The process of the present application facilitates the production of electric energy by the deliberate extraction of electrons from atoms and molecules of a gas, vapor, liquid, particulate solid, or any other form of matter that can be passed along the surface or through the electron extraction unit. The extracted electrons are captured, collected and controlled or regulated for distribution as electric energy. It is an energy efficient process for the extraction and capture of electrons for the production of electric energy with positive atomic or molecular ions as byproducts. The product ions can then be confined in a coherent beam or restricted to a magnetic enclosure or by other confinement methods, expelled to the atmosphere, another environment or to ground, or modified into useful molecules. These results are accomplished by the forcible extraction and capture of electrons from the object particles by electrically charged particles in a strong electric field. It is an extremely efficient process, in that, once the primary components are sufficiently charged, thereafter it requires only an occasional replenishment of energy to sustain operation.