Glossary of electric industry, energy & cooperative terms
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National Association Of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC)
A quasi-governmental, non-profit organization composed of state and federal commissioners engaged in the regulation of public utilities and carriers.
Located in Washington, D.C., NARUC was created in 1889 and has been used by the federal government as a key instrument for maintaining and strengthening federal and state cooperation in the regulation of utilities and carriers. Although federal agencies are members of NARCU, it is uniformly recognized as representing only the various state viewpoints in its advocacy actions before the U.S. Congress and judiciary.
National Electrical Safety Code
The American National Standard which covers basic provisions for safe-guarding people from hazards arising from the installation, operation or maintenance of 1) conductors and equipment in electric supply stations and 2) overhead and underground electric supply and communications lines.
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)
Association of 1,000 rural electric cooperative systems, public power districts, and allied organizations in 46 states. Activities include legislative and regulatory services and monitoring, consulting services energy efficiency and conservation programs, public relations and advertising services, insurance and benefit programs, and job safety programs.
NRECA was founded in 1942, is located in Washington, D.C., has over 300 employees and is financed by dues and revenues. Membership is voluntary. The Association’s activities are overseen by a 46-person board of directors – one from each state in which there is a rural electric distribution system. Two major publications are the Rural Electrification Magazine and the Rural Electric Newsletter, which reports mainly on legislative and governmental matters. NRECA maintains a library of 20,000 volumes.
The Association has an International Program Division to assist in development of rural electrification overseas. Since the Division’s formation in the early 1960s, it has recruited and directed more than 200 specialists who have aided projects in some 30 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Along with the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC), NRECA has formed the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative, an independent organization to help local cooperatives secure high-quality and affordable telecommunications service to rural areas.
National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC)
A member-owned, self-help cooperative serving 969 rural electric systems, including 821 distribution systems, 65 power supply systems, 73 regional and statewide associations and other allied organizations. Established in 1969, CFC raises funds in the private capital markets to supplement loan funds provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Electrification Administration (REA). These funds are loaned to member systems for qualifying projects. Besides these funding programs, CFC provides an array of financial services to members, including short-term investment opportunities, cash and equity management seminars, and timely symposia on rural electric financing issues.
Natural Gas
A combustible, gaseous mixture of simple hydrocarbon compounds, usually found in deep underground reservoirs formed by porous rock. Natural gas can be found by itself or in association with crude oil or hydrocarbon condensates – gasses that liquefy at normal atmospheric pressure and closely resemble mineral spirits or kerosene. Natural gas is measured in cubic feet per meter (cpm); one cubic foot of gas has an energy content roughly equivalent to 1,000 Btu. For large quantities of gas, the units of measurement are one thousand cubic feet (mcf), one million cubic feet (mmcf) or one trillion cubic feet (tcf).
Gas can also be manufactured. Manufactured gas can be obtained from distillation of coal, thermal decomposition of oil or by the reaction of steam passing through a bed of heated coal or coke.
Natural Monopoly
Exclusive control of a commodity or service in a given market, or control that makes possible the fixing of prices. Utilities including railroads, telephone companies and power companies, were often referred to as "natural" monopolies because a controlled monopoly generally was termed to be in the public in interest. The generation services of power companies are no longer considered a natural monopoly.
Net Capability
The maximum load-carrying ability of the equipment, exclusive of station use, under specified conditions for a given time interval, independent of the characteristics of the load. (Capability is determined by design characteristics, physical conditions, adequacy of prime mover, energy supply, and operating limitations such as cooling and circulating water supply and temperature, headwater and tailwater elevations, and electrical use.)
Net Summer Capability
The steady hourly output, which generating equipment is expected to supply to system load exclusive of auxiliary power, as demonstrated by tests at the time of summer peak demand.
Net Winter Capability
The steady hourly output which generating equipment is expected to supply to system load exclusive of auxiliary power, as demonstrated by tests at the time of winter peak demand.
Non-Coincident Demand
The sum of individual uses of electricity that create a peak load on generation and distribution facilities.
Non-Coincidental Peak Load
The sum of two or more peak loads on individual systems that do not occur in the same time interval. Meaningful only when considering loads within a limited period of time, such as a day, week, month, a heating or cooling season, and usually for not more than 1 year.
Non-Firm Power
Power or power-producing capacity supplied or available under a commitment having limited or no assured availability.
Nonutility Power Producer
A corporation, person, agency, authority, or other legal entity or instrumentality that owns electric generating capacity and is not an electric utility. Non-utility power producers include qualifying co-generators, qualifying small power producers, and other non-utility generators (including independent power producers) without a designated franchised service area, and which do not file forms listed in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 18, Part 141.
Net Generation
Gross generation minus plant use from all electric utility owned plants. The energy required for pumping at a pumped-storage plant is regarded as plant use and must be deducted from the gross generation.
North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC)
The North American Electric Reliability Council was formed in 1968 in the aftermath of the November 9, 1965, Northeast blackout. Its purpose was to provide a way for utilities in North America to coordinate their electric system operations and planning.
The Council is a non-profit corporation made up of and owned by nine Regional Reliability Councils and one affiliate, the Alaska Systems Coordinating Council. NERC is actually a "federation" of these regions. Member utilities account for virtually all of the electric power supply in the contiguous United States, seven bordering provinces of Canada and the northern portion of Baja California, Mexico.
Direction comes from the board of trustees, consisting of electric utility executives from each of the nine regions and representatives of all segments of the electric utility industry in North America – investor-owned, federal, rural cooperatives and state/municipal. Other representatives are added as needed to assure at least one person from each Canadian utility and at least two from each utility ownership segment. To ensure the broadest of input, the Board meetings are also attended by observers from the U.S. Department of Energy, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Canadian National Energy Board, the Edison Electric Institute, the American Public Power Association, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and the Canadian Electrical Association.
Non-Utility Generator (NUG)
The broadest term used to describe a company (or individual project) that generates electricity but is not an electric utility (i.e., does not sell electricity on a franchise basis to retail customers).
NRECA ( See National Rural Electric Association)
NRECA was founded in 1942, is located in Washington, D.C., has over 300 employees and is financed by dues and revenues. Membership is voluntary. The Association's activities are overseen by a 46-person board of directors - one from each state in which there is a rural electric distribution system. Two major publications are the Rural Electrification Magazine and the Rural Electric Newsletter, which reports mainly on legislative and governmental matters. NRECA maintains a library of 20,000 volumes.
Nuclear Fuel
Fissionable materials that have been enriched to such a composition that, when placed in a nuclear reactor, will support a self-sustaining fission chain reaction, producing heat in a controlled manner for process use.
Nuclear Power Plant
A facility in which heat produced in a reactor by the fissioning of nuclear fuel is used to drive a steam turbine.
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Page last updated:
Friday, March 5, 2010
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