Water is collected from rivers, lakes, and wells. Water utilities treat and distribute tap water for use by business and residential customers. Electric power plants, residential customers, who use gas for heating and cooking and commercial businesses, such as hospitals and restaurants, account for most of the remaining consumption. Industrial customers, such as chemical and paper manufacturing firms, account for almost a third of total natural gas consumption. Local distribution companies take natural gas from the pipeline, depressurize it, add odor to it, and deliver the gas from transmission pipelines to industrial, residential, and commercial customers. Once extracted, it is transported throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico by gas transmission companies using pressurized pipelines. Exploration and extraction of natural gas is part of the mining industry. Natural gas is a clear, odorless gas, found in underground deposits. At substations, the electricity's voltage is reduced and made available for household and small business use via distribution lines, which usually are carried by telephone poles. Transmission lines supported by huge towers connect generating plants with industrial customers and substations. When electricity leaves a generating plant, its voltage is stepped up to the level of the power grid. Such companies are called non-utility generators (NUGs). Deregulation-a major legislative trend at both the Federal and State levels during the 1990s-allowed other firms to produce electricity and sell it to local utility companies, who resell that energy to consumers. Traditionally, only companies that distribute and sell energy to consumers were involved in producing electrical power. Legislative changes and industry competition have created new classes of firms that generate and sell electricity. Renewable sources of electric power-including geothermal, wind, and solar energy-are expanding rapidly, but only make up a small percentage of total generation. The majority of the rest is produced by a combination of natural gas, nuclear energy, and hydroelectric generators. Slightly less than half of the nation’s electrical energy comes from coal. Electric plants harness high-pressure steam, flowing water, or some other force of nature to spin the blades of a turbine, which is attached to an electric generator. This segment includes firms engaged in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electric power. The utilities sector comprises three distinctly different industries.Įlectric power generation, transmission, and distribution. Information concerning government employment in utilities is included in the statements on Federal Government and State and local government, except education and health. The Federal Government, as well as many State and local governments, also provide electric, gas, water, and wastewater treatment services and employ a significant number of workers in similar jobs, but they are not included in this industry. The utilities industry includes companies that generate, transmit, and distribute electrical power, distribute natural gas, treat and distribute fresh water, and treat wastewater. Electricity powers the light, water supply systems provide water for washing, wastewater treatment plants treat the sewage, and natural gas or electricity heats the water. The simple act of walking into a restroom, turning on the light, and washing your hands, uses the products of perhaps four different utilities.
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