For the purposes of this article, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(a)
“Consumer” means any individual, governmental body, trust, business entity or nonprofit organization which consumes electricity that has been transmitted or distributed by means of electric transmission or distribution facilities, whether those electric transmission or distribution facilities are owned by the consumer, the recovery corporation, or any other party.
(b)
“Financing entity” means the recovery corporation or any subsidiary or affiliate of the recovery corporation that is authorized by the commission to issue recovery bonds or acquire recovery property, or both.
(c)
“Financing order” means an order of the commission adopted in accordance with this article, which shall include, without limitation, a procedure to require the expeditious approval by the commission of periodic adjustments to fixed recovery amounts and to any associated fixed recovery tax amounts included in that financing order to ensure recovery of all recovery costs and the costs associated with the proposed recovery, financing, or refinancing thereof, including the costs of servicing and retiring the recovery bonds contemplated by the financing order.
(d)
“Fixed recovery amounts” means those nonbypassable rates and other charges, including, but not limited to, distribution, connection, disconnection, and termination rates and charges, that are authorized by the commission in a financing order to recover (1) recovery costs specified in the financing order, and (2) the costs of recovering, financing, or refinancing those recovery costs through a plan approved by the commission in the financing order, including the costs of servicing and retiring recovery bonds.
(e)
“Fixed recovery tax amounts” means those nonbypassable rates and other charges, including, but not limited to, distribution, connection, disconnection, and termination rates and charges, that are needed to recover federal and State of California income and franchise taxes associated with fixed recovery amounts authorized by the commission in the financing order and that are not financed from proceeds of recovery bonds.
(f)
“Recovery bonds” means bonds, notes, certificates of participation or beneficial interest, or other evidences of indebtedness or ownership, issued pursuant to an executed indenture or other agreement of a financing entity, the proceeds of which are used, directly or indirectly, to recover, finance, or refinance recovery costs, and that are directly or indirectly secured by, or payable from, recovery property.
(g)
“Recovery corporation” means Pacific Gas and Electric Company, the electrical corporation described in the commission’s Decision No. 03-12-035.
(h)
“Recovery costs” means (1) the unamortized balance of the regulatory asset arising and existing pursuant to the commission’s Decision No. 03-12-035, (2) federal and State of California income and franchise taxes associated with recovery of the unamortized balance of that regulatory asset, (3) costs of issuing recovery bonds, and (4) professional fees, consultant fees, redemption premiums, tender premiums and other costs incurred by the recovery corporation in using proceeds of recovery bonds to acquire outstanding securities of the recovery corporation.
(i)
(1)“Recovery property” means the property right created pursuant to this article, including, without limitation, the right, title, and interest of the recovery corporation or its transferee:
(A)
In and to the tariff established pursuant to a financing order, as adjusted from time to time in accordance with Section 848.1 and the financing order.
(B)
To be paid the amount that is determined in a financing order to be the amount that the recovery corporation or its transferee is lawfully entitled to receive pursuant to the provisions of this article and the proceeds thereof, and in and to all revenues, collections, claims, payments, money, or proceeds of or arising from the tariff or constituting fixed recovery amounts that are the subject of a financing order including those nonbypassable rates and other charges referred to in subdivision (d).
(C)
In and to all rights to obtain adjustments to the tariff relating to fixed recovery amounts pursuant to the terms of Section 848.1 and the financing order.
(2)
“Recovery property” shall not include the right to be paid fixed recovery tax amounts.
(3)
“Recovery property” shall constitute a current property right notwithstanding the fact that the value of the property right will depend on consumers using electricity or, in those instances where consumers are customers of the recovery corporation, the recovery corporation performing certain services.
(j)
“Service territory” means the geographical area that the recovery corporation provided with electric distribution service as of December 19, 2003.