2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 40 - UTILITIES (§§ 40-1-101 — 40-43-104) › PUBLIC UTILITIES (§§ 40-1-101 — 40-17.5-105) › GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE (§§ 40-1-101 — 40-9.8-104) › Article 3.3 - GAS INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING (§§ 40-3.3-101 — 40-3.3-103) › Section 40-3.3-101 - [Effective 8/7/2024] Definitions

As used in this article 3.3, unless the context otherwise requires:
(1)
"Alternative energy service" means a low- or zero-carbon residential, commercial, or industrial energy service that is able to meet a customer's end use need and does not combust methane-, propane-, or petroleum-derived gas on site in doing so.
(2)
"Colorado energy office" means the Colorado energy office created in section 24-38.5-101.
(3)
"Distribution system" has the meaning set forth in section 40-2-115 (2)(b) and includes the piping and associated facilities used to deliver geological gas or recovered methane.
(4)
"Dual-fuel utility" means an investor-owned utility in which one company or a subsidiary of the same company operates both an electric and a gas utility that have service territories in the state where greater than fifty percent of all customers in those territories receive both gas and electric service from a utility operated by that company or a subsidiary of the same company.
(5)
"Gas" means natural or geological gas, recovered methane, or any mixture of natural or geological gas or recovered methane that is transported by a common carrier or dedicated pipeline, including flammable gas; manufactured gas; petroleum or other hydrocarbon gases, such as propane; or any mixture of fossil gases that is injected into a pipeline and transmitted, distributed, or furnished by a utility.
(6)
"Gas infrastructure plan" means a requirement for gas utilities established by the commission that is designed to establish a process to determine the need for, and potential alternatives to, capital investment, consistent with the objectives of maintaining just and reasonable rates; ensuring system safety, reliability, and resiliency; and protecting income-qualified utility customers and disproportionately impacted communities.
(7)
"Gas planning pilot community" means a local government in which constituents have gas service provided by a dual-fuel utility and an active franchise agreement with the dual-fuel utility, which local government formally indicates an interest in working with the dual-fuel utility to mutually explore opportunities for neighborhood-scale alternatives projects, including through the exchange of utility gas infrastructure data and community development plans.
(8)
"Greenhouse gas reduction goals" means the state's greenhouse gas reduction goals described in section 25-7-102 (2)(g).
(9)
"Income-qualified utility customer" has the meaning set forth in section 40-3-106 (1)(d)(II).
(10)
"Local government" means a home rule or statutory county, city, or city and county.
(11)
"Neighborhood-scale alternatives project" means a project in a gas planning pilot community:
(a)
Where a dual-fuel utility:
(I)
Provides both gas and electric service;
(II)
Provides gas service and a municipally owned utility operated by the gas planning pilot community provides electric service; or
(III)
Provides gas service and a cooperative electric association that serves a gas planning pilot community has voluntarily partnered with the dual-fuel utility; and
(b)
That geographically targets decommissioning a portion of the gas distribution system or avoids expanding the gas distribution system in order to serve new construction projects and provides alternative energy service to buildings within the project area that reduces future greenhouse gas emissions required to serve buildings.
(12)
"Nonemitting thermal resource" means efficient thermal energy for heating, cooling, or hot water, which energy does not require combustion of gas, such as an air-source heat pump, as defined in section 39-22-554 (2)(a); a ground-source heat pump, as defined in section 39-22-554 (2)(g); a heat pump water heater; a thermal energy system; or a thermal energy network.
(13)
"Pipeline segment" means a discrete portion of the distribution system and all ancillary structures, valves, and other systems needed to distribute gas. A pipeline segment must be the smallest incremental unit possible, as defined by pipeline materials, geographical features, and the design of the distribution system.
(14)
"Thermal energy network" has the meaning set forth in section 40-3.2-108 (2)(s).
(15)
"Thermal energy system" has the meaning set forth in section 40-3.2-108 (2)(t).
Added by 2024 Ch. 220,§ 1, eff. 8/7/2024.
2024 Ch. 220, was passed without a safety clause. See Colo. Const. art. V, § 1(3).