Making Energy

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Inside of a closed system, water is heated by uranium fuel and kept under pressure.
The water is run through a steam generator.
The water from the reactor remains in this closed system to be used over and over. The generator heats a separate loop of steam used to turn the turbine to make electricity. This steam, in a separate system, is not mixed with the generator's water.
After the turbine makes electricity, the steam is condensed by cooling water from a nearby river or lake. The condensed steam is reheated and the process is repeated.

The combustion of natural gas forces turbine blades to spin.
The spinning turbine is attached to a generator, which produces electricity.
In a combined-cycle plant, exhaust heat is used to create steam. The steam turns an additional turbine and generator to produce more electricity.
Steam is cooled in a condenser by water from a nearby river or lake. The condensed water returns to the plant and the cycle is repeated.

Whether the turbines are on land or offshore, the process of creating energy is the same.
Turbines capture wind with their three blades which turn a generator to create energy.

A solar panel is made up of photovoltaic cells.
The photovoltaic cells absorb sunlight, passing the energy through the layers of the panels and converting it into electricity.

Coal is ground into a fine powder and then burned in a boiler to produce steam.
Steam spins the turbine, turning the generator and producing electricity.
The steam is cooled in a condenser with water from a nearby river or lake. The cooled steam turns into water and is returned to the boiler to be used again.
The cooling water returns to the lake or river. At larger plants, the water used to condense the steam goes through cooling towers before reentering a river to prevent any environmental problems that could occur from warming the river.
Coal combustion residuals, commonly known as coal ash, are safely disposed of according to EPA regulations. View CCR Rule Compliance Data and Information to see how Dominion Energy complies.

Water is held behind a dam, creating a reservoir.
When energy is released through the dam, it passes through a turbine generator and produces electricity.
When energy demand is low, some of our plants pump water back into the reservoir to store the water for reuse when demand is high.