4 Colo. Code Regs. § 723-4-4601

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 22, November 25, 2024

Section 4 CCR 723-4-4601 - Definitions

The following definitions apply to rules 4600 through 4609 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 System of Accounts used to accumulate actual under-or-over recovered gas supply costs.

(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 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) "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.

(p) "Gas purchase report" (GPR) means a report pursuant to rule 4607 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.

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

(r) "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.

(s) "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).

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

(u) "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.

(v) "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.

(w) "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.

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

(y) "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.

(z) "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.

4 CCR 723-4-4601

38 CR 17, September 10, 2015, effective 9/30/2015

40 CR 01, January 10, 2017, effective 1/30/2017

41 CR 11, June 10, 2018, effective 6/30/2018

42 CR 07, April 10, 2019, effective 4/30/2019

43 CR 08, April 25, 2020, effective 5/15/2020

44 CR 04, February 25, 2021, effective 3/17/2021

44 CR 24, December 25, 2021, effective 1/14/2022

45 CR 18, September 25, 2022, effective 10/15/2022

46 CR 06, March 25, 2023, effective 1/25/2023

46 CR 08, April 25, 2023, effective 5/15/2023