Section 170IAC14-1-1. Definitions

   (a) The definitions in this section apply throughout this rule.

  (b) "Application for rate change" means an application, filed with the commission by a utility in accordance with section 2 of this rule, that:

(1) functions as a petition or in support of a petition for rate change; and

(2) may include a financing authority request.

  (c) "Commission" means the Indiana utility regulatory commission.

  (d) "Customer" means any person, firm, corporation, municipality, or other government agency that has agreed, orally or otherwise, to pay for service received from a small utility, provided that, for the purposes of this rule, any customer as defined in this subsection who:

(1) has more than one (1) connection; and

(2) is rendered an individual bill for each such connection;

shall be counted as one (1) customer for each connection.

  (e) "Incomplete application" means an application filed under section 2 of this rule in which either one (1) or more of the elements specified is missing or incomplete. Any blank not filled in or any interrogatory not answered in the form prescribed under section 2(a)(3) of this rule constitutes an incomplete element and therefore an incomplete application.

  (f) "OUCC" means the Indiana office of utility consumer counselor.

  (g) "Request for a formal public hearing" means:

(1) a written statement that a formal public hearing is wanted;

(2) filed with the secretary of the commission; and

(3) signed by those making the request who meet at least one (1) of the following standing requirements:

(A) A public or municipal corporation.

(B) Ten (10) individuals, firms, corporations, or associations.

(C) Ten (10) complainants of all or any of these classes affected by the proposed rate change.

(D) The OUCC.

  (h) "Small utility" means any public or municipally owned utility subject to the jurisdiction of the commission that:

(1) serves less than five thousand (5,000) customers as of the date any application for rate change is filed;

(2) primarily provides retail service to customers; and

(3) does not serve extensively another utility.

  (i) "Small utility rate change application form" means that current set of forms, schedules, blanks, and instructions generated by the commission and made available to those who would petition for a rate change under section 2 of this rule. The commission staff shall develop the set of forms, schedules, blanks, and instructions that comprise the small utility rate change application form. The forms may be revised from time to time as circumstances dictate. Furthermore, commission staff may periodically establish and publish generic rates of return for each type of utility to be used by utilities when submitting a small utility application form. (Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission; 170 IAC 14-1-1; filed Jul 11, 1986, 9:47 a.m.: 9 IR 2918; errata, 10 IR 254; filed Jun 19, 1991, 3:45 p.m.: 14 IR 1945; readopted filed Jul 11, 2001, 4:30 p.m.: 24 IR 4233; readopted filed Apr 24, 2007, 8:21 a.m.: 20070509-IR-170070147RFA; filed Apr 21, 2008, 3:23 p.m.: 20080521-IR-170070830FRA; errata filed Jul 21, 2009, 1:33 p.m.: 20090819-IR-170090571ACA; readopted filed Jul 29, 2014, 8:39 a.m.: 20140827-IR-170140181RFA)