Electric power | Definition, Uses, & Facts

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Electric energy is unrivaled for many uses, as for lighting, computer operation, motive <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/power-physics" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">power</a>, and entertainment applications. For other uses it is competitive, as for many industrial heating applications, cooking, space heating, and railway traction.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Electric power is characterized by current or the flow of electric charge and <span id="ref92312"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/volt-unit-of-measurement" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">voltage or the potential of charge to deliver energy</a>. A given value of power can be produced by any combination of current and voltage values. If the current is direct, electronic charge progresses always in the same direction through the device receiving power. If the current is alternating, electronic charge moves back and forth in the device and in the wires connected to it. For many applications either type of <span id="ref92311"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/electric-current" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">current</a> is suitable, but <span id="ref92313"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/alternating-current" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">alternating current</a> (AC) is most widely available because of the greater <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="efficiency" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/efficiency" data-type="MW">efficiency</a> with which it can be generated and distributed. A <span id="ref92314"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/direct-current" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">direct current</a> (DC) is required for certain industrial applications, such as electroplating and electrometallurgical processes and for most electronic devices.</p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The wide-scale production and distribution of electric power was made possible by the development of the <span id="ref92315"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/electric-generator" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">electric generator</a>, a device that operates on the basis of the <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="induction" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/induction" data-type="MW">induction</a> principle formulated in 1831 by the English scientist <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michael-Faraday" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Michael Faraday</a> and independently by the American scientist <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-Henry" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Joseph Henry</a>. The first public power station employing an electric generator began operation in London in January 1882. A second such station opened later that same year in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/New-York-City" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">New York City</a>. Both used DC systems, which proved inefficient for long-distance power transmission. By the early 1890s the first practical AC generator was built at the Lauffen power station in Germany, and service to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Frankfurt-am-Main" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Frankfurt am Main</a> was initiated in 1891.</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-quiz-module" href="/quiz/energy-fossil-fuels" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/12/156712-131-8E29225D/transmission-lines-electricity-countryside-power-plants-homes.jpg" alt="Electric power lines against sunset (grid, power, wires, electrical, electricity)" class="rounded-sm mr-15" width="70" /> <div class="line-clamp clamp-5"> <div class="module-title bg-green">Britannica Quiz</div> <div class="font-weight-semi-bold mt-5">Energy & Fossil Fuels</div> </div> </a><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">There are two primary sources for driving generators—hydro and <span id="ref92317"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/thermal-energy" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">thermal</a>. <span id="ref92316"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/hydroelectric-power" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Hydroelectric power</a> is derived from generators and turbines driven by falling water. Most other electric energy is obtained from generators coupled to turbines driven by steam produced either by a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/nuclear-reactor" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">nuclear reactor</a> or by burning fossil fuels—namely, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/coal-fossil-fuel" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">coal</a>, oil, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/natural-gas" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">natural gas</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Until the 1930s, hydroelectric-power plants equipped with water-turbine generating units produced the largest percentage of electric energy because they were less expensive to operate than thermal-power plants using steam-turbine units. Since that time, major technological advances have reduced the cost of thermal-power generation, while the cost of developing more remote hydroelectric sites has increased. By 1990, hydroelectric-power production <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="constituted" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constituted" data-type="MW">constituted</a> only 18 percent of global electric energy output. Thermal plants using <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/nuclear-energy" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">nuclear energy</a> or gas turbines to run steam-electric units are among these technological advances. <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="Alternative" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Alternative" data-type="MW">Alternative</a> electric energy sources include solar cells, wind turbines, fuel cells, and geothermal-power stations.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="194829" data-asm-type="video"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="video" video-id="179656"><a data-id="179656" class="gtm-assembly-link d-flex justify-content-center" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9" href="/video/workers-power-line/-194829"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/56/179656-138-CB161525/workers-power-line.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop" alt="How helicopter teams repair Europe's high-voltage power lines" loading="lazy"><script type="application/json"> { "sources": [ { "file" : "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/EmJ8SE15.m3u8" } ], "image": "https://cdn.britannica.com/56/179656-138-CB161525/workers-power-line.jpg" ,"tracks": [ { "file" : "//assets-jpcust.jwpsrv.com/tracks/hpHLaXlX", "label": "English" } ] ,"adfile": "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/P1hEb6Nb.m3u8" } </script><div class="btn btn-xl btn-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="top: 50%; transform: translateY(-50%)"><em class="material-icons" data-icon="play_arrow"></em></div></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><span class="md-assembly-title font-weight-bold mr-5 d-inline font-sans-serif md-video-caption" video-control="179656">How helicopter teams repair Europe's high-voltage power lines</span><span>Watch helicopter-borne workers repair a high-voltage power line. </span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div><a class="font-14 mt-10 d-inline-block" href="/technology/electric-power/images-videos">See all videos for this article</a></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">Electric energy generated at a central power station is transmitted to bulk delivery points, or <span id="ref92318"></span>substations, from which it is distributed to consumers. <span id="ref92319"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/transmission-line" class="md-crosslink ">Transmission</a> is accomplished by an extensive network of high-voltage power lines, including overhead wires and underground and submarine cables. Voltages higher than those suitable for power plant generators are required when transmitting alternating current over long distances in order to reduce the power losses that result from the resistance of transmission lines. Step-up <span id="ref92320"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/transformer-electronics" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">transformers</a> are employed at the generating station to increase the <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="transmission" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/transmission" data-type="EB">transmission</a> voltage. At the substations other transformers step down the voltage to levels suitable for distribution systems.</p><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="md-signature"><a href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</a></span> <span class="md-signature">This article was most recently revised and updated by <a href="/editor/Adam-Augustyn/6394">Adam Augustyn</a>.</span><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":1,"pageId":182711,"pageLength":549,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"C","adLeg":"C","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"MEDIUM","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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