Electricity Generating Technologies:
Where does our electricity come from?

Generating electricity is a miracle of modern technology. Acting more or less like a force field, electric current is comprised of minuscule protons and electrons that become charged when induced by friction or chemical changes. Most power plants burn fuel - coal, oil, natural gas, biomass - which creates steam to drive a turbine that generates electricity. Sometimes nuclear or solar energy creates the steam to drive the turbine. Other technologies - such as solar photovoltaics or fuel cells - rely upon chemical reactions to generate electricity.

For specifics, select any of these technologies:

Also see environmental issues for more details on how electricity production affects our planet.