EIX: Community

To help you understand the key issues facing our industry, please use the following glossary of terms:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A-Base Meter: Prior to 1930, all meters were made with screw-type terminals in the base below the meter. These bottom-connected meters are known as "Type A" meters.
A/C Cycling: SCE can provide and install turn-off (cycling) devices on your central air conditioner unit(s) and periodically turn off the compressors of the unit(s) during peak energy demand periods. This is part of a free Summer Discount Plan for customers. SCE pays for the installation of the cycling device and for a step-down transformer, if needed.
Customers can choose plan features and turn-off options (cycling off the air conditioner 100% of the time, 50% of the time or 30% of the time during an event) that best meet their operational needs.
Learn more about A/C cycling at SCE.com
AC: Alternating current, electricity current that reverses its direction of flow at regular intervals.
Ampere: Same as amp.
Amps: The unit of measure for rate of flow of electric current in a circuit.
Ancillary Services Market: A market used to ensure grid reliability. Transactions in this market take place a day ahead and an hour ahead of when customers actually use the electricity. Available for sale in this market are: replacement reserves (generation that can begin contributing to the grid within an hour); spinning reserves (generation that is operating with additional capacity that can be dispatched within 10 minutes); non-spinning reserves (generation that is not operating but can be operating within 10 minutes); and regulation (generation that is operating and whose output can be increased or decreased instantly to keep energy supply and energy use in balance).
Angle Adapter: Adapter base used to offset the meter for reading purposes.
Arc: The flow of electric current across a gap in a circuit which causes a light or a glow.
Assembly Bill 1890 (AB 1890): The legislation passed in 1996 to create the framework for California's competitive wholesale electricity market. It was unanimously passed by the California Legislature and signed into law by former Gov. Pete Wilson. The market rules and implementation regulations for California뭩 failed experiment with deregulation were established and enforced by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
Automatic Substation: Indicates that the substation equipment will operate by itself in a pre-programmed manner, triggered by certain circumstances and conditions.