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Primary Energy Sources
Fossil fuels, radioactive material, and solar, wind, water, and other energy sources that exist as natural resources subject to exploitation.
Secondary Energy Source
An energy source such as electricity, made from a primary energy source such as solar radiation.
Combined Heat and Power
Also called cogeneration. CHP produces electricity and heat simultaneously.
EROI (Energy Returned on Investment)
The amount of usable energy obtained from a source in comparison to the amount of energy expended to obtain that energy.
Electrical Power
The amount of work done by an electric current over a given time.
Energy Carrier
Something (ex: Electricity) that transfers energy from a primary energy source to its point of use.
Electric Generator
A device that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy by way of wire coils that are rotated in a magnetic field.
Turbine
A rotary engine driven at a very high speed by steam, water, or exhaust gases from combustion, employed in generating electrical energy.
Turbogenerator
A turbine coupled to and driving an electric generator. Virtually all commercial electricity is produced by such devices.
Power Grid
The combination of central power plants, high voltage transmission lines, poles, wires, and transformers that makes up an electrical power system.
Smart Grid
Controls systems for power plants and electricity transmission lines with the ability to monitor problems, react to trouble quickly, and isolate trouble areas.
Conversion Losses
Unavoidable energy losses in energy production, usually due to the loss of heat energy.
Condenser
A device that turns turbine exhaust steam into water in a power plant.
Thermal Pollution
The addition of abnormal and undesirable amounts of heat to air or water. Thermal pollution is most significant with respect to the discharging of waste heat from electric generating plants-especially nuclear power plants-into bodies of water.
Conservation Reserve
An imaginary source of energy that results from policies promoting greater efficiency of energy use, resulting in a reduced energy requirement.
Resources
Biotic and abiotic factors that are consumed by organisms.
Undiscovered Resources
Estimates of oil and natural gas based on geological science but not explored to confirm their presence; the estimates may be way off the mark.
Oil Field
The underground area in which exploitable oil is found.
Proved Reserves
Estimation on how much oil can be economically obtained from the field.
1 barrel = 42 gallons
Production
In living systems, making organic molecules with simple precursors and energy, usually from the sun.
Primary Recovery
In an oil well or oil field, the oil that can be removed by conventional pumping.
Secondary Recovery
In an oil well or oil field, the oil that can be removed by manipulating pressure in the oil reservoir by injecting brine or other substances; more costly than primary recovery.
Enhanced Recovery
In the removal of oil from an oil field, a process that increases recovery beyond secondary recovery by injecting carbon dioxide or hydraulic fluids into wells.
Balance-of-trade Deficit
A deficit in money flow resulting from purchasing more from other countries than is sold to other countries.
Carter Doctrine
As stated by President Jimmy Cater in 1980, the assertion that the US would use military force to ensure our access to Persian Gulf oil.
Oil Sand
Sedimentary material containing bitumen, a tar-like hydrocarbon that is subject to exploitation under favorable economic conditions.
Oil Shale
A natural sedimentary rock that contains kerogen, a material that can be extracted and refined into oil and oil products.
Fracking
Refers to hydraulic fracturing, a technique for extracting natural gas and oil involving pumping fluids into a well to open up spaces that releases gas or oil to be pumped back up the well.
Mountain Removal Mining
A form of strip mining for coal that takes off whole tops of mountains to get at the seams of coal that are buried as deeply as 1,000 feet below the surface.
Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) Plant
A coal-fired technology where coal is mixed with water and oxygen and heated under pressure to produce a synthetic gas.
Syngas
A combustible gas produced in an integrated gasification combined cycle plant by burning coal; the syngas is then burned in a gas turbine to produce electricity.
Energy Policy Act of 2005
Legislation establishing US energy policy for years to come, encouraging greater use of nuclear power, and providing some support for energy conservation and renewable energy.
Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007
Legislation establishing energy policy by emphasizing demand-side policies such as conserving energy and using renewable energy sources.
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
Legislation that provided money for a variety of programs, intended to stimulate the economy during the recent recession. Some $90 billion was directed into clean energy programs.
O & R
The combination of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and Obama Administration actions related to energy policy.
Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE)
Fuel economy standards for vehicles set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
