Electricity generation

Electricity has been generated for at least 200 years from various sources of potential energy. The first power plants were run on wood, while today we rely mainly on oil, [natural gas]?, coal, hydroelectric? and nuclear power and a small amount from solar power and [wind generators]?.

Electricity is created for our use when steam turns turbines which power electricity generators. The steam is the byproduct of all the above mentioned sources of electricity, except hydroelectric, in which water flows directly through the turbines powering the generators.

America relies mainly on fossil fuels for power (e.g. oil, natural gas, coal). A fear of nuclear power has prevented the building of any nuclear power plants since the 1970s.