Generating electricity from varied resources…
Demand for energy in Virginia is continuing to grow. It is important that we use a variety of resources – both traditional and renewable – to ensure a reliable fuel mix for Virginia’s energy future. Consumers expect electricity to be available any time at affordable prices – whether it’s to watch TV, surf the Internet or conduct business. This requires a steady and uninterrupted flow of electricity.
Electricity is produced by a power generator. Essentially, some form of fuel is used to generate a force that spins a shaft and copper coil within a magnet to generate an electric current. A variety of fuel sources can be used to cause the shaft to spin (water, wind, steam). For example, a steam-powered generator works when fuels (coal, biomass, and natural gas) are burned to heat water that turns into steam and powers the generator. In other cases, the fuel can be nuclear, wind, geothermal or sunlight.
While the sources of energy are different, the electricity that is produced is the same. In order for that electricity to be used by consumers, it must travel through the series of transmission and distribution lines that make up our electric grid.
Click here to view how an electric system works. (2.5 MB, Requires Abode Reader to view. If you do not have Adobe Reader, you can download it here.)
In 2008, Virginia’s net electricity generation was 72,678,531 megawatthours. This ranked us 22nd in the nation in net generation. Of that total approximately 82.25% was generated from electric utilities and 17.75% from independent producers and combined heat and power. (Information from the EIA)
Virginia’s only major energy export is coal. In fact, we are a large importer of energy. Some of our top energy imports are petroleum products, natural gas and nuclear fuel for Virginia’s nuclear power plants. (Information from the Center for Coal and Energy Research at Virginia Tech)
The most common fuel used to generate electricity in Virginia is coal. 43.7 % of our electricity is generated from coal. A close second is nuclear which makes up 38.4 % of our total electricity generation. Below are two graphs showing how Virginia’s fuel mix has changed from 1998 to 2008. The fuel that has seen the most growth in Virginia (in terms of electricity generation) is natural gas.