Xcel Energy 2009 Annual Report Download - page 14

SEC Securities and Exchange Commission
WDNR Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Electric, Purchased Gas and Resource
Adjustment Clauses
AQIR Air quality improvement rider. Recovers, over a 15-year period, the incremental cost (including
fuel and purchased energy) incurred by PSCo as a result of a voluntary plan to reduce emissions
and improve air quality in the Denver metro area.
DSM Demand side management. Energy conservation, weatherization and other programs to conserve
or manage energy use by customers.
DSMCA Demand side management cost adjustment. A clause permitting PSCo to recover demand side
management costs over five years while non-labor incremental expenses and carrying costs
associated with deferred DSM costs are recovered on an annual basis. Costs for the low-income
energy assistance program are recovered through the DSMCA.
ECA Retail electric commodity adjustment. Allows PSCo to recover its actual fuel and purchased
energy expense in a calendar year to a benchmark formula. Short-term sales margins and
margins from the sale of SO2 allowances are shared with retail customers through the ECA.
FCA Fuel clause adjustment. A clause included in electric rate schedules that provides for monthly
rate adjustments to reflect the actual cost of electric fuel and purchased energy compared to a
prior forecast. The difference between the electric costs collected through the FCA rates and the
actual costs incurred in a month are collected or refunded in a subsequent period.
GCA Gas cost adjustment. Allows PSCo to recover its actual costs of purchased natural gas and
natural gas transportation. The GCA is revised monthly to coincide with changes in purchased
gas costs.
OATT Open Access Transmission Tariff
PCCA Purchased capacity cost adjustment. Allows PSCo to recover from retail customers for all
purchased capacity payments to power suppliers, effective Jan. 1, 2007. Capacity charges are not
included in PSCo’s electric rates or other recovery mechanisms.
PGA Purchased gas adjustment. A clause included in NSP-Minnesota’s and NSP-Wisconsin’s retail
natural gas rate schedules that provides for prospective monthly rate adjustments to reflect the
forecasted cost of purchased natural gas and natural gas transportation. The annual difference
between the natural gas costs collected through PGA rates and the actual natural gas costs is
collected or refunded over the subsequent period.
QSP Quality of service plan. Provides for bill credits to retail customers if the utility does not achieve
certain operational performance targets and/or specific capital investments for reliability. The
current QSP for the PSCo electric utility provides for bill credits to customers based on
operational performance standards through Dec. 31, 2010. The QSP for the PSCo natural gas
utility also expires Dec. 31, 2010.
RES Renewable energy standard
RESA Renewable energy standard adjustment
SCA Steam cost adjustment. Allows PSCo to recover the difference between its actual cost of fuel and
the amount of these costs recovered under its base steam service rates. The SCA is revised
annually to coincide with changes in fuel costs.
SEP State Energy Policy
TCR Transmission cost recovery adjustment. Allows NSP-Minnesota to recover the cost of
transmission facilities not included in the determination of NSP-Minnesota’s electric rates in
retail electric rates in Minnesota. The TCR was approved by the MPUC in 2006 to be effective
in 2007, and will be revised annually as new transmission investments and costs are incurred.
Other Terms and Abbreviations
ACES American Clean Energy and Security Act
AEP American Electric Power
AFUDC Allowance for funds used during construction. Defined in regulatory accounts as non-cash
accounting convention that represents the estimated composite interest costs of debt and a
return on equity funds used to finance construction. The allowance is capitalized in property
accounts and included in income.
ALJ Administrative law judge. A judge presiding over regulatory proceedings.
ARC Aggregator of Retail Customers
ARO Asset retirement obligation. Obligations associated with the retirement of tangible long-lived
assets and the associated asset retirement costs.
ASC FASB Accounting Standards Codification
ASM Ancillary Services Market
BACT Best Available Control Technology
BART Best Available Retrofit Technology
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