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Natural Gas & Electric Power

Natural Gas & Electric Power

Natural Gas and Electric Power Utilities are involved in the extraction of natural gases from the earth, the generation and transmission of electric power, and the provision of natural gas and electric power to the general public (NAICS 2007).

CMap

Atmospheric Emissions include discharges of atmospheric pollutants, including mercury, greenhouse gases, nitrogen and sulfur dioxides, and volatile organic compounds from the operation of factories, vehicles, and other sources. Deforestation and Devegetation are the removal of trees and plants, including clear-cutting, to provide clear land for farms, roads, homes, buildings, and other infrastructure. Discharge limitations are responses to regulate and control the discharge of pollutants and the use of chemicals. Discharges are the intentional or unintentional distribution of chemicals, debris, or other pollution, into the environment as a consequence of human activities. Ditching & Soil Disturbance pertains to large-scale changes to the terrestrial landscape through channeling for irrigation, grading for roads & construction, and mining which disrupt and dislodge soil and can lead to sediment runoff into the watershed. The Drinking Water Supply subsector includes the drinking water systems that provide drinking water, including treatment and supply using aqueducts, pumping stations, distribution mains. Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems . Energy policy & development includes policies and regulations adopted to control the production, distribution, and consumption of energy. Food & energy policies are legislation, restrictions, and guidelines that pertain to sectors that harvest or extract natural resources. Infrastructural policies are responses, including zoning, codes, or regulations, that impact the distribution and functioning of socio-economic sectors that provide infrastructure. Internet and Telecommunications sectors deal with the operation of facilities that allow for transmission of data, video, sound, voice, and text, over the internet or telephone lines for the purpose of communication. Landscape Changes are alterations of the natural landscape through human activities, including coastal development, shoreline armoring, impervious surfaces, deforestation, or soil disturbance, which can alter water flow patterns and lead to pollutant runoff into coastal systems. Landuse management pertains to responses that determine the use of land for development and construction. Natural Gas and Electric Power Utilities are involved in the extraction of natural gases from the earth, the generation and transmission of electric power, and the provision of natural gas and electric power to the general public. The Reef Ecosystem includes a suite of abiotic variables that form the physical and chemical environment. Pressures are human activities that create stress on the environment. The state of the Reef Ecosystem is the condition, in terms of quantity and quality, of the abiotic and biotic components including physical, chemical, and biological variables. Reef Life is the abundance, distribution, and condition of the biological components of the coral reef ecosystem. Regulating Services are benefits obtained from ecosystem processes that regulate the environment, including erosion regulation, natural hazard regulation, and climate regulation. Responses are actions taken by groups or individuals in society and government to prevent, compensate, ameliorate or adapt to changes in Ecosystem Services or their perceived value. Shoreline Protection is the attenuation of wave energy by reefs that protects coastal communities against shoreline erosion and flooding during storms, hurricanes, and tsunamis that can cause property damage and loss of life. Socio-Economic Drivers include the sectors that fulfill human needs for Food & Raw Materials, Water, Shelter, Health, Culture, and Security, and the Infrastructure that supports the sectors. Utilities specialize in providing basic services for public use, including telecommunications, water systems, natural gas, electric power, and waste management. Utility Line Construction is the construction and maintenance of utility lines to supply power, telecommunications, and water for public use. Utility policies are those that put controls on delivery of utilities to human populations. Waste Management is the collection, treatment, and disposal of waste. Waste Management Policies include legislation and restrictions and guidelines for the environmentally safe and healthy management and disposal of waste. Water utilities policies are policies that place requirements on water to used for public consumption or use in irrigation. Waterborne discharges include direct and indirect discharges of pollutants into the aquatic environment, including chemicals, nutrients, sediment, and pathogens.

CMap Description

Growing coastal development creates an increasing need for the construction, maintenance, and operation of Utilities, whose construction, maintenance, and operation can lead to landscape changes, including devegetation, impervious surfaces, and soil disturbance, which can effect rates of pollutant runoff. Energy production and delivery can lead to atmospheric emissions and discharges of wastewater into the environment. Utilities benefit from shoreline protection, as well as indirectly from other ecosystem services which improve the well-being of sectors, such as tourism & recreation, which drive coastal development. Energy policies can drive consumer demand, technological innovations, and types of energy production. City planning can reduce impacts of development by determing location and intensity of utility development.

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