Acre Foot – A unit of volume used to reference large-scale water resources. One acre foot covers one acre of land with one foot of water.
Annual Operating Plan (AOP) - A financial document that presents how Springs Utilities, over the next year, will move toward achieving the destination outlined in the strategic business plan. The AOP and the strategic business plan are separate documents. The AOP allows for the same type of comparison as Colorado Springs Utilities’ monthly financial statements that report actual results against revenue, expense and balance sheet budgets for a given period.
Authorities – A legal entity of two or more participants organized to accomplish a mutually advantageous goal. Springs Utilities currently participates in several Authorities created for the acquisition, collection and/or storage of water.
Automated Meter Reading (AMR) - Using wireless radio transmitters, AMR remotely reads customer meters and then transfers the data into the billing system. Colorado Springs Utilities will eventually use AMR for meter reads for all services.
Balanced Scorecard – The scorecard is a tool that translates the organization’s mission and strategy into a comprehensive set of performance measures to provide the framework for a strategic measurement and management system.
Bond Levy - A loan or debt security used for funding municipal capital improvement projects.
Bond Ratings – A measure of the quality and safety of a bond, based on the organization’s financial condition; more specifically, an evaluation from a rating service indicating the likelihood that a debt issuer will be able to meet scheduled interest and principal repayments. Typically, AAA is highest (best), and D is lowest (worst). Springs Utilities maintains an Aa2, as rated by Moody's, an AA as rated by Standard & Poor’s and an AA as rated by Fitch Ratings.
Capacity Additions – Increases to the amount of load a piece of equipment or line can generate or carry. These additions are funded with capital expenditures, entirely or in part from proceeds from bond issues.
Capital Expenditures – Investments in property, plant and equipment that have a useful life that is greater than one year (depreciable assets). The two categories of capital expenditures are Major Projects and Normal Addition. These can be comprised of either constructed or purchased assets, and are distinguished from Operation and Maintenance (O&M) expense.
Capital Outlay – The amount used during a particular period to acquire or improve long-term assets such as property, plant or equipment.
Cascade Small Hydro – A hydroelectric project identified as a strategic initiative by Colorado Springs Utilities, located west of Colorado Springs in Cascade.
Cash Net Income (CNI) – The principal financial indicator for Springs Utilities. Cash net income is calculated as follows: (operating revenue + interest revenue + cash contributions in aid) – (fuel and purchased power expense + operating labor and benefits expense + operating and maintenance expense + interest expense + PILT and franchise fees).
Customer Care and Billing (CC&B) – This is the application due to replace CISPLUS. Although this is a multi-year project, the bulk of the implementation was in 2006.
CF – A cubic foot is a unit of volume used to reference water consumption on customer bills. One cubic foot is equal to 7.48 gallons.
CCF – One hundred cubic feet is a unit of volume used to reference natural gas consumption on customer bills. One CCF serves approximately one person per day.
CISPLUS – A database that automates and integrates every aspect of customer information, billing and service.
City Council – Elected officials comprising the City's legislative body. City Council sets policies, approves budgets, determines tax rates, and passes ordinances and resolutions to govern the City. City Council also serves as Utilities Board, Springs Utilities’ governing board.
Clean Water Act - The common term for the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972 (with amendments passed in 1977, 1981, 1987, and 1994) which set standards for the "chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nations' waters".
CO – Carbon monoxide is a toxic, odorless gas which is produced when fuel-burning appliances (fireplaces, water heaters, ovens, dryers, etc.) are not operating properly or do not have the proper amount of air for combustion.
Community Focus Fund (CFF) – A community outreach program that provides financial support, used computer donations, and employee volunteer hours to local educational and nonprofit organizations.
Contribution in Aid (CIA) – These are tariff-based fees that offset construction costs and developer contributed plant. Contribution in aid can also be cash and non-cash contributions from developers for specific projects. A primary example is the development charge on new water and wastewater connections to Springs Utilities' system. A development charge is assessed for connection to the water and wastewater systems to compensate existing customers for the costs of developing the current system and to help pay for the growth of the system caused by new customers.
Customer Assistance – Programs designed to provide financial, energy and water efficiency, furnace and conservation assistance to customers in need.
Customer Rebates – Springs Utilities offers several energy and water efficiency rebates for residential customers to help them conserve resources and save money.
Days of Working Capital – The Days of Working Capital metric is an indication of Springs Utilities’ ability to fund operations and maintenance expenditures at any given time. It is calculated as follows: Working Capital/ (Average Annual Operations and Maintenance Expense / # of days in the year). The current Executive Limitation for Days of Working Capital is => 45 days.
Debt – To raise cash for a portion of capital improvements, Springs Utilities sells bonds to investors. The timing and the size of the bond issue is determined by the amount of capital spending identified in financial forecasts for the budget year to follow. Debt service includes both the principal and interest payments to the investors.
Distribution System - The system for carrying water to and from communities and industries, including treatment plants, pump stations, and pipe networks.
Drinking Water - The water that is of sufficient quality for human consumption, also termed potable water.
Electric Cost Adjustment (ECA) – The mechanism that tracks and passes through to customers the actual cost of purchased fuel or purchased electricity. Springs Utilities can increase or decrease the ECA on a quarterly basis if actual costs vary from forecasted prices.
Ends - The Ends define the purpose of the organization and are outwardly focused.
ENERGY STAR® – A joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping everyone save money and protect the environment through energy-efficient products and practices.
Enterprise Asset Management - An enterprise asset management strategy provides the capability to manage asset life cycles across all services to meet the desired level of reliability at the lowest possible cost.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - The U.S. agency responsible for efforts to control air and water pollution, radiation and pesticide hazards, ecological research, and solid waste disposal.
Environmental Stewardship – An integral part of Springs Utilities’ business for decades, environmental stewardship goes beyond just complying with regulations. It means responsibly managing our operations in a way that helps protect our air, water, land and natural resources now and for future generations. It means partnering with other organizations and agencies to promote environmental education and find solutions to environmental issues in our community.
Executive Limitations – The boundary conditions for the CEO. These are the things that the CEO shall not do nor allow to happen according to Policy Governance.
Fixed Cost Coverage Ratio – Fixed Cost Coverage is the ratio of net pledged revenues to debt service on long term debt including fixed O&M contracts and fixed capacity payments. Fixed Cost Coverage Ratio is calculated as follows: (Net pledged revenues available for Debt Service + Authority Debt Service + Electric Capacity Payment)/ (Springs Utilities Debt Service + Authority Debt Service + Electric Capacity Payments). The current Executive Limitation is a ratio of 1.6 or better.
Franchise Fees (or Taxes) – Springs Utilities pays a franchise fee to other cities in order to provide electric and natural gas service within their municipal boundaries.
Front Range Power (FRP) – A limited-liability company formed by Springs Utilities and El Paso Corporation in which Springs Utilities and El Paso are equal partners. This is a joint venture formed for the purpose of acquiring, constructing and operating a 480 MW natural gas fired combined cycle electric generation facility. FRP sells electric power generated on the wholesale power market.
Gas Cost Adjustment (GCA) – The mechanism that tracks and passes through to customers the actual cost of the purchased natural gas. Springs Utilities can increase or decrease the GCA on a quarterly basis.
Groundwater - The water stored in usable amounts in layers of permeable soil and rock below the earth's surface.
Hedging (or Price Hedging) – Method of reducing the risk of loss caused by price fluctuation. It consists of the purchase or sale of equal quantities of the same or very similar commodities in two different markets at approximately the same time, with the expectation that a future change in price in one market will be offset by an opposite change in the other market.
Impervious surface - A material through which water cannot pass, such as certain types of concrete.
Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) – A long-term strategic plan that combines technical analysis and public participation for business development in the various services.
Kaplan Norton Balanced Scorecard – An approach to strategic management developed in the early 1990s by Dr. Robert Kaplan (Harvard Business School) and Dr. David Norton. The balanced scorecard approach provides a clear prescription as to what companies should measure in order to 'balance' the financial perspective.
kW and MW – Kilowatt (kW) and megawatt (MW) refer to the amount of electricity used or generated at a given moment.
kWh and MWh - The work performed by one kilowatt of electric power in one hour. A kWh is the unit on which the price of electrical energy is based. A 1,000 watt light bulb operating for one hour would use one kWh.
Load Cycling – Load cycling programs are a proven strategy used by electric utilities across the U.S. to effectively reduce the high demand for electric power during hot summer days. Well established load cycling programs can be a significant contributor to: stabilizing electric rates, delaying the need to construct new electric power plants and lowering environmental impacts.
Major Capital Projects – Capital expenditures required for system expansion to serve a large number of new customers, that result in significant new capacities or functionality, or that replace significant portions of the capital infrastructure.
Mercaptan – An odorant added to natural gas to make it smell like rotten eggs that helps people notice natural gas leaks.
Mission – Why the organization exists.
Mobile Data or Mobile Office – This is defined as the transmission of data via wireless technology. The need for employees to access key enterprise systems in the field is becoming more critical to running operations. Our wireless infrastructure needs to be developed to meet new expectations.
Municipal – An organization owned by the citizens of a community or its customers.
Northern Water Reclamation Facility – A new wastewater treatment facility designed to handle increasing flows in the Monument Creek Basin. It’s located on 30.8 acres near Pikeview Reservoir, at Garden of the Gods Road and Mark Dabling Boulevard.
Off-System Sales – Off-system sales are electric sales outside of the system.
Operations and Maintenance (O&M) – O&M expenses are those expenses used for the day-to-day operation of Springs Utilities. The major categories are (1) Labor, (2) Purchased Fuel, Power & Gas, and (3) Operating and Maintenance Expense.
Pay for Performance – A component of an employee’s base pay that is based on performance.
Payment In Lieu Of Taxes (PILT) – Springs Utilities pays the City of Colorado Springs a fee referred to as "payments-in-lieu of taxes". These payments are to replace the franchise, property, and sales tax revenues the City would collect if electric and natural gas services were to be provided by an investor-owned (for profit) utility.
PERA – The Public Employees Retirement Association provides retirement and other benefits to the employees of more than 400 government agencies and public entities in the state of Colorado, including Colorado Springs Utilities.
Policy Governance – Springs Utilities uses the Carver Policy Governance™ model principles under which the Utilities Board provides direction to the organization through Ends Policy Measures and Executive Limitations. Ends Policy Measures are defined as statements of the desired organizational outcomes. Executive Limitations are defined as boundaries of acceptability within which the CEO can operate. The CEO is accountable for organizational performance within the limits set by Board policy.
Potable water - See "drinking water"
Project COPE – Project COPE (Citizens Option to Provide Energy) provides assistance to Springs Utilities residential customers facing utilities disconnection. It’s a program supported by voluntary contributions from local residents and businesses.
Purchased Fuel, Power and Natural Gas – Springs Utilities purchases coal, natural gas and other fuels for electric generation, natural gas for system distribution, and electricity from other suppliers.
Purchased Power – Electricity purchased by Springs Utilities from other suppliers, a component of purchased fuel, power and natural gas.
Rate Case – A public process that includes City Council and Utilities Board meetings which allows Colorado Springs Utilities to adjust rates.
Rates - The price charged to the consumer by the utility for services.
Renewable Energy – Energy generated from sources other than fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas. We support renewable energy by using hydroelectric, wind and bio-gas power.
Stakeholder – Those that have final decision-making authority regarding operations, such as Utilities Board, UPAC, community/voters, regulatory agencies and bond holders.
Southern Delivery System (SDS) – A regional water delivery project that will use the storage capacity of Pueblo Reservoir to deliver water to the Pikes Peak region. The water moved to the region is made possible by water rights owned by Colorado Springs, Fountain and Security.
Sustainability - The ability to maintain and preserve infrastructure and supply to meet the needs of current and future generations.
Tariff – Official documents filed with the City of Colorado Springs that detail the services we offer and the associated rates.
Territorial Generation – Electric generation within Colorado Springs Utilities’ certificated service territory.
UPAC – The Utilities Policy Advisory Committee (UPAC) is an advisory committee to the Utilities Board. This committee is appointed by the Utilities Board.
Utilities Board – Springs Utilities’ governing board, which is comprised of the members of City Council.
Value – What is important to the organization.
Vision – Descriptive, compelling image of an organization’s world when it’s achieved an ideal picture of success.
Watershed – An area of land where water from rain or snowmelt drains downhill into a body of water - streams, rivers, lakes and oceans.
Wheeling – Refers to the ability of an energy consumer to select their own energy supplier, or "wheel in" energy from one of two or more different suppliers. Springs Utilities primarily wheels electricity from WAPA to local military bases and charges for the use of the transmission system.
Xeriscape™ – Xeriscape is a word derived from the combination of a Greek word "Xeros" meaning dry and "scape" from the word "landscape." At Colorado Springs Utilities, we define Xeriscape as an attractive, sustainable landscape that conserves water, is based on sound horticultural practices, and shows evidence of care.
