Electricity

Electricity is made at a generating station that can use wind, coal, natural gas, or water.⁽¹⁾ The current is sent through transformers to increase the voltage to push the power long distances.⁽²⁾

The electrical charge goes through high-voltage transmission lines that stretch across the country.⁽³⁾ It reaches a substation where the voltage is lowered so it can be sent on smaller power lines.⁽⁴⁾

The charge then travels through distribution lines to your neighborhood. Smaller transformers, which are mounted on poles or sitting on the ground, reduce the voltage again to make the electricity safe for use in our homes.⁽⁵⁾ It connects to your house and passes through a meter that can measure how much power your family uses.⁽⁶⁾ The electricity goes to the service panel in your basement or garage, where there are breakers or fuses to protect the wires inside your house from being overloaded.⁽⁷⁾ The electricity travels through the wires inside the walls to the outlets and switches all over your house.⁽⁸⁾