or liabilities attributable to the undivided interest of any other participant in such electric generation or transmission facility, and unless specifically contracted otherwise by written agreement, no funds of such city or village may be used for any such purpose.

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