The definitions in this
section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly
requires otherwise.
(1) "Biomass generation" means electricity derived from
burning solid organic fuels from wood, forest, or field residue,
or dedicated energy crops that do not include wood pieces that
have been treated with chemical preservatives such as creosote,
pentachlorophenol, or copper-chroma-arsenic.
(2) "Bonneville power administration system mix" means a
generation mix sold by the Bonneville power administration that
is net of any resource specific sales and that is net of any
electricity sold to direct service industrial customers, as
defined in section 3(8) of the Pacific Northwest electric power
planning and conservation act (16 U.S.C. Sec. 839(a)(8)).
(3) "Coal generation" means the electricity produced by a
generating facility that burns coal as the primary fuel source.
(4) "Commission" means the utilities and transportation
commission.
(5) "Conservation" means an increase in efficiency in the
use of energy use that yields a decrease in energy consumption
while providing the same or higher levels of service. Conservation includes low-income weatherization programs.
(6) "Consumer-owned utility" means a municipal electric
utility formed under Title 35 RCW, a public utility district
formed under Title 54 RCW, an irrigation district formed under
chapter 87.03 RCW, a cooperative formed under chapter 23.86 RCW,
or a mutual corporation or association formed under chapter 24.06 RCW, that is engaged in the business of distributing electricity
to more than one retail electric customer in the state.
(7) "Declared resource" means an electricity source
specifically identified by a retail supplier to serve retail
electric customers. A declared resource includes a stated
quantity of electricity tied directly to a specified generation
facility or set of facilities either through ownership or
contract purchase, or a contractual right to a stated quantity of
electricity from a specified generation facility or set of
facilities.
(8) "Department" means the *department of community, trade,
and economic development.
(9) "Electricity information coordinator" means the
organization selected by the department under RCW 19.29A.080 to:
(a) Compile generation data in the Northwest power pool by
generating project and by resource category; (b) compare the
quantity of electricity from declared resources reported by
retail suppliers with available generation from such resources;
(c) calculate the net system power mix; and (d) coordinate with
other comparable organizations in the western interconnection.
(10) "Electric meters in service" means those meters that
record in at least nine of twelve calendar months in any calendar
year not less than two hundred fifty kilowatt hours per month.
(11) "Electricity product" means the electrical energy
produced by a generating facility or facilities that a retail
supplier sells or offers to sell to retail electric customers in
the state of Washington, provided that nothing in this title
shall be construed to mean that electricity is a good or product
for the purposes of Title 62A RCW, or any other purpose. It does
not include electrical energy generated on-site at a retail
electric customer's premises.
(12) "Electric utility" means a consumer-owned or
investor-owned utility as defined in this section.
(13) "Electricity" means electric energy measured in
kilowatt hours, or electric capacity measured in kilowatts, or
both.
(14) "Fuel mix" means the actual or imputed sources of
electricity sold to retail electric customers, expressed in terms
of percentage contribution by resource category. The total fuel
mix included in each disclosure shall total one hundred percent.
(15) "Geothermal generation" means electricity derived from
thermal energy naturally produced within the earth.
(16) "Governing body" means the council of a city or town,
the commissioners of an irrigation district, municipal electric
utility, or public utility district, or the board of directors of
an electric cooperative or mutual association that has the
authority to set and approve rates.
(17) "High efficiency cogeneration" means electricity
produced by equipment, such as heat or steam used for industrial,
commercial, heating, or cooling purposes, that meets the federal
energy regulatory commission standards for qualifying facilities
under the public utility regulatory policies act of 1978.
(18) "Hydroelectric generation" means a power source created
when water flows from a higher elevation to a lower elevation and
the flow is converted to electricity in one or more generators at
a single facility.
(19) "Investor-owned utility" means a company owned by
investors that meets the definition of RCW 80.04.010 and is
engaged in distributing electricity to more than one retail
electric customer in the state.
(20) "Landfill gas generation" means electricity produced by
a generating facility that uses waste gases produced by the
decomposition of organic materials in landfills.
(21) "Natural gas generation" means electricity produced by
a generating facility that burns natural gas as the primary fuel
source.
(22) "Northwest power pool" means the generating resources
included in the United States portion of the Northwest power pool
area as defined by the western systems coordinating council.
(23) "Net system power mix" means the fuel mix in the
Northwest power pool, net of: (a) Any declared resources in the
Northwest power pool identified by in-state retail suppliers or
out-of-state entities that offer electricity for sale to retail
electric customers; (b) any electricity sold by the Bonneville
power administration to direct service industrial customers; and
(c) any resource specific sales made by the Bonneville power
administration.
(24) "Oil generation" means electricity produced by a
generating facility that burns oil as the primary fuel source.
(25) "Proprietary customer information" means: (a)
Information that relates to the source and amount of electricity
used by a retail electric customer, a retail electric customer's
payment history, and household data that is made available by the
customer solely by virtue of the utility-customer relationship;
and (b) information contained in a retail electric customer's
bill.
(26) "Renewable resources" means electricity generation
facilities fueled by: (a) Water; (b) wind; (c) solar energy; (d)
geothermal energy; (e) landfill gas; or (f) biomass energy based
on solid organic fuels from wood, forest, or field residues, or
dedicated energy crops that do not include wood pieces that have
been treated with chemical preservatives such as creosote,
pentachlorophenol, or copper-chrome-arsenic.
(27) "Resale" means the purchase and subsequent sale of
electricity for profit, but does not include the purchase and the
subsequent sale of electricity at the same rate at which the
electricity was purchased.
(28) "Retail electric customer" means a person or entity
that purchases electricity for ultimate consumption and not for
resale.
(29) "Retail supplier" means an electric utility that offers
an electricity product for sale to retail electric customers in
the state.
(30) "Small utility" means any consumer-owned utility with
twenty-five thousand or fewer electric meters in service, or that
has an average of seven or fewer customers per mile of
distribution line.
(31) "Solar generation" means electricity derived from
radiation from the sun that is directly or indirectly converted
to electrical energy.
(32) "State" means the state of Washington.
(33) "Waste incineration generation" means electricity
derived from burning solid or liquid wastes from businesses,
households, municipalities, or waste treatment operations.
(34) "Wind generation" means electricity created by movement
of air that is converted to electrical energy.
[2000 c 213 § 2; 1998 c 300 § 2.]
NOTES:
*Reviser's note: The "department of community, trade, and economic development" was renamed the "department of commerce" by 2009 c 565.