Agriculture: An energy-consuming subsector of the industrial sector that consists of all facilities and equipment engaged in growing crops and raising animals.

Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Plant: A plant designed to produce both heat and electricity from a single heat source. Note: This term is being used in place of the term "cogenerator" that was used by EIA in the past. CHP better describes the facilities because some of the plants included do not produce heat and power in a sequential fashion and, as a result, do not meet the legal definition of cogeneration specified in the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA).

Commercial sector: An energy-consuming sector that consists of service-providing facilities and equipment of: businesses; Federal, State, and local governments; and other private and public organizations, such as religious, social, or fraternal groups. The commercial sector includes institutional living quarters. It also includes sewage treatment facilities. Common uses of energy associated with this sector include space heating, water heating, air conditioning, lighting, refrigeration, cooking, and running a wide variety of other equipment. Note: This sector includes generators that produce electricity and/or useful thermal output primarily to support the activities of the above-mentioned commercial establishments. Click Here for an explanation of the variations of the commercial sector used by EIA system(s).

Construction: An energy-consuming subsector of the industrial sector that consists of all facilities and equipment used to perform land preparation and construct, renovate, alter, install, maintain, or repair major infrastructure or individual systems therein. Infrastructure includes buildings; industrial plants; and other major structures, such as tanks, towers, monuments, roadways, tunnels, bridges, dams, pipelines, and transmission lines.

Electric power sector: An energy-consuming sector that consists of electricity-only and combined-heat-and-power(CHP) plants whose primary business is to sell electricity, or electricity and heat, to the public--i.e., NAICS 22 plants . Note: Various EIA programs differ in sectoral coverage. Click here for an explanation of the variations of the electric power sector used by EIA system(s).

Electricity Only Plant: A plant designed to produce electricity only. See also Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Plant.

Energy-use sectors: A group of major energy-consuming components of U.S. society developed to measure and analyze energy use. The sectors most commonly referred to in EIA are: residential, commercial, industrial, transportation, and electric power.

Farm use: Energy use at establishments where the primary activity is growing crops and/or raising animals. Energy use by all facilities and equipment at these establishments is included, whether or not it is directly associated with growing crops and/or raising animals. Common types of energy-using equipment include tractors, irrigation pumps, crop dryers, smudge pots, and milking machines. Facility energy use encompasses all structures at the establishment, including the farm house.

Household: A family, an individual, or a group of up to nine unrelated persons occupying the same housing unit. "Occupy" means that the housing unit is the  person's usual or permanent place of residence.

Institutional living quarters: Space provided by a business or organization for long-term housing of individuals whose reason for shared residence is their association with the business or organization. Such quarters commonly have both individual and group living spaces, and the business or organization is responsible for some aspects of resident life beyond the simple provision of living quarters. Examples include prisons; nursing homes and other long-term medical care facilities; military barracks; college dormitories; and convents and monasteries.

Industrial sector: An energy-consuming sector that consists of all facilities and equipment used for producing, processing, or assembling goods. The industrial sector encompasses the following types of activity: manufacturing (NAICS codes 31-33); agriculture, forestry, and fisheries(NAICS code 11); mining, including oil and gas extraction (NAICS code 21); natural gas transmission (NAICS code 2212); and construction (NAICS code 23). Overall energy use in this sector is largely for process heat and cooling and powering machinery, with lesser amounts used for facility heating, air conditioning, and lighting. Fossil fuels are also used as raw material inputs to manufactured products. Note: This sector includes generators that produce electricity and/or useful thermal output primarily to support the above-mentioned industrial activities. Note: Various EIA programs differ in sectoral coverage. Click here for an explanation of the variations of the industrial sector used by EIA system(s).

Manufacturing: An energy-consuming subsector of the industrial sector that consists of all facilities and equipment engaged in the mechanical, physical, chemical, or electronic transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products. Assembly of component parts of products is included, except for that which is included in construction.

Mining: An energy-consuming subsector of the industrial sector that consists of all facilities and equipment used to extract energy and mineral resources.

Mineral: Any of the various naturally occurring inorganic substances, such as metals, salt, sand, stone, sulfur, and water, usually obtained from the earth.

Residential sector: An energy-consuming sector that consists of living quarters for private households. Common uses of energy associated with this sector include space heating, water heating, air conditioning, lighting, refrigeration, cooking, and running a variety of other appliances. The residential sector excludes institutional living quarters. Note: Various EIA programs differ in sectoral coverage. Click Here for further information on the variations of the residential sector used by EIA systems.

Transportation sector: An energy-consuming sector that consists of all vehicles whose primary purpose is transporting people and/or goods from one physical location to another. Included are automobiles; trucks; buses; motorcycles; trains, subways, and other rail vehicles; aircraft; and ships, barges, and other waterborne vehicles. Vehicles whose primary purpose is not transportation (e.g., construction cranes and bulldozers, farming vehicles, and warehouse tractors and forklifts) are classified in the sector of their primary use. Note: Various EIA programs differ in sectoral coverage. Click here for an explanation of the variations of the transportation sector used by EIA system(s).