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What's it all about?

Power Source

Natural energy comes from a Power Source. There are many types of power sources. Most energy comes from fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) which were formed when ancient plants, and animals like the dinosaurs, died hundreds of millions of years ago. As their bodies decayed they were mixed with the sand and mud and buried deep in the earth. Compression and heat over thousands and thousands of years changed them into fossil fuels.

Let's take a look at the types of power sources that are used:

	Natural Gas and Oil are used to produce electrical energy, mechanical energy, and heat energy. Oil and gas are pumped from wells deep in the ground and under the ocean. They are then sent through pipelines to be refined or cleaned. A sedimentary rock called shale may also contain oil. When oil-containing shale is heated at high temperatures, oil can be extracted.
	Wind Power is used for mechanical and electrical energy. Wind has been used for hundreds of years to help ships sail and turn windmills to pump water for irrigation.
	Nuclear Power is used to make electricity. Inside a reactor atoms from a fuel called uranium are split by neutrons (nuclear fission). This energy is released as heat which changes water into steam that turns turbine generators.
	Sun Power (solar energy) gives us heat and light energy. The sun makes energy from nuclear fusion. Billions of times each second, hydrogen atoms collide with each other and produce helium. Every second 4.7 million tons of hydrogen become energy. Solar cells absorb the sunlight and special photovoltaic cells produce electricity that can be used directly or stored in batteries for later use.
	Water Power (hydropower) can produce mechanical and electrical energy. Dams are used to contain flowing river water forming lakes and reservoirs. As water flows downhill it is channeled to a turbine or water wheel. The force of the flowing water turns the turbine or wheel, which turns a generator to make the electricity. Water power has been used for hundreds of years to create mechanical energy for grinding, pumping and running machinery.
	Wood and Coal are used to produce mechanical, electrical and heat energy. Coal is mined underground near the earth's surface. It is burned in its natural form to produce heat. Coal can also be converted to a liquid or gas form. Hydrogen is added to a heated and pressurized mix of coal to produce an oil-like liquid or gaseous product.