Hydropower station in Bavaria

Power station in Taiwan

A power station (or power plant) is a place where electricity is produced. Most do this by a big spinning electrical generator. In big powers stations the spinning is usually driven by a steam turbine. The steam may come from:

• Burning fossil fuels
• Nuclear power, using radioactive sources
• Using the earth's heat, called geothermal energy
• Using the sun's heat

Some do not use steam engines to spin the generator. Rather they use:

• Hydropower, which uses the power of moving water to drive turbines
• Using the wind to drive wind turbines
• Internal combustion engine power

A few power stations use the sun's rays to generate solar power without motion. There are many power stations around the world, because many things need electricity to work.