Open Access

  The ability to send or wheel electric power to a customer over a transmission and distribution system that is not owned by the generator (seller) of the power.

  Access to the electric transmission system by any legitimate market participant, including utilities, independent power producers, cogenerators, and power marketers.

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  A regulatory mandate to allow others to use a utility's transmission and distribution facilities to move bulk power from one point to another on a nondiscriminatory basis for a cost-based fee.

  U.S. Dept. of Energy, Energy Information Administration's Energy Glossary

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(electric)

  Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Order No. 888 requires public utilities to provide non-discriminatory transmission service over their transmission facilities to third parties to move bulk power from one point to another on a nondiscriminatory basis for a cost-based fee. Order 890 expanded Open Access to cover the methodology for calculating available transmission transfer capability; improvements that opened a coordinated transmission planning processes; standardization of energy and generation imbalance charges; and other reforms regarding the designation and undesignation of transmission network resources. See NERC definition.

  U.S. Dept. of Energy, Energy Information Administration's Energy Glossary