Electricity is vital to our daily life, without electricity we would not be able to function as a society. There are many different ways electricity can be produced. Three major ways electricity is generated is with coal, natural gas, and nuclear power plants.
Coal Fired Plants- The first part is to break up the pieces of coal so it become likes a powder. After, this powdered coal is put into a combustion unit where it heats and eventually burns. The heat released from this burning coal generates the steam that is used to spin the turbines which produce the electricity. Coal is one of the largest air polluters in the United States, however it is the largest producer of electricity.
Natural Gas- This process includes the burning of natural gases in order to create electricity. Natural gas is first pumped into the turbine where it is mixed with air and burned. All of the heat in the enclosed gas turbine results in the spinning of the turbine which converts some of the heat energy into electrical energy. Natural gas is the cleanest and most efficient of all fossil fuels. When burning natural gas a lot of carbon dioxide is emitted.
Nuclear Power Plants- Just like natural gas and coal fired plants nuclear power plants also use steam to generate power. Nuclear energy is created when uranium atoms are split in a process called fission. The fission process releases energy that is used to make steam and that steam is used to power the turbine. Nuclear energy is a very low pollutant way of creating energy, however it is very expensive.
All three of these major electricity generating techniques are very similar in the process that is taken to create the electricity. The only differences are what is burned in order to create that electricity. Each of the three ways has its own benefits and risks of using it as the main source.
http://www.rst2.edu/ties/acidrain/IEcoal/how.html
https://www.cpsenergy.com/en/about-us/programs-services/energy-generation/natural-gas.html
http://www.triplepundit.com/special/energy-options-pros-and-cons/natural-gas-pros-cons/