Wiktor Wise
There are several different sources of electricity, which can be divided into two main categories: renewable and non-renewable. Renewable sources include wind, solar, geothermal, hydro, and biopower, while non-renewable sources include fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and petroleum. Nuclear energy, which can be generated through nuclear fission, is another significant source of electricity. Additionally, there are various methods of producing electricity, such as through friction, heat, light, chemical reactions, pressure, and magnetism. The specific sources and technologies used to generate electricity vary across different countries and regions, and the transition towards renewable sources is an ongoing process.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Sources | Fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, petroleum, oil), nuclear energy, renewable energy |
| Technologies | Steam turbines, gas turbines, hydro turbines, wind turbines, solar photovoltaics |
| Renewable energy sources | Hydropower, wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, biomass |
| Non-renewable energy sources | Coal, natural gas, petroleum, oil |
| Leading source of electricity production | Fossil fuels, coal |
| Solar energy | Photovoltaic solar panels, solar thermal plants |
| Photovoltaic solar panels | Converts sunlight directly into electricity |
| Solar thermal plants | Uses mirrors or lenses to concentrate sunlight and generate electricity through steam |
| Geothermal energy | Obtains electricity from heat stored beneath the Earth's surface |
| Biomass | Harnesses organic matter from plants and animals to generate electricity and heat |
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What You'll Learn
Fossil fuels: coal, oil, gas, and petroleum
Fossil fuels, including coal, oil, gas, and petroleum, have been the primary energy source for over 150 years, currently supplying about 80% of the world's energy. They are non-renewable resources formed from the carbon-rich remains of prehistoric plants and animals. Over millions of years, these remains were gradually buried by layers of rock, compressed, and heated, transforming into the fossil fuels we extract today.
Coal is the largest domestically produced source of energy in the United States and is used to generate a significant amount of electricity. In 2020, coal supplied 19% of U.S. energy consumption. However, coal usage has been declining due to the increasing adoption of natural gas and renewable energy sources, causing a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions from coal. Coal combustion produces various air pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury, and particulate matter, posing significant risks to human health and the environment.
Oil is another significant component of fossil fuels, constituting about one-third of U.S. energy consumption. Most of the world's oil is extracted from underground reservoirs, but it can also be sourced from shale and tar sands. Oil combustion is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, with the transportation sector being the largest consumer of oil. Additionally, the extraction and transportation of oil pose environmental and safety risks due to the potential for leaks and pollution of oceans, wetlands, and freshwater sources.
Natural gas is the third major fossil fuel and is increasingly used to generate electricity in the United States, supplying one-third of the country's energy consumption. The development of processes like fracking has made the U.S. the world's top producer and consumer of natural gas. Gas is predicted to become a more significant part of the U.S. energy mix, but this raises concerns about exacerbating air and water pollution.
Petroleum, derived from oil, is another fossil fuel used in steam turbines for electricity generation. The use of fossil fuels has had a significant impact on the environment and human health, with nearly three-fourths of human-caused emissions attributed to their combustion. As a result, there is a growing movement toward embracing a clean energy future, with renewable energy sources and improved energy efficiency expected to play a more prominent role in the global energy system.
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Nuclear energy
Nuclear reactors, or power plants, are a series of machines that can control nuclear fission to produce electricity. The fuel that nuclear reactors use to produce nuclear fission is pellets of the element uranium. Uranium atoms are split apart, releasing tiny particles called fission products. These fission products cause other uranium atoms to split, starting a chain reaction. The energy released from this chain reaction creates heat, which warms the reactor's cooling agent, usually water. The heat converts into electricity in a similar way to how heat from fossil fuels is used to generate electricity. The steam produced turns turbines, which drive generators, or engines that create electricity.
Nuclear power is a low-carbon source of energy, as nuclear power plants do not produce CO2 during their operation. In 2023, nuclear power supplied 2,602 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity, equivalent to about 9% of global electricity generation. It was the second-largest low-carbon power source after hydroelectricity. In 2023, nuclear power accounted for about 4% of global energy production, slightly more than wind power.
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Renewable energy: wind, solar, geothermal, hydropower
The three major categories of energy for electricity generation are fossil fuels, nuclear energy, and renewable energy. Renewable energy sources include wind, solar, geothermal, and hydropower.
Wind Energy
Wind turbines collect and convert the kinetic energy produced by the wind into electricity to power the grid. Wind is a byproduct of the sun, created by the sun's uneven heating of the atmosphere, the earth's irregular surfaces, and the planet's revolution around the sun. As wind is in plentiful supply, it is a resource for as long as the sun's rays heat the planet.
Solar Energy
Solar energy is the cleanest and most abundant renewable energy source available. Solar technologies can harness this energy for electricity generation, providing light, heating water, and creating a comfortable interior environment. There are three main ways to harness solar energy: photovoltaics, solar heating & cooling, and concentrating solar power. Photovoltaic (PV) devices generate electricity directly from sunlight via an electronic process that occurs naturally in certain types of materials, called semiconductors.
Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy uses the Earth's internal heat to generate electricity. The Earth's internal thermal energy flows to the surface by conduction at a rate of 44.2 terawatts (TW) and is replenished by the radioactive decay of minerals at a rate of 30 TW. Technological advances have reduced costs and expanded the amount of viable geothermal energy resources.
Hydropower
Hydropower, or hydroelectric power, is one of the oldest and largest sources of renewable energy, using the natural flow of moving water to generate electricity. Hydropower facilities come in all sizes, from very large to tiny, and can even be "damless". Hydropower is an affordable source of electricity that costs less than most other sources, as it relies only on the energy from moving water.
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Steam turbines
The modern steam turbine was invented in 1884 by Charles Parsons. His first model generated 7.5 kilowatts of electricity. During Parsons' lifetime, the capacity of his invention increased by about 10,000 times. The steam turbine made cheap and plentiful electricity possible and revolutionised marine transport and naval warfare.
There are two basic types of turbine blades: blades and nozzles. Blades move entirely due to the impact of steam on them. A turbine composed of blades alternating with fixed nozzles is called an impulse turbine. Nozzles appear similar to blades, but their profiles converge near the exit, resulting in a steam pressure drop and velocity increase as steam moves through them.
Condensing turbines are most commonly found in electrical power plants. These turbines receive steam from a boiler and exhaust it to a condenser. The exhausted steam is at a pressure well below the atmospheric pressure. Non-condensing turbines are most widely used for process steam applications, where the steam will be used for additional purposes after being exhausted from the turbine. Reheat turbines are also used almost exclusively in electrical power plants.
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Gas turbines
The basic operation of a gas turbine involves atmospheric air flowing through a compressor, increasing its pressure. Fuel is then sprayed into the air and ignited, resulting in a high-temperature pressurized gas that enters a turbine, producing a shaft work output. The unused energy exits in the form of exhaust gases, which can be repurposed for external work, such as directly producing thrust in a turbojet engine or rotating an independent turbine.
Gas turbine generators, such as the Flex Turbine®, are known for their reliability and ability to meet stringent air permitting requirements. They can transform flare and waste gases from oil and gas operations into a continuous source of clean electric power, reducing facility CO2 footprints.
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Frequently asked questions
The three major categories of energy for electricity generation are fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and petroleum), nuclear energy, and renewable energy.
Renewable energy sources include wind, hydropower, solar power, biomass, and geothermal.
Fossil fuels are converted to electricity, a secondary energy source. In the case of fossil fuels like coal, nuclear fission, biomass, petroleum, and natural gas, the heat produced is used to create steam, which moves the blades of the turbine.
Other methods of electricity generation include friction, heat, light, chemical, pressure, and magnetism.
