California Code, Public Utilities Code - PUC § 9604

(a) “Direct transaction” means a contract between one or more electric generators, marketers, or brokers, public or private, of electric power and one or more retail customers providing for the purchase and sale of electric power and ancillary services.

(b) “Service area” means an area in which, as of December 20, 1995, an investor-owned electric utility or a local publicly owned electric utility was obligated to provide service.

(c) “Severance fee” or “transition charge” for a local publicly owned electric utility shall mean that charge or periodic charge assessed to customers to recover the reasonable uneconomic portion of costs associated with generation-related assets and obligations, nuclear decommissioning, and capitalized energy efficiency investment programs approved prior to August 15, 1996.