30 V.S.A. § 250

Within six months after July 1, 1970, or at such later date as the Public Utility Commission may establish, each company engaged in the distribution of electrical energy in the State shall apply to the Commission for a service territory consisting of the distribution area served by it on July 1, 1970 and any areas not presently served by it or any other electric utility company that it believes it is entitled to serve. After consideration of the factors set forth in section 249 of this title, the Commission shall establish the service territory of each company. The service territory thus established shall be defined on a map or maps approved by the Commission. In the event applications under this section are filed by more than one electric company for an area, the Commission shall, after notice and hearing, determine what part of the area as to which competing claims are filed should be awarded to the respective applicants. In the event the distribution facilities of the competing applicants are so intertwined or commingled as to make establishment of exclusive service territories impracticable, the Commission may authorize two or more companies that have filed competing applications to serve the area in conflict, subject to the provisions of section 251 of this title.