Section 550.10  Definitions

            "Act" means the Public Utilities Act [220 ILCS 5].

            "Affiliated interest" has the same meaning as in Section 7-101(2) of the Act.

            "Affiliated interests in competition with alternative retail gas suppliers" shall include affiliated alternative retail gas suppliers that provide services to customers within the service territory of the gas utility with which it is affiliated, as well as affiliated interests that broker, sell, or market gas to customers within the service territory of the gas utility with which it is affiliated, or that provide consulting services directly related to the sale of gas to customers within the service territory of the utility with which it is affiliated.

            "Alternative retail gas supplier" or "ARGS" means any entity that provides or arranges to provide gas supplies to a retail customer. A gas utility is not an ARGS where it is the final conveyer of gas to the retail customer.

            "Corporate support" means corporate oversight and governance involving administrative services (including travel administration, security, printing, graphics, custodial services, secretarial support, mail services, and records management), financial management services (including accounting, treasury, internal audit, tax, and financial reporting and planning), data processing, shareholder services, human resources, employee benefits, regulatory affairs, legal services, lobbying, and non-marketing research and development activities. Corporate support also includes strategic planning.

            "Emergency support" means the temporary provision of personnel and other resources when consumer safety is at risk or to help maintain service during emergencies where interruption of service can only be avoided or reduced through the sharing of employees.

            "Gas utility" is a public utility, as defined in Section 3-105 of the Act [220 ILCS 5/3-105], that is engaged in the conveyance of gas by pipeline.

            "Transportation services" are those services provided by a gas utility that enable a customer to obtain gas supplies from an ARGS.

            "Unaffiliated entity" means any entity other than either the gas utility or any of the gas utility's affiliated interests.