C. A competitive electricity provider that is an affiliate of a large investor-owned transmission and distribution utility may submit bids to provide standard-offer service for up to 20% of the electric load within the service territory of the large investor-owned transmission and distribution utility with which it is affiliated. To prevent the unfair use of information possessed by a large investor-owned transmission and distribution utility, the commission shall ensure that a utility seeking to bid on standard-offer service has no greater access to relevant information than is provided to other potential bidders.

D. A consumer-owned transmission and distribution utility and a small investor-owned transmission and distribution utility may submit bids to provide standard-offer service for that utility's service territory. To prevent the unfair use of information possessed by a consumer-owned transmission and distribution utility or a small investor- owned transmission and distribution utility, the commission shall ensure that a utility seeking to bid on standard-offer service has no greater access to relevant information than is provided to other potential bidders.

By February 15, 1998, the The commission shall provisionally adopt rules establishing a methodology for structuring the bidding process for standard-offer service in order to implement the provisions of this subsection. In adopting rules, the commission shall consider methods to ensure, to the extent possible, at least 3 providers of standard-offer service in each transmission and distribution utility service territory, as long as the method does not result in any significant adverse impacts on rates paid by consumers. Rules adopted under this subsection are major substantive routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter II-A.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Title, the commission may, in the event of a default by a standard-offer service provider, require the transmission and distribution utility in whose service territory the provider was providing standard-offer service to arrange and to provide for default service. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Title, the commission may, in the event that the commission receives no bids to provide standard-offer service in a transmission and distribution utility's territory or the commission determines that the bids it receives are inadequate or unacceptable, require the transmission and distribution utility to arrange and to provide for default service. The arrangement and provision of such default service