18 CFR § 45.2 - Positions requiring authorization.

§ 45.2 Positions requiring authorization.

(a) The positions subject to this part shall include those of any person elected or appointed to perform the duties or functions ordinarily performed by a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, general manager, comptroller, chief purchasing agent, director or partner, or to perform any other similar executive duties or functions, in any corporation 1 within the purview of section 305(b) of the Act. With respect to positions not herein specifically mentioned which applicant holds and which are invested with executive authority, applicant shall state in the application the source of such executive authority, whether by bylaws, action of the board of directors, or otherwise.

1Corporation means any corporation, joint-stock company, partnership, association, business trust, organized group of persons, whether incorporated or not, or a receiver or receivers, trustee or trustees of any of the foregoing. It shall not include municipalities as defined in the Federal Power Act (sec. 3, 49 Stat. 838; 16 U.S.C. 796).

(b) Corporations 1 within the purview of section 305(b) of the Act include:

(1) Any public utility under the Act, which means any person who owns or operates facilities for the transmission of electric energy in interstate commerce, or any person who owns or operates facilities for the sale at wholesale of electric energy in interstate commerce.

(2) Any bank, trust company, banking association, or firm that is authorized by law to underwrite or participate in the marketing of public utility securities; this includes any corporation when so authorized whether or not same may also be a public utility and/or a holding company. (See 12 U.S.C. 378)

(3) Any company that supplies electrical equipment to a public utility in which applicant seeks authorization to hold a position, whether the supplying company be a manufacturer, or dealer, or one supplying electrical equipment pursuant to a construction, service, agency, or other contract.

(c) Regardless of any action which may have been taken by the Commission upon a previous application under section 305(b) of the Act, an application for approval under such section is required with reference to any position or positions not previously authorized which are within the purview of said section.

(d) A person that holds or proposes to hold an interlocking position as officer or director of a public utility and of a corporation described by paragraph (b)(2) of this section shall not require authorization to hold such positions in the following circumstances—

(1) The person does not participate in any deliberations or decisions of the public utility regarding the selection of the bank, trust company, banking association, or firm to underwrite or participate in the marketing of securities of the public utility, if the person serves as an officer or director of a bank, trust company, banking association, or firm that is under consideration in the deliberation process;

(2) The bank, trust company, banking association, or firm of which the person is an officer or director does not engage in the underwriting of, or participate in the marketing of, securities of the public utility of which the person holds the position of officer or director;

(3) The public utility for which the person serves or proposes to serve as an officer or director selects underwriters by competitive procedures; or

(4) The issuance of securities of the public utility for which the person serves or proposes to serve as an officer or director has been approved by all Federal and State regulatory agencies having jurisdiction over the issuance.

[Order 141, 12 FR 8501, Dec. 19, 1947, as amended by Order 856, 84 FR 7282, Mar. 4, 2019]