Household Electricity: The Power Grid

Most appliances in your home are powered by electricity, but have you ever thought about how the electricity actually reaches your home?

1. Electricity is generated in a power plant.

2. The electricity is moved around the country on high voltage transmission lines called pylons. The Department of Energy reports there are more than 157,000 miles of high voltage transmission lines in the U.S. This system of power lines is sometimes referred to as "The Grid."

3. The electricity is then transmitted to sub-stations located all over the country. There, it's transformed down to a lower voltage before it's distributed to various points around a city.

4. The sub-station transports the electricity on wooden distribution poles, which are the traditional power line poles that run through neighborhoods and towns. However, before the electricity can enter a home, its voltage must be lowered once again by a second transformer because it is still at a dangerous level.

5. From the transformer, service lines carry the electricity into the home.