15 U.S.C. § 3202: Definitions

The term “gas consumer” means any person, State agency, or Federal agency, to which natural gas is sold other than for purposes of resale. 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. The term “State regulated gas utility” means any gas utility with respect to which a State regulatory authority has ratemaking authority. The term “nonregulated gas utility” means any gas utility other than a State regulated gas utility. 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. The term “ratemaking authority” means authority to fix, modify, approve, or disapprove rates. The term “sale” when used with respect to natural gas, includes an exchange of natural gas. 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). 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. The term “demand-side management” includes energy conservation, energy efficiency, and load management techniques.