Glossary

Aboriginal community agreements	Agreements among TransCanada and Aboriginal communities to work together in a well-defined and mutually beneficial process that is specific to a single area. The agreements offer Aboriginal access to business and labour opportunities during both construction and operation of our facilities. By providing guidelines for the overall process of consultation on projects, they tend to foster understanding and speed project approvals.
air emission	A term that applies to a chemical, physical (e.g., particulate matter) or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere and may impair the health of plants and animals (including humans) or reduce visibility.
alternate energy sources	Refers to energy sources that are not based on the burning of fossil fuels or the splitting of atoms. May include sources such as wind power, hydro-electrical generation, biomass power, solar energy, tidal energy and geothermal energy.
blowdown	A blowdown is the act of releasing natural gas from a section of pipeline so work can be done safely. TransCanada employees will close several valves to isolate that section of the pipeline and then open a special blowdown valve to release any natural gas.
Carbon Disclosure Project	The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) provides a secretariat for the world's largest institutional investor collaboration on the business implications of climate change. CDP represents an efficient process whereby many institutional investors collectively sign a single global request for disclosure of information on Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
cogeneration	The simultaneous production of electricity and steam from a single energy source. Most cogeneration plants use natural gas engines to generate electricity. Heat, a by-product of this process, is recovered to generate steam. Cogeneration is an efficient way to produce power because the process uses waste heat to create another form of energy, and natural gas burns cleanly, producing few emissions.
commercial initiatives	Partnerships with charities and community-based organizations that directly support the success of the company, promote brand identity and other business goals.
counterparty risk	The financial loss that the company would experience if the counterparty failed to meet its obligations in accordance with the terms and conditions of its contracts with the company.
Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes	Launched in 1999, the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes are the first global indexes tracking the financial performance of the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide. See www.sustainability-index.com
engineered emissions	Very small emissions that come from equipment that is designed and engineered to be operational only if there is a small flow of gas always moving through the equipment.
environmental stewardship	A broad term for reducing the impact of human daily activities on the environment. Such actions may range from individual behavioural changes to large-scale programs such as waste management, contaminated sites management, or energy audits that demand complex, coordinated approaches.
fossil fuels	Hydrocarbon-containing natural resources such as coal, oil and natural gas.
fugitive emissions	Emissions that are released into the air from sources other than stacks or vents. They are often due to equipment leaks or evaporative processes.
greenhouse gases (GHGs)	Gaseous components of the atmosphere from natural and man-made processes that contribute to the greenhouse effect. Common GHGs include carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride. The operation of TransCanada's pipeline and power facilities produces “direct” emissions of three GHGs: carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. TransCanada also accounts for indirect emissions, which are produced by companies that generate the electricity TransCanada purchases for use at our facilities. GHG impacts are global, which means reductions in any part of the world will help limit the effects of these emissions on the climate.
infrastructure deficit	The growing gap between energy demand and the ability to move that energy from source to consumer safely, securely, and cost-effectively.
Integrated HSE Management System	There are two aspects to TransCanada's Integrated HSE Management System: the framework and the continuous improvement cycle. The system framework is modeled after ISO 14001, an international standard for environmental management systems and is used to capture, organize, and document our company's commitment and expectations when it comes to managing our responsibilities. Our continuous improvement cycle contains 11 elements, or checkpoints, that we use in addition to the framework.
intensity	Amount of emissions per unit of production (or some other relative metric). Example: Power generators will often use an intensity metric of GHGs per megawatt hour (MWhr) produced. GHGs/MWhr=Intensity Factor
interdependence	From a safety perspective, at TransCanada this means moving toward an environment where employees recognize safety is a critical part of their jobs. The level of interdependence is measured more by behaviours and attitudes of people than by safety statistics. At TransCanada, we believe these attitudes have to start at the most senior levels of the company.
liquefied natural gas (LNG)	Liquefied natural gas is natural gas in its liquid state. As a liquid, natural gas is reduced to one six-hundredth of its original volume, which makes it feasible to transport over long distances in specially designed ocean tankers for storage, re-gasification and delivery to markets.
market mechanism	An economic term that refers to the use of money exchanged by buyers and sellers with an open and understood system of value and time trade offs to produce the best distribution of goods and services. The market mechanism assumes perfect competition and is regulated by demand and supply.
multi-stakeholder processes	Processes that bring together major stakeholders (those with a vested interest) to communicate and make decisions about a particular issue.
natural gas storage facilities	Underground caverns across North America used to store natural gas as a means of ensuring a safe and secure supply for domestic and international markets. This extra gas storage capacity also helps to balance seasonal and short-term supply and demand.
palaeontological resources	The fossil record of ancient plants and animals as typically preserved in sedimentary rocks.
philanthropic gifts	Intermittent support to a wide range of good causes in response to the needs of charity and community organizations.
pipeline integrity	The safe and reliable operation of pipeline infrastructure in conformity with all applicable safety regulations.
polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)	From the 1930s until the 1970s, PCB mixtures were used for a variety of industrial applications. Their use was largely discontinued in the 1970s because of concerns about their negative environmental impact.
Polygeneration (Bell Plaine)	The Belle Plaine project proposes to convert petroleum coke, a low grade by-product of heavy oil upgrading, into electricity, steam, nitrogen, hydrogen and high pressure CO₂ for industrial uses. It will generate much needed and reliable energy, recycle most of the emissions and help meet greenhouse emission reduction targets.
reclamation	The conversion of lands disturbed by oil and gas activities to other productive land uses, usually involving recontouring, establishment of drainage systems, placement of topsoil or plants, and revegetation through planting or seeding.
re-gasification	The conversion of liquefied natural gas (see related entry) to its gaseous form.
remediation	The removal of contaminants or pollutants from a specific environmental location.
renewable energy	Energy derived from sources that are constantly replenished by natural processes such as wind, water, solar and geothermal.
Sarbanes-Oxley Act	Sponsored by U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes and U.S. Representative Michael Oxley, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 specifies criminal and civil penalties for noncompliance, certification of internal auditing, and increased financial disclosure. It affects American public companies and non-U.S. companies listed on an American stock exchange.
social investment	Strategic involvement in community partnerships that address a specific range of social issues chosen by the company. These programs often support corporate interests and enhance reputation.
stakeholder	Someone with a vested interest in the outcome of a decision. TransCanada's key stakeholders include our employees, shareholders, customers, community residents, landowners, Aboriginal peoples, regulators, environmental organizations, industry peers, and business partners.
traditional knowledge	Information about the land and its resources that has been collected and handed down from generation to generation among Aboriginal peoples.
transfer agent	Companies that have publicly traded securities typically use transfer agents to keep track of the individuals and entities that own their stocks and bonds. Most transfer agents are banks or trust companies that perform three main functions: (1) issue and cancel certificates to reflect changes in ownership; (2) act as an intermediary for the company; and (3) handle lost, destroyed, or stolen certificates.