Energy is fundamental to modern life — it powers our homes, fuels transportation and drives the technologies we rely on every day. It is a simple fact: we need energy to survive and function. Yet the concept of energy can be quite complicated. This brief introduction provides a foundational understanding of energy and its importance.
Energy and Electricity
It’s important to know that energy and electricity are not the same. In the simplest terms, energy is the capability to do work — it is the power that allows people, animals and machines to move and do things. Our bodies use energy from food to function, plants use energy from the sun to grow and cars use energy from fuel to drive. Electricity is a specific and widely used form of energy, which we use to power our devices, light our homes and run appliances. Modern communications, technology, medical advancements and industry would be nearly impossible without electricity.
Generating Electricity
Electricity doesn’t just appear at the wall outlet. It is generated from a variety of energy sources at power plants. Power plants convert these energy sources into electricity in a variety of ways. Most use a turbine connected to a generator — the energy source is used to turn the turbine, which spins the generator that creates electricity.
- Biomass – Biomass facilities burn waste products from the agriculture, forestry and construction industries to generate electricity.
- Coal – Coal plants burn coal in massive boilers to create steam, which turns the turbines. Some coal plants can burn other fuels in addition to coal.
- Hydroelectric – Large dams strategically release water from huge reservoirs, using the force of moving water to turn turbines. At pumped storage hydroelectric plants, excess energy from other sources can be used to pump water into the reservoirs to store energy for later use.
- Natural Gas – Some natural gas plants burn fuel and use the heat to create steam, which turns the turbine. Other plants use expanding exhaust gas from combustion to turn a turbine.
- Nuclear – Nuclear plants use heat from the decomposition of radioactive elements to create steam, which turns the turbines.
- Petroleum – Similar to coal plants, petroleum fuel plants burn liquid fossil fuel in a boiler to create steam, which turns the turbines.
- Solar – Use photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight directly into electricity. There are two size classifications of solar power generation systems. Utility-scale solar includes companies such as the Ameren Missouri installation. Small-scale solar is what is found on residential roofs or in parking lots.
- Wind – Uses the natural wind patterns to spin large blades connected to a generator.
Missouri's Energy Sources
For current percentages of how much of Missouri's electricity is generated by energy source, visit the U.S. Energy Information Administration's Missouri State Profile and Energy Estimates webpage.
Distributing Electricity
Once generated, electricity travels through a complex transmission and distribution network called the electrical grid. The electrical grid is an intricate network of wires that consists of power stations, substations, transmission lines and the distribution poles you see outside your home and in your neighborhood. The grid is what delivers electricity from power plants to homes, businesses and industries.
Utility Companies
Utility companies are responsible for delivering electricity to homes and businesses through the electrical grid. They play a critical role in maintaining grid reliability, investing in infrastructure and ensuring regulatory compliance. Utilities can be privately-owned or investor-owned utilities, public agencies run through the local municipal government, or member-owned electric cooperatives. In Missouri, there are four investor-owned electric companies, over 120 municipal electric utilities and 40 distribution cooperatives.
Many utilities also generate their own electricity to distribute to consumers. These utilities are called vertically integrated utilities and are responsible for the entire process, from generation to transmission and distribution.
Missouri Public Service Commission
The Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC) regulates all investor-owned utilities that provide electric, natural gas, telecommunications, water and sewer service to households and businesses in the state. The PSC ensures that these companies deliver services promptly, safely and at a reasonable price.
