Editing Power station (section)

{{short description|Facility generating electric power}}
{{Other uses|Power Station (disambiguation){{!}}Power Station}}
{{Redirect|Power plant}}
{{Power engineering}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
A '''power station''', also referred to as a '''power plant''' and sometimes '''generating station''' or '''generating plant''', is an industrial facility for the [[electricity generation|generation]] of [[electric power]]. Power stations are generally connected to an [[electrical grid]].

Many power stations contain one or more [[Electric generator|generators]], rotating machine that converts mechanical power into [[three-phase electric power]]. The relative motion between a [[magnetic field]] and a [[Electrical conductor|conductor]] creates an [[electric current]].

[[File:Kraftwerk Niederaußem 2006.jpg|thumb|300px|The [[Niederaussem Power Station]] is the largest [[coal power plant]] in Germany]]
The energy source harnessed to turn the generator varies widely. Most power stations in the world burn [[fossil fuel]]s such as [[coal]], [[petroleum|oil]], and [[natural gas]] to generate electricity. [[Low-carbon power]] sources include [[nuclear power]], and use of [[renewable energy|renewables]] such as [[solar power|solar]], [[wind power|wind]], [[geothermal power|geothermal]], and [[hydroelectricity|hydroelectric]].