Electricity Glossary of Terms

Competitive Power Suppliers:

Companies that sell power - also called electricity providers, electricity suppliers, power generators or energy marketers. Your power is delivered by the local electric utility/distribution company (DISCO).

Deregulation: 

Opening a market to competition, whose prices and practices were formerly fully regulated by government.

Utility Distribution Company (UDC):

The company that delivers power to your home or business, also known as your local electric utility/distribution company.

FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission): 

The federal agency that regulates interstate energy transmission, sales, etc.

Generation: 

The process of changing other forms of energy, such as fossil fuels, nuclear or renewable energy, into electricity.

Kilowatt-Hour (kWh): 

The standard unit of measurement for electricity. 1 kWh = 1,000 watt hours. For example, one 100-watt light bulb used for 10 continuous hours consumes one kilowatt-hour (1,000 watt-hours) of electricity.

Line Loss: 

Describes the effect by which a measurable percentage of electricity is lost or unaccounted for as it traverses power lines before it is delivered to the end consumer. 

Megawatt (MW):

One million watts.

Peak Demand:

The maximum power load during a specified period of time.

Power:

Electricity is commonly referred to as power.

Public Utility Commission (PUC): 

The state agency that typically regulates the sale of electric and natural gas utilities. 

Renewable Energy: 

Power that is produced with environmentally-clean power sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric.

Tariff: 

A document, approved by the responsible regulatory agency, listing the terms and conditions, including a schedule of prices, under which utility services will be provided.

Transmission: 

The delivery of electricity from a generator to a local electric utility/distribution company (DISCO) over.

Watt:

The electrical unit of power. The rate of energy transfer equivalent to 1 ampere flowing under a pressure of 1 volt at unity power factor.

Watthour (Wh):

An electrical energy unit of measure equal to 1 watt of power supplied to, or taken from, an electric circuit steadily for 1 hour.