Electrical energy is energy carried by moving electric charge. It powers almost everything in a modern home: lights, screens, refrigerators, chargers. It is not a primary energy source. It is a carrier, produced by converting other forms like chemical, mechanical, or nuclear energy.

The flow works like this. Generators at power plants spin a coil of wire inside a magnetic field. That motion pushes electrons through the grid. Transformers step voltage up for long-distance travel and down for local use. At the outlet, the energy is ready to do work.

Electrical energy is convenient and clean at the point of use. A stove produces no exhaust. An electric car has no tailpipe. But the emissions may occur upstream at the power plant. The carbon intensity of electricity depends on how it is generated. A grid powered by coal and one powered by hydro deliver the same energy with very different footprints.

Key units

• Watt: rate of power
• Kilowatt-hour: energy over time
• Volt: electrical potential
• Ampere: current
• Ohm: resistance