Definitions

The following definitions apply to rules 4600 through 4610 unless a specific statute or rule provides otherwise. In the event of a conflict between these definitions and a statutory definition, the statutory definition shall apply.#

(a)"Account No. 191" means an account under the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Uniform System of Accounts (USOA) used to account for the difference between purchased gas costs and revenues collected by a utility's gas cost adjustment.#

(b)"Base gas cost" means a rate component which is expressed in at least the accuracy of one mil ($0.001) per Mcf or Dth which reflects the cost of gas commodity and upstream services, when applicable, included in the utility's base rates for sales gas and gas transportation service.#

(c)"Base rates" means the utility's currently effective rates for sales gas and gas transportation service as authorized by the Commission in the utility's last general rate case.#

(d)"Current gas cost" means a rate component of the GCA which is expressed in at least the accuracy of one mil ($0.001) per Mcf or Dth and which reflects the cost of gas commodity and upstream service projected to be incurred by the utility during the GCA effective period.#

(e)"Deferred gas cost" means a rate component of the GCA which is expressed in at least the accuracy of one mil ($0.001) per Mcf or Dth and which is designed to amortize over the GCA effective period the under- or over-recovered gas costs reflected in the utility's Account No. 191 or other appropriate costs for a defined period such as a gas purchase year.#

(f)"Forecasted design peak day quantity" means the total quantity of gas commodity anticipated to be required to meet firm sales and firm gas transportation service demand on the utility's system on a design or historical peak day.#

(g)"Forecasted gas commodity cost" means the cost of gas commodity, including appropriate adjustments for storage gas injections and withdrawals, approved hedging program costs, and for exchange gas imbalances, which is projected to be incurred by the utility during the GCA effective period and which is determined by using forecasted gas purchase quantity and forecasted purchase prices.#

(h)"Forecasted gas purchase quantity" means the quantity of gas commodity the utility anticipates it will purchase during the GCA effective period, based upon the forecasted sales gas quantity, adjusted for system gas loss, use, or other anticipated variances.#

(i)"Forecasted purchase prices" means index prices, fixed prices, or other gas contracting price options used in the calculation of the forecasted gas commodity cost.#

(j)"Forecasted sales gas quantity" means the quantity of gas commodity projected to be sold by the utility during the GCA effective period, based upon the normalized quantity of gas commodity sales, adjusted for anticipated changes.#

(k)"Forecasted upstream service cost" means the total cost of upstream services projected to be incurred by the utility during the GCA effective period.#

(l)"Gas commodity throughput" means the amount of gas commodity flowing through the utility's jurisdictional gas facilities during a defined period of time.#

(m)"Gas cost adjustment" or "GCA" means the tariff mechanism by which a gas rate is adjusted to reflect increases or decreases in gas costs.#

(n)"GCA effective period" means the period of time that the GCA rate change is intended to be in effect before being superseded on the effective date of the next scheduled GCA.#

(o)"GCA filing" means an application or advice letter filing to adjust the GCA rate.#

(p)"GCA rate area" means the geographic portion of the utility's service area in which a GCA rate is calculated and billed to customers. A utility may have a single GCA rate area that covers its entire service area or multiple GCA rate areas as established by the Commission.#

(q)"Gas performance incentive mechanism" (GPIM) means an incentive mechanism implemented in conjunction with a GPRMP that aligns the utility's financial incentives with the financial interests of its customers regarding incurred gas commodity costs.#

(r)"GPIM total gas costs" means the utility's incurred expenditures on gas commodity for applicable sales gas rate schedules in each past calendar quarter calculated in accordance with the utility's GCA tariff sheets on file with the Commission.#

(s)"GPIM total gas quantity" means the quantity of gas commodity purchased (Mcf or Dth) for applicable sales gas rate schedules for each past calendar quarter calculated in accordance with the utility's GCA tariff sheets on file with the Commission.#

(t)"Gas price risk management plan" (GPRMP) means a plan governing the calculation of the GCA subject to a maximum cap and a minimum threshold pursuant to paragraph 4603(g).#

(u)"Gas purchase and deferred balance report" (GPDBR) means a report pursuant to rule 4608 which is filed with the Commission and which describes the utility's actual purchases of gas commodity and upstream services in order to meet sales gas demand during the gas purchase year.#

(v)"Gas purchase plan" (GPP) means a submittal pursuant to rule 4605 that describes the utility's planned purchases of gas commodity and upstream services to be used to meet sales gas demand during the gas purchase year.#

(w)"Gas purchase year" means a 12-month period from July 1 through June 30.#

(x)"Gas transportation service" means the delivery of gas commodity on the utility's pipeline system (either transmission or distribution) pursuant to any of the utility's gas transportation rate schedules on file with the Commission.#

(y)"Index price" means a published figure identifying a representative price of natural gas commodity available in a geographic area or at specific gas purchasing points during a specified time interval (i.e., daily, weekly, or monthly).#

(z)"Long-term contract" means a firm, fixed-price supply contract with an initial term of 12 months of more in duration.#

(aa)"Mil" means one-tenth of one cent ($0.001).#

(bb)"Normalized" means the process of adjusting gas quantities to reflect normal historic temperature based on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data or other data as appropriate.#

(cc)"Peak day" means a defined period (such as a 24 hour period or a three consecutive coincidental or non-coincidental day average), not less than 24 hours, during which gas commodity throughput is at its maximum level on the utility's system.#

(dd)"Propane utility" means a public utility as defined in § 40-1-103, C.R.S., that operates for the purpose of supplying the public propane but does not supply natural gas or other fuels.#

(ee)"Receipt point/area" means the point or group of points in a discrete geographic area, such as a supply basin, hub, or market area, at which the utility acquires title to the gas commodity purchased.#

(ff)"Sales gas service" means the regulated sale of gas commodity by the utility to customers on the utility's jurisdictional gas system.#

(gg)"Service level" means the type or level (whether base, swing, or peak) of gas supply service contracted for by the utility based upon the respective obligations of the supplier to deliver and sell, and the utility to take and purchase, gas commodity.#

(hh)"Upstream services" means all transmission, gathering, compression, balancing, treating, processing, storage, and like services performed by others under contract with the utility for the purpose of effectuating delivery of gas commodity to the utility's jurisdictional gas facilities.#