Can I trace back the electricity I use to one power plant, or does it come from several feeding into the grid?

Question

My electric company (Kansas City Power and Light) uses 9 different plants to provide electricity to its customers, some coal, some gas, one nuclear, and one wind generated. Has each plant been designated to supply a different area, or do they pour into a collective grid that supplies all the customers?

Answer 1

No......It's Alternating Current

AC

Answer 2

It's a collective grid.  In effect, a percentage of your power comes from each plant.  While that's not exactly what happens, that is the effect.  Any more/less power you use affects all the plants in your regional grid.

Answer 3

No you cannot, at least not down to the electron.  KCP&L is actually an utility and not the grid itself.  They may run the grid in a small area but Kansas, Oklahoma, Western Missouri, Northern Texas and a small bit of a few other surrounding states are all part of the Southwest Power Pool.  There are many other plants, including those ran by Aquila that power the grid in KS.