It is important to recognize that electricity is not mined or harvested, it must be manufactured. And since it's not easily stored in quantity, it must be manufactured at time of demand. Electricity is a form of energy, but not an energy source. Different generating plants harness different energy sources to make electric power. Thermal Generating Plants Thermal plants use the energy of heat to make electricity.
Water is heated in a boiler until it becomes high-temperature steam.
This steam is then channeled through a turbine, which has many fan-blades attached to a shaft. As the steam moves over the blades, it causes the shaft to spin. This spinning shaft is connected to the rotor of a generator, and the generator produces electricity. Unlike electricity itself, fossil fuels can be stored in large quantities. After 100 years of research and development, fossil-fueled plants are generally reliable, and problems that do occur are usually confined to a local area.