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Ampere
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unit of measurement of electric current, akin to cubic feet of water flowing per second.
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Base Load
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the nearly steady level of demand on a utility system.
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British Thermal Unit (Btu)
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standard unit of heat measurement, equal to raising one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit at sea level pressure.
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Capacity
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the load for which an electric generating unit, other electrical equipment or power line is rated.
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Certificate of Convenience and Necessity
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a term used by public service commissions in granting authority to a company to render utility service, usually specifying the area and other conditions of service.
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Cogeneration
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joint production of electricity and useful heat/steam from a common source.
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Conductor
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any material (such as a power line) that allows its electrons to be easily transferred.
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Demand charge
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a separate charge based upon the demand for electric service by a commercial or industrial customer, based on the investment in facilities necessary to serve them.
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Distribution lines
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power lines, like those in neighborhoods, used to carry moderate voltage electricity which is "stepped down" to household levels by transformers on power poles.
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Electricity
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the motion of electrons through a conductor.
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Electrostatic precipitators
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pollution control devices attached to fossil fuel generating plants which prevent the vast majority of fly ash from being released into the air.
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Eminent domain
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the authority to acquire land from a private owner for the benefit of public use.
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Fly ash
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small particles of airborne ash produced by burning fossil fuels.
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Franchise fee
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a local tax imposed on utilities for the privilege of providing a service within city limits.
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Fuel adjustment clause
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an annual adjustment in rates based on changes in the price of fuel used to generate electricity.
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High voltage
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voltage greater than 100,000 volts.
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Kilowatt (kW)
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1,000 watts.
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Kilowatt-hour (kWH)
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a unit of electricity consumption. A kilowatt-hour equals the amount of electricity needed to burn ten, 100-watt light bulbs for one hour.
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Kilovolt (kV)
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1,000 volts.
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Load
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the total customer demand for electric service at any given time.
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Megawatt (mW)
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one million watts or 1,000 kilowatts.
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Natural monopoly
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when the cost of utility service, such as gas, water or electric service, is minimized to customers if a single enterprise is the only seller in the market.
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Off-system sales
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sales by a utility to a customer (usually another utility) outside of its authorized market.
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Peak demand
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a one hour period in a year representing the highest point of customer consumption of electricity.
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Power pool
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a regional organization of electric companies interconnected for the sharing of reserve generating capacity.
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Public utility
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a business enterprise rendering a service considered essential to the public and, as such, subject to regulation.
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Scrubbers
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equipment designed to reduce sulfur emissions from coal-fired generating plants.
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Service area
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the territory in which a utility has the right to supply service.
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Substation
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a facility where the voltage of electricity is reduced prior to distribution to customers.
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Transformer
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equipment vital to the transmission and distribution of electricity designed to increase or decrease voltage.
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Transmission lines
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power lines normally used to carry high voltage electricity to substations which then is "stepped down" for distribution to individual customers.
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Volt*
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the unit of electromotive force or electric pressure, akin to water pressure in pounds per square inch.
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Watt*
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the electrical unit of power or rate of doing work.
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| *The difference between a watt and a volt can be visualized by imagining water flowing through a hose into a bucket. Voltage is similar to the water pressure in the hose and wattage is the amount of water going into the bucket.
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