Rule 515-7-8-.02. Definitions

Terms used in these rules have the following meaning:

1. (a) "Act" means the Natural Gas Competition and Deregulation Act, as provided for in Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.) § 46-4-150 et seq.
2. (b) "Ancillary service" means a service that provides necessary support to the receipt or delivery of natural gas, including without limitation, storage, balancing, peaking, and customer services.
3. (c) "Benchmark" means a standard or point of reference against which a Service Quality Measure (SQM) may be compared or assessed. For the purposes of this rule, the Commission has established benchmarks for several Service Quality Measures (SQMs).
4. (d) "Commission" means the Georgia Public Service Commission.
5. (e) "Commodity sales service" means the sale of natural gas exclusive of any distribution or ancillary service.
6. (f) "Consumer" means a retail customer of commodity sales service or of firm distribution service who uses such service or services primarily for personal, family, or household purposes.
7. (g) "Customer," for the purpose of this rule, shall have the same meaning as the term "consumer."
8. (h) "Customer service" means a function related to serving a retail customer including without limitation, billing, meter reading, turn-on service, and turn-off service. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, any person may perform one or more customer services without first becoming certificated in accordance with O.C.G.A. § 46-4-153; provided however, that such service may only be performed in compliance with all state and federal laws pertaining to the safety of natural gas pipelines and distribution systems and any other applicable safety standards.
9. (i) "Data Reporting Filing" means the Marketer's monthly filing of the tracked data within a recording period.
10. (j) "Distribution service" means the delivery of natural gas by and through the intrastate instrumentalities and facilities of a gas company or of a marketer certificated pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 46-4-153, regardless of the party having title to the natural gas.
11. (k) "Electing Distribution Company" or "EDC" means a gas company that elects to become subject to the provisions of the Act and satisfies the requirements of O.C.G.A. § 46-4-154.
12. (l) "Gas" means natural gas.
13. (m) "Gas company" means any person to whom a certificate of public convenience and necessity has been issued by the Commission to own, operate, acquire, or construct any intrastate pipeline or distribution system, or any extension thereof, for the sale of natural gas.
14. (n) "Interruptible" means a type of distribution service that is subject to interruption or curtailment.
15. (o) "Marketer" means any person certificated by the Commission to provide commodity sales service or distribution service pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 46-4-153 or ancillary services incident thereto. For purposes of this Rule, the term Marketer includes the Regulated Provider as a separate entity from any other Marketers.
16. (p) "Recording period" means the month in which required data is tracked pursuant to the Commission approved SQMs rules.
17. (q) "Remediation period" means the time allowed by this rule for a marketer to correct its failure to meet a service quality measure (SQM) benchmark.
18. (r) "Regulated provider of natural gas" means the entity selected by the Commission to provide consumers with natural gas commodity service and ancillary services incident thereto in accordance with O.C.G.A. § 46-4-166.
19. (s) "Retail customer" or "retail purchaser" means a person who purchases commodity sales service or distribution service, and such purchase is not for the purpose of resale.
20. (t) "Staff" means the Georgia Public Service Commission Staff.
21. (u) "Passing Remediation" means a Marketer has successfully met an SQM benchmark established by the Commission during the Remediation Period as defined in section 515-7-8-.12. If the Marketer does not achieve a passing remediation, it is considered a failed remediation, and the Marketer will be subject to a penalty.

Authority: O.C.G.A. § 46-2-30.

History. Original Rule entitled "Definitions" adopted. F. Sept. 3, 2002; eff. Sept. 23, 2002.

Amended: F. July 23, 2018; eff. August 12, 2018.

Amended: F. Jan. 16, 2025; eff. Feb. 5, 2025.