The following terms, whenever used or referred to in this article, shall have the following meanings, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context: “Acquire” means and includes construct, or acquire by purchase, lease, devise, gift or the exercise of the power of eminent domain, or by other mode of acquisition. “Affiliate” means a separate affiliated or subsidiary corporation or other separate legal entity. “Board” means the board of directors of a cooperative formed under or subject to this article. “Commission” means the State Corporation Commission of Virginia. “Cooperative” means a utility consumer services cooperative formed under or subject to this article or a distribution cooperative formed under the former Distribution Cooperatives Act (§ 56-209 et seq.). “Energy” means and includes any and all forms of energy no matter how or where generated or produced. “Federal agency” means and includes the United States of America, the President of the United States of America, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Federal Administrator of the Rural Utility Service, the Southeastern Power Administration, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Communications Commission and any and all other authorities, agencies, and instrumentalities of the United States of America, heretofore or hereafter created. “HVACR” means heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration. “Improve” means and includes construct, reconstruct, replace, extend, enlarge, alter, better or repair. “Law” means any act or statute, general, special or local, of this Commonwealth. “Member” means and includes each natural person signing the articles of incorporation of a cooperative and each person admitted to membership therein pursuant to law or its bylaws. “Municipality” means any city or incorporated town of the Commonwealth. “Obligations” means and includes bonds, interim certificates or receipts, notes, debentures, and all other evidences of indebtedness either issued by, or the payment of which is assumed or contractually undertaken by, a cooperative. “Patronage capital” includes all amounts received by a cooperative from sales of electric power or electric distribution services, or both, to members in excess of the cooperative’s cost of furnishing electric power or distribution services, or both, to members and such other margins as determined by the board of directors. “Person” means and includes natural persons, firms, associations, cooperatives, corporations, limited liability companies, business trusts, partnerships, limited liability partnerships and bodies politic. “Propane or fuel oil equipment” means equipment and related systems to store or use propane or fuel oil products. “Regulated utility services” means utility services that are subject to regulation as to rates or service by the Commission. “System” means and includes any plant, works, system, facilities, equipment or properties, or any part or parts thereof, together with all appurtenances thereto, used or useful in connection with the generation, production, transmission or distribution of energy or in connection with other utility services. “Traditional cooperative activity” means any business, service or activity in which cooperatives in Virginia have traditionally engaged and that is incidental to and substantially related to the electric utility business conducted by a cooperative on or before July 1, 1999, provided that traditional cooperative activity does not include any program to (i) buy or maintain an inventory of HVACR equipment or household appliances; (ii) install or service any such equipment or household appliances for customers, unless such service is not provided by the cooperative but by a third party individual, firm or corporation licensed to perform such service; (iii) sell HVACR equipment or household appliances to customers metered and billed on residential rates; (iv) sell HVACR equipment to customers other than those metered and billed on residential rates except where such sale is an incidental part of providing other energy services or providing other traditional cooperative activities; (v) sell or distribute propane or fuel oil; sell, install or service propane or fuel oil equipment; or maintain or buy an inventory of propane or fuel oil equipment for resale; or (vi) serve as a coordinator of nonelectric energy services or provide engineering consulting services except when such energy or engineering services are an incidental part of a marketing effort to provide other energy or engineering services or as a part of providing services that are other traditional cooperative activities. “Utility services” means any products, services and equipment related to energy, telecommunications, water and sewerage.