An emergency order issued by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act. It allows the Secretary of Energy to temporarily order connections of facilities and the generation, delivery, or transmission of electricity to best meet an emergency caused by war, a sudden increase in demand, or a shortage of energy or facilities. These temporary orders can also exempt power plants from federal, state, or local environmental rules and have historically been used to prevent outages during severe weather events or supply shortfalls.

The minimum amount of electricity that a utility must provide to meet the consistent, ongoing needs of its customers. Historically, this steady demand was met by large power plants (like coal or nuclear) that ran continuously. Today, with more renewable energy, this minimum demand can be met by a flexible mix of various power sources, rather than relying solely on specific “baseload plants”.

• Baseload capacity:  The generating equipment normally operated to serve loads on an around-the-clock basis.
• Baseload plant:  A plant, usually housing high-efficiency steam-electric units, which produces electricity at an essentially constant rate and runs continuously. 

A technology that stores electrical energy in rechargeable batteries for later use. Batteries help stabilize the grid, manage energy demand, and increase the use of renewable energy.

Any energy resource that provides energy directly to a home or business without passing through a utility company’s meter. Examples include rooftop solar and microgrids.