Renewable Energy
Renewable Energy Information
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America needs more and more energy every year, whether it is fuel to create electricity or fuel for our transportation vehicles. We have all heard the debates raging in the political realm about whether or not we should drill offshore and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to help America become more energy independent. While politicians debate over this issue, they lose sight of alternatives to oil, like wind, solar, geothermal and hydro power. America will not be energy independent if all resources are used to exploit every last drop of oil on American soil. Non-renewable resources do not provide for America’s long-term energy needs.
What is Renewable Energy:
Renewable energy sources can be replenished in a short period of time. These abundant and sustainable energy sources can be used to curb our need for fossil fuels. This will ensure energy independence and protect the great American outdoors that we all enjoy.
According to the US Department of the Interior, the most available renewable energy sources are:
Click here to read more about these renewable forms of energy!
What role does Renewable Energy play in the United States:
Many important events have occurred during the history of using renewable sources. The use of renewable energy is not new. Five generations (125 years) ago, wood supplied up to 90 percent of our energy needs. Due to the convenience and low prices of fossil fuels, wood use has fallen in the United States.
Over half of renewable energy goes to producing electricity. The next largest use is the production of heat and steam for industrial purposes. Renewable fuels, like ethanol, are also used for transportation and to provide heat for homes and businesses.
Renewable energy plays an important role in energy supply. When renewable energy sources are used, the demand for fossil fuels is reduced. Non-biomass renewable sources of energy (hydropower, geothermal, wind, and solar) do not directly emit greenhouse gases like fossil fuels.
Click on the picture below for an interactive map of the energy potentials right here in the USA.
Why don’t we use more Renewable Energy:
In the past, low fossil fuel prices, especially for natural gas, have made it difficult for renewable fuels to compete. The use of renewable sources is also limited by the fact that they are not always available (for example, cloudy days reduce solar energy, calm days mean no wind blows to drive wind turbines, droughts reduce water availability to produce hydroelectricity). But now, with oil prices higher than ever, alternatives to these fossil fuels make renewable energy ever more appealing.
The production and use of renewable fuels has grown more quickly in recent years due to higher prices for oil and natural gas, and a number of State and Federal Government incentives, including the Energy Policy Acts of 2002 and 2005. The use of renewable fuels is expected to continue to grow over the next 30 years, although we will still rely on non-renewable fuels to meet most of our energy needs.
Renewable Energy Information
Fossil Fuels
Energy Use at CU
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