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| Renewable Energy Information Renewable Energy Sources Renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, are non-polluting and are constantly replenished. Currently, the United States gets only six percent of its energy from renewables, although these sources could cost-effectively supply much more of our energy needs.  Nonrenewable Energy Sources The United States currently gets most of its energy from fossil fuel, or nonrenewable, energy sources. Fossil fuels, primarily coal, oil, and natural gas, were formed hundreds of millions of years ago, before the time of the dinosaurs, from decomposed plant and animal matter. They are limited in quantity; once they’re used they can never be replenished. When they are burned, fossil fuels release greenhouse gases and other pollutants into the atmosphere. Nuclear energy, which in 2001 provided eight percent of the United States’ energy, is also a nonrenewable energy source. Its radioactive fuel, typically uranium, is used up in the process of energy production, and the spent, radioactive waste must be stored for tens of thousands of years before it becomes safe.  Distributed Generation The smart energy system of the future will increasingly depend on distributed energy generation from thousands of smaller, widespread energy generating devices, such as fuel cells and photovoltaic panels, rather than on large, centrally located power plants. Distributed generation has many advantages over centralized power, including reduced financial risk, higher energy quality and reliability, fewer energy losses from the generation point to delivery to the customer, and more resiliency and reduced vulnerability to system failure. |
