When electricity is delivered over a power line, it is normal for a small amount of power to be consumed or lost as heat. Equipment, such as wires and transformers, consumes power before it gets to your home or business. The adjustment factor accounts for these losses.

A measure of the volume of electric flow (as opposed to the "pressure" of flow, which is measured in volts). The product of volts times amperes is equal to power which is measured in watts. One ampere flowing at 100 volts equals 100 watts. Similarly, 10 amperes flowing at 10 volts equals 100 watts. Amperes are commonly referred to [..]

These are services such as operating reserves, frequency control, voltage control, black-start capability and load following that are needed to properly run an electrical system. The former Ontario Hydro provided all these itself. Now the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) contracts with various suppliers to supply these services.

The property of a generator that can start when no electricity is available on the system. Most generating units don't have this capability because they need electricity to power the electromagnets in their generators. Clearly, it is important to have some black-start capability available so that you can restore power after major blackouts.

These are contracts to sell and buy electricity that are made directly between generators and customers, bypassing the spot market. An example of a bilateral transaction would be a retailer that signed a contract with a particular generator to provide a certain amount of power at a fixed price, at specified times.

A company that has taken a long-term lease on Ontario Power Generation's Bruce Nuclear Generating stations located on Lake Huron.

These are chemical compounds that are used as aerosol propellants, solvents and refrigerants. CFCs contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer and to the build-up of greenhouse gases.

Congestion occurs when the constraints on the transmission system make it impossible to carry out a transaction. For example, if a utility in New York wanted to buy electricity from Hydro One, and the tie lines to New York were already at capacity, this is an example of congestion.

A constraint is any restriction on a transmission system that limits the ability to transmit power. Constraints can be caused by physical limits such as the thermal capacity of a line. They can also be caused by the need to maintain voltage and stability at various points in the electrical system or the need to be prepared for unexpected failures o [..]

(Line item on your Bill) A charge per kilowatt hour of electricity consumed that is added to electricity bills to help pay down the stranded debt of the former Ontario Hydro. Learn more about the Debt Retirement Charge.