(1) Electric utilities serving more than 100,000 retail customers in this state shall file, by January 1, 2001, a joint plan with the commission detailing measures to permanently expand, within 2 years of the effective date of this section, the available transmission capability by at least 2,000 megawatts over the available transmission capability in place as of January 1, 2000.

    (2) The joint plan shall detail all actions including additional facilities required, the proposed schedule for accomplishing the actions, the cost of the actions, and the proposed ratemaking treatment for the costs. The joint plan shall also identify all actions and facilities that are required of other transmission owners, including out-of-state entities, to accommodate the actions described in the joint plan.

    (3) The commission may order modifications to the joint plan to make it consistent with this act. If the electric utilities are unable to agree upon a joint plan to meet the requirements of this act, the commission shall conduct a hearing to establish a joint plan. The commission shall authorize recovery from benefitting customers of all reasonable and prudent costs incurred by transmission owners for authorized actions taken and facilities installed to meet the requirements of this section that are not recovered through FERC transmission rates.

    (4) If an electric utility or an affiliate that is the owner of the transmission assets is denied cost recovery of the reasonable and prudent costs expended to implement the joint plan, then the electric utility or affiliate shall have no further obligation to implement the joint plan. If an electric utility or its affiliate is subsequently granted cost recovery, then the obligation to implement the original joint plan is required. If cost recovery of the reasonable and prudent costs of implementing the joint plan is denied, an electric utility or its affiliate shall develop a new joint plan as provided under this section.