{"id":243,"date":"2026-05-26T20:48:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T20:48:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/growtooele.com\/?page_id=243"},"modified":"2026-05-26T22:47:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T22:47:18","slug":"data-center-glossary","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/growtooele.com\/?page_id=243","title":{"rendered":"Data Center Glossary"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Glossary<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Plain-language definitions of the terms used across this site.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Data centers and computing<\/h2>
Cloud computing<\/dt>
Software and storage hosted on remote servers and accessed over the internet, rather than running on a local computer. Almost all major online services use cloud computing.<\/dd>
Closed-loop cooling<\/dt>
A cooling system that recirculates the same water (or other fluid) through the building rather than evaporating it. Uses much less water than evaporative cooling.<\/dd>
Colocation<\/dt>
A data center model where many tenants rent space in a shared building.<\/dd>
Edge data center<\/dt>
A small data center placed close to end users to reduce delay. Not the kind being proposed at Utah scale.<\/dd>
Evaporative cooling<\/dt>
A cooling method that uses water evaporation to absorb heat. Effective and energy-efficient, but water-intensive.<\/dd>
Hyperscale<\/dt>
A very large data center, typically operated by a single cloud or AI company. Modern hyperscale campuses can require hundreds of megawatts of power.<\/dd>
Latency<\/dt>
The delay between a user action and a server response. Lower latency is generally better.<\/dd>
PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness)<\/dt>
A measure of how efficiently a data center uses energy. Lower numbers (closer to 1.0) are better. Modern facilities often run between 1.1 and 1.5.<\/dd>
Rack<\/dt>
A standard frame that holds servers. A large data center may contain thousands of racks.<\/dd>
Server<\/dt>
A computer that stores data and runs software for other users or systems. Data centers contain large numbers of them.<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>

Energy<\/h2>
Baseload power<\/dt>
Continuous, reliable power supply that runs around the clock. Nuclear, geothermal, and some natural gas plants provide baseload.<\/dd>
Battery energy storage system (BESS)<\/dt>
Large-scale battery banks used to store electricity for later use. Often paired with renewables or used as backup. Most use lithium-ion chemistry.<\/dd>
Capacity factor<\/dt>
The percentage of time a power source actually produces electricity at its rated output. Solar and wind have lower capacity factors than nuclear or gas.<\/dd>
Co-located generation<\/dt>
A power plant built on the same site as the facility it powers. Sometimes used for large data centers to avoid drawing on the grid.<\/dd>
Gigawatt (GW)<\/dt>
One billion watts, or 1,000 megawatts. The entire state of Utah currently uses roughly 4 gigawatts at peak.<\/dd>
Grid<\/dt>
The interconnected system of power plants, transmission lines, and distribution lines that delivers electricity.<\/dd>
Kilowatt (kW)<\/dt>
One thousand watts. A typical U.S. home uses roughly 1 kilowatt on average.<\/dd>
Megawatt (MW)<\/dt>
One million watts, or 1,000 kilowatts. A small city’s worth of electricity demand.<\/dd>
Microgrid<\/dt>
A self-contained power system that combines a large consumer, a baseload source, a backup source, long-duration storage, and a grid connection \u2014 able to operate independently of the wider grid when needed.<\/dd>
Operation Gigawatt<\/dt>
Utah’s state initiative, launched in 2024, to roughly double electricity production over ten years.<\/dd>
Peak demand<\/dt>
The highest level of electricity use during a given period. The grid must be sized to handle peak, not average, demand.<\/dd>
Transmission<\/dt>
The high-voltage lines that move electricity from power plants to local distribution networks.<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>

Advanced nuclear<\/h2>
Advanced reactor<\/dt>
A general term for newer nuclear reactor designs, including small modular reactors and microreactors.<\/dd>
Microreactor<\/dt>
A very small nuclear reactor, typically 1 to 20 megawatts. Some designs are transportable.<\/dd>
Modular reactor<\/dt>
A reactor designed to be built in factory-produced modules and assembled on site, rather than built piece-by-piece in the field.<\/dd>
NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission)<\/dt>
The federal agency that licenses and regulates commercial nuclear reactors in the United States.<\/dd>
Passive safety<\/dt>
Safety features in newer reactor designs that rely on physics \u2014 gravity, natural circulation, expansion \u2014 rather than active intervention to shut down safely.<\/dd>
SMR (Small Modular Reactor)<\/dt>
A nuclear reactor smaller than traditional designs, typically 50 to 300 megawatts.<\/dd>
Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus<\/dt>
A federal program through which the Department of Energy is selecting sites for advanced nuclear deployment, research, and manufacturing. Utah has applied for a site in northwest Tooele County.<\/dd>
Operation Windlord<\/dt>
The name associated with the transport of an advanced microreactor (the Ward 250) into Utah for research activity in Emery County.<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>

Air, emissions, and noise<\/h2>
Criteria pollutants<\/dt>
Six air pollutants regulated by the EPA: ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and lead.<\/dd>
dBA (A-weighted decibels)<\/dt>
A measure of sound that approximates how the human ear perceives ordinary, audible noise. The common unit for noise ordinances.<\/dd>
dBC (C-weighted decibels)<\/dt>
A measure of sound that captures more low-frequency energy than dBA. Better suited to measuring the tonal, narrow-band, low-frequency hum that data center cooling equipment can produce.<\/dd>
NOx (nitrogen oxides)<\/dt>
Air pollutants formed when fuels burn at high temperatures. Produced by natural gas turbines and diesel generators. Contribute to ozone formation and respiratory issues.<\/dd>
Particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10)<\/dt>
Fine particles in the air. PM2.5 is small enough to enter the lungs and bloodstream. A major focus of Utah air quality regulation.<\/dd>
SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction)<\/dt>
A pollution-control technology that reduces nitrogen oxide emissions from generators and turbines, often using ammonia as the catalyst.<\/dd>
Stack<\/dt>
The vertical exhaust structure on a power plant or industrial facility. Taller stacks disperse emissions farther.<\/dd>
Tier ratings (generators)<\/dt>
EPA emissions standards for engines and generators. Higher tiers are cleaner; Tier IV is the most stringent commonly referenced for backup generators.<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>

Water<\/h2>
Aquifer<\/dt>
An underground layer of water-bearing rock or sediment. The source of well water for many Utah communities.<\/dd>
Consumptive use<\/dt>
Water that is used and not returned to the source \u2014 typically because it evaporates or is incorporated into a product. Evaporative cooling is consumptive.<\/dd>
Non-consumptive use<\/dt>
Water that is used and returned to the source, often after treatment.<\/dd>
Water rights<\/dt>
The legal right to use a specified amount of water from a specific source. Allocated and tracked by the state.<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>

Land and regulation<\/h2>
Conditional use permit<\/dt>
A permit allowing a specific use of land that’s not automatic under zoning but is allowed if certain conditions are met.<\/dd>
EIS (Environmental Impact Statement)<\/dt>
A federal document analyzing the environmental effects of a major project. Required for some \u2014 but not all \u2014 projects on federal land.<\/dd>
FAR (Floor Area Ratio)<\/dt>
The ratio of a building’s total floor area to the size of the lot it sits on. Used in zoning to control building bulk and compatibility with surroundings.<\/dd>
General plan<\/dt>
A county’s long-range planning document, setting goals for land use, transportation, housing, and resources.<\/dd>
MIDA (Military Installation Development Authority)<\/dt>
A state entity that creates project areas to support military installations and adjacent economic development. Active in Tooele and Box Elder counties.<\/dd>
Project area<\/dt>
A defined geographic zone with special development rules and financing tools, often used by MIDA and the Inland Port Authority.<\/dd>
Right-of-way (ROW)<\/dt>
The strip of land set aside for infrastructure such as a road or a power transmission line, including legal clearance on either side.<\/dd>
Setback<\/dt>
The required minimum distance between a building or facility and a property line, road, or other feature.<\/dd>
Zoning<\/dt>
The legal classification of land that determines what can be built on it. Changes require public process.<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>

Economic terms<\/h2>
EDTIF (Economic Development Tax Increment Financing)<\/dt>
A Utah state program that provides post-performance tax rebates to qualifying projects.<\/dd>
Inland port<\/dt>
A logistics and industrial zone, not on a coast, with international shipping designation. Utah’s Inland Port Authority manages several project areas.<\/dd>
Net fiscal impact<\/dt>
The difference between the public revenue a project generates and the public costs it creates over a defined period.<\/dd>
Post-performance<\/dt>
An incentive structure where a developer receives a rebate only after meeting agreed milestones (jobs, investment, tax payments).<\/dd><\/dl><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Glossary Plain-language definitions of the terms used across this site. Data centers and computing Cloud computing Software and storage hosted […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-243","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/growtooele.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/243","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/growtooele.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/growtooele.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/growtooele.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/growtooele.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=243"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/growtooele.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/243\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/growtooele.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=243"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}