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AESO ( Alberta Electric System Operator )
The AESO is responsible for the safe, reliable and economic operation and planning of Alberta ’s interconnected power system and the facilitation of Alberta ’s real-time wholesale electricity market.
 

AIES ( Alberta Interconnected Electric System)
The AIES, often called the grid, consists of transmission lines and substations that move power from generation facilities to end users.
 

Allowance
An authorization to emit a specific amount of pollutant under a cap and trade program. Under a cap and trade program, an emissions source must remit to the proper authority allowances equal to the amount of its emissions.
 

Atmospheric emissions
Pollutants emitted into the atmosphere. These are onsite air releases from sources at a facility and include: stack (or point source) emissions; emissions from storage and handling; fugitive emissions; and emissions from other sources such as spills.
 

Baseline and credit
A type of emission trading system. In a “baseline and credit” system, which is also sometimes referred to as a “rate-based system,” the regulatory authority sets a level of allowable emissions for each participant (source) in the trading system. Allowable emissions in this system are generally based on intensity or rate (i.e., “X” tonnes or kilograms per unit of output). The source receives credits for reductions it makes below that baseline and credits may be traded with other participants or banked. Some sources are therefore credit buyers and others are credit generators (sellers), but the total emission overall must be below the baseline.
 

BATEA (Best Available Technology Economically Achievable)
BATEA refers to technology that can achieve superior emissions performance and that has been demonstrated to be economically feasible through successful commercial application across a range of regions and fuel types in the U.S. and other jurisdictions. BATEA is used to establish emission control expectations or limits. Generally it is the emission limit that is specified and not the specific BATEA. Facilities can opt for other technologies or emission strategies as long as the emission limit is met. For example, for NOx control, the BATEA is considered to be selective catalytic reduction (SCR), but the NOx emissions requirement is 0.69 kg/MWh, a level considered achievable based on SCR technology.
 

BATEA of the day
“BATEA of the day” means the BATEA limits that are in force as regulatory standards at that time and that will apply to new units as well as to existing units that have reached the end of their design life. As noted in recommendation 29, the BATEA levels will be reviewed every five years and revised in accordance with the results of such reviews.
 

Behind the fence
Power that is generated by an industrial facility and used to meet its own electricity needs (e.g. the generation of electricity by co-generation units that also provide process steam/heat) is referred to as being “behind the fence.”
 

Bill 37
Alberta government bill introduced in spring 2003 to address climate change and related emission management issues.
 

Bioaccumulative compounds
Bioaccumulative compounds are not usually broken down in the environment, which means they can become increasingly concentrated in organisms that are exposed to them.
 

BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene)
BTEX is an acronym for a group of organic compounds found in petroleum products.
 

Cap and trade
A type of emission trading system. In a “cap and trade” system, the regulatory authority sets a cap on total emissions from the participants (or sector) in the trading system. The regulator then creates and allocates allowances to each participant, the total of which is equal to the overall cap. The allowances held by each participant must balance with their emissions at the end of each compliance period; the allocation is typically done annually, and thus the compliance period is also one year. Allowances are based on an absolute amount of emissions produced (that is, tonnes or kilograms) per year. If a participant can reduce emissions below their allocated allowances, the surplus amounts can be traded or banked.
 

CO2 (carbon dioxide)
A greenhouse gas that is produced in the burning of fossil fuels
 

Co-benefits
When a technology to reduce a specific emission also has the benefit of reducing other emissions
 

Co-generation
Co-generation is the combined production of heat for use in manufacturing processes and the production of electricity as a by-product. Electricity not used within the plant may be offered to the competitive electricity market.
 

Credit
Under a rate-based trading program, credits take the form of an authorization to emit a specific quantity of emissions. The amount of credit generated will be equal to the emission source’s performance below a specified performance rate. Conversely, credits can be applied to an emissions source that operates above a specific performance rate, helping it to achieve compliance.
 

Cumulative impact
The impact of emissions over time, or from a number of facilities in a given region.
 

CWS (Canada-wide Standards)
Initiatives undertaken by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) to develop national standards for certain substances; at the time this report was prepared, a CWS for mercury was being developed.
 

DLN/DLE (Dry Low NOx, Dry Low Emission)
These terms refer to pre-combustion burner technology for controlling NOx emissions.
 

Emissions trading
The use of allowances or credits to motivate improved performance while allowing some flexibility for facilities to achieve emission controls in the least cost manner. The experience has been that emission trading encourages greater reductions earlier. This system was highly successful in reducing lead in gasoline, SO2 and NOx in the U.S. .
 

Fossil fuels
Fuels such as coal and natural gas that are derived from the earth’s fossilization process.
 

GHG (greenhouse gas(es)
These gases enhance the earth’s natural greenhouse effect and are major contributors to global climate change. The greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulphur hexafluoride.
 

GWh (Gigawatt-hour)
A Gigawatt-hour equals 1000 megawatt-hours or 1,000,000 kilowatt-hours or 1,000,000,000 watt-hours.
 

Hg (mercury)
A natural element that is widespread in the environment. It is toxic and bioaccumulates. It is present in coal and therefore the burning of coal results in mercury releases to the environment.
 

Intensity
An approach to reporting or managing emissions that relates the amount of emissions to some other variable e.g. unit of input, unit of output, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of a nation, province or state. Other standards by which emissions intensity can be measured include: per barrel of oil; per million cubic feet of natural gas; per tonne of coal, cement, etc. produced; or per megawatt-hour of electricity.
 

For the electricity industry, intensity is a ratio that shows the mass of pollutants produced per unit of electric power produced. In general, the cleaner power production is, the lower the intensity. Critics point out that intensity measures do not necessarily relate to the absolute, or total, mass of pollutants emitted. For example, a power plant might emit 10 tonnes of pollution every day it operates at half capacity. If the plant implements an improvement and thereafter emits only eight tonnes of pollution per day at half capacity, then that is a 20 percent improvement in emissions intensity. However, if the same plant increases production up to full capacity, it would emit 16 tonnes of pollution per day. By the intensity measure, the plant is still operating at the improved intensity – while absolute, or total, emissions would show that emissions doubled when the power produced doubled. When intensity targets factor in projected output growth they can achieve equivalent reductions to absolute targets.
 

Governments, Alberta included, tend to favour intensity measures because they are less likely to restrict expansion of power production and they provide a clear signal that there is an expectation of cleaner production.

 

Marginal unit
The generation unit that is last in the order of units providing electricity into the Power Pool. This unit has the highest power cost of all units providing power into the grid at any given time and its power cost determines the wholesale electricity price and the price that all other generation units receive for their power.
 

MCR (Maximum Capacity Rating)
Maximum Capacity Rating is the manufacturer’s normal maximum continuous power output rating of the unit, in megawatts, at certain standard conditions.
 

MW (Megawatt)
Megawatt (1,000,000 watts or 1000 kilowatts); unit of capacity.
 

MWh (Megawatt-Hour)
Megawatt-hour – unit of usage of power usage or generation; i.e., the number of megawatts used or generated in one hour. One megawatt equals 1000 kilowatts or 1,000,000 watts.
 

NGCC (Natural Gas Combined Cycle)
With NGCC, gas is combusted in a gas turbine and the expanding gas drives a generating turbine and the hot exit gases are used in a boiler to produce high-pressure steam, which drives a steam turbine generator that also produces electricity (sometimes supplementary gas is used in the steam generation cycle).
 

NGO (Non-government organization)
NGOs are usually non-profit or community groups. ENGOs are environmental non-government organizations.
 

NOx (nitrogen oxides, also called oxides of nitrogen)
Emissions produced in the burning of fossil fuels, arising largely from the oxidation of the nitrogen present in air that is used to support fuel combustion. NOx includes NO (nitrogen oxide) and NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) but not N2O (nitrous oxide).
 

Offsets
Setting an emission limit that allows emitters to use equal emission reductions from other sources, e.g., capturing and using methane emissions from landfill to offset CO2 emissions, paying for the conversion of diesel buses to natural gas, propane, or biodiesel power to offset CO2 emissions. These alternatives may achieve the same environmental goal at less cost and with additional benefits.
 

Offsets are ideally suited for substances that don’t have regional impacts, e.g., greenhouse gases.
 

PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons)
PAHs are a group of more than 100 chemicals formed during the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and other organic substances. They are usually found as a mixture of several compounds. Some PAHs are manufactured.
 

PM (particulate matter)
Small particles produced in the burning of fossil fuels that are emitted into the atmosphere
 

PPA (Power Purchase Arrangements)
Contracts between power generators and electricity wholesalers. PPAs are intended to create a competitive market and will all expire before or by 2020.
 

Precursor
A chemical compound that leads to the formation of another compound in a series of chemical reactions.
 

Reduction targets
A requirement for power generators to reduce the amount of their emissions to meet a specific target – targets can be province-wide, regional or local.
 

SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction)
SCR is a control technology for nitrogen oxides (NOx) that uses ammonia and a catalyst to convert NOx to N2.
 

SO2 (sulphur dioxide)
An emission produced in the burning of coal. All coals contain some sulphur.
 

Stack emissions
The amount of emissions directly measured at the stack of the facility.
 

Stacking order
Stacking order refers to the order in which generation units are directed by the Power Pool to provide electricity to the power grid. This is also referred to as “dispatch order.” The units that produce the lowest cost power are normally dispatched first (coal); as demand rises, other units are brought on.
 

US Clear Skies
A multi-pollutant air quality initiative applying to the electricity sector and being considered by the United States.
 

UV (Ultraviolet)
Light that is characterized by shorter wavelengths and higher energy.
 

VOCs (Volatile organic compounds)
Organic compounds that evaporate readily into the air. They include substances such as benzene, toluene, methylene chloride, formaldehyde and methyl chloroform. They are common ingredients in many household products. Many VOCs contribute to the formation of ground level ozone.