Earthed

How is electricity supplied to earth and replenished?

I read probably from my book about thunderstorms that they are partially or completely responsible for replenishing the electricity to earth which is lost due to the earth's charge loss. I would like to understand the entire cycle first at a basic level. How is this planet supplied with electricity and what are some/all of the replenishing processes?

Public Comments

1. Electricity is generated from coal, oil, or nuclear power by the power companies. It does not come from thunderstorms.
2. On a most basic level, electricity is a flow of electrons. Electrons are made from two photons. All atoms have electron particles. All matter is made of atoms. Wherever there is matter, there is electrical energy. The earth is made of matter. Read:
   
   http://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/index/lightning-faq/2
   
   http://physics.bu.edu/~duffy/PY106/Charge.html
   
   http://www.physics.sjsu.edu/becker/physics51/elec_charge.htm
   
   http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Physics_with_Calculus/Part_III/Electric_Charge_and_Coulomb's_Law
   
   http://www.advancedphysics.org/forum/showthread.php?t=202
   
   http://www.rareearth.org/magnets_electricity.htm
3. There is a cycle of electrical energy flow during thunderstorms, but it does not supply the Earth with electrical energy. Falling rain generates an electrical potential difference between clouds and ground. Lightning merely rebalances that potential difference.
4. at the most basic level, all matter already contains electric energy, because atoms and molecules are held together that way. so it doesn't have to get replenished, because all matter already contains it
   
   
   
   however, i think the type of energy you are talking about comes from the sun. the sun is our only external energy source...
5. Electricity is a form of energy...it exists in the earth as a renewable form of energy, it doesnt need to be supplied by it, it is produced in the earth, either by natural (thunferbolt) means, or artificial ones (thermoeletric plants)..it is the flux of electrons along lots of conductors....It does NOT need to be replentished...it exist in the planet all the times...remember...energy as matter do not destroy.....they just transform (in other form of mass or energy)''''that is why electricity is nor gained nor lost by earth...and thus, does not need to be replentished...