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TEEIC - Energy affairs Category: Earth and Environment > Energy terms Date & country: 28/02/2017, UK Words: 518

E.O.
Executive Order.

WWEC
West-wide Energy Corridor.

Woody crops
Trees grown in a forest or on plantations that are used primarily for burning to generate heat or electricity and can also be used for the production of biofuels.

WSR
Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

Wind turbines
Wind turbines can convert the energy in the wind into mechanical power that can be used for a variety of activities like grinding grain or pumping water. Wind turbines can also use generators to convert wind energy into electricity.

Winds for Schools Program
Part of the Wind Powering America Program, that supports the development of wind energy projects and educational programs at rural schools.

Wood (forestry) residues
Includes tops, limbs, and other woody material not removed in forest harvesting operations in commercial hardwood and softwood stands, as well as woody material resulting from forest management operations such as precommercial thinnings and removal of dead and dying trees.

Wind shadow(ing)
The area behind an obstacle where air movement is not capable of moving material.

Wind Power for Native Americans Program
Part of the Wind Powering America Program, that assists tribes in the evaluation and development of wind energy by providing technical assistance, including equipment loan programs, pilot project support, and other specific project assistance.

Wind resource areas
(WRAs) Areas where wind energy is available for use based on historical wind data, topographic features, and other parameters.

Wind farms
One or more wind turbines operating within a contiguous area for the purpose of generating electricity.

Wind power density
The method for rating wind energy, ranging from Class 1 (the lowest) to Class 7 (the highest). Wind power density of Class 3 or greater is generally considered adequate for utility-scale wind energy generation. The most economical sites for large wind farms have power density classes of Class 4 or higher.

WGA
Western Governors' Association.

Wind energy
Air in motion. Winds are created by the uneven heating of the atmosphere by the sun in combination with the irregular surface of the earth and the earth’s rotation. These winds can be `harvested` using wind turbines and used to make electricity. The force of the wind makes the wind turbine blades spin, and the energy of this motion is converted into electricity by a generator. Wind energy is a free, renewable resource. Its use does not affect its future supply. Wind energy facilities convert energy from the motion of wind into electricity that is sent to energy consumers via electric transmission lines.

Wet scrubber
A vessel used for removing pollutants from a gas stream by means of a liquid spray, liquid jet, or liquid layer.

Wetlands
Areas that are soaked or flooded by surface or groundwater frequently enough or long enough to support plants, birds, animals, and aquatic life. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, estuaries, and other inland and coastal areas and are federally protected.

Wave energy
Energy derived from the movement of ocean waves.

Well or wellbore
The hole drilled from the surface to the gas-bearing formation, several of which may be developed from a single pad.

Well pad
Relatively flat work area (surface location) that is used for drilling a well or wells and producing from the well once it is completed.

Wellhead
Refers to the topmost point of a well and the structure built over it. Wellheads include control equipment such as outlets, valves, blowout preventers, casing heads, tubing heads and `Christmas trees.`

Watt
(electric) The electrical unit of power.

Watershed
A topographically defined area drained by a river/stream or system of connecting rivers/streams such that all outflow is discharged through a single outlet. Also called a drainage area.

Water vapor
The most abundant greenhouse gas, it is the water present in the atmosphere in gaseous form. Water vapor is an important part of the natural greenhouse effect. While humans are not significantly increasing its concentration, it contributes to the enhanced greenhouse effect because the warming influence of greenhouse gases leads to a positive water vapor feedback. In addition to its role as a natural greenhouse gas, water vapor plays an important role in regulating the temperature of the planet because clouds form when excess water vapor in the atmosphere condenses to form ice, water droplets, and precipitation.

Waste/wood waste
A category of biomass energy that includes black liquor, wood/wood waste liquids (red liquor, sludge wood, and spent sulfite liquor); wood/wood waste solids (peat, paper pellets, railroad ties, utility poles, etc.).

Wastewater
Water that typically contains less than a 1^% concentration of organic hazardous waste materials.

waste management
The planning, coordination, and direction of functions related to generation, handling, treatment, storage, transportation, and disposal of waste. It also includes associated pollution prevention and surveillance and maintenance activities.

Waste production
Refers to food waste, animal manure, and municipal waste that can be used to produce biofuels and biogas.

Volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) A broad range of organic compounds that readily evaporate at normal temperatures and pressures. Examples include certain solvents, paint thinners, degreasers (benzene), chloroform, and methyl alcohol. Such compounds can react with other substances (primarily nitrogen oxides) to form ozone. They contribute significantly to photochemical smog production and certain health problems.

Volcanology
A branch of science that deals with volcanic phenomena.

Viewshed
The total landscape seen or potentially seen from all or a logical part of a travel route, use area, or water body.

Visual impact
Any modification in land forms, water bodies, or vegetation, or any introduction of structures, which negatively or positively affect the visual character or quality of a landscape.

Visual resources
Refers to all objects (manmade and natural, moving and stationary) and features such as landforms and water bodies that are visible on a landscape.

Vertical axis turbine
A turbine mounted in such a way that the axis is positioned perpendicular to the tidal stream and the ground.

utility-scale low-head hydropower
Refers to plants (facilities) that distribute power to consumers via the transmission grid.

USDA
U.S. Department of Agriculture.

USFWS
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

USGS
U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior.

UST
Underground storage tank.

Utility-scale energy generation facilities
These facilities generate large amounts of electricity that is transmitted from one location (wind farm) to many users through a transmission system, similar to the process at any other commercial power plant. At the utility scale, a wind farm, consists of many large wind turbines.

UIC
Underground injection control.

USACE
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

USC
United States Code.

TSCA
Toxic Substances Control Act.

Tsunami
1) A long-period water wave caused by an underwater disturbance such as a volcanic eruption or earthquake. 2) A shallow water progressive wave, potentially catastrophic, caused by an underwater earthquake or volcano.

Turbidity
A measurement of the total suspended solids.

Turbine
A device in which a stream of water or gas turns a bladed wheel, converting the kinetic energy of the fluid flow into mechanical energy available from the turbine shaft. Turbines are considered the most economical means of turning large electrical generators. They are typically driven by steam, fuel vapor, water, or wind. Wind turbines can convert the energy in the wind into mechanical power that can be used for a variety of activities like grinding grain or pumping water. Wind turbines can also use generators to convert wind energy into electricity.

Trust resources
(on tribal lands) Trust resources are interests in land, water, minerals, funds, or other assets or property that is held by the United States in trust for an Indian tribe or an individual Indian or which is held by an Indian tribe or Indian subject to a restriction on alienation imposed by the United States.

Trench/trenching
(1) In the context of energy transmission projects, a long, narrow ditch dug into the ground and embanked with its own soil, used to bury and protect a transmission line or pipeline. (2) In the context of hydropower, a long narrow submarine depression with relatively steep sides.

Tribal Energy Resource Agreement
(TERA) A TERA grants authority to a tribe to review and approve leases, business agreements, and rights-of-way for energy development on tribal lands.

Transmission system
Consists of electric transmission lines, towers, substations and other components for sending electricity to users.

Transmission towers
Support structures that keep the high-voltage conductors (power lines) separated from their surroundings and from each other. They can be open lattice metal structures or one or more wood or metal poles. Height can be over 150 feet with crossarms as much as 100 feet wide.

Transformer
A device for transferring electric power from one circuit to another in an alternating current system. Transformers are also used to change voltage from one level to another.

Transmission grid
A system of power plants, transmission lines, and substations is referred to as a transmission grid.

Transmission line
A set of conductors insulators, support structures, and associated equipment used to move large quantities of electric power at high voltage, usually over long distances between substations. There are two major types of transmission lines: alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC). However, they have a variety of voltages (generally between 115 and 765 kV) and configurations, and they can be located either aboveground or underground.

Transesterification
A chemical process that reacts an alcohol with the triglycerides contained in vegetable oils and animal fats to produce biodiesel and glycerin.

Town gas
The purified crude gas remaining after removal of CO2. Town gas is a coal gas manufactured for domestic and industrial use.

Traditional cultural property
A property that is eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places because of its association with cultural practices or beliefs of a living community that (a) are rooted in that community's history, and (b) are important in maintaining the continuing cultural identity of the community.

Topography
The configuration of the earth’s surface, including the shape, elevation, and position of its natural and manmade features.

Tide
The periodic rising and falling of water that results from gravitational attraction of the moon and sun acting on the rotating earth.

Toe-cutting
Lateral erosion of the `toe` or base of a streambank that causes the bank to collapse.

Tonne, ton
One U.S. ton (short ton) = 2,000 pounds. One Imperial ton (long ton or shipping ton) = 2,240 pounds. One metric tonne (tonne) = 1,000 kilograms (2,205 pounds). One oven-dry ton or tonne (ODT, sometimes termed bone-dry ton/tonne) is the amount of wood that weighs one ton/tonne at 0^% moisture content. One green ton/tonne refers to the weight of undried (fresh) biomass material; moisture content must be specified if green weight is used as a fuel measure.

Tidal turbine
Similar to a wind turbine, a tidal turbine converts the horizontal movement of the water from the incoming and outgoing tide into electricity. Tidal turbines can be placed wherever there is a reliable tidal flow and where there is minimal conflict with existing uses, e.g., ship traffic. Tidal turbines are arrayed underwater in rows, as in some wind farms.

Tidal energy
Term used to describe the methods of creating energy from the movement of water due to the ocean tides, ocean waves, and currents in rivers.

Tidal range
The ebb and flow over land between mlw (mean low water) and mhw (mean high water) were tide is periodically present. (2) The difference in height between consecutive high and low (or higher high and lower low) waters.

Threatened species
Any species that is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range. Requirements for declaring a species threatened are contained in the Endangered Species Act.

Terrestrial
Land-based, as opposed to water. Also, plants or animals living on land rather than in the water.

Terrestrial sequestration
The collection and storage of carbon dioxide by plants and the storage of carbon dioxide in soil.

The Geysers
A large geothermal steam field located north of San Francisco.

Thermal cracking
A refining process in which heat and pressure are used to break down, rearrange, or combine hydrocarbon molecules. Therma -cracking includes gas oil, visbreaking, fluid coking, delayed coking, and other thermal cracking processes (e.g., flexicoking).

TERA
Tribal Energy Resource Agreement.

Terawatt
(TW) A unit of power, equal to 10¹² watts, or 1,000,000 megawatts. Abbreviated TW.

Terminators
Wave energy devices that extend perpendicular to the direction of wave travel and capture or reflect the power of the wave. These devices are typically onshore or nearshore; however, floating versions have been designed for offshore applications.

tailrace
The channel that carries water away from a dam.

TAPS
Trans-Alaska Pipeline System.

TEEIC
Tribal Energy and Environmental Information Clearinghouse.

SWRCA
Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act.

synchronous generator
An AC generator having a DC exciter. Synchronous generators are used as stand-alone generators for emergency power and can also be paralleled with other synchronous generators and the utility system.

Syngas
A synthetic gas produced through gasification of biomass. Syngas is a combination of hydrogen and carbon monoxide along with tars and other solids. Syngas is similar to natural gas and can be cleaned and conditioned to form a feedstock for production of methanol.

Surficial
Pertaining to or lying on the surface of the earth.

Surge tank
Storage tank used to regulate fluid levels, fluctuations in flow rate, temperature, and pressure.

SWEEP
Southwest Energy Efficiency Project.

Switchgrass
Switchgrass is the perennial herbaceous prairie grass native to the central North American Great Plains. It is considered a candidate for a cellulosic ethanol or other bioenergy feedstock as it has a high biomass yield per acre and is low maintenance. Switchgrass can be found in prairies, on roadsides, and in pastures.

Sulfite liquor
End product of pulp and paper manufacturing processes that contains lignins and has a high moisture content; often reused in recovery boilers. Similar to black liquor.

Sulfur dioxide
(SO2) A naturally occuring gas consisting of sulfur and oxygen that causes acid rain. Burning fossil fuels, such as coal, releases SO2 into the atmosphere.

Surface water
Water on the earth’s surface that is directly exposed to the atmosphere, as distinguished from water in the ground (groundwater).

Substation
A facility that switches, changes, or regulates electric voltage. Substations vary in size and configuration but are often several acres in size. The area within a substation is normally unvegetated and surfaced with gravel. Substations are normally fenced and reached by a permanent access road. A substation generally contains a variety of structures, conductors, fencing, lighting, and other features that result in an industrial appearance. Transmission lines start from and end at a substation.

Subsea cable
A cable designed for service underwater.

Subsidence
A sinking of part of the Earth's crust.

Submarine
Beneath the surface of the water; undersea.

Stripper/rectifier column
The section of a distillation column below the feed in which the condensate is progressively decreased in the fraction of a more volatile component by stripping. The portion of a distillation column above the feed tray in which rising vapor is enriched by interaction with a countercurrent falling stream of condensed vapor.

Step-up transformer
Electrical device that changes the voltage of the electricity passing through it.

Stover
The dried stalks and leaves of a crop remaining after the grain has been harvested.

stream bank cutting
The side slopes of a channel between which the stream flow is normally confined.

Stringing
Laying out sections of pipe along the intended path of the pipeline.

State Historic Preservation Office(r)
(r) The State office(r) charged with the identification and protection of prehistoric and historic resources in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act.

Spent liquor
The liquid residue left after an industrial process; can be a component of waste materials used as fuel. See also black liquor, red liquor, and sulfite liquor.

Staging area
A construction area located along the transmission line or pipeline where materials are received, stored, and shipped to the right-of-way. They are located adjacent to established roads with easy vehicle access. Diesel fuel, gasoline, lubricating oils, paints, herbicides, and blasting agents may be stored in these areas. Staging areas are generally located every 8 to 10 miles and vary in size from 1 to 3 acres. Disturbed areas that require minimal grading are usually selected.

SPCCP
Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures Program.

Special status species
Special status species include both plant and animal species that are officially listed as threatened or endangered or are proposed or are candidates for listing as threatened or endangered under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act; also, those listed by a state in a category such as threatened or endangered, implying potential endangerment or extinction.

Sour gas
A gas containing hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, or mercaptans, all of which are extremely harmful.