Utility Glossary

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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
Load management program. Shuts off air conditioner between 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. June through September. Maximum of 15 operations per season.
AC
Alternating current, electricity current that reverses its direction of flow at regular intervals.
ALMP
Agricultural Load Management Program.
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 California’s failed experiment with deregulation were established and enforced by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
Assembly Bill 2006 (AB 2006)
Legislation introduced by Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez to establish a durable regulatory framework to govern the state’s electric service, was vetoed by the governor.
SCE will work on behalf of our customers to ensure that any solution pursued by the state will benefit customers in both the short and long term.
Automatic Substation
Indicates that the substation equipment will operate by itself in a pre-programmed manner, triggered by certain circumstances and conditions.
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