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{{short description|Energy related to forces on, and movement of, charged particles}}

'''Electrical energy''' is [[energy]] related to forces on [[Charged particle|electrically charged particles]] and the movement of those particles (often [[electrons]] in wires, but not always). This energy is supplied by the combination of [[electric current|current]] and [[electric potential]] (often referred to as ''[[voltage]]'' because electric potential is measured in [[volts]]) that is delivered by a [[electrical circuit|circuit]] (e.g., provided by an [[electric power]] utility). Motion (current) is not required; for example, if there is a voltage difference in combination with charged particles, such as [[static electricity]] or a charged [[capacitor]], the moving electrical energy is typically converted to another form of energy (e.g., thermal, motion, sound, light, radio waves, etc.).

Electrical energy is usually sold by the [[kilowatt hour]] (1&nbsp;kW·h = 3.6 MJ) which is the product of the  power in kilowatts multiplied by running time in hours. Electric utilities measure energy using an [[electricity meter]], which keeps a running total of the electric energy delivered to a customer.

[[Electric heating]] is an example of converting electrical energy into another form of energy, [[heat]].  The simplest and most common type of electric heater uses [[electrical resistance]] to convert the energy.  There are other ways to use electrical energy.  In computers for example, tiny amounts of electrical energy are rapidly moving into, out of, and through millions of [[transistors]], where the energy is both moving (current through a transistor) and non-moving (electric charge on the [[metal gate|gate]] of a transistor which controls the current going through).

== Electricity generation ==
{{Main|Electricity generation}}
Electricity generation is the process of generating electrical energy from other [[forms of energy]].

The fundamental principle of electricity generation was discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist [[Michael Faraday]].  His basic method is still used today: electric current is generated by the movement of a loop of wire, or [[Homopolar generator|disc of copper]] between the poles of a [[magnet]].<ref name=Faraday_House>{{cite web|title=Michael Faraday House|url=http://www.theiet.org/about/libarc/archives/biographies/faraday.cfm|website=The Institution of Engineering & Technology|access-date=8 November 2015}}</ref>

For electrical utilities, it is the first step in the delivery of electricity to consumers. The other processes, electricity [[Electric power transmission|transmission]], [[Electric power distribution|distribution]], and electrical energy storage and recovery using [[Pumped-storage hydroelectricity|pumped-storage]] methods are normally carried out by the [[electric power industry]].<ref name=IEC>{{cite web|title=Keep the Power On|url=http://www.iec.ch/about/brochures/pdf/technology/IEC_https://en.wikipedia.org/w/Electrical%20Energy_Keep_the_power_on.pdf|website=IEC Electrical Energy|access-date=8 November 2015}}{{Dead link|date=August 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Electricity is most often generated at a [[power station]] by electromechanical [[electrical generator|generators]], primarily driven by [[heat engine]]s fueled by chemical [[combustion]] or [[nuclear fission]] but also by other means such as the [[kinetic energy]] of flowing water and wind. There are many other technologies that can be and are used to generate electricity such as solar [[photovoltaics]] and [[geothermal power]].

== References ==

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[[Category:Electricity]]
[[Category:Forms of energy]]
[[Category:Electromagnetic quantities]]