AD: Anaerobic digester, a device that promotes a biochemical process converting organic materials into gases that can be burned to provide electricity and heat

AGM: Annual General Meeting

ART: Advanced Renewable Tariffs, roughly synonymous with feed-in laws and standard offer contracts

BP: Business Plan

CANSIA: Canadian Solar Industries Association, a non-profit trade association working to strengthen the Canadian solar industry and promote the use of renewable energy

CANWEA: Canadian Wind Energy Association, a nonprofit trade association promoting the responsible development of wind energy in Canada

CEC: Countryside Energy Cooperative

CED: Community Economic Development

CSA: Canadian Standards Association

CUCO: Credit Union Central of Ontario, a central credit union in Ontario owned and controlled by 172 member credit unions

EA: Environmental Assessment

ESA: Electrical Safety Authority, an independent body responsible for public electrical safety in Ontario through the Ministry of Consumer and Business Services

ESR: Environmental Screening Report

FSCO: Financial Services Commission of Ontario, the body that regulates cooperatives, trust companies, credit unions, insurance brokers and pensions in Ontario

GW: Gigawatt, a measure of electricity production or consumption equal to one billion watts

GWh: Gigawatt-hour, a measure of electricity consumed by a continuous load or produced by the continuous generation of one gigawatt over one hour, equivalent to one thousand MWh

IESO: Independent Electricity System Operator, the body that balances the flow of electricity throughout Ontario

kW: Kilowatt, a measure of electricity consumption or production equal to one thousand watts

kWh: Kilowatt-hour, a measure of electricity consumed by a continuous load or produced by the continuous generation of one kilowatt over one hour

LDC: Local Distribution Company, such as Toronto Hydro

MMAH: Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing

MW: Megawatt, a measure of electricity production or consumption equal to one million watts

MWh: Megawatt-hour, a measure of electricity consumed by a continuous load or produced by the continuous generation of one megawatt over one hour, equivalent to one thousand kWh

NIMBY: Not In My Backyard, a term often used to characterize local opposition toward capital projects

NGO: Non-governmental organization, a broad term used to indicate an organization that is not a government entity, though the term typically denotes an organization that is not a for-profit organization

OEB: Ontario Energy Board, regulators of Ontario’s electricity and natural gas sectors

O & M: Operations and Maintenance

OMB: Ontario Municipal Board, an independent, adjudicative tribunal that hears appeals and applications on land use disputes

OSEA: Ontario Sustainable Energy Association

PPA: Power Purchase Agreement, a contract between a producer and consumer to sell and purchase electricity over time

PURE: Power Up! Renewable Energy Cooperative

PV: Photovoltaic, referring to solar technologies that convert sunlight into electricity

RESOP: Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program

RET: Renewable Energy Tarrifs, see ART

RFP: Request For Proposal

RPS: Renewable Portfolio Standards

SOC: Standard Offer Contract, Ontario’s program offering a standardized rate for electricity produced by small or community-based renewable power projects

SME: Small/Medium-sized Enterprise

TREC: Toronto Renewable Energy Cooperative, responsible for WindShare and the Exhibition Place turbine

TW: Terawatt, a measure of electricity production or consumption equal to one trillion watts

TWh: Terawatt-hour, a measure of electricity consumed by a continuous load or produced by the continuous generation of one terawatt over one hour, equivalent to one thousand GWh