Load forecasts submitted by distribution borrowers that are unaffiliated with a power supply borrower, or by distribution borrowers that are members of a power supply borrower that has a total utility plant less than $500 million and that is not itself a member of another power supply borrower with a total utility plant of $500 million or more must satisfy the following minimum criteria:

(a) The borrower considered all known relevant factors that influence the consumption of electricity and the known number of consumers served at the time the study was developed;

(b) The borrower considered and identified all loads on its system of RE Act beneficiaries and non-RE Act beneficiaries;

(c) The borrower developed an adequate supporting data base and considered a range of relevant assumptions; and

(d) The borrower provided RUS with adequate documentation and assistance to allow for a thorough and independent review.

[65 FR 14786, Mar. 20, 2000, as amended at 84 FR 32611, July 9, 2019]