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Electric Glossary of Terms

Disclaimer: This document has been prepared as an informal guide to understanding terms used in the regulation of electric utilities. It is not intended as legal advice. In the event of any conflict between this informal guide and the Commission’s enabling statutes or formal rules, the requirements of the statute and/or rule in question shall in every instance govern. The Commission rules are also available on the website and can be referred to for a greater understanding of the terms and the context in which they are employed. This glossary includes links to the relevant statues and rules.

Aggregator means any person or entity that aggregates but takes no ownership of the electricity needed to meet that aggregated load. An example of an aggregator is a broker who arranges for the purchase of electric service for a purchasing group consisting of several customers. The broker never owns the electricity but arranges for its sale to the purchasing group. Puc 2002.02 (Competitive Electric Power Supplier Rules)

Cogeneration facility means a facility which produces electric energy and other forms of useful energy, such as steam or heat, which are used for industrial, commercial, heating, or cooling purposes. RSA 362-A:1-a I.

Competitive electric power supplier (CEPS) means any person or entity that sells or offers to sell electricity to retail customers by using the transmission and/or distribution facilities of any public utility in this state. A competitive electric power supplier includes but is not limited to owners of electric generating facilities, marketers of electricity, and municipalities selling or offering to sell electricity. Puc 2002.04 (Competitive Electric Power Supplier Rules)

Customer means any person, business or governmental unit which purchases retail electric service. Puc 2002.05 (Competitive Electric Power Supplier Rules)

Default Service means electricity supply that is available to customers who are otherwise without an electricity supplier and are ineligible for transition service.
RSA 374-F:2 I-a

Distribution System means the portion of the equipment used to deliver electricity which exists between the distribution utility and the customer. For example, a customer can receive electric service from a competitive electric power supplier and distribution service from a distribution utility.

Electric service means the delivery of electric power through the provision of transmission and/or distribution service by an electric utility to a retail customer, regardless of such retail customer's source of electric power, and shall include any back-up, maintenance, emergency, and other delivery service provided to a retail customer by an electric utility. RSA 369-B:2 XII

KiloWatt-hour (kWh) means one thousand Watt-hours, where a Watt-hour (Wh) is an electrical energy unit of measure equal to 1 Watt of power supplied to, or taken from, an electric circuit steadily for 1 hour.

Meter means a device installed for the measurement of electrical quantities to be used as a basis for determining charges for electric service.
Puc 302.08 (Rules for Electric Service )

Net energy metering means measuring the difference between the electricity supplied over the electric distribution system and the electricity generated by an eligible customer generator which is fed back into the electric distribution system over a billing period. RSA 362-A:1-a III-a

Rates means any charge or price for electric services and all related services regulated by the commission, including, availability, terms of payment, and minimum service period. Puc 1601.03 (Tariff and Special Contracts Rules)

Stranded Costs means costs, liabilities, and investments, such as uneconomic assets, that electric utilities would reasonably expect to recover if the existing regulatory structure continued and that electric utilities would not reasonably expect to recover in a restructured, competitive market, absent a specific cost recovery mechanism. RSA 374-F:2 IV

Tariff means the schedule of rates, charges and terms and conditions under which a regulated and tariffed service is provided to customers, filed by a utility and either approved by the commission or effective by operation of law. Puc 1601.05 (Tariff and Special Contracts Rules)

Transition Service means electricity supply that is available to customers who have not chosen a competitive electric power supplier and to others, as deemed appropriate by the commission. RSA 374-F:2 V

Transmission System (Electric) means an interconnected group of electric transmission lines and associated equipment for moving or transferring electric energy in bulk between points of supply and points at which it is transformed for delivery over the distribution system lines to consumers, or is delivered to other electric systems.

 

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