Sources of Electricity

Electricity is a form of energy. Electricity is the flow of electrons. There are many different energy sources and technologies to generate electricity.

The three major categories of energy for electricity generation are

• Fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and petroleum)
• Nuclear energy
• Renewable energy sources

Most electricity is generated with steam turbines using fossil fuels, nuclear, biomass, geothermal, and solar thermal energy.

Other major electricity generation technologies include gas turbines, hydro turbines, wind turbines, and solar photovoltaics.

Some of the sources are:

Sources	Explanation
Natural gas	1. Natural gas is used in steam turbines. 2. Gas turbines to generate electricity. 3. Natural gas power plants are cheap and quick to build.
Coal	1. Coal is burned, resulting heat is used to heat water which in turns helps to rotate turbines connected to an electric generator. 2. This rotation of turbine generates electricity.
Petroleum	1. It is burned to heat water and hence rotate turbines. 2. It can be burned under pressure to emit hot exhaust gases which rotate turbine. 3. This rotation of turbine generates electricity.
Nuclear Energy	1. Nuclear power plants use steam turbines to produce electricity from nuclear fission. 2. As of 2014, the International Atomic Energy Agency reports there are 450 nuclear power reactors in operation in 31 countries.
Hydropower Plants	1. The most common type of hydroelectric power plant uses a dam on a river to store water in a reservoir. 2. Water released from the reservoir flows through a turbine, spinning it, which in turn activates a generator to produce electricity.
Wind Energy	1. Wind turbines convert wind energy into electricity. 2. Wind turbine usually consists of propellers. 3. The turbine can be connected to a generator to generate electricity.
Biomass	1. Biomass is burned directly in steam-electric power plants. 2. It can be converted to a gas that can be burned in steam generators, gas turbines, or internal combustion engine generators.
Solar Energy	1. Photovoltaic (PV) and solar-thermal power are the two main types of solar electricity generation technologies. 2. PV conversion produces electricity directly from sunlight in a photovoltaic cell.
Geothermal Power Plants	1. Geothermalpower plants use steam produced from reservoirs of hot water. 2. The steam rotates a turbine that activates a generator, which produces electricity.

Electricity and the environment:

Although electricity is a clean and relatively safe form of energy when it is used, the generation and transmission of electricity affects the environment.

• The electric power sector is a large source of CO2 emissions.
• Some power plants also produce liquid and solid wastes.
• Fossil fuel, biomass, and waste burning power plants produces CO2(greenhouse gas), which contributes to the greenhouse effect
  And SO2 causes acid rain, which is harmful to plants and to animals that live in water.
• Ash is the solid residue that results from burning solid fuels such as coal, biomass, and municipal solid waste.

World Gross Electricity Production:

In 2017, world gross electricity production was 2.5% higher than 2016.

Year-on-year, global electricity production has grown continuously since 1974, except for between 2008 and 2009, when the global financial crisis caused an appreciable decline in production.

Interesting Facts:

• A spark of static electricity can measure up to three thousand (3,000) volts.
• A bolt of lightning can measure up to three million (3,000,000) volts – and it lasts less than one second!
• Electricity always tries to find the easiest path to the ground.
• Electricity can be made from wind, water, the sun and even animal manure.
• Burning coal is the most common way electricity is made in the United States.
• One power plant can produce enough electricity for 180,000 homes.
• The first power plant – owned by Thomas Edison – opened in New York City in 1882.
• Thomas Edison didn’t invent the first light bulb – but he did invent one that stayed lit for more than a few seconds.
• Thomas Edison invented more than 2,000 new products, including almost everything needed for us to use electricity in our homes: switches, fuses, sockets and meters.
• Benjamin Franklin didn’t discover electricity – but he did prove that lightning is a form of electrical energy.
• Electricity travels at the speed of light – more than 186,000 miles per second!