Where Does Electricity Come From?

1. Electricity is made at a generating station by huge generators using wind, coal, natural gas or water.

2. The current is sent through transformers to increase the voltage to push the power long distances.

3. The electrical charge goes through high-voltage transmission lines that stretch across the country.

4. It reaches a substation, where the voltage is lowered so it can be sent on smaller power lines.

5. It travels through distribution lines to your neighborhood. Smaller transformers reduce the voltage again to make the power safe to use in our homes.

6. It connects to your house and passes through a meter that measures how much your family uses.

7. The electricity goes to the service panel in your basement or garage, where breakers or fuses protect the wires inside your house from being overloaded.

8. The electricity travels through wires inside the walls to the outlets and switches all over your house.