If you aren’t an energy wonk, you may have never thought about what happens when you flip an electrical switch and the lights come on. (And, in a decarbonized future, when you plug in your electric vehicle or turn up the thermostat and have your heat pump kick on.)

We all know that electricity is important to power so many things in our lives, but what is it really? And how does it get from a generation facility to us? And what even is a gigawatt-hour? And what is all this talk about "behind-the-meter"? 

If you have ever found yourself asking any of these questions (and you aren’t alone), then we have some new infographics for you. Created by our summer Communications Intern, Richa Nevatia, the following three infographics explain what electricity is, how it is measured, how it travels, and what it means for it to be behind-the-meter.

Electricity: What it is and how it is measured

Clean Electricity: From Generation to Distribution

Behind-the-Meter Electricity