Electrogenic pumps are carrier proteins that generate voltage through the movement of ions. When is a voltage generated? When there's a net movement of ions? Doesn't that mean that when any ion passes through a channel protein, voltage is generated? And energy is released? Doesn't that make them electrogenic too? We need energy to move ions against their concentration gradient, but if energy is released when ions move, then why do we need energy? Is it that a voltage is generated when an ion moves towards the environment with the same charge? So when the movement enhances the overall separation of charge, a voltage is generated? And energy is released? In other words, the movement of Na⁺ through the Na⁺ channel protein down a concentration gradient doesn't release energy because the Na⁺ is moving towards the negative environment, but it being pumped outside does? See, that doesn't make sense either because we need energy to pump an ion.