Editing Electricity generation (section)

==Generating equipment==
{{main|Electric generator}}
[[File:Stator winding at WPS.JPG|thumb|upright=1.5|A large generator with the rotor removed]]
Electric generators were known in simple forms from the discovery of [[electromagnetic induction]] in the 1830s. In general, some form of prime mover such as an engine or the turbines described above, drives a rotating magnetic field past stationary coils of wire thereby turning mechanical energy into electricity.<ref>{{Cite book|chapter=Type testing a 2000 MW turbogenerator|first1=K.|last1=Sedlazeck|first2=C.|last2=Richter|first3=S.|last3=Strack|first4=S.|last4=Lindholm|first5=J.|last5=Pipkin|first6=F.|last6=Fu|first7=B.|last7=Humphries|first8=L.|last8=Montgomery|title=2009 IEEE International Electric Machines and Drives Conference|date=May 1, 2009|pages=465–470|via=IEEE Xplore|doi=10.1109/IEMDC.2009.5075247|isbn=978-1-4244-4251-5|s2cid=9118902}}</ref> The only commercial scale forms of electricity production that do not employ a generator are [[Photovoltaic power station|photovoltaic solar]] and [[hydrogen fuel cell power plant|fuel cells]].

=== Turbines ===
[[File: Dreischluchtendamm hauptwall 2006.jpg|thumb|Large dams such as [[Three Gorges Dam]] in China can provide large amounts of [[hydroelectric]] power; it has a 22.5 [[Gigawatt|GW]] capability.]]
Almost all commercial electrical power on Earth is generated with a [[turbine]], driven by wind, water, steam or burning gas. The turbine drives a generator, thus transforming its mechanical energy into electrical energy by electromagnetic induction. There are many different methods of developing mechanical energy, including [[heat engine]]s, hydro, wind and tidal power. Most electric generation is driven by heat engines. 

The combustion of [[fossil fuel]]s supplies most of the energy to these engines, with a significant fraction from [[nuclear fission]] and some from [[renewable source]]s. The modern [[steam turbine]], invented by [[Charles Algernon Parsons|Sir Charles Parsons]] in 1884, currently generates about 80% of the [[electric power]] in the world using a variety of heat sources. Turbine types include:
* Steam 
** Water is boiled by [[coal]] burned in a [[thermal power plant]]. About 41% of all electricity is generated this way.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.worldcoal.org/coal/uses-coal/coal-electricity|title=Coal & electricity|website=World Coal Association|access-date=2016-08-14|date=2015-04-29|archive-date=2016-08-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160823202732/http://www.worldcoal.org/coal/uses-coal/coal-electricity|url-status=live}}</ref>
** [[Nuclear fission]] heat created in a [[nuclear reactor]] creates steam. Less than 15% of electricity is generated this way.
** Renewable energy. The steam is generated by [[biomass]], [[solar thermal energy]], or [[geothermal power]].
* Natural gas: turbines are driven directly by gases produced by combustion. [[Combined cycle]] are driven by both steam and natural gas. They generate power by burning natural gas in a [[gas turbine]] and use residual heat to generate steam. At least 20% of the world's electricity is generated by natural gas.
*Water Energy is captured by a [[water turbine]] from the movement of water - from falling water, the rise and fall of tides or ocean thermal currents (see [[ocean thermal energy conversion]]). Currently, hydroelectric plants provide approximately 16% of the world's electricity.
*The [[windmill]] was a very early [[wind turbine]]. In 2018 around 5% of the world's electricity was produced from wind
Turbines can also use other heat-transfer liquids than steam. [[Supercritical carbon dioxide]] based cycles  can provide higher conversion efficiency due to faster heat exchange, higher energy density and simpler power cycle infrastructure. [[Supercritical carbon dioxide blend|Supercritical carbon dioxide blends]], that are currently in development, can further increase efficiency by optimizing its critical pressure and temperature points.

Although turbines are most common in commercial power generation, smaller generators can be powered by [[gasoline]] or [[diesel engine]]s. These may used for backup generation or as a prime source of power within isolated villages.