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Electric Generation |
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What is Electricity?
Electricity is a form of energy characterized by the presence and motion of elementary charged particles generated by friction, induction, or chemical change. Electricity travels at nearly the speed of light, arriving at a destination at almost the same moment it is produced. Unlike oil or gas in a pipeline, electricity cannot easily be stored. It must be generated and delivered at the precise moment it is needed. The nation’s electric distribution systems deliver power along millions of miles of lines to neighborhoods, businesses, and consumers.
How is Electricity produced?
Electricity is produced, or generated, by the turning of turbines. In most power plants, these turbines are turned by pressurized steam. The steam is created by the burning of coal or other fossil fuels in massive boilers. In the case of hydroelectricity, the force of rushing water turns the turbines.
To learn more about electricity generation in Indiana, see the latest state statistics compiled by the Energy Information Administration.
How is Electricity transmitted?
Once the turbines generate the electricity, its voltage is significantly increased by passing it through step-up transformers. Then the electricity is routed onto a network of high-voltage transmission lines capable of efficiently transporting electricity over long distances.
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How is Electricity delivered to my home or business?
At the electric distribution substation that serves your home, the electricity is removed from the transmission system and passed through step-down transformers that lower the voltage. The electricity is then transferred onto your local electric utility’s network of distribution lines and delivered to your home. There, the electricity's voltage is lowered again by a distribution transformer and passed through your electric meter into your home's network of electric wires and outlets.
Transmission and Distribution
Mouseover the diagram to find out how electricity gets to you.
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