As used in sections 5727.80 to 5727.95 of the Revised Code:

(A) "Electric distribution company" means either of the following:

(1) A person who distributes electricity through a meter of an end user in this state or to an unmetered location in this state;

(2) The end user of electricity in this state, if the end user obtains electricity that is not distributed or transmitted to the end user by an electric distribution company that is required to remit the tax imposed by section 5727.81 of the Revised Code.

Electric distribution company" does not include an end user of electricity in this state who self-generates electricity that is used directly by that end user on the same site that the electricity is generated or a person that donates all of the electricity the person generates to a political subdivision of the state. Division (A)(2) of this section shall not apply to a political subdivision in this state that is the end user of electricity that is donated to the political subdivision.

(B) "Kilowatt hour" means one thousand watt hours of electricity.

(C) For an electric distribution company, "meter of an end user in this state" means the last meter used to measure the kilowatt hours distributed by an electric distribution company to a location in this state, or the last meter located outside of this state that is used to measure the kilowatt hours consumed at a location in this state.

(D) "Person" has the same meaning as in section 5701.01 of the Revised Code, but also includes a political subdivision of the state.

(E) "Municipal electric utility" means a municipal corporation that owns or operates a system for the distribution of electricity.

(F) "Qualified end user" means an end user of electricity that satisfies either of the following criteria:

(1) The end user uses more than three million kilowatt hours of electricity at one manufacturing location in this state for a calendar day for use in a qualifying manufacturing process.

(2) The end user uses electricity at a manufacturing location in this state for use in a chlor-alkali manufacturing process but, if the end user uses electricity distributed by a municipal electric utility, the end user can only be a "qualified end user" upon obtaining the consent of the legislative authority of the municipal corporation that owns or operates the utility.

(G) "Qualified regeneration" means a process to convert electricity to a form of stored energy by means such as using electricity to compress air for storage or to pump water to an elevated storage reservoir, if such stored energy is subsequently used to generate electricity for sale to others primarily during periods when there is peak demand for electricity.

(H) "Qualified regeneration meter" means the last meter used to measure electricity used in a qualified regeneration process.

(I) "Qualifying manufacturing process" means an electrochemical manufacturing process or a chlor-alkali manufacturing process.

(J) "Self-assessing purchaser" means a purchaser that meets all the requirements of, and pays the excise tax in accordance with, division (C) of section 5727.81 of the Revised Code.

(K) "Natural gas distribution company" means a natural gas company or a combined company, as defined in section 5727.01 of the Revised Code, that is subject to the excise tax imposed by section 5727.24 of the Revised Code and that distributes natural gas through a meter of an end user in this state or to an unmetered location in this state.

(L) "MCF" means one thousand cubic feet.

(M) For a natural gas distribution company, "meter of an end user in this state" means the last meter used to measure the MCF of natural gas distributed by a natural gas distribution company to a location in this state, or the last meter located outside of this state that is used to measure the natural gas consumed at a location in this state.

(N) "Flex customer" means an industrial or a commercial facility that has consumed more than one billion cubic feet of natural gas a year at a single location during any of the previous five years, or an industrial or a commercial end user of natural gas that purchases natural gas distribution services from a natural gas distribution company at discounted rates or charges established in any of the following:

(1) A special arrangement subject to review and regulation by the public utilities commission under section 4905.31 of the Revised Code;

(2) A special arrangement with a natural gas distribution company pursuant to a municipal ordinance;

(3) A variable rate schedule that permits rates to vary between defined amounts, provided that the schedule is on file with the public utilities commission.

An end user that meets this definition on January 1, 2000, or thereafter is a "flex customer" for purposes of determining the rate of taxation under division (D) of section 5727.811 of the Revised Code.

(O) "Electrochemical manufacturing process" means the performance of an electrochemical reaction in which electrons from direct current electricity remain a part of the product being manufactured. "Electrochemical manufacturing process" does not include a chlor-alkali manufacturing process.

(P) "Chlor-alkali manufacturing process" means a process that uses electricity to produce chlorine and other chemicals through the electrolysis of a salt solution.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 49, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2017.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 64, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2015.

Effective Date: 12-21-2000 .