(a)
Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, and in addition to the requirements of Article 1 (commencing with Section 1001), an electrical corporation proposing to construct an electrical transmission line to the northwestern United States shall provide the commission with sufficient reliable information to enable the commission to determine that the proposed line, at the electric rates expected to prevail over the useful life of the line, will be cost effective. The commission, in its analysis of the forecast cost of electricity, shall take into consideration the recent increases in the charges for purchasing surplus electricity from the northwestern United States, the possibility of future increases in those charges, the feasibility of negotiating long-term contracts under reasonable charges, and the feasibility of purchasing electricity directly from Canada rather than through the Bonneville Power Administration.
(b)
The commission shall not issue a certificate of public convenience and necessity unless it is satisfied that the electrical corporation has provided the information described in subdivision (a).