Introduction
The two smokestacks of the Clifty Creek
Electric Generating Station dominate the view from Clifty Falls State
Park in Madison, Indiana. The coal burning power plant sits between the park
and the Ohio River (C. Thomas).What separates humans from an ape, elephant, or single celled bacteria? We figured out how to set stuff on fire. The reason you can view this webpage right now is there is a power plant somewhere in the Indiana burning coal to produce electricity. We learned earlier that modern society is defined by our ability to mine earth resources and convert these resources into finished products. The other defining feature of modern society is our ability to use earth resources to produce energy. Energy takes several forms in your everyday life:
- Industry: Energy costs directly relate to the cost to build a product
- Transportation: Energy is needed for most transportation needs
- Heat and Light: We use energy for providing light, air conditioning, and heat.
In this section we will learn how electricity is generated to meet the needs for Hoosiers. We’ll examine how a power plant works, examine alternative resources for energy, and see what the future of energy looks like in Indiana and the U.S. We’ll explain how the electrical grid works to move energy, and take a look at the cost of refining oil.