The conversion of sunlight into electricity using photovoltaics (PV) or solar thermal technologies. It’s a renewable energy source that is becoming increasingly important in the global energy landscape due to its sustainability and decreasing costs.

Refers to the real-time wholesale cost of electricity that fluctuates based on supply, demand, weather, and grid conditions.

Southwest Power Pool

Generators with turbines rotating in sync with the grid frequency. They include large-scale thermal (coal and gas) and hydropower plants.

A type of power station in which the heat energy generated from various fuel sources (e.g., coal, natural gas, nuclear fuel, etc.) is converted to electrical energy.

The maximum amount of electrical power that can be reliably moved from one geographic region of the power grid to another, essentially indicating the ability of the transmission lines connecting those regions to transport electricity between them without causing instability or exceeding safety limits. It’s a crucial concept for ensuring the safe and efficient operation of the power system, particularly in the context of electricity markets and grid planning.

Equipment used to increase and decrease voltages at grid interfaces.

The process (and infrastructure) of moving large amounts of electrical power over long distances from where it is generated, like a power plant, to substations closer to consumers.