(a) In this chapter, “gas utility” means a person who owns, manages, operates, leases, or controls in this state property or equipment or a pipeline, plant, facility, franchise, license, or permit for a business that:
(1) transports, conveys, distributes, or delivers natural gas:
(A) for public use or service for compensation;
(B) for sale to municipalities or persons engaged in distributing or selling natural gas to the public, in a situation described by Subdivision (3);
(C) for sale or delivery to a person operating under a franchise or contract with a political subdivision of this state; or
(D) for sale or delivery to the public for domestic or other use;
(2) owns, operates, or manages a pipeline:
(A) that is for transporting or carrying natural gas, whether for public hire or not; and
(B) for which the right-of-way has been or is hereafter acquired by exercising the right of eminent domain; or
(3) produces or purchases natural gas and transports or causes the transportation of natural gas by a pipeline to or near the limits of a municipality in which the gas is received and distributed or sold to the public by another gas utility or by the municipality in a situation in which the business is the only or practically the only agency of supply of natural gas to the gas utility or municipality.
(b) In this subchapter, “person” means an individual, company, limited liability company, or private corporation and includes a lessee, trustee, or receiver of an individual, company, limited liability company, or private corporation.