323 – Customer’s Receipt and Use of Electric Energy

323.1 Receipt of Electric Energy

A. Exclusive Use
When electric service is available, Customer shall purchase from the Cooperative all electric energy and service required to be used by Customer from a single consuming installation.
Customer may not connect his lines to another source of electric energy in a manner that may permit electric energy to flow into Cooperative’s system from such source without a written agreement with the Cooperative.

B. Customer’s Installation
Customer shall at all times maintain his/her installation in accordance with the latest revision of the National Electrical Code published by the National Fire Protection Association and/or The National Electrical Safety Code published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. as well as other applicable standards that may be imposed by law, ordinance or regulation.

323.2 Customers Use of Electric Energy

A. Permitted Uses
Electric energy provided through Cooperative facilities shall be used by Customer exclusively for the purpose or purposes specified in the availability clause of the rate schedule under which Customer is receiving service and being billed.

B. Resale Prohibited
Customer shall not resell electric energy unless specifically provided for in writing by the Cooperative.

C. Interstate Transmission of Electric Energy Prohibited
The Cooperative does not provide electric service to any member’s installation any part of which is located outside the State of Texas or is connected to any conductors, all or part of which is located outside the State of Texas. Customer shall not transmit electric energy provided by the Cooperative outside the State of Texas.

D. Uses Prohibited by Law
Customer shall not use electric energy for any unlawful purpose or in such a manner that it may endanger life or property.

323.3 Customer’s Electrical Load

A. Load Balance
Cooperative requires Customer to control the use of electric energy so that Cooperative’s electrical load at the point of delivery is in reasonable balance.

B. Allowable Motor Starting Currents
The following motors may be started across-the-line if the starting current (which is the locked rotor current of the motor at nameplate voltage) does not exceed the limits give below:

Larger across-the-line starting currents than above may be permitted where Cooperative determines its facilities are adequate and the frequency of starts are such that other Customer’s service will not be adversely affected. Any motor starting devices are to be of a type approved by Cooperative and are to be provided and installed by Customer.

* Groups of motors starting simultaneously are classed as one motor.

C. Intermittent Electrical Loads
Electric service to equipment such as spot and arc welding machines, X-ray machines, arc-furnaces, elevators, dredges, locomotives, shovels, feed grinders, etc., whose us of electricity is intermittent and subject to violent fluctuations, is provided to such equipment as a part of Customer’s installation or by a transformer dedicated solely to that equipment and served as a separate account. Except for individual transformer type arc welders whose rated primary input current does not exceed 15 amperes at 120-volt operation or 30 amperes at 240-volt operation (38 amperes if Customer is served by an individual transformer), Customers contemplating the installation of such equipment are to make specific prior arrangements with Cooperative.

D. Equipment Necessary to Limit Adverse Effect
Cooperative may require Customer to provide, at Customer’s expense, suitable apparatus to limit the effect of voltage fluctuations caused by electric equipment in Customer’s installation where Customer is found to be operating electrical equipment which produces voltage fluctuations, interference or distorted wave forms which adversely affect electric service provided by Cooperative to Customers.

In lieu of requesting Customer to install such suitable or special equipment limiting such adverse effect, Cooperative may, at its option, install at Customer’s cost, additional transformer capacity (which may or may not be dedicated solely to such member) or other equipment specially designed to reasonably limit such adverse effect.

E. Voltage and Wave Forms Sensitive Equipment
A Customer planning the installation of electric equipment such as computers, communication equipment, electronic control devices, etc., whose performances may be adversely affected by voltage fluctuations and distorted 60 hertz wave forms are responsible for providing and installing the necessary facilities to limit these adverse effects.

F. Change in Customer’s Electrical Load
The Cooperative may require information concerning the nature of the load and electric service requirements as well as the expected duration of the load. Customer shall give written notice to the Cooperative fifteen (15) days in advance of connecting any motors or other devices which might increase load above the rated capacity of transformer(s) servicing Customer. If Customer fails to give such notice and an overload condition causes damage to the transformer(s) servicing Customer then Customer shall pay to the Cooperative the value of such transformer prior to the time it was damaged less salvage value.

If in the judgment of the Cooperative there is an increase in any electric service requirement for which, under standard engineering practice, it would be desirable to construct additional facilities, then the Cooperative may charge Customer as aid to construction or as an increased minimum an amount not to exceed the actual cost of such facilities together with the cost of any additional facilities required to be constructed by the Cooperative’s wholesale power supplier serving Customer’s load. The Cooperative may require the Customer to execute a new contract for electric service specifying appropriate terms including the maximum load, increased minimum or aid to construction.

323.4 Power Factor
If the power factor of Customer’s load is less than 90%, Cooperative may require Customer to install appropriate equipment to maintain a power factor of at least 90% or at Cooperative’s option, to reimburse Cooperative for installing the necessary equipment.

323.5 Access
Customer will admit to Customer’s premised at all reasonable hours personnel authorized by Cooperative to inspect, install, remove, or replace Cooperative’s property; to read Cooperative’s meter; and to perform other activities necessary to provide electric service, including tree trimming and tree removal where such trees in the opinion of Cooperative constitute a hazard to Cooperative personnel or facilities, or jeopardize the provision of continuous electric service. Refusal on the part of Customer to provide reasonable access for the above purposes may, at Cooperative’s option, be sufficient cause for discontinuance of service. Alternatively the Cooperative may move the metering location and other facilities and charge consumer the cost of relocating all facilities.

323.6 Protection of Cooperative’s Facilities on Customer’s Premises
Customer shall use reasonable diligence to protect Cooperative personnel and facilities on Customer’s premises.

In the event of loss of, or damage to, Cooperative facilities on Customer’s premises caused by or arising out of carelessness, neglect, or misuse by Customer or unauthorized persons, Cooperative may require Customer to reimburse the Cooperative the full cost of such damage.