Power plants produce energy from renewable sources such as water in hydroelectric power plants, wind in wind power plants, and sunlight and heat in solar power plants, and also from non-renewable sources such as oil, coal, and natural gas in thermal power plants.

There are about 9,525 power plants in the country, and the hydroelectric plants stand out, representing about 63% of the installed capacity, with an annual turnover of over 195 billion reais.

The wind sector generates about 60,000 direct and indirect jobs, while the hydro sector employs about 144,000 people, so that worldwide renewable energy generation employs more than 11.5 million people, and has a global installed capacity of 2,799 GW (gigawatts).

Cooling towers are extremely necessary for power generating plants, such as, for example, in thermoelectric power plants where water is used to cool the steam produced by burning fossil fuels, turning the turbines that generate energy.