Mixed Deck — All Energy and Utilities Topics Flashcards
100 cards from real Energy and Utilities practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 20 Mixed Deck — All Energy and Utilities Topics flashcards as text
What does NPDES stand for in the context of US water regulation?
Answer: National Pollution Discharge Elimination System
The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) is the EPA permit program under the Clean Water Act that controls water pollution by regulating point source discharges.
What does 'cross-connection' mean in drinking water system protection?
Answer: An unprotected link between a potable water supply and a potential source of contamination
A cross-connection is any physical link between a potable water supply and a source of contamination that could allow backflow of contaminants.
What does the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) of a petroleum product indicate?
Answer: The tendency of a petroleum liquid to evaporate at 100°F, used to assess volatility and safety
RVP measures how easily a petroleum liquid evaporates; it is used to regulate gasoline formulations for air quality and to assess fire and explosion hazards during storage.
Which type of power plant produces electricity by splitting uranium atoms?
Answer: Nuclear fission
Nuclear fission plants split heavy atoms like uranium to release heat that drives steam turbines.
What does 'EER' (Energy Efficiency Ratio) measure for air conditioning units?
Answer: Cooling output in BTU/h divided by power input in watts at a standard test condition
EER measures an air conditioner's cooling efficiency as the ratio of cooling output to electricity input at a specific test condition (95°F outdoor temperature).
What is the function of a gas chromatograph at a pipeline custody transfer point?
Answer: Analyze gas composition to calculate heating value for billing
Gas chromatographs separate and measure gas components to determine the energy content for accurate commercial measurement at transfer points.
What is a 'heat pump' and why is it considered energy efficient?
Answer: A device that moves heat rather than generating it, providing 2–4 units of heating/cooling per unit of electricity
Heat pumps move thermal energy from one place to another using refrigerant cycles, achieving efficiencies (COP) of 2–4, far exceeding the 1.0 limit of resistive heating.
What is a 'source water protection plan' for a public water system?
Answer: A strategy to identify and reduce contamination risks to the watershed or aquifer that supplies a drinking water system
Source water protection plans identify potential contamination threats in the recharge area or watershed and establish measures to prevent them from reaching the water supply.
What is a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) in renewable energy?
Answer: A long-term contract to buy electricity from a renewable generator at a fixed price
A PPA is a long-term contract between a renewable energy developer and a buyer specifying the price and terms for electricity delivery.
Which federal agency in the US regulates interstate natural gas pipelines?
Answer: Both FERC and PHMSA
FERC regulates the economic and business aspects of interstate gas pipelines, while PHMSA regulates their safety.
What is an 'integrated resource plan' (IRP) for electric utilities?
Answer: A long-term plan showing how a utility will meet future energy and capacity needs
An IRP is a long-range planning document that evaluates the mix of supply-side and demand-side resources to reliably and cost-effectively serve future load.
What is the 'split incentive' problem in commercial building energy efficiency?
Answer: When building owners pay for efficiency upgrades but tenants receive the utility bill savings
The split incentive barrier occurs when landlords who pay for efficiency improvements don't receive the utility savings — those go to tenants who pay the bills.
What does 'stranded costs' mean in the context of electric utility deregulation?
Answer: Unrecovered utility investments made under regulation that become uneconomic in a competitive market
Stranded costs are prior utility investments — often in expensive power plants — that cannot be recovered in competitive markets where prices are set by lower-cost generators.
Under US law, who has jurisdiction over retail electricity rates paid by consumers?
Answer: State public utility commissions (PUCs)
Retail electricity rates are regulated by state public utility commissions, while FERC has jurisdiction over wholesale and interstate transmission rates.
What does API gravity measure in crude oil?
Answer: The density of crude oil compared to water
API gravity is an inverse measure of crude oil density relative to water; oils with API > 10 float on water, and higher API gravity generally indicates lighter, more valuable crude.
What is the Btu content of natural gas used to measure?
Answer: Energy content (heat value)
A British Thermal Unit (Btu) measures the heat energy in natural gas; one standard cubic foot of pipeline gas contains about 1,020 Btu.
What is the 'duck curve' phenomenon in power grid management?
Answer: A daily load shape with a midday solar dip and steep evening ramp resembling a duck
The duck curve describes how high midday solar generation depresses net load, then demand ramps sharply when solar fades in the evening.
Which battery chemistry is most commonly deployed in utility-scale energy storage systems in the US?
Answer: Lithium-ion
Lithium-ion batteries dominate utility-scale storage due to their high energy density, declining costs, and fast response times.
Which metric measures the ratio of actual electricity output to maximum possible output over a time period?
Answer: Capacity factor
Capacity factor is the ratio of actual electricity generated to the maximum that could have been produced at full capacity continuously.
Which US incentive provides a per-kilowatt-hour tax credit for electricity generated from wind and certain other renewables?
Answer: Production Tax Credit (PTC)
The Production Tax Credit (PTC) provides a tax credit based on the amount of electricity generated from qualified renewable energy sources.