Wiktor Wise
Electricity is a secondary energy source derived from the conversion of other natural resources. These primary sources can be renewable or non-renewable, but the electricity itself is neither. 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, solar, geothermal, and hydropower. These sources are cleaner and do not deplete natural resources, but they are typically more expensive than non-renewable sources. The environmental impact of electricity generation depends on the specific sources and methods used, with some methods producing emissions and greenhouse gases.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Primary Sources | Coal, natural gas, oil, nuclear power, hydro, solar, wind, geothermal |
| Secondary Source | Electricity |
| Fossil Fuels | Coal, natural gas, petroleum |
| Renewable Energy Sources | Solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, biomass |
| Non-renewable Energy Sources | Fossil fuels |
| Electricity Generation Technologies | Steam turbines, gas turbines, hydro turbines, wind turbines, solar photovoltaics |
| U.S. Electricity Generation in 2023 | Fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, petroleum), nuclear energy, renewable energy |
| U.S. Utility-Scale Electricity Generation in 2023 | Total: 4.18 trillion kilowatthours (kWh) |
| U.S. Renewable Energy Statistics in 2023 | Wind energy: 10% of total utility-scale electricity generation, 48% of electricity generation from renewable sources; Hydropower: 6% of total utility-scale electricity generation, 27% of utility-scale electricity generation from renewable sources; Solar photovoltaic and solar thermal power: 4% of total utility-scale electricity, 18% of utility-scale electricity generation from renewable sources; Biomass: 1% of total utility-scale electricity generation, 5% of utility-scale electricity generation from renewable sources |
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What You'll Learn
Fossil fuels
Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel on the planet and is widely used as the source of energy in thermal power stations. It is also a relatively cheap fuel. However, coal is an impure fuel and produces more greenhouse gas and pollution than an equivalent amount of petroleum or natural gas. For instance, the operation of a 1000-MWe coal-fired power plant results in a nuclear radiation dose of 490 person-rem/year, compared to 136 person-rem/year for an equivalent amount of natural gas. As of 2019, carbon capture and storage of emissions are not economically viable for fossil fuel power stations.
Natural gas is used in steam turbines and gas turbines to generate electricity. Nearly all coal-fired power plants use steam turbines. One power plant converts coal to gas to use in gas turbines to generate electricity. Natural gas is the second-largest source of electricity production globally.
Petroleum was the source of about 0.4% of U.S. electricity generation in 2023. Residual fuel oil and petroleum coke are used in steam turbines. Distillate—or diesel—fuel oil is used in internal-combustion engines such as diesel-engine generators. Residual fuel oil and distillates can also be burned in steam turbines and gas turbines.
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Nuclear energy
The process of generating electricity through nuclear energy involves several steps. In a nuclear reactor, atoms of uranium are forced to break apart through nuclear fission, releasing tiny particles called fission products. These fission products initiate a chain reaction, causing other uranium atoms to split and generating heat and radiation. This heat warms the reactor's cooling agent, typically water, producing steam. The steam is then channelled to spin turbines, activating electric generators and producing electricity.
Nuclear power plants are designed with safety features to control the nuclear fission process and prevent uncontrolled chain reactions that could lead to dangerous radiation release. Control rods, made of materials like xenon, absorb neutrons released during fission, allowing for the adjustment of electricity production and the slowing down of the reaction. Despite these safety measures, critics of nuclear energy raise concerns about the potential risks, high costs, and competition for resources with renewable energy sources.
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Renewable energy
Solar energy is the most abundant of all energy resources and can be harnessed even in cloudy weather. Solar technologies convert sunlight into electrical energy through photovoltaic panels or mirrors that concentrate solar radiation. The manufacturing cost of solar panels has decreased significantly, making them affordable and often the cheapest form of electricity.
Wind energy is another important source of renewable energy. While average wind speeds vary by location, the world's technical potential for wind energy exceeds global electricity production, and ample potential exists in most regions. Offshore wind power, in particular, offers tremendous potential.
Hydropower, the current largest source of renewable energy in the electricity sector, harnesses the energy of water moving from higher to lower elevations. It can be generated from reservoirs and rivers, and the infrastructure can also provide drinking water, water for irrigation, and flood and drought control. However, the infrastructure needed to create hydropower can impact ecosystems.
Other sources of renewable energy include geothermal energy, which utilizes the Earth's interior heat, and biofuels.
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Solar power
Solar energy is converted into electricity through photovoltaic (PV) systems, which use solar panels to convert sunlight directly into electric power. These solar panels can be installed on rooftops or in ground-mounted solar farms, and they are composed of photovoltaic cells that use the photovoltaic effect to convert light into electric current. PV panels directly produce electricity from sunlight, and this electricity is known as direct current (DC) power. For practical use, this DC power is converted into alternating current (AC) through the use of inverters, which is the type of electrical current used when plugging appliances into normal wall sockets.
Another method of generating electricity from solar power is through concentrated solar power (CSP) systems, which use mirrors or lenses to concentrate sunlight to extreme heat to make steam, which is then converted into electricity by a turbine. CSP is only used for large utility-scale power plants, while PV technology can be utilised at both utility-scale and distributed generation levels.
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Wind power
The bigger the wind turbine, the more energy it can produce. Taller turbines are also able to capture more energy because wind blows more consistently and faces less resistance higher up in the air. A typical 2.8-megawatt (MW) utility-scale wind turbine could produce enough electricity to power just under 1,000 American homes.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average output of a new commercial wind turbine is 843,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month. Wind farms—groups of wind turbines—are often located on agricultural lands and in rural areas. Most are owned by independent power producers that sell the electricity to utilities and consumers.
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Frequently asked questions
Electricity can be generated from natural resources such as coal, natural gas, nuclear energy, water, wind, and solar energy.
Coal is used in steam turbines and gas turbines to generate electricity. Coal can also be converted to gas and used in gas turbines.
Natural gas is used in steam turbines and gas turbines to produce electricity.
Nuclear power reactors use the heat produced from splitting atoms to generate steam that drives a turbine.
Water can be stored in reservoirs behind dams and then released to flow through turbines to generate electricity. Wind and solar energy can be used to produce electricity through the use of wind turbines and solar photovoltaic cells, respectively.
