eli5, If electricity is moving electrons, does the generator get them back?

Question

So a generator is magnets and copper coil yeah? They make electricity and electricity is moving electrons. Power generators and electric stations are kilometres away. Do the copper coils get their electrons back?
Won’t the copper coil run out of electrons. How the electrons come back (if they do)?

In: 117

Answer 1

Veritasium did a video about this on YouTube that “sparked” quite a debate. Copper /Aluminum electrons do move slowly through the wire, but super slow. As others have said the electric field generated by pushing voltage through the wire is almost instantaneous in a completed circuit. If you haven’t watched Electroboom on YouTube he does some commentary on Veritasium’s video that’s also pretty interesting. All in all, it’s still kind of mysterious.