Where Electric Utility Suppliers in Ohio Get Their Energy
In Ohio, most of the electricity generated by electric utility suppliers comes from nonrenewable resources, which are found naturally but take an extraordinarily long time to form. While renewable electricity sources, such as wind, solar, and hydropower are becoming more readily available, for the time being they make up only a small portion of electric utility suppliers’ generation.
Most electricity providers use a careful balance of different sources in order to minimize potential risks, such as fuel shortages and sudden price fluctuations.
The majority of electricity in Ohio comes from:
- Coal. Coal is a type of fossil fuel that generates almost 70 percent of the electricity used in the state of Ohio. Burning coal generates heat, which is applied to water to form steam, which is then used to turn a turbine to produce electricity.
- Natural Gas. Natural gas is another type of fossil fuel, responsible for a little over 15 percent of Ohio’s electricity. Natural gas is burned for steam generation like coal or to produce a combustion gas that spins a turbine.
- Other Sources. The remaining 15 percent of electricity is divided among several sources, including petroleum, nuclear energy, hydropower, wind turbines, solar power, geothermal energy, and biomass energy. As renewable sources of energy become more cost efficient, more electric utility suppliers will likely increase the percentage of electricity they draw from those sources.
Remember, you have a choice in your electric utility suppliers, some of which use different sources of electricity generation. Check out our home page to see how much you can potentially save by switching energy suppliers.
