AAEE
additional achievable energy efficiency CPUC
AB32
Assembly Bill 32, Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, a California State bill setting greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets Wiki
ACE
area control error: in the electric grid, adjustments to generators to ensure that each control area is generating the correct amount of energy (according to power purchase agreements between control areas). Typically measured every few seconds, its formula is (average frequency in control area) * bias + (net unscheduled tie-line flows into or out of the area), where bias accounts for the MWs of energy needed within the control area to offset an frequency shift of 0.01 Hz Graves, 3-17
AC meters
absorption-attenuation meter, an optical sensor
ACP
alternative compliance payment: amount that electricity suppliers have to pay if they aren't able to generate or buy rights to sufficient renewable energy to meet their renewable portfolio standards
additionality
the assurance to a buyer of a carbon market that the money spent is really eliciting a reduction in carbon - that the money spent leads to a move toward sustainability that would not otherwise have happened
AEDP
alternative energy development plan
affluenza
Portmanteau of affluence and influenza, relating to overload, debt, anxiety and waste from consumerism Friedman, 53
AFV
Alternative Fuel Vehicles CPUC
AGC
automatic generation control uses an area control error (ACE) signal to adjust the governors of electrical generation plants for droop control - keeping all the grid generators running at the same frequency
agger double tide
a tide having two equal-height maxima and one low minimum
agroecology
the use of sustainable farming methods on small-scale farms based on the combination of local knowledge and modern science. Based on the principle that farming should maximize species diversity and enhance natural systems of soil protection and pest control
agroforestry
intercropping of trees and crops for increased crop yield, especially naturally planted trees (through manure fertilization). Also called farmer-managed natural regeneration Hawken, 118
albedo
reflectivity
alternator
an electrical generator that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy in the form of alternating current
AMF
advanced metering functionality, the broad capabilities enabled by the existence of AMI (smart meters and related technologies)
AMI
advanced metering infrastructure "commonly defined as an integrated network of smart meters, communication networks, and data management systems, which has the potential to transform how utilities, customers, and third-party providers manage electricity generation, delivery, and use" Girouard
ancillary services
in the context of the electrical grid, services which support the trade of electricity, useful primarily for their potential to deliver a needed resource to the grid on request, quantifiable by their ability to respond when needed Kirschen, 106. Any services in addition to the provision of energy to meet load CPUC, 14.
aneutronic
producing no neutrons
Anthropocene
the name of the current geologic period, implying that the geology of the Earth (through climate change, nuclear fallout, river diversion, monoculture farming, ocean acidification, etc.) is being dominantly affected by humans
arbitrage
the simultaneous purchase and sale of an asset to profit from a difference in price
ARRA
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: 2009 bill which included some bonus ITC + PTC as temporary economic stimulus EIA, 33
aquaculture
fish farming
a-Si
amorphous silicon
ATPZEV
Advanced Technology Partial Zero-Emission Vehicle: hybrid, compressed natural gas, and methanol fuel cell vehicles with near-zero emissions and extended emissions system warranties EIA, 35
AVR
automatic voltage regulator - in an electrical grid, this adjusts the field voltage of the generator
BA
balancing authorities (electric grid)- they provide a reliable open-access power transmission service by keeping supply and demand balanced and scheduled More than Smart, 16
balancing power
the power to balance out stochastically available electrical generation resources (e.g. wind) with resources that can be moderated (e.g. hydro)
BAPV
Building applied photovoltaic IFC
base gas
the volume of natural gas in a storage reservoir that is needed to maintain adequate pressure and deliverability– often about half of the gas in a given storage facility, but less in a salt cavern FERC, 29
BAT
best available technology
BIPV
Building integrated photovoltaic IFC
big five extinction
There have been five major losses in species diversity throughout known natural history. These are known as the big five.
biofuel
a fuel derived from living matter
biophilia
The urge to affiliate with other forms of life Louv, 39
bitumen
the type of oil extracted from the Alberta Tar Sands
black start
the process of starting an electric grid section or power station without relying on an external transmission network– often, small generators (BSDG) start larger generators to start main power station generators. The challenge is that large power generation plants require some base electricity in order to begin operation. Hydroelectric plants are relatively easy to black start because you just need enough energy to open intake gates and excite the turbine generators
blue carbon
storage of carbon in wetlands, unusually high in proportion to land area Hawken, 112
BOO
Build-Own-Operate
BoP
Balance of Plant
Brent crude
benchmark price for oil wiki
Brix
the amount of sugar present in a fruit or vegetable
broadcast irrigation
flooding the land or using sprinklers to distribute water over a large area (as opposed to more focused and efficient drip irrigation) Diamond, 401
brownfields
a former industrial or commercial site where future use is affected by real or perceived environmental contamination
BRT
bus rapid transit, mass transit on bus systems designed to have the advantages of rail (e.g. specialized lanes, regularity, multi-point entry) Hawken, 136
BSDG
black start diesel generator
BSER
best system of emission reduction
BTM
behind the meter, i.e. on the consumer side of an electrical energy meter (used in discussion of where e.g. demand response takes place– if BTM, at the source of the demand)
busbar
a system of electrical conductors in a generating or receiving station on which power is concentrated for distribution
CAA
Clean Air Act
CAES
Compressed air energy storage
CAIR
Clean Air Interstate Rule (2005): cap & trade for sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in the United States. Replaced by the CSAPR.
CAISO
the California ISO (Independent System Operator, regional energy market oversight entity)
calcifiers
organisms that build shells or external skeletons, or for plants, internal scaffolding built from calcium carbonate
capacity factor
The ratio of a power plant's actual output to its theoretical potential output at full capacity – accounting for downtime and other inefficiencies.
capacity market
also called a forward market, a direct investment by grid operators into power plants ahead of their production, intended to improve long-term price signaling James
CARB
California Air Resource Board
carbon cycle
Seasonal cycling of carbon dioxide around the earth, which fluctuates annually between lows in the summer and highs in the winter. Plants and other photosynthesizing organisms consume carbon dioxide in the summer. When the plants die in the fall and cease to photosynthesize, the plants are eaten by bacteria, fungi, and animals, which exhale carbon dioxide. Most of the vegetation on the planet is in the Northern Hemisphere, so the Earth's carbon cycle follows Northern Hemisphere seasons.
carbon engineering
Geoengineering to pull carbon out of the atmosphere
CBM
coalbed methane, natural gas trapped in coal seams
CCGT
combined cycle gas turbine: both steam and gas turbines used in combination
CCR
Coal Combustion Residual Rule concerns the disposal of coal ash, a waste product of coal power plants
CCS
Carbon capture and sequestration, sorting CO2 out of exhaust at its source
CCX
Chicago Climate Exchange
CDM
Clean Development Mechanism, a flexible mechanism for carbon markets under the Kyoto Protocol IFC
CdTe
a photovoltaic composed of cadmium and telluride, notable as a thin, flexible PV
CERC
Central Energy Regulatory Commission
CES-21
California Energy Systems for the 21st Century, a collaborative research project between CA's three main utilities and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for cybersecurity on the electric grid
CFD
computational fluid dynamics
CHP
combined heat and power, also called cogeneration: combined production of useful heat and electric or mechanical power. Also applies to useful cooling. Essentially, requires power generation to occur near the point of consumption so that the thermal effects can also be used. Often works in commercial-scale buildings using natural gas microturbines http://energy.gov/eere/amo/combined-heat-and-power-basics
CIGS
a photovoltaic composed of copper, indium, gallium, and selenium, notable as a thin, flexible PV
clathrate
also called methane hydrate, a form of natural gas that is highly hydrated and found in deep sea formations [Muller, 98]
clearing price
in an electrical energy market, generators bid in costs per MWh, theoretically at operating costs. Power (or demand reduction) is then purchased in order of cheapest to most expensive bids until all demand is met, at the "clearing price", or the price of the most expensive electricity needed to meet demand (so, even the cheaper bidders get paid at the clearing price)
consumer's surplus
(net consumer's surplus): in economics, the difference between the total value the consumer attaches to a given purchase, minus the cost of the purchase
consumptive withdrawal
a resource removed from its source and not returned, e.g. water taken from streams that evaporates & moves elsewhere or is used as part of a crop or product Meadows, 69
coral bleaching
corals turning white through ejection of their colorful zooxanthellae due to the zooxanthellae's dangerous release of oxygen radicals when ocean waters grow too warm
cellulosic ethanol
a form of ethanol that can be made from any woody material, such as walnut hulls and lumber waste
Ceto device
a fully underwater point absorber where the pumping of the floating part pressurizes water for onshore generation
CFCs
chlorofluorocarbons, also called halocarbons, contain fluorine, bromine, and chlorine. They are harmful to the earth's ozone and notably present in Freon Clark
CNG
compressed natural gas
CO2
Carbon dioxide
CO2e
Carbon dioxide equivalent, "the total climate change impact of all the greenhouse gases caused by an item or activity rolled into one and expressed in terms of the amount of carbon dioxide that would have the same impact" Berners-Lee, 2
coal gas
fuel gas harvested from seams of coal burning underground Muller, 232
cofferdam
a watertight enclosure pumped dry to permit construction below the waterline
commercial
in reference to customer type, 'commercial' typically includes hotels, restaurants, offices, retail and wholesale stores, government buildings, and schools
contract path billing
in wheeling (selling of power), the cost for the transmission infrastructure is usually derived from the annualized cost of a specific power line, despite the physical innacuracy of this concept caused by loop flow
control area
a conceptually "pooled" utility area in which there are enough generators to follow load and control the frequency and tie-line exchanges of the system Graves, 3-17
COP15
The 2009 Climate Change Convention of the Parties in Copenhagen
COP21
21st session of the Congress of Parties (UNFCCC) in 2014. Paris.
Copenhagen Accord
2009 agreement from world leaders to pledge specific actions to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
CPP
Clean Power Plan, a 2015 federal initiative in the United States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. EPA factsheet: https://www.epa.gov/cleanpowerplan/fact-sheet-overview-clean-power-plan
CPUC
California Public Utilities Commission
creeping normalcy
the idea that slow trends are concealed within noisy fluctuations, such that they can't be discerned by people who have experienced the slow change. E.g. do we experience more heat waves now than when I was a child? We had a lot two years ago, just a few last year. But I don't remember if we ever had more than one per year when I was seven. Diamond, 69.4%
CSAPR
Cross State Air Pollution Rule requires states to reduce power plant emissions that leave air pollution/particulate in other states (2011)
c-Si
crystalline silicon
CSP
concentrating solar power, whereby thermal power from sunlight is reflected onto a collector Doris, 12
CTL
coal to liquid (a synthetic fuel/synfuel) wiki
curtailment
the reduction of output of a renewable resource below what it could have otherwise produced, used e.g. by the CAISO to reduce the problem of oversupply
CVM
contingent valuation methodology: a standard non-market valuation technique for renewable energy technology, based in economic theory and survey methodology specifically asking willingness to pay Polis
CWA
Clean Water Act
deadband
the allowable error range around a frequency before a governor kicks on to adjust the system back to its set frequency
deadweight loss
in economics, the total loss from the global welfare due to regulation of the market
declining block rates
The more you buy, the cheaper the price per unit
decoupling plus
a policy designed to incentivize utilities to promote energy efficiency whereby hitting specific per capita energy use decreases is tied to utilities' right to raise rates
demand response
the electric grid needs to be maintained in a specific frequency band. This band is determined by the balance of electricity supply vs. demand. When supply is lower than demand, the frequency drops. Demand response is typically a coordinated lowering of demand to balance with supply. See also: frequency control
DER
distributed energy resources
DERP
distributed energy resource provider
DG
distributed generation (of power)
direct emissions
emissions caused by e.g. the manufacturing and transport of an item
disco
distribution company, a company that owns and operates electrical distribution networks
distributed generation
local production of power, e.g. solar panels on the roofs of buildings that use the power generated for their own energy needs but can also feed back excess/draw from the grid
diurnal tides
tides with one high and one low per day
DoE
Department of Energy (U.S.A.)
DoI
Department of the Interior (U.S.A.)
DP
Dynamic programming: methods such as optimization which can be used to model tradeoffs in a complex system
DRAM
Demand Response Auction Mechanism, a more open energy supply bidding process than currently employed by Western U.S. utilities
droop
in a generator, the responsiveness to frequency change (so, the size of the deadband)
droop control
a mechanism for speed control of a primary power generator such that it runs at the same frequency as all of the other generators on the grid. It adjusts mechanical torque of generator mechanisms based on frequency, which takes 3-10 seconds in most systems Hiskens, 26
DSM
demand-side management
DSO
(electric) distribution service operator
dynamic pricing
electricity rate pricing that dynamically tracks grid conditions [Trabish][trabish-dynamic]
EA
Environmental Assessment, typically a less formal EIA
ECA
emission control area
ecological footprint
the land area required to provide the resources for and absorb the emissions from global society Meadows, xiv
economic curtailment
curtailment of electrical energy onto the grid through negative market pricing
EDGI
Environmental Data Governance Initiative, an open source nonprofit monitoring and archiving U.S. government treatment of environmental data
EEG
German Renewable Energy Sources Act, which created feed-in tariffs for solar and wind
EEDI
Energy Efficiency Design Index, the International Maritime Organization (UN agency)'s standard for shipping vessels' energy efficiency Hawken, 140
EEPS
energy efficiency portfolio standard: legislated energy use reduction. "mandatory, sets long-term reduction targets (at least three years), is sufficiently funded to allow covered entities to meet their targets, uses financial incentives or nonperformance penalties, and usually (but not always) increases over time" EIA, 42
EERS
energy efficiency resource standard: legislated energy use reduction. See EEPS EIA, 42
EFC
effective flexible capacity
EG
Steam Electric Power Generating Effluent Guidelines
EGU
electric generating unit
EGS
enhanced geothermal energy systems
EIA
environmental impact assessment, i.e. for a construction site
EIS
environmental impact statement, the most comprehensive form of EIA, including: information about the proposed action and reasonable alternatives; data on baseline environmental conditions; predictions of environmental impacts from the proposed action and alternatives, including cumulative impacts with other proposed projects in the area; assessment methodologies for these predictions; descriptions of mitigation methods; summaries of public commments Wentz, 2
EIM
Energy Imbalance Market CPUC
ELCC
effective load carrying capacity CPUC
EM&V
evaluation, measurement, & verification
EMEC
European Marine Energy Center: a marine power generation research facility located in Orkney, Scotland. The center was created to offer marine-based renewable energy technology developers the opportunity to test full-scale, grid-connected devices O Rourke, 9
EMF
electromotive force
EMM
electricity market model EIA, 57
energy descent action plan
a collectively designed blueprint for a community (transition town) to lower its emissions and cease to use fossil fuels
energy poverty
Low availability of energy Friedman, 155
energy sprawl
occupation of vast extra-urban tracts of land by energy facilities, problematic for (a) destroying wildlife habitats/fragmenting landscapes and (b) requiring transmission infrastructure across long distances Bronin, 222
entrainment
thermally and mechanically stressing aquatic organisms to create clean water EIA, 31
ENTSO-E
European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity, the international organization for grid reliability in Europe
EOM
energy-only market (as opposed to a capacity market)– a scheme where electrical generators are paid only for the energy generated
EOR
enhanced oil recovery: steam heat to reduce the viscosity of the oil, then pump in oxygen to burn in situ Muller, 234
EPACT2005
Energy Policy Act of 2005 increased ITC EIA, 33
EPIA
European Photovoltaic Industry Association
EPR
extended producer responsibility, a policy that makes companies responsible for managing the post-use impacts of their products Hawken, 160
EPRI
Electric Power Research Institute
equity reference framework
Applied egalitarian principle that seeks to address historical, current, and potential inequities
ERF
EROEI
energy return on energy invested Murphy
ESDER
energy storage and distributed energy resources CPUC
ETS
Emissions Trading System
EU ETS
European Union Emissions Trading System (carbon market)
EUR
estimated ultimate recovery (for oil/natural gas wells) Investopedia
excitation current
current supplied to a conductor wrapped around a conductive core to create a magnetic field
exhaust gas recirculation
NOx reduction technique where exhaust gas is sent back to the engine to reduce the availability of O2 and thus lower the combustion temperatures – since NOx is produced at high temperatures wiki
FAO
(United Nations) Food and Agriculture Organization
FCR
feed conversion ratio: in agriculture and aquaculture, the ratio of feed consumed versus pound of weight gained
feedstock
raw material to supply an industrial process
FERC
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (U.S.A.) (FERC.gov)
FGRs
see flowgate rights
FIDVR
fault induced delayed voltage recovery: a temporary dip in voltage causes a power supply stall Hiskens, 24
Fischer-Tropsch process
also called the Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis or F-T. A set of chemical reactions that produces synfuel from a combination of carbon dioxide gas and hydrogen gas wiki
FIT
feed-in tariffs, a long-term guaranteed incentive to resource owners based on the enegy produced (in kWh) and not based on demand EPRI, 12
fixed losses
in power transmission, fixed losses (also called no-load losses, shunt losses, or iron losses) are caused by eddy effects and hysteresis in the iron core of transformers and the corona effect of transmission lines. They are proportional to the square of the voltage (and independent from power flow). Because voltage is relatively constant, fixed losses are often treated as constant Kirschen, 176
flowgate rights
like FTRs except attached to a branch in a network instead of just between two adjacent nodes. The value is tied not to the price difference between nodes but to the Lagrange multiplier associated with the maximum capacity of the flowgate– so, these rights have value only in congested branches Kirschen, 198
FLR
forest landscape restoration: a holistic approach to forest restoration incorporating humans as stakeholders (e.g. pride and/or tourism), an approach proposed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Hawken, 116
FONSI
Findings of No Significant Impact, from an EIA/EIS
forward contract
a forward contract specifies for a future transaction: quantity and quality of goods, delivery date, payment amount and type, payment date, and any penalties for failure to uphold the agreement
forward market
a market where the transaction is agreed upon in a contract ("forward contract") in advance of delivery or payment
fracking
Hydraulic fracturing, a high-pressure injection of a liquid into a wellbore to create cracks in deep-rock formations to access otherwise hard-to-reach natural gas and petroleum
frequency control
(also known as frequency regulation) on the grid, when power generation is greater than demand, the power frequency rises. Because it is important to maintain a standard frequency, frequency control is any way to discharge excess energy and keep the load and generation in balance. See also: demand response
frequency regulation
(also known as frequency control) on the grid, when power generation is greater than demand, the power frequency rises. Because it is important to maintain a standard frequency, frequency control is any way to discharge excess energy and keep the load and generation in balance. See also: demand response
F-T
FTRs
financial transmission rights, a contract defined between any two nodes in a power transmission network entitling holders to a revenue equal to the product of the amount of transmission rights purchased and the price differential between the two nodes. They serve as a hedge against congestion in the transmission network, creating a market incentive to equalize nodes Kirschen, 194
fuel cell
a battery wherein you "recharge" by pumping in new chemicals. E.g. a hydrogen fuel cell requires new hydrogen + air Muller, 177
futures market
a market in which standardized forward contracts are bid upon, not necessarily by buyers and sellers of the product, predicting the forward markets from volatility by spreading out the risk
gas flaring
when oil is extracted, natural gas builds up. "Flaring" this gas is setting it on fire (instead of capturing it for sale).
gate closure
in economics, the time at which bidding into the market stops and a clearing price is decided
GCR
ground cover ratio
genco
generating company, a company that produces and sells electrical energy
geoengineering
deliberate human intervention in the earth's climate on a global scale
geothermal reservoir
the underground fracture network in rock in areas of high temperature gradient where geothermal energy can be harvested
GHG
greenhouse gas
ghost fishing
fishing gear abandoned in the ocean continues to catch and kill fish Hawken, 160
Gibrat ratio
the length of a tidal barrage in meters compared to its output in kWh/year. An economic term where a smaller ratio implies a preferable cost ratio Klossner, 36
GIL
gas-insulated lines (for transmission of electricity)
global welfare
in economics, the sum of net consumer's surplus and producer's profit, quantifying the total benefit produced by trading
governor
in a load-following generator, the device which changes energy input to the prime mover to maintain frequency
greenfields
land not previously used for industry (as opposed to brownfields)
greenhouse gases
atmospheric gases which are transparent to ultraviolet radiation from the sun, but impermeable to infrared (such as the warmth rising from the earth). Carbon dioxide is such a gas.
green manures
quick-growing plants that help prevent erosion and replace nutrients in soil
Green Revolution
from 1950-1992, a movement to increase food production without bringing more land under cultivation. Related to the work of Norman Borlaug and spread of monocultures.
GTL
gas to liquid, a form of synfuel where natural gas is converted into an oil substitute wiki
GWP
Global Warming Potential, a metric developed by the EPA to compare the warming potentials of various greenhouse gases EPA-GWP
head differential
the difference in heights between the hydrostatic head of a tidal barrage and the water outside the sluice gates
HDV
heavy-duty vehicles, 8.5k+ lbs GVWR transportpolicy.net
helical turbine
a vertical turbine whose blades are modeled after birds' wings
Henry Hub
pricing point for natural gas futures contracts, physically located in Louisiana wiki
HGL
hydrocarbon gas liquids: produced from unrefined natural gas, they have high energy density and sit on the gas/liquid boundary EIA factsheet on HGL
HSR
high speed rail, almost exclusively electrically powered Hawken, 138
HVDC
high voltage DC power
hybrid parks
co-located farms for multiple renewable energy types, esp. wind and solar
hydrophones
microphones that detect sound waves under water
hydrostatic head
a stable level from which water has to fall before the point where power is generated
ICRP
International Commission on Radiological Protection
IEA
International Energy Agency
impingement
trapping of aquatic organisms against water intake structures EIA, 31
indirect emissions
Emissions caused by e.g. the process to extract the materials used in creating an item or activity
intercropping
planting two or more crops interspersed to maximize light, water, and nutrient usage
intertidal zone
land area that is exposed when the tide is not high
intertrip scheme
a grid network security service designed to mitigate transient stability problems by automatically disconnecting either generation or load in the event of a fault Kirschen, 117
inverted rates
The more you buy, the more it costs per unit
IOU
investor owned utility, as opposed to publicly owned
IPCC
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (a UN organization)
IPP
independent power producer, a power generating company (term usually used when in coexistence with a vertically integrated utility company, as distinguished from utility-owned generation)
IRP
integrated resource planning Trabish
ISO
Independent System Operator for grid energy market (sometimes interchangeable with RTO)- a regional energy market oversight entity which exists to facilitate competition among wholesale energy companies, schedule and monitor transmission for non-discriminatory access, ensure reliability of the grid, manage the interconnection of new resources, guard against market manipulation, and create transparency into the system. Caspary, 2 The ISO typically owns any computing and communication assets required to monitor and control the system and has the ultimate goal of creating security in the grid Kirschen, 3
ITC
Investment Tax Credit: http://energy.gov/savings/business-energy-investment-tax-credit-itc OR independent transmission company, a company that owns electrical transmission assets but not generation capacity
ITEDSA
Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act (2005), the most significant law in effect relating to energy on tribal lands (as of 2013) Bronin, 222
JI
Joint Implementation, a flexible mechanism for carbon markets under the Kyoto Protocol
KCL
Kirchhoff's Current Law (see also: Kirchhoff's Laws)
Keeling's curve
The mapping of background carbon concentrations on Mauna Loa which by 1962 showed that ~half the CO2 from fossil fuel burning was accumulating in the air.
kerogen
impure oil-rich gunk that can be extracted from shale to make shale oil
Kirchhoff's Laws
Two equalities describing current and voltage in lumped models of electrical circuits. (1) Node rule (KCL): Conservation of electric charge. The sum of current flowing into a node is equal to the sum of current flowing out of that node. (2) Loop rule (KVL): The sum of directional electric voltage around a closed loop is zero– or, the sum of voltage drops must be equal to the sum of the applied EMF. Wiki. Because electrical transmission follows these physical laws, it is difficult to accurately charge for electrical transmission on the grid in a fair and accurate manner.
KVL
Kirchhoff's Voltage Law (see also: Kirchhoff's Laws)
kWh
kilowatt hour, the product of the power transmitted in kilowatts and the time in hours
Kyoto Protocol
An international treaty which extends the UNFCCC, committing countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Acknowledges 1 premises: (1) global warming exists and (2) man-made CO2 emissions have caused it. Adopted in 1997, more enforced starting 2005.
LACE
levelized avoided cost of electricity: LCOE for technologies with different duty cycles EIA, 115
laminar
taking place across constant streamlines; not turbulent
landscape amnesia
forgetting how different the landscape used to look because the change has been gradual. E.g. lack of snow in the summer on a mountaintop may seem normal if it has gradually disappeared over 50 years but is shocking to someone who had never seen it bare from a childhood 50 years previous Diamond, 69.4%
LCA
life cycle assessment (typically, cradle to grave carbon impact analysis)
LCBF
least-cost, best-fit, the CPUC's methodology for procuring energy in line with RPS goals (more information)
LCOE
levelized cost of electricity: the cost of building and operating a plant per kWh of output. Useful for comparing costs among technologies with similar operating characteristics– see also LACE (for varied duty cycles). Can vary significantly by region for renewables (e.g. solar in Seattle vs. San Diego) EIA, 115
LDG
Latitudinal diversity gradient: the pattern that there is greater species diversity the farther away you get from the poles
LDV
Light-duty vehicle, i.e. passenger vehicles and some ~van-sized commercial vehicles
learning curve
Economies of scale combined with improvements in technology and lessons learned as a technology rolls out Naam
LFG
landfill gas, gas harvested from anaerobic decomposition of trash in landfills (methane)
linepack
in natural gas transmission, a pressurized section, used to pack more molecules into the same space FERC, 2
linked fee
a carbon tax pricing scheme designed to stabilize the price of carbon (giving e.g. oil refiners - who proposed this - better stability), averaging that price over three months rather than using realtime pricing Lizza
LMFBRs
liquid metal fast breeder nuclear reactors
LMP
locational marginal price (of energy), typically low at off-peak usage times Fitzgerald, 15
LNBA
locational net benefit analysis, an effort by California to value distributed energy resources based on their location on the grid Trabish
LNG
liquid natural gas
load-duration curve
an encapsulation of information on how many hours each year electrical load is below a certain value (used in consideration of investments in generation capacity) Kirschen, 214
load following
moderation of generator electricity production to match energy load, or demand
local curtailment
congestion-related energy curtailment events CPUC, 13
locational marginal pricing
the marginal cost of energy production, taking into account the cost of transmission (where the energy is produced or consumed)– nodal pricing is a subset where a price is defined at each node or bus in the system Kirschen, 153
loop flow
the fact that power flows over all available paths between supply and load, despite specifications in a given power transfer contract Graves, 1-3
LRAC
long-run average cost
LRACs
long run avoided costs
LRMC
long-run marginal cost
LSE
load serving entities: energy suppliers
LTPP
long-term procurement plan (more information)
macrotidal
having tides larger than 4m
manual curtailment
a special dispatch from a grid authority such as an ISO directing a specific generating entity to reduce generation CPUC, 13
MARPOL
International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships EIA, 45
MATS
Mercury Air Toxics Standard (currently in effect) requires that all coal plants control emissions of SO2, mercury, and acid gases. Can remove 70-90% of SO2 emissions from coal plants EIA, 116
MDV
medium-duty vehicles, 8.5k lbs-10k lbs GVWR transportpolicy.net
MGO
marine gas oil: fuel oil made from distillate only- wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_oil#Maritime
MHK
marine hydro-kinetic
microtidal
having tides smaller than 2m
millisievert
0.1 rem of radiation
MO
market operator, in the electrical grid, the entity that matches the bids and offers of buyers and sellers of electricity and settles payments. ISO is a MO
MOO
must-offer obligation
MPC
model predictive control, a grid power scheduling system whereby a model of the system's demands is used to schedule the running of generators so that the power is present in the system before it is required
MSW
Municipal solid waste: turning regular garbage into energy through various technologies such as landfill gas capture, combustion, pyrolysis, gasification [Wikipedia][https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipal_solid_waste#Energy_generation]
multijunction cells
a type of photovoltaic that is layered to react with every wavelength of light. It is extremely efficient and extremely expensive, used in the Mars rover and with utility-scale CSP PV plants
must-run plants
critically located electrical generation plants whose failure to operate can compromise the security of the grid through long transmission lines or create transmission bottlenecks
nacelle
a streamlined housing or tank for something on the outside of an aircraft or motor vehicle
NAPCC
National Action Plan on Climate Change
NAS
National Academy of Sciences
natural monopoly
a monopoly found in an industry that has a minimum efficient size comparable to the demand and therefore is typically regulated. A natural monopoly often arises when there are large fixed costs and relatively small variable costs Kirschen, 43
NCRE
Non-conventional renewable energy
negative market price
(of electricity pricing on the grid) a negative per-unit-energy price for feeding electrical energy into the grid, generally caused by oversupply
NEM
Net Energy Metering
NEMS
National Energy Modeling System
NEPA
National Environmental Policy Act: requires any federal actions with significant impact on the human environment to undergo a thorough environmental analysis. Notoriously expensive & long, does not actually require action to be taken based on the report
NERC
North American Electric Reliability Corporation, a nonprofit international regulatory agency (NERC.com)
net load
the customer load remaining to be served after subtracting out energy provided by wind and solar CPUC, 9
net power injection
at a node in a power transmission system, an integer representing the flow of power through the bus (positive if local production exceeds demand) Kirschen, 182
net surplus
also called producer's profit, an economics term for the ability of a producer to sell a product for more than the opportunity cost
New Pangaea
A term used to refer to the ecological globalization/homogenization of the world through the spreading of non-native species via human activities
NG
natural gas
NGPL
natural gas plant liquids, recovered from processing, e.g. propane
NGV
natural gas vehicle
NIF
National Ignition Facility, a laser facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory website
NIMBY
Not in my backyard. As in "yes high voltage power transmission is a great idea, but not in my backyard"
NMREC
National Marine Energy Center, now rebranding as PMEC, the Pacific Marine Energy Center
nodal pricing
in electricity generation, a form of locational marginal pricing where price is defined at each node or bus of an interconnected system Kirschen, 153
non-spinning reserve
also called supplemental reserve. Generating capacity which is capable of being brought online within 10 minutes if it is offline, or interrupted within 10 minutes if it is online, and which is capable of either being operated or interrupted for at least two hours
nontechnical losses
energy that is stolen from a power transmission system Kirschen, 176
NOx
nitrogen oxide, typically nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant in emissions that is harmful to humans- wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_dioxide#Human-caused_sources_and_exposure
NPDES
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
NREL
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (DoE R&D lab)
NSPS
new source performance standard, a regulatory emissions standard on new power plants
nuclear battery
a small, modular, no-maintenance nuclear plant- often manufactured remotely, shipped, assembled on site, and buried for 3-4 years at a time while in operation Muller, 186
NUG
non-utility generator
ocean acidification
the reduction of alkalinity in the world's oceans through absorption of human-produced carbon dioxide from preindustrial levels of 8.2 to a projected 7.8 by 2100
ocean conveyor
Circulation of the ocean. They move underwater (brought down through sea chimneys) south of Africa, around Antarctica, through the Indian and Pacific Oceans, then come back up at the Atlantic to join the Gulf Stream and move north again to the sea chimney there. More precisely known as the meridional overturning circulation or the thermohaline circulation Pearce, 142
OECD
organization for economic cooperation and development, a forum of 34 countries working together on development and policy issues OECD mission
OEM
original equipment manufacturer
oil trap
a geologic structure which holds underground oil
OPEC
organization of the petroleum exporting countries
OPF
optimum power flow, models to simulate power dispatch from various generators through various transmission lines– used by some utilities every half hour; others not at all due to high computational intensity Graves, 1-5
OTEC
ocean thermal energy conversion, also called thalassothermal energy
overburden
the material that lies above an area suitable for economic exploitation (e.g. soil, plants above a potential mine)
oversupply
"a condition when the grid has more generation being produced from all of the resources on the grid than is needed, based on the load—in other words, an imbalance between electricity supply and demand" CPUC, 11
OWC
oscillating water column: a vertical chamber drilled into a cliff where waves push aboveground air up the tube through a turbine
PAL
Park and loan service, a natural gas delivery mechanism whereby shippers can "park" gas not needed to supply demand or "borrow" gas in the pipeline, a short-term load balancing solution typically offered by a hub as a minor revenue source for pipeline operators FERC, 26
paludiculture
wet agriculture and forestry on peatlands, keeping the bogs wet (thus continuing to store carbon) while also productive & growing through accumulation of decaying vegetation. Oranges, tea trees are example crops on peatlands Hawken, 123
PAR
photosynthetically active radiation
Pareto efficiency
in economics, a system is Pareto efficient if benefit to one side (producer or consumer) can only be increased by reducing the benefit to another party
pay-as-you-throw
a garbage collection and recycling program where the cost of refuse collection is based on the landfill-bound waste (and compost and recycling is free) Hawken, 159
PE
primary energy: energy contained in raw fuels, or otherwise received as input to a system. Use of this metric ignores conversion efficiency (from its potential energy to the amount we can actually harvest), so it leads to imperfect comparisons - for example, nuclear, coal, and other thermal electricity generation processes are highly inefficient and can be overvalued using this metric wiki
peaker
in reference to an electric plant, designed to meet the highest electrical load demand of the year. Generally a gas-burning plant that can be got online quickly and is only used during parts of the hottest summer months
peak oil
the point in time when the maximum extraction of oil is reached (based on a theory by M. King Hubbert, a Shell researcher). Based on the incorrect belief that resource extraction curves fit a bell curve, “peak oil’ is the idea that we will run out of oil to extract and then our industry will drop precipitously, returning us to a hunter-gatherer lifestyle within a few thousand years Smil, 62-64
PEM
Proton Exchange Membrane, a type of fuel cell with low efficiency (50%) and low (50-80C) operating temperature typically used in the transportation sector
People's Recovery
the use of destruction from catastrophic events as an opportunity to rebuild with equity in mind
per-capita human impact
average resource consumption and waste production of one person. A society's total impact is per-capita impact multiplied by population. Diamond, 353
petrochemical cracker
a plant designed to convert ethane, propane, and normal butane, as well as naphtha, to ethylene, propylene, and other building blocks of the petrochemical industry EIA, 86
PEV
plug-in electric vehicle
pH
pH is a logarithmic scale from 0 to 14, where 7 is neutral, higher is basic (alkaline), and lower is acidic
phase angle
the difference in phases between the (same-frequency) waveforms of voltage and current in a circuit
phase voltage
voltage as measured between one phase and the neutral point, the voltage at an element of a wye configuration of generators
phase-to-phase voltage
voltage as measured between two phases, the voltage at an element in a delta configuration of generations
physical transmission rights
in a grid electrical system, the right to transmit a certain amount of power, for a certain time, through a certain branch of the transmission network Kirschen, 147
phytoliths
tiny silica structures in grass that are composed of minerals and thus resist degradation faster than other plant material– allowing them to sequester carbon for hundreds to thousands of years. Formed in grasses including bamboo Hawken, 117
phytonutrients
chemical compounds that are the building blocks of taste, such as amino acids, esters, and flavinoids. Also part of plant immune systems.
Pinatubo Option
shorthand name for albedo engineering
PMEC
Pacific Marine Energy Center, a collaboration between University of Washington, Oregon State University, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks to facilitate the responsible commercialization of marine energy technologies
P-node
pricing node (in electric grid balancing). P-nodes, PNodes, or pricing nodes, are a pricing structure for distributed energy resources. Essentially, a price is set by balancing the supply and demand at each point where two wires cross. As of 2015, there were 4,900 of these in California. StJohn
point absorber
wave harvesting device based on a floating part and a fixed part where the floating part's vertical motion is converted into electricity (e.g. a buoy bobbing a copper coil over magnets)
POU
publicly owned utility (as opposed to investor owned)
power-system stabilizer
a mechanism often provided as a grid ancillary service which damps oscillations in power to prevent their spread through the network
PPM
Parts per million
PPP
power purchase price
precautionary principle
the idea that when there is uncertainty, you should err on the side of safety
prime mover
a machine or part of a machine that converts energy from a source energy into mechanical energy, e.g. a steam turbine or water wheel
proved reserves
the estimated quantity of a natural resource that, based on data gathering, can reasonably be projected to be recoverable from a given area under existing economic and operating conditions FERC, 10
PTC
Production Tax Credit, a federal tax credit in the United States which provides inflation-adjusted per-kWH rebates for qualifying renewable energy sales Energy.gov
p.u.
per unit
PUC
Public Utility Commission, state entity regulating utility companies
PURPA
Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act: requires utilities to purchase the output of certain types of generation facilities if it matches the cost of other system resources
PV
photovoltaic(s)
PV plant design
consists of site-specific requirements and restraints, type of PV module to use, tilting angle, inverters, mounting and tracking apparatus, and arrangement of cells. Optimization takes into account shade, performance degradation over time, and tradeoffs of energy yield vs. spend for improved equipment. IFC, 5
PVRR
present value of revenue requirements
PZEV
Partial Zero-Emission Vehicle: low-emission conventional internal combustion vehicles with extended emissions system warranties EIA, 35
radiation illness
immediate sickness from exposure to 100 rem or more of radiation, resulting in nausea, loss of hair, and weakness
RANS
Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (equations)
reactive power
temporarily stored power used to maintain voltage at a constant level, measured in VARs, contrast with real power
reactivity incident
in nuclear physics, if something goes wrong in neutron moderation and a chain reaction begins to build up
real power
the power available for performing useful work, measured in Watts, in contrast to reactive power
rebound effect
e.g. a low-carbon technology is more convenient than a high-carbon technology, so we use it more, and end up using more carbon than previously Berners-Lee, 16
recoverable cost
a cost that can be recovered through sale of the asset, e.g. the land on which a generator plant is built
recycling rate
the fraction of waste successfully redirected from landfill/incinerant, etc., often including compost Hawken, 159
refractometer
a tool to measure Brix - looks like a small spyglass
REIPPP
Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement
rem
the unit measure of radiation exposure
resource
when used to indicate quantity of a natural resource, the total amount of a resource estimated to exist in a specified area (more than the amount which can be produced or harvested from that area) FERC, 10
re-timing
shifting off-peak generation to on-peak energy demand times
retorting
a method of shale oil extraction. In this method, you mine shale, heat it aboveground to let kerogen leak out, and then refine the kerogen into oil. The process leaves a lot of leftover shale rock Muller, 109
reversible fuel cell
electricity is used for hydrogen production; hydrogen is stored in a fuel cell and converted back into electrical energy
Reynolds number
a dimensionless quantity in fluid mechanics used to predict flow patterns. It is used to predict the transition from laminar/smooth flow (low Reynolds number– viscous forces are dominant) to turbulent flow (high Reynolds numbers– inertial forces are dominant). wiki
RGGI
Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (New England), the first mandatory, regulated carbon market in the United States Wiki
rip tide
turbulent water from the opposition of tidal current to prevailing current
RMI
Rocky Mountain Institute, a sustainability research and education foundation
ROD
Record of Decision from an environmental impact study (EIS)
rotor
the part that turns– in a generator, a rotor (typically producing a magnetic field) turns around a stator
RPO
Renewable purchase obligation
RPS
Renewable Portfolio Standards, regulation requiring renewables in an energy portfolio
RTO
Regional Transmission Organization, a regional energy market oversight entity which exists to facilitate competition among wholesale energy companies, schedule and monitor transmission for non-discriminatory access, ensure reliability of the grid, manage the interconnection of new resources, guard against market manipulation, and create transparency into the system. Term can be interchangeable with ISO. Caspary, 2
run-of-the-river
Hydropower which uses natural flow and elevation drop of water rather than a dam
salinization
Salt accumulation in soil and groundwater, which interferes with the ability for plants to grow Diamond, 35
saline seep
Salty water which builds up in an uphill area travels through the soil and comes out downhill and distant. Diamond, 36
SCADA
Supervisory control and data acquisition
sea chimneys
Giant whirlpools found at the ends of ocean currents. They take surface water and drain them down to the bottom of the ocean. This is a major component of global ocean circulation.
selective catalytic reduction
chemical reaction catalyzed by injection into exhaust which turns NOx into nitrogen, water, and tiny amounts of CO2, can reduce NOx up to 90% (http://www.dieselforum.org/about-clean-diesel/what-is-scr)
semidiurnal
two each of high and low tides per day
SERC
State Electricity Regulatory Commission
shunt
a device which allows electric current to pass around another point in a circuit by creating a low-resistance path
single-phase
having one voltage waveform
sluice gates
movable gates that allow or impede the flow of water e.g. to let water into the hydrostatic head of a tidal barrage
SMPS
switched-mode power suppliers (AC/DC)
sniffers
sensitive electronic equipment that finds hydrocarbons in air, used in oil deposit discovery
socio-environmental
environmental aspects with significant social ramifications, e.g. culturally significant species mctiernan
SOFC
Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, a type of fuel cell with high (70%) efficiency and high (600-1000C) operating temperature typically used for stationary applications
solar energy resource
Depends on solar irradiation of the geographic area and also on local shade
SOx
sulful oxides, a pollutant present in exhaust which causes acid rain- wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_pollution#Pollutants
speed droop
a speed control mode in a system of generators which allows them to run in parallel, sharing loads across generators proportional to their power rating
spinning reserve
any back-up energy production capacity which is can be made available to a transmission system with ten minutes' notice and can operate continuously for at least two hours once it is brought online
spot market
a market where goods are delivered immediately and the buyer pays in full on the spot, with no conditions attached to the transaction
SPR
Stream Protection Rule: proposed rule affects surface mining operations and underground mining operations that affect the surface EIA, 32
SRAC
short-run average cost
SRM
solar radiation management (albedo engineering)
SRMC
short-run marginal cost
station backup failure
failure of an electricity generation station due to loss of electricity
stator
the part of an assembly that holds still– in the case of a generator, typically the stator contains windings of a conductor in which AC current is excited by the motion of the magnetic field in a moving rotor
step-down
in electrical transformers, the process of transforming electrical power so that it has lower voltage and higher current, typically performed at substations for distribution to end users
step-up
in electrical transformers, the process of transforming electrical power so that it has higher voltage and lower current, typically for the purpose of transmitting the electrical energy over long distances with minimal power loss
swidden
burning and clearing of forest land for annual cultivation and subsequent fallowing to allow for regeneration (a form of shifting cultivation from indigenous farming) Hawken, 125
synchronous generator
An electrical generator of AC power which is synchronized with a standard frequency
synfuel
synthetic fuel; fuel (liquid hydrocarbons such as gasoline or kerosene) produced from coal, natural gas, or biomass into synthetic crude or other liquid fuel
system curtailment
curtailment induced by oversupply CPUC, 13
system upgrade deferral
allocation of off-peak energy (e.g. through battery storage) to times when new capacity would otherwise have to be added to meet demand Fitzgerald, 15
T-D
transmission to distribution
techno-economic
considerations where technical options are constrained by economics McTiernan
TERA
tribal energy resource agreement, which occurs between a tribe and the Secretary of the Interior. Required for natives to get rights of self-determination from ITEDSA, absolves the federal government of any losses occurring from the energy project decisions
three-phase
in an electric power system, having at least three conductors carrying AC voltages that are offset in time by 1/3 the period, the most common type of generator in the electrical grid
thumper truck
a vehicle used for seismology-based oil discovery which slams heavy plates into the ground to produce shock waves Freudenrich
tidal barrage
a tidal power generator that is essentially a hydroelectric dam: open for inflow, close & run generator on outflow (possible to generate power in both directions) Maehlum
tidal farm
see tidal fence
tidal fence
a row of tidal stream generator turbines cemented in place so that all flow must pass through the turbines. Can be implemented fully or partially across a tidal flow Helston
tidal range
the height difference between high tide and low tide
tidal stream generator
underwater turbines for tidal power
tide race
a tidal stream that flows very rapidly where passage is constricted
tie-line
electrical line which connects two neighboring areas (usually there are many tie-lines)
tipping point
in the context of climate change, a singular event (typically triggered by global warming) which rapidly accelerates global warming
TOU
time of use, a utility power billing scheme to correlate the price of electricity with its supply/demand economics (electricity is more expensive at times of day with historically high demand)
TPES
total primary energy supply, the sum of production and imports minus exports and storage charges. See PE for more information wiki
transco
transmission company
transition costs
in electrical power generation, the cost to start up and shut down a power generation station, generally very significant in thermally-based power plants
Transition town
a grassroots community movement to reduce local dependence on oil and other high-emitting energy sources
transmission
transportation of a resource to an area where it can be used
TRI
Toxic Release Inventory, which requires the use of standardized reporting metrics that allow for comparison, ranking, and tracking of performance across multiple projects Wentz, 3
tropic tides
tides at low latitudes, characterized by high amplitude and high range
TSO
transmission system operator
Type I
A type of climate change which is gradual, following IPCC graphs
Type II
A type of climate change that is abrupt and results from the crossing of tipping points
TZEV
transitional zero-emissions vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric and hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicles EIA, 22, 35
unconventional gas
natural gas that cannot be produced at economic flow rates or in economic volumes of natural gas unless the well is stimulated by fracking or similar FERC, 10
UNFCCC
1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
unit commitment
planning regarding which generating units should be on during a given day to meet load forecast
uplift
an extra cost, usually about 10% of the power purchase price, added to the power purchase price to account for extra operating costs (out-of-merit dispatch, standby, and reactive power) related to market inefficiencies resulting from a day-ahead power purchase market in the United Kingdom Graves, 1-2
valorization
the process of diverting and recovering waste materials, extracting the value that a discarded item retains Hawken, 159
variable losses
variable losses in power transmission (also called load losses, series losses, copper losses, or transport-related losses) are caused by current flowing through the lines, cables, and transformers of a network. This loss can be approximated as a quadratic of the active power flow (proportional to power squared) Kirschen, 175-176
VARs
volt-amps reactive, a measure of reactive power
VGI
vehicle-grid integration
VOLL
value of lost load, the average price per megawatt-hour that consumers would be willing to pay to avoid being disconnected without notice Kirschen, 74
voltage collapse
power demand exceeds supply so much that the system goes down (any given power supply has a finite supply capability, a "point of maximum loadability") Hiskens, 21
WEC
wave energy converter
wheeling
the practice of shipping power between a buyer and a seller over third-party transmission lines Graves, 1-3
working gas
the natural gas in a storage facility which can be used; the gas in excess of the base gas FERC, 29
ZEV
zero-emissions vehicles: battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell EIA, 22, 35
[aggarwal]: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1040619013001917 "Aggarwal, Sonia and Harvey, Hal. 'Rethinking Energy Policy to Deliver a Clean Energy Future.' Energy Innovation, 2013."
[trabish-dynamic]: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/beyond-tou-is-more-dynamic-pricing-the-future-of-rate-design/447171/ "Trabish, Herman. 'Beyond ToU: Is more dynamic pricing the future of rate design?' Utility Dive, 2017."