<center>https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/NCPC_Power_Plant_Yellowknife_Northwest_Territories_Canada_08.jpg/1200px-NCPC_Power_Plant_Yellowknife_Northwest_Territories_Canada_08.jpg</center> <center><sup>[Yellow Knife power plant, Canada. Image: Wikimedia CC. BY. SA](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NCPC_Power_Plant_Yellowknife_Northwest_Territories_Canada_08.jpg)</sup></center>

For a couple of days now, Electricity in my area of residence has been epileptic. One minute it's there, and the next it's gone. For some unknown reason, the power company derives some kind of joy in keeping electricity to themselves until very late into the night. Well I've tried adapting to that, but I know I do need my complete rest hours every now and then, and I'm slowly running outta patience.

So much for electricity, that it may seem there's only so much we could do without it. Man's ability to harness energy forms for useful work is a distinct separator between us and other animals, like our distant ape cousins. 

Imagining life some 200 - 300 years ago, I suppose it must have been a very boring and inconvenient one compared to our time. I mean, there were no telephone, no Internet or computers, no electricity and its appliances, etc etc. It probably wouldn't have been funny to find @mobbs and @trumpman ~~working~~ stressing so hard in the kitchen, trying to prepare the turkey for Thanksgiving on time, using the most sophisticated method earliest science could afford. *(Although, that would have been priceless to watch!)* But what the heck, no one had invented anything that applied electricity, so, at the time, we have not heard of the microwave oven yet!. Comparing then to the now, there are substantial differences, and one major thing that has contributed to civilizations' forward march would be electricity. 

Today, electricity generation over the world runs in thousands upon thousands of KwH in magnitude and is used to power cities and nations, making things easier for the both of us. With the touch of a button, you get breezed by chill, the exotic air in your sitting room, and get dinner served on time. Well, today, since I'm still a bit angry at the power company here, how about we channel that anger into exploring the sources of electricity, and how mainstream electricity is derived? How the hell do they generate that huge amount of energy?!
<center>![](https://steemit-production-imageproxy-thumbnail.s3.amazonaws.com/U5drZJE91JvoKSVitdC9gtdE7Puwre8_1680x8400)</center>

# A bit on electromagnetism and electricity.
#
Even though I intended to solely discuss the main sources of electricity generation in this article, it would be rather sad that I didn't put in a few words on it's underlying principle. So here goes nothing.

<div class="pull-left"><center><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/OerstedBoussole.png" /><br/><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:OerstedBoussole.png">Oersted's experiment model. Image: CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia commons. </a></em></center></div

So we've probably heard of frog legs twitching to static electric impulses, the voltaic cell and of course the batteries. Well, after the concept of electricity went viral, tons of scientists and physicists carried out various experiments in order to figure out what other ways it could be applied. In the year 1820, there came a guy; Hans Christian Oersted. Danish by nationality, he was the first person to find a clear connection between electricity and magnetism. In his experiment, Oersted discovered that when a compass was brought near electric current, the compass needle deflected 90<sup>o</sup>, and didn't point north. He also noted that when disconnected, this needle returned to its normal position. Hence, he hypothesized that the wire probably acted as a magnet when electric current flowed through it and that somehow, electricity could bring about magnetism! This lead to the development of electromagnets *(Powerful magnets that could be turned on and off.)* 

After Oersted had demonstrated that there was a close connection between electricity and magnetism, Scientists began to wonder if the process was reversible. Two scientists working independently (Michael Faraday and Joseph Henry) hypothesized that this magnetic field could somehow produce electric current, and to test this hypothesis, a strong magnet was placed next to a wire coil connected to some current sensing device - a Galvanometer!. It was then observed that there was a current surge in the wire as soon as the magnet was brought. This current wasn't constant, but would only be detected with the motion of the magnet. By moving the magnet in and out of the coil, the current became constant, and the galvanometer would deflect in the opposite direction each time the magnet was pulled out of the coil, and wouldn't deflect at all when the magnet was brought to rest. This proved that Faraday's and Henry's hypothesis was correct! Magnetism really could bring about electricity!

The use of magnets to generate electricity is called **electromagnetic induction**, and the phenomenon is what we now know as **Electromagnetism.** Today, Mainstream electricity is generated based on a device built on the principles of electromagnetic induction - **The generator,-** and is distributed effectively through electromagnetic devices called **Transformers**.

<div class="pull-right"><center><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Hawkins_Electrical_Guide_-_Figure_292_-_Eddy_currents_in_a_solid_armature.jpg/1200px-Hawkins_Electrical_Guide_-_Figure_292_-_Eddy_currents_in_a_solid_armature.jpg" /><br/><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hawkins_Electrical_Guide_-_Figure_292_-_Eddy_currents_in_a_solid_armature.jpg">The concept of an electromagnetic current generator. Image: Public Domain, Via wikimedia. </a></em></center></div

A generator simply follows the process of electromagnetic induction. It has an armature, a permanent magnet, and some slip rings. Rather than move a magnet through a coil of wire to generate electricity, the magnet is fixed and the coil of wire is made to move through a magnetic field as the armature spins. Since the most important thing in electromagnetism is **Motion,** The effect is the same. So as long as a conductor (carrier of free electrons), say copper wire, moves through a magnetic field, it will undergo a deflecting force which 'pushes' electrons within it. And as long as the coil of wire moves at a constant velocity *- as in generators-*, its electrons are constantly propelled around the circuit at a constant rate and current is established. The diagram shows how an electric generator looks like within.

> At each half turn, the terminals 'swap' as the deflecting force pushes electrons in the opposing direction. All current produced by such generators, such as the electricity produced on the National Grid, oscillates 50 times per second and is termed alternating current.


<center>![](https://steemit-production-imageproxy-thumbnail.s3.amazonaws.com/U5drZJE91JvoKSVitdC9gtdE7Puwre8_1680x8400)</center>

# <center>Sources of electrical power.</center>
#
<center>https://c.pxhere.com/photos/83/9c/lap_high_voltage_line_electric_wires_cables_and_sky_wire_against_the_sky_power_poles_electricity_sky-632034.jpg!d</center> <center><sup>[Image: Pxhere](https://pxhere.com/en/photo/632034)</sup></center>

Recently with the rise in technology, there's been newer and cooler ways to generate electricity. We've seen solar do wonders, Biomass, and synthetic fuels too. However, some of these power sources are mostly referred to as alternatives, simply because they do not appear to be feasible when it comes to power generation for a much larger percentage of people. In many developed nations, a greater percentage of electricity comes from 5 major sources, which of course are hinged on the principle of electromagnetism. They include:

* **Hydroelectric Power**
* **Fossil fuels**
* **Nuclear power**
* **Coal**
* **Oil.**

It is noteworthy that Coal and Oil are categorized under Fossil fuels.
<center>![](https://steemit-production-imageproxy-thumbnail.s3.amazonaws.com/U5drZJE91JvoKSVitdC9gtdE7Puwre8_1680x8400)</center>

## <center>Hydroelectric power</center>
#
<div class="pull-right"><center><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/Hydroelectric_dam.svg/863px-Hydroelectric_dam.svg.png" /><br/><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hydroelectric_dam.svg">How dams work. Image by Tennessee Valley Authority; SVG version by Tomia. CC-BY-SA-3.0, 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons</a></em></center></div

Hydroelectric power is one of the most stable, and most established source of electricity for years now, and that's for very good reasons. First off, it is cheap, and then it's renewable!. Basically, it is electricity generated by the motion and strength of running water under gravity in dams.

Engineers build dams for several reasons, of which some of them is to mitigate flooding in flood-prone areas and store up water for electricity generation purposes. As the sun heats on oceans and rivers and causes clouds to form and fall as rain, These dams collect rainwater, the water from streams and waterfalls and stores them in reservoirs behind the dam at an elevation from the ground. The reservoirs have large channels leading to a turbine blade fitted to a large power generator through a shaft. With the help of gravity to convert potential energy to kinetic energy and then to mechanical energy, the stored up water passes through these channels with speeds so high that it spins the turbine blades fast enough to generate electricity.

How? I did mention that the turbine is connected to a power generator. As the turbine spins, it spins the electromagnets in a stationary coil inside the generator to create electric current by electromagnetism! In the end, this current is distributed to distant industries, cities, and towns by passing it through a Step-up voltage transformer to mitigate energy loss due to resistance and the heating effect of current.

<center>![](https://steemit-production-imageproxy-thumbnail.s3.amazonaws.com/U5drZJE91JvoKSVitdC9gtdE7Puwre8_1680x8400)</center>
## <center>Fossil fuels.</center>
#
<div class="pull-left"><center><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/20051029_Belchatow_power_station.jpg" /><br/><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20051029_Belchatow_power_station.jpg">Belchatow power station. Image by Petr Štefek (Own work) BY-SA 3.0 or CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons</a></em></center></div

One other important source of mainstream electricity is the use of fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas!

Fossil fuels are the most ancient means of electricity, and they constitute over 80% of The U.S. national grid. Fossils are non-renewables formed from the remains of decayed plants and animals millions of years ago. 

Energy truly cannot be created nor destroyed, and the dead remains of plants and animals still contain to an extent, some amount of energy stored as hydrocarbons. These remains sink way deep into the soil and are acted upon by the heat from the mantle. While coal is formed underground swamps and tropic areas as **peat**, which is relatively close to the surface, Crude oil is formed deeper into the soil and requires the use of seismic sensors to determine areas where they could be found. With the appropriate and necessary permission granted, a rig is set-up and a well drilled into the ground to pump out the oil. Then these fossils are transported to refineries and Power-plants where they are used as fuels for heating water to form steam. As they burn, the hydrocarbon bonds are broken to release large amounts of energy, which in turn, increases the pressure of the steam produced from the boiling water. The high-pressure steam is then channeled to drive the blades of a turbine connected to an electric generator to produce power!. Easy peasy!

<center>![](https://steemit-production-imageproxy-thumbnail.s3.amazonaws.com/U5drZJE91JvoKSVitdC9gtdE7Puwre8_1680x8400)</center>

## <center>Nuclear power</center>
#
By now, you probably have noticed the trend for the above power generation processes; They require a source of energy for spinning the blades of a turbine to generate electricity by electromagnetism. Well, although Nuclear energy does the same thing too, it's slightly different. For one, it doesn't require the burning of stuff like fossil does. Rather, Nuclear energy generates energy through the splitting of unstable isotopes of uranium or plutonium that serve as a heat source. This process is known as **Fission,** and the entire electricity generation is carried out in a Nuclear reactor.

**How it works? Of course, I'll tell ya!**
<div class="pull-right"><center><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/BoilingWaterReactor.gif" /><br/><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BoilingWaterReactor.gif">Gif illustration of how a nuclear power plant works. Image by U.S.NRC. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons</a></em></center></div

Basically, rods made of Uranium 235 are positioned inside the nuclear reactor between movable Cadmium rods. These Cadmium rods help control the reaction by absorbing excess neutrons. As the reactor starts, Uranium atoms split up to release energy and neutrons. The released neutrons, in turn, strike the Uranium to cause even more release of energy and neutrons to create what we know as a **Chain reaction.** If the process is not controlled, things could get ugly pretty fast, Hence, the Cadmium rods as a measure against excess neutrons. 

The heat released from this chain reaction is very huge, and is used to heat up water to get steam. This steam is then channelled to drive a turbine connected to a generator, and electric current is generated!.

#### What's cool about Nuclear power?
Well, Nuclear power is a really big leap from coal and fossils, considering the environment and the Net amount energy released. **A single kilogram of Nuclear fuel is equivalent to about 3 million times the energy that a kilogram of coal could produce.** Also, since it requires no burning or combustion in air, it is environmentally friendly in that regard and doesn't contribute to air pollution.

### Are there dangers?    
Yes, there are dangers, and they are quite towering too. You see, one has to be extremely careful, especially when dealing or working with Nukes and stuff that are radioactive because some mistakes could be very harmful to life. On April 28, 1986, at a nuclear plant in Chernobyl, things got outta control and the excessive heat energy generated melted a part of the reactor, thus, releasing radioactivity into the open. Long story short; A lot of people died, and over 40,000 people had to be evacuated from the area and its surroundings.

<div class="pull-left"><center><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Danger_radiation.svg/270px-Danger_radiation.svg.png" /><br/><em><a href="PUT IMAGE SOURCE HERE">Image by User:Bilou. CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons</a></em></center></div

The second reason why Nuclear power hasn't taken over power generation completely *(despite the fact that it has proven cheaper and feasible),* is due to the problems of disposing of nuclear wastes. These wastes, *-even after use-* are still potent enough to emit radiation for about 200,000 years to cause radioactive poisoning and scientists are having a pretty hard time deciding where to dispose of it. Currently, nuclear wastes are sealed in radioactive proof tanks and secured in temporary storage sites. The challenge arises as to how they should be disposed of, and I'm gonna leave it as an open-end question for the community. **Should we jettison them in deep space, or bury them under the sea floor?** A lot of people aren't quite pleased with the sea floor bit though. I mean, imagine if it gets broken for some reason, all of sea life as we know it would die off by radioactive poisoning. So **how about burying them under the mountains? or in highly protected caves maybe?** Is there something we're not considering? *-I'd love to hear about it in the comments below!-*
<center>![](https://steemit-production-imageproxy-thumbnail.s3.amazonaws.com/U5drZJE91JvoKSVitdC9gtdE7Puwre8_1680x8400)</center>
## Conclusion.
In conclusion, humans have come a long way through the ages. And for every method of a process out there, there probably is a dozen other ways that the same process can be carried out, and maybe even more effectively. For everything we require and do in life, energy propels it, and electricity *(which is just a form of energy is no different).* In fact, we owe a great deal of civilization's giant strides to the energy electricity rewards, especially during the industrial age, when a lot of technology and manufacturing methods were invented. Realizing the huge potential electricity played in our history, and how it drives the economy forward, The U.N. hopes that by 2030, all 8 billion Earthlings will have access to electricity.

So the next time you switch on the TV, perhaps you might want to spare a moment to think of how the electricity used in powering your TV came from, or how it even works. And if ever you meet a friend who is ignorant of all of this. You are within your rights to let that buddy of yours know that he owes it all to electromagnetism!

**Thank you for reading.
@pangoli**

## References.
***[Wikipedia energy generation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_generation)***
***[Our energy sources](http://needtoknow.nas.edu/energy/energy-sources/electricity/)***
***[Nuclear energy](https://whatisnuclear.com/nuclear-energy.html)***
***[Timeline in electricity](https://www.thoughtco.com/electronics-timeline-1992484)***
<center>https://steemitimages.com/DQmPtnKZW6cQWBAzpA8yiqTDXSsVH9zEUyxFiek2kGEoA8g/bear.gif</center>