Virginia Law

The term "public service company" when used in this chapter shall mean every person, firm, corporation or association, or their lessees, trustees or receivers, other than a municipal corporation, now or hereafter engaged in business in this Commonwealth as a public utility and subject to regulation as to rates and service by the State Corporation Commission under the provisions of Chapter 10 (§ 56-232 et seq.) of this title and, subject to the conditions specified therein, such companies as specified by the Commission pursuant to subsection C of § 56-77; however, the term shall not include and the provisions of this chapter shall not be deemed to refer to transportation companies subject directly or indirectly to the control of the Interstate Commerce Commission.

The term "affiliated interest" when used in this chapter shall mean and include the following:

1. Every corporation, partnership, association, or person owning or holding directly or indirectly ten percent or more of the voting securities of any public service company engaged in any intrastate business in this Commonwealth.

2. Every corporation, partnership, association, or person, other than those specified in subdivision 1 hereof, in any chain of successive ownership of ten percent or more of voting securities, the chain beginning with the holder or holders of the voting securities of such public service company.

3. Every corporation, partnership, association, or person ten percent or more of whose voting securities are owned by any person, corporation, partnership, or association owning ten percent or more of the voting securities of such public service company or by any person, corporation, association, or partnership in any such chain of successive ownership of ten percent or more of voting securities.

4. Every corporation, partnership, association, or person with which such public service company has a management or service contract.

5. Every corporation in which two or more of the corporate directors are common to those of such public service company, or which is managed or supervised by the same individual, group or corporation.

6. Every corporation or person which the Commission may determine as a matter of fact after investigation and hearing is actually exercising any substantial influence over the policies and actions of such public service company even though such influence is not based upon stockholding, stockholders, directors or officers to the extent specified in this section.

7. Every person or corporation which the Commission may determine as a matter of fact after investigation and hearing is actually exercising such substantial influence over the policies and action of such public service company in conjunction with one or more other corporations or persons with which or whom they are so connected or related by ownership or blood relationship or by action in concert that when taken together they are affiliated with such public service company within the meaning of this section even though no one of them alone is so affiliated.

But no such person or corporation shall be considered as affiliated within the meaning of this section if such person or corporation shall not have had transactions or dealings other than the holding of stock and the receipt of dividends thereon with such public service company during the two-year period next preceding.

1934, p. 743; Michie Code 1942, § 3774(b); 1984, c. 721; 1987, c. 385; 1996, c. 19.