1. Definitions and Covered Entities

1.1 Definitions

1.1.1 Asset-controlling Entity

"Asset-controlling entities" are entities that operate power plants or serve as exclusive marketers for certain power plants even though they do not own them.

1.1.2 Asset-owning Entity

An "asset-owning entity" is an entity that owns power plants. Asset-owning entities may include, but are not limited to, independent power producers, qualifying facilities (QFs), investor-owned utilities (IOUs), publicly owned utilities (POUs), state agencies, federal agencies, and community choice aggregators (CCAs).

1.1.3 Emission Factor

An "emission factor" is a ratio that reflects the level of emissions of a specified pollutant per unit of specified activity, e.g., pounds of carbon dioxide (CO₂) equivalent emissions emitted per megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity produced.

1.1.4 Exchange Agreement

An "exchange agreement" is an agreement between electricity market participants that provides for an exchange of energy for energy. Exchange transactions do not involve transfers of payment or receipts of money for the full market value of the energy being exchanged, but may include payment for net differences due to market price differences between the two parts of the transaction or to settle minor imbalances.

1.1.5 Generating Unit

A "generating unit" or "unit" is comprised of one or more physically connected generator(s), reactor(s), boiler(s), combustion turbine(s), or other prime mover(s) operated together to produce electric power.

1.1.6 Marketer

A "marketer" is a Purchasing/Selling entity that is not a retail provider and that is listed as the Purchasing/Selling Entity at the first point of delivery in California for power imported into California or the last point of receipt for power exported from California.

1.1.7 Multi-jurisdictional Utilities

"Multi-jurisdictional utilities" are distribution utilities that provide electricity to end users in California and in one or more other states.

1.1.8 Null Power

"Null power" is any electricity produced by a renewable electricity facility from which a Western Renewable Energy Generation Information System (WREGIS) certificate has been unbundled and sold separately.

1.1.9 Pacific Northwest

The "Pacific Northwest" or "Northwest" region includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia.

1.1.10 Point of Delivery

A "point of delivery" is a point on an electric system where a power supplier delivers electricity to the receiver of that energy. This point can be an interconnection with another system or a substation where the transmission provider's transmission and distribution systems are connected to another system.

1.1.11 Point of Receipt

A "point of receipt" is a point on an electric system where an entity receives electricity from a supplier. This point can be an interconnection with another system or a generator busbar.

1.1.12 Power Contract

A "power contract" is an arrangement for the purchase of electricity. Power contracts may be, but are not limited to, power purchase agreements and tariff provisions.

1.1.13 Power Plant

A "power plant" or "plant" is a facility for the generation of electricity which may be comprised of one generating unit, or more than one generating unit if (a) the units are at the same location, and (b) each unit utilizes the same resource (fuel). For purposes of this Protocol, the terms "unit" and "plant" are used interchangeably, but the reporting entity shall report the quantities of electricity generated, sold, or purchased for each individual unit wholly-owned, partially-owned, or identified in power contracts as applicable.

1.1.14 Purchasing/Selling Entity

A "Purchasing/Selling Entity" is an entity that is eligible to purchase or sell energy or capacity and reserve transmission services.

1.1.15 Qualifying Facility

A "Qualifying Facility" is a cogeneration or small power production facility that meets ownership, operating, and efficiency criteria established by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) pursuant to the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act.

1.1.16 Retail Provider

"Retail provider" means an entity that provides electricity to end users in California. Thus, "retail provider" includes electrical corporations (including IOUs, multi-jurisdictional utilities, and electric cooperatives), POUs (including municipalities, municipal utility districts, public utility districts, irrigation districts, and joint power authorities), electric service providers (ESPs), CCAs, and the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA).

1.1.17 Sink

A "sink" is the final point of delivery for an electricity transaction: the actual load.

1.1.18 Southwest

The Southwest region includes Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and western New Mexico.

1.1.19 Specified Sources

"Specified sources" are generating units or power plants whose electrical generation can be tracked due to full or partial ownership by the reporting entity, or due to their identification in a power contract with the generator or marketer selling the power. Specified sources may also include federally-managed hydroelectric facilities, to the extent their power is specifically allocated to a reporting entity.

1.1.20 Substitute Energy

"Substitute energy" refers to energy delivered under a plant-specific power contract that was not produced by the plant specified in the contract.

1.1.21 Unspecified Sources

"Unspecified sources" refers to the origin of purchases of electricity that cannot be tracked to a particular power plant. Many purchases from entities that own fleets of power plants such as independent power producers, utilities, and federal power agencies, and many purchases from marketers and brokers are purchases from unspecified sources. All purchases from pooled power markets are from unspecified sources.

1.2 Reporting Entities

This Electricity Sector Greenhouse Gas Reporting and Verification Protocol (Protocol) applies to every retail provider in California. Since WAPA sells a small amount of power to end users in California, it is a retail provider and is requested to report under this Protocol. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and any other state agencies that generate or procure power for their own use from any entity that is not a retail provider are required to report, using the reporting requirements for retail providers in this Protocol, the power that they generate or procure to serve their own loads.

Additionally, the Protocol applies to all marketers that import power into or export power from California, meaning any marketer delivering electricity to the first point of delivery in California or, for exported power, delivering electricity to the first point of delivery outside California.

The reporting requirements for retail providers are contained in Section 2 of this Protocol, and the reporting requirements for marketers are contained in Section 3 of this Protocol. Section 4 describes the process by which entities may propose supplier-specific emission factors for sales or purchases from unspecified sources.

In addition to any requirements imposed by this Protocol, power plants are required to report emissions using the source-based protocol (California Code of Regulations, Title 17, Subchapter 10, Article 1, sections 95100 to 95132).