Biomass Renewable energy source Can be quickly regrown Can be used to make ethanol, a cleaner fuel than gasoline Doesn't have as much energy as fossil fuels, so more biomass must be burned to get the same amount of energy Can pollute the air & smells bad Coal There is a lot of coal in the U.S. Burning coal is a cheap way to make electricity Power plants and industry work hard to reduce air pollution Nonrenewable energy source Can pollute the air & produces carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) Coal mines can pollute our water 1
Geothermal Renewable energy Steam is cheap Low temp geothermal energy is found everywhere in the US, just a few feet underground Low temperature geothermal systems are a good bargain over the life of the system Geothermal plants are expensive to build on top of steam reservoirs Geothermal steam can contain dangerous chemicals, which are sometimes put back into the earth. Geothermal energy can't be transported over long distances. Hydropower Renewable energy Cheapest way to make electricity. Water is free to use and isn't transported Doesn't pollute the air since no fuel is burned. Dams can flood a lot of land when built Dams can disturb fish and wildlife habitats Most of the good places to put hydro dams have been used. Lakes made by the dam can be used for recreation and help prevent floods. 2
Natural Gas Is cleaner than gasoline Non Renewable energy We have 110 year supply of natural gas at the current prices. There is more natural gas, but we'll have to pay more to get it. Burning produces some air pollution and CO 2 Expensive to use Petroleum makes many products, also used for transportation fuel Non Renewable energy Burning produces some air pollution and CO 2 Oil spills can harm the land and water About 1/2 of the oil we need is imported from other countries 3
Propane As a liquid, takes up less space Portable fuel Cheap and clean burning Non Renewable energy Burning produces some air pollution and CO 2 Solar Produces energy all the time Renewable energy Photo voltaic cells can change the sun's energy directly into electricity, so can be used where there are no power lines Is free to use Clean energy source Electricity from photo voltaic cells can be more expensive than power plants Spread out and hard to capture Only available when the sun is shining Can't transport it, can only be used where we find it. 4
Solar Photovoltaic cells change radiant (light) energy into electricity. When light strikes the cell, the light causes the electrons in the atoms of the solar panel to move. If the solar cell is a part of an electric circuit, an electric current can flow through the circuit. A single cell only produces a little electricity, but many cells together can power a building. Solar batteries store electrical energy produced by solar cells to use at night when the sun isn't shining. Solar power plants use reflectors to focus sunlight on a fluid filled pipe. The fluid heats, and the steam turns a turbine to produce electricity. Uranium Nucleus of an atom has lots of energy No air pollution Non renewable Produces dangerous radiation, which lasts for a long time Where do we store radioactive waste? 5
Renewable Land for wind farms can be used for something else Is free to use Is clean energy Wind Wind turbines take up a lot of land Most places don't have enough wind to make electricity, and the wind doesn't always blow Can't transport wind energy Noise pollution Does it hurt the birds and bats? 6