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Exploring Power Plants this Earth Science Week

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10-10-2025 05:19 PM
Kylie
by Esri Regular Contributor
Esri Regular Contributor
2 0 355
‎10-10-2025 05:19 PM

Earth Science Week is from Oct. 12-18 and focused on energy resources. Power plants serve as a critical part of our energy infrastructure - and are central to this year’s Earth Science Week theme.

(view in My Videos)

Explore how power plant fuels are represented within the US and globally in this interactive, digital map included in National Geographic MapMaker.

To explore the data as shown in the video above, do the following:

  1. Open the map.
  2. Click Map layers. 
  3. Turn on the "Active Generation by US State" layer, and turn off the "Global Power Plants" layer.
  4. Click Legend to see which fuel sources each color in the chart represents.
  5. Click on the chart symbols displayed across the US to explore the power plant fuels used in each state.
  6. Click Map layers, turn off the "Active Generation by US State" layer, and turn on the "Global Power Plants" layer.
  7. Click Legend to see which fuel sources each color on the map represents.
  8. Click on the power plants across the world to explore the power they generate, and what that amount of energy can power. 

Looking for more Earth Science activities using maps? Explore the Earth Science content in our Activity Gallery.

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About the Author
Our kids need GIS in their problem-solving toolboxes. I'm working to get digital maps into each K-12 classroom and the hands of each child. A long-time Esri employee, I've previously worked on Esri's mobile apps, focused on documentation and best practices. Out of the office I'm a runner often found on the trails or chasing my children.