All about electricity

It's always there whenever you flip a switch or plug in a cord - but electricity has to travel a long way to reach your home. Take a look at how electricity is generated inside a power plant, and the long trip it takes to your appliances.

Inside the power plant

New technology is making power generation faster, cleaner and safer, but the process for making electricity has been the same for more than 100 years.

• Coal or natural gas is burned to produce heat to boil water.
• The steam from the boiling water spins a large fan called a turbine.
• The turbine rotates a large magnet to create an electrical charge.

The transmission and distribution system

From the generating station, the electricity is pushed through high- and low-voltage power lines - an infrastructure also known as the "grid."

Learn more:

• U.S. Energy Information Administration: Electricity Basics 101
• How Stuff Works: How Power Grids Work 

Related Videos