Beatrice Lang
Electricity is generated from a variety of sources, including fossil fuels, nuclear energy, and renewable energy. While fossil fuels, such as coal, natural gas, and petroleum, have traditionally been the dominant source of electricity generation, there is a growing trend towards low-carbon sources like nuclear and renewables. In recent years, renewable sources such as wind, solar, hydropower, and biomass have gained prominence, while nuclear energy has declined. The majority of global electricity still comes from fossil fuels, but this balance is projected to shift, with renewables expected to surpass fossil fuels as the main power source by 2040.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Largest sources of electricity worldwide | Fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and petroleum) |
| Nuclear energy | |
| Renewables (wind, solar, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal) | |
| Largest sources of electricity in the US in 2022 | Natural gas |
| Renewable sources | |
| Coal | |
| Nuclear energy | |
| Largest sources of electricity in the US in 2023 | Nuclear energy (18%) |
| Renewable sources (21%) | |
| Solar photovoltaic and solar thermal power plants (4%) | |
| Biomass (1%) | |
| Other gases and other sources (0.5%) | |
| Largest sources of electricity in the UK | Historically, coal, but there has been a dramatic decline in the role of coal |
| Largest hydroelectric dam in the world | Three Gorges Dam in China |
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What You'll Learn
Fossil fuels like coal and natural gas
Fossil fuels, including coal and natural gas, have been a primary source of electricity for over 150 years. They are formed from the carbon-rich remains of plants and animals that decomposed and were compressed and heated underground over millions of years. Fossil fuel plants require large quantities of these resources, which often lead to potential supply issues and volatile prices due to transportation requirements.
Coal, a fossil fuel, has been a major energy source for electricity generation. In 2020, coal supplied 19% of US energy consumption. However, its usage has been decreasing due to the declining costs of natural gas and renewable energy alternatives. Coal combustion produces air pollutants like sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury, and particulate matter, as well as coal ash, which is challenging to recycle and can contaminate waterways.
Natural gas, another fossil fuel, is increasingly being used to generate electricity. In 2020, the United States produced and consumed a significant portion of the world's natural gas. While natural gas emits less carbon dioxide and air pollutants than coal during electricity generation, leaks from natural gas infrastructure emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Natural gas is expected to meet a growing share of US energy demand due to its low prices and industrial applications.
The use of fossil fuels, including coal and natural gas, has significant environmental implications. When burned, they release stored carbon and other greenhouse gases, contributing to dramatic changes in Earth's climate. In 2020, oil and natural gas were the largest sources of US energy-related carbon emissions. As economies transition towards sustainable renewable energy sources, the future of fossil fuel usage and its impact on the environment is a critical consideration.
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Renewable energy sources
- Hydropower: Hydropower is the largest source of renewable energy in the electricity sector. It relies on generally stable rainfall patterns and can be impacted by climate-induced droughts or changes to ecosystems. The infrastructure needed to create hydropower can also impact ecosystems, so small-scale hydro is often considered a more environmentally-friendly option.
- Wind Power: Wind power is the largest producer of renewable electricity in the UK and the US. Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy of the wind into electrical energy. Onshore and offshore wind farms generate electricity by spinning the blades of wind turbines.
- Solar Power: Sunlight is one of the most freely available energy resources. Solar power generates electricity by capturing sunlight on solar panels in a joint chemical and physical reaction known as the photovoltaic effect (PV).
- Bioenergy: Bioenergy is created by burning organic matter as fuel. Biomass includes anything from plants to timber to food waste. While bioenergy creates greenhouse gas emissions, it emits at lower levels than burning fossil fuels. However, bioenergy should be used in limited applications due to potential negative environmental impacts related to deforestation and land-use change.
- Geothermal Energy: Geothermal energy utilizes the thermal energy from the Earth's interior.
- Ocean Energy: Ocean energy systems use the kinetic and thermal energy of seawater to produce electricity or heat. Ocean energy is still in the early stages of development, with several prototype wave and tidal current devices being explored.
In the United States, renewable energy is very close to being the second-largest electricity producer, with natural gas currently in the lead. As of 2023, renewable energy accounted for about 21% of total US electricity generation.
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Power plants and turbines
There are various types of power plants and turbines, and the specific fuel sources and technologies used can vary. One common type is a gas turbine power plant, which uses natural gas as its fuel source. These plants have three main sections: the compressor, the combustion system, and the turbine. The compressor draws air into the engine, pressurizes it, and feeds it to the combustion chamber. The combustion system injects fuel into the chamber, where it mixes with the air and burns at high temperatures. The resulting high-temperature, high-pressure gas stream enters and expands through the turbine section, spinning the rotating blades. These blades drive the compressor and spin a generator to produce electricity.
Another type of power plant is a combined-cycle power plant, which uses both steam and combustion turbines. These plants can operate as stand-alone generators or be combined in a sequential, combined cycle. In a combined cycle, the combustion gases from one turbine are used to generate electricity in another turbine, increasing efficiency. Natural gas is the most common fuel source for combined-cycle power plants, accounting for 99% of energy sources.
Hydroelectric power plants use the force of moving water to spin turbine blades and power a generator. These plants can use water stored in a reservoir or diverted from a river or stream. Pumped-storage hydropower plants are considered energy storage systems, while hydrokinetic turbines are used in tidal and wave power systems.
Nuclear power plants also use steam turbines, with nuclear fuel rods producing the steam necessary to drive the turbines. Solar thermal power plants and geothermal power plants similarly rely on steam turbines for electricity generation.
The specific type of power plant and turbine technology used can vary depending on factors such as regional resource availability, energy policies, and infrastructure development.
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Electric grids
An electrical grid, or electricity network, is an interconnected network that delivers electricity from producers to consumers. Electrical grids consist of power stations, electrical substations, electric power transmission, and, finally, electric power distribution to customers.
Power stations are typically built close to energy sources and far from densely populated areas. Electrical grids vary in size and can cover whole countries or continents. From small to large, there are microgrids, wide-area synchronous grids, and super grids. The combined transmission and distribution network is part of electricity delivery, known as the power grid. Grids are nearly always synchronous, meaning all distribution areas operate with three-phase alternating current (AC) frequencies synchronized (so that voltage swings occur at almost the same time).
Electricity generation is the process of generating electric power at power stations. This is done from sources of primary energy with electromechanical generators driven by heat engines from fossil, nuclear, and geothermal sources or driven by the kinetic energy of water or wind. Other power sources include photovoltaics driven by solar insolation and grid batteries. The sum of the power outputs of generators on the grid is the production of the grid, typically measured in gigawatts (GW).
Electric power transmission is the bulk movement of electrical energy from a generating site, via a web of interconnected lines, to an electrical substation, from which it is connected to the distribution system. Distribution is the final stage in the delivery of power; it carries electricity from the transmission system to individual consumers. Substations connect to the transmission system and lower the transmission voltage to medium voltage, ranging between 2 kV and 35 kV. Voltage levels vary between countries, with medium voltage in Sweden, for example, being 10 kV to 20 kV. Primary distribution lines carry this medium voltage power to distribution transformers located near the customer's premises. Distribution transformers again lower the voltage to the utilization voltage.
In the past, most electricity was generated from fossil fuels, predominantly coal. However, with rising concerns over climate change, technological advancements, and policy shifts, renewable energy sources are becoming more prominent. In the United States, for example, natural gas and renewable energy sources, particularly solar and wind power, have largely replaced coal power.
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Nuclear energy
The first use of nuclear energy to generate electricity was on December 20, 1951, at the EBR-I experimental station near Arco, Idaho. In 1954, the USS Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered submarine, was launched. The development of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes was emphasised by American President Dwight Eisenhower in his "Atoms for Peace" speech at the United Nations in 1953. This led to the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, which encouraged the private sector to explore nuclear energy.
In the early 2000s, nuclear energy was expected to undergo a renaissance due to increasing concerns about carbon dioxide emissions. This led to the construction of newer generation III reactors. France is a notable example of a country that heavily invested in nuclear power, with 71% of its electricity generated by nuclear power in 2019, the highest percentage in the world.
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Frequently asked questions
Most of the world's electricity comes from fossil fuels, predominantly coal and natural gas.
Other sources of electricity include nuclear energy and renewable energy.
Examples of renewable energy include solar, wind, hydropower, and biomass.
Fossil fuels are burned to generate heat, which produces steam that drives a turbine to generate electricity.
Nuclear power reactors use the heat produced from splitting atoms to generate steam and drive a turbine.
