Making Electricity

The electricity that we use in our homes is made along way away. It is made, or generated, in a power station. From the power stations, the electricity travels all over the country through overhead cables. Steel towers called pylons carry the cables. Are there any pylons near where you live?

In most power stations the electricity is made by huge machines, called steam turbines. Steam from a boiler spins the turbines, and the turbines turn the generators that make the electricity. Some power stations use water turbines to turn the generators. Water flowing downhill through pipes spins these turbines.
This is a steam power station. Most stations burn coal or oil to heat up the water in the boiler.