The electricity that goes into your home comes from a power plant. It is produced mechanically by a generator, which is driven by another source of power. Most of Duke Power's electricity is produced by heating water to steam, which drives a turbine that turns the generator. Coal-fired boilers and nuclear plants produce most of the electricity that comes from steam. A smaller portion of Duke's electricity comes from hydroelectric stations powered by the force of falling water.
Electricity leaves the plant along high voltage transmission lines mounted on towers or tall poles.
The electricity then travels to substations where transformers convert the electricity to voltages for use in businesses and homes. Finally, the electricity travels to your neighborhood through neighborhood distribution lines and is brought into your home along a secondary line. From there it is distributed throughout your home via electrical wiring.