How does an electric power plant operate?
Electricity is generated inside a power plant. The power plant burns a fossil fuel, such as coal, natural gas or oil, to produce a lot of heat. The heat is used to boil water. The steam from the boiling water is used to spin a big fan called a turbine. The turbine turns a big magnet inside a generator to create and electrical charge. The electrical charge is captured in wires that carry the power to your home or school. Some power plants use the pressure of falling water to spin the turbine, which turns the generator. This process is called hydroelectric power. Still another way to make electricity is called nuclear energy. Instead of burning fossil fuels, a nuclear plant uses a material called uranium. When split into microscopic pieces, uranium releases a large amount of energy, which is used to boil the water to make steam. How is power delivered? (Transmission) Electricity leaves the generator as a high voltage current and passes through a transformer, which steps up voltage even h
