When dealing with Central Arizona Project’s (CAP) mission to manage and deliver Colorado River water for central and southern Arizona, the terms and phrases we use can be complex.

Previously, we jogged into finances jargon.

In this post, we’ll look at some prime power topics and terms that might cause some confusion, whether at one of our meetings, or within this news site.

These selected definitions are specifically relevant to CAP:

• Market Purchases: Energy purchased separately from a long-term contract, typically through a bilateral transaction with another party.  This can be done on the same day it is needed (real-time), day-ahead, or up to a few years out. Most CAP transactions are day-ahead and monthly. Real-time transactions are minimal.
• Long-term Contracted Resources: CAP has a signed agreement with one or more counterparties to receive energy.  Current long-term contract resources include energy from Hoover Dam, Solar Phase 1 and 2, and our SRP fleet option.
• Firm Power Supply: As defined in the US Energy Information Administration glossary, “Power or power-producing capacity, intended to be available at all times during the period covered by a guaranteed commitment to deliver, even under adverse conditions.” Aside from wind and solar energy, all of the power CAP purchases is for firm quantities.
• Baseload Supply: A power plant that continuously provides a constant level of output and is not ramped up or down to meet grid conditions.  Nuclear and coal plants typically fall into this category. In 2022, 27 percent of CAP’s energy came from nuclear energy.

For more information, see CAP’s Power Portfolio Fact Sheet.

We hope this helps energize … your energy vocabulary.