1. Using Heat to Generate Electricity In many areas, thermoelectric generating plants use a fuel such as coal or biomass to heat water to create high- pressure steam.

2. Using Heat to Generate Electricity Coal, oil, and natural gas are fossil fuels, which means they were produced from the organic matter of organisms that lived millions of years ago.

3. Thermoelectric Generating Station A fossil fuel, usually coal, is burned in a combustion chamber to boil water. The high-pressure steam strikes and pushes the blades on the turbine. The turbine is connected to a generator.

4. Biomass Biomass is organic material made up of plant and animal waste. Examples of biomass include wood, peat, straw, nut shells, sewage, and corn husks. http://www.solarpowernotes.com/renewable- energy/biomass-energy/biomass-energy.html

5. Biomass In a biomass system, the organic waste decomposes to produce a gas called methane. The methane gas can be burned to boil water to make steam.

6. Nuclear Energy 51% of our electricity in Ontario is thermonuclear, which means it is produced by heat in nuclear power stations. http://www.opg.com/education/PhotoGallery.asp

7. Nuclear Energy In a nuclear reactor, atoms of a heavy element, usually uranium, are split in a chain reaction. http://www.atomicarchive.com/Fission/Fission1.shtml

8. Nuclear Energy This splitting, called nuclear fission, releases an enormous amount of energy. The energy released by the fission process is used to heat water produce steam to turn a turbine.