Electricity Generation

Generating Electricity: Power Plants

Not all power plants are created equal. Different types of power plants harness different types of energy. The type of energy harnessed determines how much electricity a generator can output. A megawatt (MW) is equal to one million watts.

Type of Energy	Nuclear	Coal	Hydroelectric (Pumped Storage)	Natural Gas	Wind	Hydroelectric (Conventional)	Wood	Geothermal	Solar
Average Electricity Output per Generator	977 MW	217 MW	144 MW	75 MW	49 MW	19 MW	19 MW	9.5 MW	5.5 MW

Power plants may have one generator or multiple generators. The type of energy used plus the number of generators determines how much electricity a power plant can output.

	According to the chart above, a nuclear power generator produces the most electricity by a sizable margin. A small nuclear plant with one generator may produce only 476 MW however a large plant with multiple generators might output 3,825 MW. This is because the nuclear, or “strong” force, is the most powerful kind of energy.
	One of the most promising types of sustainable energy resources is wind. Extremely large wind farms can produce over 700 MW however the majority of sizable farms only produce 100-200 MW.