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A. There is hereby imposed a tax upon every person other than an electrical or gas corporation, using electricity in the City. The tax imposed by this section shall be at the rate of seven and one-half percent (7.5%) of the charges made for such electricity, and for any supplemental services or other associated activities directly related to and/or necessary for the provision of electricity to the service user, which are provided by a service supplier or non-utility service supplier to a service user. The tax shall be collected from the service user by the service supplier or non-utility service supplier, or its billing agent.

B. The tax administrator may, from time to time, survey the electric service suppliers to identify residential and commercial/industrial customers in the City, and the charges therefore, including those items that are mandated by state or federal regulatory agencies as a condition of providing such electric service. The tax administrator may, thereafter, issue and disseminate to such electric service suppliers an administrative ruling identifying those components and items which are: i) necessary or the various unbundled billing components of electric retail service that they commonly provide to common to the receipt, use and enjoyment of electric service; or, ii) currently, or historically have been, included in a single or bundled rate for electric service by a local distribution company to a class of retail customers. Unbundled charges for such components and items shall be subject to the tax of subsection (A) above.

C. As used in this section, the term "charges" shall include the value of any other services, credits, property of every kind or nature, or other consideration provided by the service user in exchange for the electricity or services related to the provision of such electricity. If a non-taxable service and a taxable service are billed together under a single charge, the entire charge shall be deemed taxable unless the service supplier can reasonably identify charges not subject to the utility users tax based upon its books and records that are kept in the regular course of business, which shall be consistent with generally accepted accounting principles. If a non-taxable service and a taxable service are billed together under a single charge, the entire charge shall be deemed taxable.

D. As used in this section, the term "using electricity" shall not be construed to mean:

1. The use of an electricity product of which a significant portion is derived from high-quality, new renewable resources. The tax administrator shall adopt rules and regulations not inconsistent with this section to establish definitions and criteria for electricity products that qualify under this paragraph. This paragraph shall become inoperative and be deemed repealed five years after its effective date, unless extended by an ordinance adopted by the City Council.

2. The mere receiving of such electricity by an electric public utility or governmental agency at a point within the City for resale; or the use of such electricity in the production or distribution of water by a public utility or a government agency.

3. The use of "self-generated electricity" from sources other than a conventional power source as defined in Public Utilities Code Section 2805. "Self-generated electricity" shall mean electricity which is generated by the end user of the electricity within the City and is delivered to the end user on a dedicated set of conductors that are owned by or operated exclusively on behalf of the producer/consumer. This paragraph shall become inoperative and be deemed repealed five years after its effective date, unless extended by an ordinance adopted by the City Council.

E. The tax on electricity provided by a non-utility service supplier not under the jurisdiction of this chapter shall be collected and remitted in the manner set forth in Section 7.70.071 of this chapter. All other taxes imposed in this section shall be collected from the service user by the service supplier or its billing agent. The amount of tax collected in one (1) month shall be remitted to the tax administrator, and must be received by the tax administrator on or before the last day of the following month; or, at the option of the person required to collect and/or remit the tax, such person shall remit an estimated amount of tax measured by the tax billed in the previous month or upon the payment pattern of the service user, which must be received by the tax administrator on or before the last day of the following month, provided that the service user shall submit an adjusted payment or request for credit, as appropriate, within sixty (60) days following each calendar quarter. The credit, if approved by the tax administrator, may be applied against any subsequent tax bill that becomes due. (Ord. 6580-NS § 1, 2000: Ord. 6059-NS § 2, 1991: Ord. 5821-NS § 2, 1987: Ord. 5592-NS § 1 (part), 1984)