Capitol Voice ©

ACELA: The Senate climate change bill – the American Clean Energy Leadership Act (presently pending);

ACES: The House-passed American Clean Energy & Security Act (authored by Reps. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Edward Markey (D-MA);  H.R.2454;

ADEME: Agence de l’Environnement et de la Maitrise de l’Energie in France;

ALLOWANCE: (or emission allowance):  pollution permit based on each ton of carbon dioxide (CO²) emitted;

AREVA: the major European nuclear construction company;

BARRAGES: tidal dams built to harness energy from the difference between high and low tides;  (Tom)

CAP AND TRADE: the market-based system where the government places a “cap” on the amount of tons of CO² allowed to be produced annually with permits/allowances issued to emitting sources;  allowances can be auctioned, sold or given away; the imposed cap tightens each year;

CBO: Congressional Budget Office (Washington);

CCS: Carbon Capture and Sequestration:  technology used to bury CO² emissions – primarily with coal-fired power plants;

CDM: Clean Develolpment Mechanism:  the primary global offset mechanism emanating from the Kyoto Protocol;  (Tom)

CHP: Combined Heat & Power:  where heat created in power stations is used to replace central heating boilers rather than wasting the generated heat;

COP-15, COP-16 :  Conference of the Parties.  Shorthand for the annual conference of the signatory parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, (UNFCCC).  COP-15 was held in Copenhagen 2009, COP-16 will be in Mexico 2010.  

CSP:  Concentrated Solar Power:  where photovoltaics directly convert photons from sunlight into electricity;

ENERGY GAIN: the point at which more energy is produced than is required to run a system;

EU ETS: European Union’s official carbon market trading system;

FERC:  Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Washington);

FISSION: the atom-smashing technology presently used in nuclear reactors;

FEED-IN-TARIFFS:  (FiTs): where small owner/electrical generators are paid per kwh for renewable energy returned to the Grid;  long-term giveback prices are usually long-term guaranteed with pre-established, favorable rates;

FUSION:

FUTUREGEN: the U.S.’s resurrected CCS project recently receiving $1 billion;

GEO-ENGINEERING: man-made methodology to increase low level clouding to block the sun’s damaging rays;

GHG:  greenhouse gases:  polluting emissions including CO², methane, nitrous oxides, hydrofluorocarbons; and several more;

GRID: the present delivery system by which electrical power is collected and transmitted;

GRID PARITY: the point where the use of renewables is no more expensive than using fossil fuels;  n.b. – some solar companies are predicting grid parity by 2010;

IEA:  International Energy Agency;

IPCC:  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change;

IRENA: the 88 country International Renewable Energy Agency, officially launched in 2009;

KYOTO PROTOCOL: (Tom)

LOAD SHEDDING: the process by which electrical utilities can quickly reduce supply when customer demand is low;

NIF:  National Ignition Facility – Livermore, California;  the 192 laser-powered fusion energy facility;

OFFSETS:

OMB:  Office of Management and Budget (Washington);

PHOTOVOLTAICS  (PVs): the energy creating process created when the sun’s rays (photons) hit a silicon surface moving electrons to create electricity;

PUMPED STORAGE: where electricity forces a water supply uphill into a holding tank; the water is released at high demand periods flowing downhill to run turbines to produce electricity;

RENEWABLES: Green energy supply, not dependent on fossil fuels, including wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, tidal power, barrages, and more;

RES/RPS: (Renewable Electricity Standard/Renewable Portfolio Standard):  the measurement used to indicate the percentage of electricity generated from renewable sources;

RGGI:  Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative:  the United States’ first cap and trade system made up of 10 eastern and mid-Atlantic states where allowance auctions raise investment money for renewables, energy efficiency projects, and green jobs:  Participating states include:  CT, DE, MA, MD, MA, NJ, NH, NY, RI, VT.;

SMART GRID: an updated grid delivery system capable of incorporating renewables and dealing with intermittent sources of electricity generation;

UNFCCC:  United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

WATTAGE TERMINOLOGY:

kw = kilowatt;  the needed electricity to light 10-100 watt lightbulbs, 1000 watts;

kwh = kilowatt hour = 1kw for 60 minutes;

mw = megawatt = 1,000 kws;

Gw = gigawatt = 1,000 mws;

Tw = terawatt – 1,000 gws.