§3202 — Title 15 Commerce and Trade | U.S. Code

Summary

Defines key words used in this chapter. Gas consumer means a person or a state or federal agency that buys natural gas to use, not to resell. Gas utility means a person or government agency that distributes natural gas locally and sells it to final users. State regulated gas utility is a gas utility whose rates the State can set; nonregulated gas utility is any other gas utility. Rate covers prices, fees, rules, practices, and contracts about selling gas. Ratemaking authority is the power to set or change rates. Sale of gas also includes exchanges. State regulatory authority is the state agency that sets gas rates. Integrated resource planning is a way for a gas utility to compare reducing demand with supplying gas to lower life‑cycle costs while keeping reliability, diversity, dispatchability, and risk in mind. Demand‑side management includes conservation, efficiency, and load management.

Title 15, §3202

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

For purposes of this chapter—

(1)The term “gas consumer” means any person, State agency, or Federal agency, to which natural gas is sold other than for purposes of resale.

(2)The term “gas utility” means any person, State agency, or Federal agency, engaged in the local distribution of natural gas, and the sale of natural gas to any ultimate consumer of natural gas.

(3)The term “State regulated gas utility” means any gas utility with respect to which a State regulatory authority has ratemaking authority.

(4)The term “nonregulated gas utility” means any gas utility other than a State regulated gas utility.

(5)The term “rate” means any (A) price, rate, charge, or classification made, demanded, observed, or received with respect to sale of natural gas to a gas consumer, (B) any rule, regulation, or practice respecting any such rate, charge, or classification, and (C) any contract pertaining to the sale of natural gas to a gas consumer.

(6)The term “ratemaking authority” means authority to fix, modify, approve, or disapprove rates.

(7)The term “sale” when used with respect to natural gas, includes an exchange of natural gas.

(8)The term “State regulatory authority” means any State agency which has ratemaking authority with respect to the sale of natural gas by any gas utility (other than by such State agency).

(9)The term “integrated resource planning” means, in the case of a gas utility, planning by the use of any standard, regulation, practice, or policy to undertake a systematic comparison between demand-side management measures and the supply of gas by a gas utility to minimize life-cycle costs of adequate and reliable utility services to gas consumers. Integrated resource planning shall take into account necessary features for system operation such as diversity, reliability, dispatchability, and other factors of risk and shall treat demand and supply to gas consumers on a consistent and integrated basis.

(10)The term “demand-side management” includes energy conservation, energy efficiency, and load management techniques.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1992—Pars. (9), (10). Pub. L. 102–486 added pars. (9) and (10).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Additional Definitions Except as otherwise specifically provided, the definitions in section 2602 of Title 16, Conservation, apply to this chapter.

§3202 Definitions

Summary

Title 15, §3202

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Citations & Metadata