Sources
Where does our electricity come from?Most of us have access to electricity in our homes and at school. In Australia most electricity is produced in power plants fuelled by coal, natural gas or running water (hydroelectricity). These sources of energy are plentiful, at least for now, and don’t cost as much as some other forms of electricity generation. In many parts of the world, electricity is produced in nuclear power plants. Some families make choices about the source of the electricity they use. This simulation allows you to put together models – they are not all about electricity, but they are all interesting! Discussion point
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SustainabilityCoal and gas are known as non-renewable because we use them up much faster than our planet can replace them. Hydroelectricity can involve building dams that cause flooding of large areas. Other ways to produce electricity include solar, geothermal, wind, waves and mini or micro hydro. These are known as renewable resources because we don’t use them up. These sources of energy can be expensive. Some of these methods only work part of the time. For example the wind does not blow all the time and the sun does not shine 24 hours a day.
Biomass can be used to generate electricity. Some people say it is a renewable resource – others disagree.
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