Powering the U.S.
Figure 1. A pollution-producing coal electric power plant.Copyright U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs-016-03/
This lesson provides students with an overview of the electric power industry in the United States. Students also become familiar with the environmental impacts associated with a variety of energy sources.
Every time we flip a switch, turn on the television or walk into an air-conditioned store, we are benefiting from electricity. Many different types of engineers — civil engineers (dam construction), mechanical engineers (water and gas turbines), electrical engineers (electrical power conditioning) and chemical engineers (power plant design) — are all necessary to provide the electricity to our communities. Environmental engineers more and more play of a role in this process, as they determine the power plant's impact on the environment and potential health risks associated with it. Environmental engineers have a huge impact in contributing to the health, happiness and safety of our planet.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- List several different types of electric power plants in the U.S.
- List two environmental problems caused by burning coal to make electricity.
- Describe how engineers are involved in getting electricity to our homes.