F

FAC – Fully Allocated Costs: Embedded costs that include both direct and indirect costs.

Fax – Facsimile: The transmission of pictures, maps or other documents using a device that scans the original document, transforms the image into coded signals, and reproduces the original document at a distant point dialed.

FCC – Federal Communications Commission: The federal agency that regulates interstate communications.

FEMA – Federal Emergency Management Administration: FEMA’s continuing mission is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.

FERC – Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: A Federal independent regulatory body within the Department of Energy that regulates interstate gas and electric rates and facilities, as well as hydroelectric plant licenses.

FF&U – Franchise Fees and Uncollectibles: Fees charged by a city for the use of the public right-of-way.

FHWA – Federal Highway Administration: FHWA carries out Federal highway programs in partnership with the State and local agencies to meet the Nation's transportation needs.

Filtration: The process of passing water through materials with very small holes (pores) to strain out particles.

Fingerlings: Young fish, 1 to 3 inches long.

Firm Capacity: When referring to interstate pipeline, backbone transmission, or storage, firm capacity is capacity that is available under virtually all operating conditions 365 days a year.

Firm Gas: Gas sold on a continuous and generally long-term contract.

Firm Power: Power or power-producing capacity intended to be available at all times during the period covered by a guaranteed commitment to deliver, even under adverse conditions.

Fish Screen: A screen installed in a waterway or intake pipe to prevent passage of fish.

Flat Rate Service: A rate payment plan by which customer pays a single monthly, quarterly, or annual amount for unlimited use of a utility service.

Flexibility Account: A paper account in which farmers can accumulate credits for unused portions of their groundwater allotments for use in meeting conservation requirements in the future.

Floodplain: The area near a watercourse inundated during floods. The 100-year floodplain is the area that is expected to be inundated by a flood of a magnitude that has a one-in-a-hundred probability of occurring in any year.

Flow Chart: A diagram that represents the flow of data, or sequence of steps, by symbols and interconnecting lines.

Fluvial: Pertaining to, or produced by, stream action.

FO – Fiber Optics: High-speed transmission using light to send images in telecommunications voice or data through a flexible bundle of glass fibers.

Footprint: The area in which a specific transmission can be received.

Forced Outage: The shutdown of a generating unit, transmission line or other facility, for emergency reasons or a condition in which the generating equipment is unavailable for load due to unanticipated breakdown.

Formal Complaint: Any individual, organization, or corporation may file a formal complaint with the PUC. The complainant must state a cause of action that violates a provision of law, or order, or rule of the Commission). Complaints are handled by the PUC, much like a civil action before a trail. Formal Complaints are limited to matters within the PUC’s jurisdiction. The complaint is usually heard before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), with the PUC making the final decision. The PUC cannot award damages for claims (i.e., personal injury, property damage, or loss of wages or profits).

Fossil Fuel: Any naturally occurring organic fuel, such as petroleum, coal, and natural gas.

FPA – Federal Power Act: Enacted in 1920, and amended in 1935, the Act consists of three parts. The first part incorporated the Federal Water Power Act administered by the former Federal Power Commission, whose activities were confined almost entirely to licensing non-Federal hydroelectric projects. Parts II and III were added with the passage of the Public Utility Act. These parts extended the Act's jurisdiction to include regulating the interstate transmission of electrical energy and rates for its sale as wholesale in interstate commerce. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is now charged with the administration of this law.

FPH – Full Panel Hearing: The Commissioners sitting as a group in formal session, usually to hear oral argument in a major proceeding or on a major topic of interest.

Franchise Authority: A local body, usually a local government entity, which enters into a contractual agreement with a cable company.

Fry: Young fish about an inch long, just emerged from gravel beds after their egg sack has been absorbed.

FTC – Federal Trade Commission: An independent agency that enforces federal consumer protection and antitrust laws.

Full-Forced Outage: The net capability of main generating units that is unavailable for load for emergency reasons.

Futures Market: Arrangement through a contract for the delivery of a commodity at a future time and at a price specified at the time of purchase. The price is based on an auction or market basis. This is a standardized, exchange-traded, and government regulated hedging mechanism.

FW – Fixed Wireless: The broadband technology that uses an antenna placed on or in a building to send and receive data.

FY – Fiscal Year: The 12-month period between settlements of financial accounts. The State of California’s FY is July 1st through June 30th of the following year.