This part may be cited as the “Public Utilities Act.”

Neither this part nor any provision thereof, except when specifically so stated, shall apply to commerce with foreign nations or to interstate commerce, except insofar as such application is permitted under the Constitution and laws of the United States; but with reference to passenger stage corporations operating in interstate commerce between any point within this State and any point in any other state or in any foreign nation, the commission may prescribe such reasonable, uniform and nondiscriminatory rules in the interest and aid of public health, security, convenience, and general welfare as, in its opinion, are required by public convenience and necessity.

Unless the context otherwise requires, the definitions and general provisions set forth in this chapter govern the construction of this part.

“Corporation” includes a corporation, a company, an association, and a joint stock association.

“Person” includes an individual, a firm, and a copartnership.

As used in this chapter “person” and “corporation” include the lessees, trustees, receivers or trustees appointed by any court whatsoever, of the person or corporation.

“Public or any portion thereof” means the public generally, or any limited portion of the public, including a person, private corporation, municipality, or other political subdivision of the State, for which the service is performed or to which the commodity is delivered.

“Transportation of persons” includes every service in connection with or incidental to the safety, comfort, or convenience of the person transported and the receipt, carriage, and delivery of such person and his baggage.

“Transportation of property” includes every service in connection with or incidental to the transportation of property, including in particular its receipt, delivery, elevation, transfer, switching, carriage, ventilation, refrigeration, icing, dunnage, storage, and handling, and the transmission of credit by express corporations.

“Rates” includes rates, fares, tolls, rentals, and charges, unless the context indicates otherwise.

“Common carrier” means every person and corporation providing transportation for compensation to or for the public or any portion thereof, except as otherwise provided in this part.

“Common carrier” includes:

the same industry.

With respect to a motor vehicle used in the transportation of passengers for compensation by a passenger stage corporation, “owner” means the corporation or person who is registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles as the owner of the vehicle, or who has a legal right to possession of the vehicle pursuant to a lease or rental agreement.

“Between fixed termini or over a regular route” means the termini or route between which, or over which any passenger stage corporation usually or ordinarily operates any passenger stage, even though there may be departures from the termini or route, whether these departures are periodic or irregular.

“Food products for human consumption” means articles used for human food or drink and articles used as components of any of those articles.

“Nonfood product” means any article, material, substance, or product which is not food.

common carrier, toll bridge corporation, pipeline corporation, gas corporation, electrical corporation, telephone corporation, telegraph corporation, water corporation, sewer system corporation, or heat corporation performs a service for, or delivers a commodity to, the public or any portion thereof for which any compensation or payment whatsoever is received, that common carrier, toll bridge corporation, pipeline corporation, gas corporation, electrical corporation, telephone corporation, telegraph corporation, water corporation, sewer system corporation, or heat corporation, is a public utility subject to the jurisdiction, control, and regulation of the commission and the provisions of this part.

immediately, performs that service for, or delivers that commodity to, the public or any portion thereof, that person or corporation is a public utility subject to the jurisdiction, control, and regulation of the commission and the provisions of this part.

publicly owned public utility, or to the public or any portion thereof, is not a public utility within the meaning of this section solely by reason of engaging in any of those activities.

to the ownership or operation of that facility.

because of that ownership, control, operation, or management. For purposes of this subdivision, “light duty plug-in electric vehicles” includes light duty battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. This subdivision does not affect the commission’s authority under Section 454 or 740.2 or any other applicable statute.

Notwithstanding Section 216, “public utility” does not include a motor carrier of property.

“Cable television corporation” shall mean any corporation or firm which transmits television programs by cable to subscribers for a fee.

“Cogeneration” means the sequential use of energy for the production of electrical and useful thermal energy. The sequence can be thermal use followed by power production or the reverse, subject to the following standards: