Aggregation
Aggregation is the process by which a group of consumers combine their electric load - the total amount of electricity used by the group - and join together to shop for electricity as one entity.
Biomass
Fuel derived from plant and organic matter that is used to generate electricity. Landfill gas is one of the most widely used forms of biomass generation. At those facilities, gases from decomposing organic matter are collected and burned to generate electricity. While biomass-based generation is not entirely pollution free, it does not contribute to global warming. Plus, unlike wind and solar power, biomass fuel can be stored and used as needed.
Carbon Dioxide
A greenhouse gas and the main contributor to global warming and climate change. Burning coal to produce electricity releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Cleaner
Producing less air pollution (carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides) than other electricity with a similar use, for example: Green Mountain Energy® electricity is dramatically cleaner than typical system power.
Deregulation
The relaxation of government controls over business operation. In the retail electricity market, deregulation refers to ending the monopoly status of local utilities and allowing other power marketers to offer service to customers. In the markets that have deregulated to date, this has meant the incumbent utility retains control of transmitting and distributing power while power generation becomes open to competition.
Distribution Charges
Part of the basic service charges on every customer's bill for delivering electricity from the electric distribution company to your home or business. The distribution charge is regulated by the Public Utility Commission. This charge will vary according to how much electricity you use.
Distribution System
The local wires, transformers, substations and other equipment used to deliver electricity to end-use consumers from high-voltage transmission lines. See "Grid."
Electric Distribution Company (EDC)
The company that owns the power lines and equipment necessary to deliver electricity to the customer. (It is sometimes referred to as a Utility Distribution Company (UDC) or Local Distribution Company (LDC).
Electric Service Provider (ESP)
State-specific term describing a company licensed to provide electric generation products and services to end-use customers. Green Mountain Energy Company is an Electric Service Provider (ESP). (It is sometimes referred to as a Retail Electricity Provider (REP).
Fossil Fuels
Natural gas, oil, coal, petroleum, coke, or other petroleum-based fuels. They're called fossil fuels because they are formed from the decayed remains of prehistoric plants and animals. Fossil fuels are in finite supply and are a non-renewable energy source. All fossil fuels contain carbon and, when used to make electricity, create carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas.
Generation Charges
The part of every customer's electricity bill that goes toward producing electricity. In deregulated electric markets, generation is competitively priced and is not regulated by the state. Generation charges are determined by suppliers, like Green Mountain Energy Company; or may be negotiated by entities such as aggregators and utility partners.
Green
By using the term "Green" we refer to electricity that is made from renewable resources like wind, water, geothermal, landfill gas and other types of biomass, and/or solar.
Greenhouse Gases
A family of gases that trap radiant energy. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor, and halocarbons (i.e., chlorofluorocarbons). Human beings are increasing the amount of greenhouse gases in the air by burning fossil fuels. These increases affect our environment in the form of global warming or climate change.
Grid
A network for the transmission of electricity throughout a region. The term is also used to refer to the layout of an electric distribution system.
Kilowatt (kW)
A measure of instantaneous power. One kilowatt equals 1,000 watts. Ten 100-watt light bulbs, for example, have a total power rating of one kilowatt.
Kilowatt Hour (kWh)
A quantity of electricity usage measured by your electric meter. One kilowatt hour equals 1,000 watt hours, which is the same as running a 100-watt light bulb for 10 hours, or ten 100-watt light bulbs for one hour.
Load
The amount of electricity that a customer, or many customers in total, use at any given moment or averaged over a period of time. Electrical load for a large customer base is usually defined in terms of megawatts of power.
Load Management
Shifting the use of electricity from periods of high demand to periods of lower demand when the cost of electricity usually is lower.
Megawatt (MW)
A term commonly used to rate the power output of electric power plants or to define large electric customer loads. A megawatt equals one thousand kilowatts, or a million watts. A large utility power plant typically has a power rating of 500 to 1,000 megawatts. One megawatt of power could supply 500 to 1,000 average homes, depending on the time of day.
Meter Read
Recording the amount of electrical energy used by homes and businesses as displayed by an electricity meter. Electricity meters are typically mounted on the exterior walls of homes and businesses. Most record total kilowatt hours of energy used per month and are usually read monthly by utility employees.
New Renewables
Any renewable energy source built (or repowered) after Jan 1, 1998. See Renewables.
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)
Formed when fossil fuels (notably oil, coal, and natural gas) and biomass (plant matter, wood chips, and landfill gas) are burned at high temperatures. NOx contributes to acid rain and smog. Health effects associated with smog include damage to lung tissue, increased asthma attacks, and respiratory illness in children with frequent high-level exposure. When NOx causes acid rain, it contributes to pollution of lakes and coastal waters and the degradation of sensitive forests. This pollution is destructive to fish and other animal life. Making electricity is responsible for 25% of all the NOx pollution in the U.S., over 6 million tons each year.
Price to Beat
The price that utilities charge their customers for retail generation service if they do not switch to another supplier (an ESP or EGS).
Public Utility Commission (PUC)
The state regulatory agency that provides oversight, policy guidance and direction to electric public utilities. The "PUC" designation may also be represented by other acronyms depending on the state, for example: PAPUC (in PA), PSB (in VT), BPU (in NJ), or DPUC (in CT).
Rate Class or Rate Schedule
A list, provided by utilities, of the different prices for electricity paid by their customers according to the class in which they have been included based on type of service.
Renewables
Energy sources that are either inexhaustible (solar, wind) or replenished over a short period of time (hydro, biomass, geothermal). Most renewable energy ultimately comes from the sun - indirectly in the case of wind, water, and biomass; directly in the case of solar (PV) generation. Natural gas and coal, for example, are not renewables because their use consumes gas and coal reserves at a much quicker rate than they can be replenished.
Restructuring
The reorganization of traditional monopoly electricity service to allow operations and charges to be separated or "unbundled" into generation, transmission, distribution, and other services. This permits customers to buy generation services from competing suppliers. See Deregulation.
Solar
Energy from the sun. Sunlight can be converted to electricity directly, as in the case of photovoltaic (PV) applications or indirectly as in the case of solar thermal applications. According to the US National Renewable Energy Laboratories, the amount of energy from the sun that fall to the earth in one day could supply the entire world's energy needs for 27 years.
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
Formed by combustion of fuels containing sulfur--primarily coal and oil. Major health effects associated with SO2 include asthma, respiratory illness, and aggravation of existing cardiovascular disease. SO2 combines with water and oxygen in the atmosphere to form acid rain, which raises the acid levels of lakes and streams, affecting the ability of fish and some amphibians to survive. It also damages sensitive forests and ecosystems, particularly in the eastern part of the US. It also accelerates the decay of buildings. Making electricity is responsible for two-thirds of all the SO2 pollution in the U.S., 13 million tons each year.
System Power Mix
The average mix of electric power plants and other energy serving customers in a region. In the US, coal, other fossil fuels, and nuclear generation are the most-used sources for system power.
Transmission Charges
Part of the basic service charges on every customer's bill for transporting electricity from the source of supply to the electric distribution company. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regulates retail transmission prices and services. This charge will vary with your source of supply.
Transmission Lines
Interconnected electric lines which move high voltage electricity from a generation facility ultimately to the distribution lines of an electric distribution company. See Grid.
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