Glossary of Terms

Not familiar with a term? We've got you covered!

H

Headstation: A point at which gas enters the pipeline’s main transmission line, either at the interconnection of the gathering system or of a third party transporter. See POOLING POINT.
Hearing: A formal meeting of interested parties in a rate proceeding before an administrative law judge or regulatory commission to obtain a decision on differences in a filing. Hearing may include written testimony, cross-examination of company witnesses, rebuttal testimony, recross-examination of these witnesses by the company, initial briefs, reply briefs addressing arguments raised by other in the initial briefs, and oral arguments.
Heat (or Heating) Rate: The measure of efficiency of converting fuel to electricity, expressed as Btu’s of fuel per kilowatt-hour. The lower the heat rate, the more efficient the plant.
Heat Balance: The accounting of the energy output and losses from a system to equal the energy input.
Heat Capacity: Quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of a unit quantity of a substance one degree. Interchangeable with “specific heat” in common usage.
Heat Exchanger, Direct: A heat exchanger in which heat generated in the combustion chamber of the device is transferred directly through walls of the heat exchanger to the heating medium such as air, steam, or water, held in close contact with the combustion-chamber walls. It is a self-contained combustion and heat-transfer device, hence a direct heat-transfer device.
High Btu Gas: A term used to designate fuel gases having heating values of pipeline specification, i.e., greater than about 900 Btus per standard cubic foot.
Highest Allowed Regulated Rate Clause: A provision in a gas sales contract that specifies that the price paid for the gas would be the highest allowed regulated price.
Hinshaw Amendment: An amendment to the Natural Gas Act which exempts from Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regulation the transportation and sale for resale of natural gas received within the boundaries of a state, provided (1) all such gas is ultimately consumed within the state, and (2) the facilities and rates are regulated by the state. Pipelines qualifying under this amendment are called Hinshaw Pipelines.
Hourly Peak: The maximum demand for gas from a transmission or distribution system in a one hour period of time.
Hydrocarbon: A chemical compound composed solely of carbon and hydrogen. The compounds having a small number of carbon and hydrogen atoms in their molecules are usually gaseous; those with a larger number of atoms are liquid, and the compounds with the largest number of atoms are solid.