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UCAN – Utility Consumers' Action Network: A nonprofit consumer advocacy organization based in San Diego that deals with energy, telecommunications and financial issues.
UC/CSU: University of California/California State University
UDC - Utility Distribution Company: An entity that provides regulated services to customers.
UEG – Utility Electric Generation: In the natural gas industry, a gas-fired electric utility power plant.
UF – Microfiltration: A form of filtration.
ULTS – Universal Lifeline Telephone Service: This PUC program advances the PUC policy of assuring access to telephone service to every California residents by allowing a discount on monthly bills to eligible low-income subscribers.
Unbundled: The separation of a service into its distinct elements, e.g., the provisions of natural gas to residential or industrial customers is now split into the transportation of natural gas via pipeline to the utility and the delivery of the gas from the utility to the user.
Uncollectibles: An amount of money that the utility cannot collect from the customer due to nonpayment of bills; estimated as a percentage of total revenue and treated as an expense item.
Undercharge: Any transportation charge below the filed tariff rate, the accepted reduced rate, or that is prescribed by the Commission in one of its MRTs. The PUC may impose and collect form the carrier a fine that equals the amount of the undercharge.
UNE-P - Unbundled Network Element Platform: Refers to the combination of infrastructure elements - including unbundled loops, switches, and transport elements - that CLECs must acquire to provide local telephone service to customers. By reducing the cost and time of provisioning service, UNE-P enables CLECs to provide local service in regions normally serviced by ILECs. A CLEC utilizing a UNE-P does not have to lease space in the ILEC central office but instead leases the network elements necessary to provide service from the ILEC. The UNE-P CLEC usually leases a copper loop, a port on the ILEC switch, and a connection to the CLEC's point-of-presence.
UNE Revenues: Revenues received from telecommunications carriers for Unbundled Network Elements.
UNEs – Unbundled Network Elements: Equipment of an incumbent telecommunications carrier that a competitor leases in order to provide service in the incumbent's service territory. UNEs include, but are not limited to, the Local Loop, Local Switching and any combination thereof (e.g. local loop and switch port).
Upstream: Data flowing from your computer to the Internet.
URG - Utility Retained Generation: The generation owned directly by the state's three Investor-Owned Utilities (PG&E, SDG&E, Edison), which was "retained" by the utilities and not sold off as part of deregulation.
URL – Uniform Resource Locator: The address of any resource or organization listed on the Internet and part of the Worldwide Web. The URL for PUC is http://www.cpuc.ca.gov.
Useful Thermal Output: The thermal energy made available for use in any industrial or commercial process, or used in any heating or cooling application, i.e., total thermal energy made available for processes and applications other than electrical generation.
USOA – Uniform System of Accounts: An accounting manual including a detailed listing of accounts, their definition and general instructions for using the system.
USDOT – United States Department of Transportation: Established by an act of Congress on October 15, 19 66, the Department's first official day of operation was April 1, 19 67. The mission of the Department is to serve the U.S. by ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people, today and into the future. On the Internet at http://www.dot.gov/.
USTA – United States Telecom Association: Telecommunications association with the goals of advocacy, marketing and business development, strategic communications, and finance.