The spinning turbine shafts turn electromagnets that are surrounded by heavy coils of copper wire inside generators. This creates a magnetic field, which causes the electrons in the copper wire to move from atom to atom. How Electricity Travels Electricity leaves the power plant and is sent over high power transmission lines on tall towers. The very strong electric current from a power plant must travel long distances to get where it is needed. When electricity gets closer to where it will be used, its voltage must be decreased.
Electricity then travels on overhead or underground distribution wires to neighborhoods.
When the distribution wires reach a home or business, another transformer reduces the electricity down to just the right voltage to be used in appliances, lights, and other things that run on electricity. A cable carries the electricity from the distribution wires to the house through a meter box. The meter measures how much electricity the people in the house use. From the meter box, wires run through the walls to outlets and lights. The electricity is always waiting in the wires to be used.