Unless otherwise specified, the following definitions will apply when used in this rule:

1. A. energy efficiency means measures, including energy conservation measures, or programs that target consumer behavior, equipment or devices to result in a decrease in consumption of natural gas without reducing the amount or quality of energy services;
2. B. integrated resource plan (IRP) means a public utility’s plan to meet New Mexico jurisdictional retail customers existing and future demand, which for natural gas utilities incorporates the evaluation of supply- and demand-side options that create a reliable resource mix to accommodate customer demand;
3. C. load and resources table means an accounting and comparison of a utility’s firm gas supplies with its peak customer obligations and reserve requirements for each year of the planning period;
4. D. load management means measures or programs that target equipment or devices to result in decreased peak demand or shifting demand from peak to off-peak periods;
5. E. load forecasting means the prediction of the demand for an energy commodity over each of the succeeding four to ten years for the utility’s New Mexico jurisdictional utility system;
6. F. planning period means the future period for which a utility develops its IRP; for purposes of this rule, the planning period is four to ten years and begins the year the utility files its plan with the commission;
7. G. public advisory process means the process through which a public utility provides information to interested parties and receives input from interested parties during the development of its IRP;
8. H. resources means supply-side resources, energy efficiency or renewable resources used to meet utility system requirements;
9. I. supply side resource means a resource that can provide natural gas supplies to the natural gas utility’s transmission and distribution pipeline systems; supply side resources include utility owned generating facilities, and capacity purchased from other utilities and non utilities.

[17.7.4.7 NMAC - N, 4-16-07]