WHAT IT IS​
​Electrical energy can be transferred over distances using three ways: a wired energy transmission, batteries, and wireless energy transmission.
Wired transmission systems are the most common form used to transfer energy, and the most dependable and feasible way to transfer energy over long distances. With the relevant adjustments to voltage and conductors, wired transmissions could deliver electricity to reaches of well over 1000km, while the cables could be located above or below the ground, depending on the requirements. The diagram below illustrates how low-voltage electricity from power stations is stepped-up to transfer via wired transmission lines, before being stepped back down in voltage to support household appliances and other users:​
​​Source: Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain​
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Although relatively unheard, wireless electrical transmission is also being developed rapidly to be used in large-scale commercial energy transfers. Wireless transmission is useful in cases where interconnecting wires are inconvenient, hazardous, or impossible. It can also be useful in efficient energy harvesting such as in solar energy harvesting as illustrated below:​​
​​Source: Wikimedia Commons/CC-BY-SA-3.0
The most common form of wireless power transmission is carried out using direct induction followed by resonant magnetic induction. Other methods under consideration include electromagnetic radiation in the form of microwaves or lasers.
Apart from the inevitable energy conversion losses faced when converting energy into electricity at the power station, a relatively noticeable percentage of energy is further lost during transmission and distribution of both wired and wireless methods due to equipment inefficiencies (including voltage transformers), electrical resistance, and other forces. Although, newer superconducting materials and smart grid technologies for wired transmissions are currently under development, which can eliminate a large percentage of transmission losses.
Transferring of electrical power in smaller quantities could also be done via batteries. Although, this method also faces significant energy losses as the energy has to first be converted chemical energy to be stored in the battery, and then back from chemical to electrical energy when the batter is being used. This means the initial energy is transformed twice before being finally utilized, and also goes through an additional relatively small transferring resistance, that further reduces the final energy output.
References
http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/superconducting-cables-beat-back-nimby.html
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/power.htm
http://www.wirelesspowerconsortium.com/technology/how-it-works.html
http://www.nss.org/settlement/ssp/
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/smart-grid.htm
http://www.howstuffworks.com/everyday-tech/battery.htm