NORTHWEST POWER POOL COORDINATING GROUP -- Made up of BPA, the Corps, Reclamation, and public utilities in the Northwest and British Columbia and Alberta. The group's primary functions are administering the Pacific Northwest Coordination Agreement and participating in Northwest Power Pool Committee activities.

OFFPEAK HOURS -- Period of relatively low demand for electrical energy, as specified by the supplier (such as the middle of the night).


OPERATING LIMITS -- Limits or requirements that must be factored into the planning process for operating reservoirs and generating projects. (Also see operating requirements, below.)

OPERATING REQUIREMENTS -- Guidelines and limits that must be followed in the operation of a reservoir or generating project. These requirements may originate in authorizing legislation, physical plant limitations, or other sources.

OPERATING RULE CURVE -- A curve, or family of curves, indicating how a reservoir is to be operated under specific conditions and for specific purposes.

OPERATING YEAR -- The 12-month period from August 1 through July 31.

OUTAGES -- Periods, both planned and unexpected, during which the transmission of power stops or a particular power-producing facility ceases to provide generation.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST COORDINATION AGREEMENT -- A binding agreement among BPA, the Corps, Reclamation, and the major generating utilities in the Pacific Northwest that stemmed from the Columbia Treaty. The Agreement specifies a multitude of operating rules, criteria, and procedures for coordinating operations of the system for power production. It directs operation of major generating facilities as though they belonged to a single owner.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST ELECTRIC POWER PLANNING CONSERVATION ACT OF 1980 -- Established the Northwest Power Planning Council to prepare a regional power plan that provides an adequate, efficient, economical and reliable power supply and to develop a program to protect, mitigate and enhance the fish and wildlife of the Columbia River Basin. The act also enabled BPA to acquire the output of raw resources to meet future load growth, established priorities for BPA resource aquistition, set terms of the Residential Exchange, and outlined ratemaking provisions for the agency.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST UTILITIES CONFERENCE COMMITTEE (PNUCC) -- PNUCC represents the three constituencies in the Northwest energy community: public utilities, investor-owned utilities, and direct service industries. PNUCC provides a forum where its diverse membership can share information and views and work toward consensus on a variety of power and environmental issues that impact resource stability and future energy development.

PEAK LOAD -- The maximum electrical demand in a stated period of time. It may be the maximum instantaneous load or the maximum average load within a designated period of time.

PHOTOVOLTAIC -- The direct conversion of sunlight to electric energy through the effects of solar radiation on semi-conductor materials.

POWER BROKER -- A company that acts as an agent in the sale of electricity from the company that generates the power to the company or customer that wants to buy the power.

POWER MARKETER -- A company that purchases electricity from one company and then sells that electricity to another company or customer.

(A-B)  (B-C)  (C-E)  (E-G)  (G-M)  (M-O)  (O-P)  (P-S)  (S-W)