BACKGROUND:
The United States is the leader in
both its installed generating capacity and its electric energy
production compared to most countries in the world. Private electric
utilities are regulated by state commissions or city governments
depending on the state. Various state laws control exactly how much
profit a utility can make so electric power can be provided at a
reasonable rate for all concerned. If electricity was expensive in this
country, people would be more aware of the cost of keeping even a light
bulb burning.
Electric generation is created by two
major means: water and fuel consumption. Energy turns turbines which
then convert the movement into electricity. Transfer of electricity can
be accomplished through power lines. This country has an extensive
network of power lines to bring electricity to even the most remote
part.
The United States also has federal
power production. The best known is the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
that is controlled by the Department of Energy (DOE). This is the
largest single electric power system in the world. It develops the
Tennessee River and its tributaries and generates and distributes
electric power to the surrounding area. Another large project is the
Bonneville Power Administration which control water on the Columbia
River in Oregon and Washington. The Bureau of Land Reclamation and the
Army Corp of Engineers have also been involved in developing cheap power
for different regions of the country. Hoover Dam is a federal project
that creates power from the Colorado River. Many dams around the country
were developed for this very purpose.
PROCEDURE:
- Instruct students on how to learn about their
local utility. The electric bill usually contains information about the
utility and students may want to write to them to find out more
information. Discover how and by what methods the utility produces their
energy.
- Students can conduct an Internet
search on their local electrical company that supplies energy. For
instance in New York, the utility would be called Con Edison and in
California it is called Pacific Gas and Electric. There are new
companies that have formed to increase competition for electricity.
- There are electrical wires all
around. Students see them day in and day out, but many don't know their
significance. Have students select a topic to research about
electricity. For example the conservation of electricity or just
background information on the source of the local energy. Electrical
generation and methods of conserving this precious commodity should be a
way of life for students, not something that is taken for granted.
