How is Electricity Made? | How Does Electricity Work?

Coal

More than one-fourth of the total known world coal reserves are in the United States. Though our dependence upon coal is decreasing, we still rely on it to produce electricity. Coal-generated electricity is created using a “pulverized coal combustion system” (PCC).

Coal is milled into a fine powder and is blown into a combustion chamber of a boiler and burned at a high temperature. The gases and heat energy produced converts water into steam. This steam passes through a turbine containing thousand of propeller-like blades. At the end of these propellers, a generator sits mounted at one of the turbine shafts. When the generator’s coils are rotated in a strong magnetic field, electricity is created.

The electricity generated is transported at higher voltages via power line grids. By the time it reaches our homes, the electricity is transformed down to safer 100 to 250 voltage systems.