X. Definition - Market participant

In summary, a market participant is:

1) A person or entity, or an employee of an entity, that engages in the wholesale purchase, sale or marketing of energy or capacity, or the bidding on or purchasing of power plants, or bidding on utility procurement solicitations, or consulting on such matters, subject to the limitations in 3) below.

2) A trade association or similar organization, or an employee of such organization,

a) whose primary focus in proceedings at the Commission is to advocate for persons/entities that purchase, sell or market energy or capacity at wholesale; bid on, own, or purchase power plants; or bid on utility procurement solicitations; or

b) a majority of whose members purchase, sell or market energy or capacity at wholesale; bid on, own, or purchase power plants; or bid on utility procurement solicitations; or

c) formed for the purpose of obtaining market sensitive information; or

d) controlled or primarily funded by a person or entity whose primary purpose is to purchase, sell or market
energy or capacity at wholesale; bid on, own, or purchase power plants; or bid on utility procurement solicitations.

3) A person or entity that meets the criteria of 1) above is nonetheless not a market participant for purpose of access to market sensitive data unless the person/entity seeking access to market sensitive information has the potential to materially affect the price paid or received for electricity if in possession of such information. An entity will be considered not to have such potential if:

a) the person or entity's participation in the California electricity market is de minimis in nature. In the resource adequacy proceeding (R.05-12-013) it was determined in D.06-06-064 § 3.3.2 that the resource adequacy requirement should be rounded to the nearest megawatt (MW), and load serving entities (LSEs) with local resource adequacy requirements less than 1 MW are not required to make a showing. Therefore, a de minimis amount of energy would be less than 1 MW of capacity per year, and/or an equivalent of energy; and/or

b) the person or entity has no ability to dictate the price of electricity it purchases or sells because such price is set by a process over which the person or entity has no control, i.e., where the prices for power put to the grid are completely overseen by the Commission, such as subject to a standard offer contract or tariff price. A person or entity that currently has no ability to dictate the price of electricity it purchases or sells under this section, but that will have such ability within one year because its contract is expiring or other circumstances are changing, does not meet this exception; and/or

c) the person or entity is a cogenerator that consumes all the power it generates in its own industrial and commercial processes, if it can establish a legitimate need for market sensitive information.