Colorado § 34-64-102 - Definitions.

§ 34-64-102. Definitions.

As used in this article 64, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) "Commission" means the energy and carbon management commission created in section 34-60-104.3 (1).

(1.3) "Local government" means a home rule or statutory county, municipality, or city and county.

(1.5) "Disproportionately impacted community" has the meaning set forth in section 24-4-109 (2)(b)(II).

(2) "Natural gas" means gas which has been produced from the earth in its original state or such gas after the same has been processed or treated.

(3) "Natural gas public utility" means any person, partnership, corporation, or association engaged in the business of transporting, distributing, or storing natural gas within this state for ultimate public consumption and either authorized to do business in this state as a public utility or authorized to do business in this state as a natural gas company as defined in the federal "Natural Gas Act", and subject to regulations by the federal power commission.

(3.5) (a) "Underground natural gas storage facility" means a facility that stores natural gas in an underground facility, including a depleted hydrocarbon reservoir, an aquifer reservoir, or a solution-mined salt cavern reservoir.

(b) "Underground natural gas storage facility" includes any of the following equipment associated with the storage of natural gas in an underground facility:

(I) Injection, withdrawal, monitoring, and observation wells;

(II) Wellbores and downhole components;

(III) Wellheads and associated wellhead piping;

(IV) Wing-valve assemblies that isolate the wellhead from connected piping beyond the wing-valve assemblies; and

(V) Any other equipment, facility, right-of-way, or building used in the storage of natural gas in an underground facility.

(c) "Underground natural gas storage facility" does not include any pipeline facilities or equipment subject to regulation by the public utilities commission.

(3.7) "Underground natural gas storage facility impacts" means, for an underground natural gas storage facility proposed to be sited in an area that would affect a disproportionately impacted community, the effect on public health and the environment, including air, water, soil, and the climate, caused by the incremental impacts that a proposed new underground natural gas storage facility would have when added to the impacts from development in the affected area.

(4) "Underground reservoir" means any subsurface sand, stratum, or formation suitable for the injection and storage of natural gas therein and the withdrawal of natural gas therefrom.

(5) "Underground storage" means the right to inject and store natural gas within and to withdraw natural gas from an underground reservoir.

Source: L. 53: p. 439, § 1. CRS 53: § 100-9-1. C.R.S. 1963: § 100-9-1. L. 73: p. 1072, § 1. L. 2023: IP and (1) amended and (1.3), (1.5), (3.5), and (3.7) added, (SB 23-285), ch. 235, p. 1244, § 12, effective July 1.

Cross references: For the "Natural Gas Act", see 15 U.S.C. § 717 et seq.