Xcel Energy 2007 Annual Report Download - page 15

generation The process of transforming other forms of energy, such as nuclear or fossil fuels, into electricity.
Also, the amount of electric energy produced, expressed in megawatts (capacity) or megawatt
hours (energy).
GHG Greenhouse Gas
JOA Joint operating agreement among the utility subsidiaries
LIBOR London Interbank Offered Rate
LNG Liquefied natural gas. Natural gas that has been converted to a liquid.
mark-to-market The process whereby an asset or liability is recognized at fair value.
MERP Metropolitan Emissions Reduction Project
MGP Manufactured gas plant
MISO Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc.
Moody’s Moody’s Investor Services Inc.
MPCA Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
native load The customer demand of retail and wholesale customers whereby a utility has an obligation to
serve: e.g., an obligation to provide electric or natural gas service created by statute or long-term
contract.
natural gas A naturally occurring mixture of gases found in porous geological formations beneath the earth’s
surface, often in association with petroleum. The principal constituent is methane.
NOx Nitrogen oxide
nonutility All items of revenue, expense and investment not associated, either by direct assignment or by
allocation, with providing service to the utility customer.
PBRP Performance-based regulatory plan. An annual electric earnings test, an electric quality of service
plan and a natural gas quality of service plan established by the CPUC.
PFS Private Fuel Storage, LLC. A consortium of private parties (including NSP-Minnesota) working to
establish a private facility for interim storage of spent nuclear fuel.
PUHCA Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935. Enacted to regulate the corporate structure and
financial operations of utility holding companies.
PUHCA 2005 Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005. Successor to the Public Utility Holding Company
Act of 1935. Eliminates most federal regulation of utility holding companies. Transfers other
regulatory authority from the SEC to the FERC.
QF Qualifying facility. As defined under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, a QF sells
power to a regulated utility at a price equal to that which it would otherwise pay if it were to
build its own power plant or buy power from another source.
rate base The investor-owned plant facilities for generation, transmission and distribution and other assets
used in supplying utility service to the consumer.
ROE Return on equity
RTO Regional Transmission Organization. An independent entity, which is established to have
‘‘functional control’’ over a utility’s electric transmission systems, in order to provide
non-discriminatory access to transmission of electricity.
SFAS Statement of Financial Accounting Standards
SO2Sulfur dioxide
SPP Southwest Power Pool, Inc.
Standard & Poor’s Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services
TEMT Transmission and Energy Markets Tariff of MISO
TCEQ Texas Commission of Environmental Quality
unbilled revenues Amount of service rendered but not billed at the end of an accounting period. Cycle meter-
reading practices result in unbilled consumption between the date of last meter reading and the
end of the period.
underlying A specified interest rate, security price, commodity price, foreign exchange rate, index of prices or
rates, or other variable, including the occurrence or nonoccurrence of a specified event such as a
scheduled payment under a contract.
VaR Value-at-risk
wheeling or transmission An electric service wherein high-voltage transmission facilities of one utility system are used to
transmit power generated within or purchased from another system.
working capital Funds necessary to meet operating expenses.
Measurements
Btu British thermal unit. A standard unit for measuring thermal energy or heat commonly used as a
gauge for the energy content of natural gas and other fuels.
Bcf Billion cubic feet
GWh Gigawatt hours
KV Kilovolts
KW Kilowatts (one KW equals one thousand watts)
Kwh Kilowatt hours
Mcf Thousand cubic feet
MMBtu One million Btus
MW Megawatts (one MW equals one thousand KW)
Watt A measure of power production or usage.
Volt The unit of measurement of electromotive force. Equivalent to the force required to produce a
current of one ampere through a resistance of one ohm. The unit of measure for electrical
potential. Generally measured in kilovolts or KV.
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