Coal-Fired

Coal has been used as an electricity generator since the 1880’s, when the United States built the first power plants. Coal-fired power works by crushing pieces of coal into a fine powder, and then burning the powder. The burning coal gives off heat, which generates steam that makes the turbines spin and generate electricity. When the coal powder is quite fine, it will burn almost as efficiently as a gas would.

Natural Gas

Plants and animals store energy from the sun, and after thousands of years of pressure, natural gases are created. The stored energy is what essentially creates the natural gas, after it is exposed to intense heat. The stored energy from natural gases is combusted into electricity generation, which makes it a usable power source.

Nuclear Power Plants

Fission caused by uranium atoms splitting gives off heat, and that is the heat source for nuclear power plants as an electric generator. Steam from water mixed with the heat from fission is what makes turbine generators produce electricity. There are two types of nuclear power, one where the water used in the source does not boil because of pressurized water reactors. The second type is boiling water reactors.

What are the differences?

Well, to start off, boiling water reactors used in nuclear power plants can be used again and agin because of the steam and the process of evaporation/condensation. On the other hand, the electricity from natural gases is a nonrenewable source because it takes so long (over thousands of year) for these gases to be produced. With coal-fired power, many people are worried about the negative effects it may have on the environment, such as releasing toxic chemicals, and carbon dioxide emissions. However, many experts believe that the benefits of coal are greater than the negative impacts it may have, thus still being one of the best sources for electricity generation.

References:

http://www.rst2.edu/ties/acidrain/iecoal/how.htm

http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/affect/natural-gas.html

http://www.duke-energy.com/about-energy/generating-electricity/nuclear-how.asp