Electricity

What is Electricity

Electricity is present everywhere in our lives. Electricity lights up our homes, cooks our food, powers our computers, television sets, and other electronic devices. Electricity from batteries keeps our cars running and makes our flashlights shine in the dark. Electricity is the flow of electrical power or charge. It is both a basic part of nature and one of our most widely used forms of energy. It is actually a secondary energy source, also referred to as an energy carrier. That means that we get electricity from the conversion of other sources of energy, such as coal, nuclear, or solar energy. These are called primary sources. The energy sources we use to make electricity can be renewable or non-renewable, but electricity itself is neither renewable nor nonrenewable.

The Flow of Electricity

The traditional flow of electricity is divided into generation, transmission, and distribution.

  • Generation – the process of creating electricity from other forms of energy (fossil fuels, nuclear energy, renewable energy sources).
  • Transmission – the bulk transfer of electrical energy, from generating power plants to substations located near to population centers.
  • Distribution – is the final stage in the delivery (before retail) of electricity to end users. A distribution system’s network carries electricity from the transmission system and delivers it to consumers.