The most common fuel used in the generation of electricity is coal. Coal is a solid deposit that is burned in order to produce heat which in turn is used to generate steam. This steam is then used to drive a turbine which produces electricity. Coal-fired power plants are the most common type of electricity generating facility in the world. The world's top five electricity producing countries (China, the United States, India, Japan, and Russia) all rely heavily on coal-fired power plants.
