A watt is the basic unit of power, but it is very small. In the electrical utility business, __ are the most common units.

• A. Kilowatts (kW) and gigawatts (GW)
• B. Kilovolt (kV) and gigavolt (GV)
• C. Kiloohm (kR) and gigaohm (GR)
• D. Kilowatts (kW) and megawatts (MW)

Answer: (D)

Power in the utility world is discussed at scales far larger than a single watt. Using kilowatts for individual loads and megawatts for generation and transmission fits the everyday needs of engineers and operators. A typical household load is in the kilowatt range, while power plants and grid sections are measured in the megawatt range, with even larger grid-wide perspectives sometimes described in gigawatts. Kilovolt is a voltage unit, not a measure of power, and ohms describe resistance, not power. So the combination of kilowatts and megawatts best captures the common power levels encountered in the electrical utility business.