![]() ![]() Tidal energy means harnessing the power of ocean tides to turn turbines and generate electricity. But scientists are exploring new techniques that could make geothermal energy easier to use on a larger scale. ![]() Currently, heat from geothermal reservoirs produces only 0.024% of the country’s energy. Deep wells can draw this hot water and steam to the surface, where it can provide heat and generate electricity. These include: Geothermalįar below the earth’s surface are pockets of water heated by the planet’s molten mantle. However, they have the potential to make up more of our energy use in the future. There are several other forms of renewable energy that aren’t yet widely used in the U.S. Promising renewable energy sources of the future Renewable sources with encouraging potential And that doesn’t even count electricity from home solar panels. The EIA says nearly half of new electric plants in 2022 will be solar-powered. energy and less than 3% of our electricity comes from the sun. And it can heat homes via solar space heaters or passive solar design-building houses to maximize the sun’s warmth.Ĭurrently, about 1% of all U.S. However, sunlight can also be converted to electricity by using its heat to turn water into steam that turns turbines. is photovoltaic (PV) panels, which convert sunlight directly to electricity. By 2020, that number had risen to 380 billion kilowatts, more than 9% of U.S. In 1990, it provided only 3 billion kilowatts, or 0.1% of the nation’s electricity. Wind energy is one of the fastest-growing power sources in the U.S. Like water, wind can be used to turn turbines for power production. produced over 6% of its electricity, and 2.6% of all its energy, with hydropower. This was one of the first renewable energy sources used for electricity, and it’s still one of the biggest. Hydroelectric energy, or hydropower for short, means using fast-moving water to turn turbines and generate electricity. Most of this energy came from wood and biofuels. ![]() And we can use them to generate steam that turns turbines for power generation.īiomass, or bioenergy, made up between 4% and 5% of all U.S. We can burn them for heat or turn them into biofuels for transportation. There are several ways to convert these materials into energy. Examples include wood, corn, waste products such as paper, and animal manure. Most of the renewable energy we use now comes from just four sources: Biomassīiomass is material drawn from plants-recently living plants, not long-dead ones. Here’s a closer look at the renewable power sources we use today-and some others we’re just beginning to explore. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), we rely on them for 12% of our energy and 20% of our electricity. Renewable sources make up a small but growing share of U.S. Most common types of renewable energy being used today Common renewable energy sources But most energy sources that are eco-friendly are also renewable, and vice versa. And other energy sources, such as nuclear power, are clean but not renewable. A wood fire is a renewable way to produce heat, but it also creates air pollution. Renewable energy is not the same as clean energy. We can tap into these resources for energy without using them up. Examples include wind, sunlight, moving water, and growing plants. Renewable energy, by contrast, comes from sources that nature produces continuously. They’re nonrenewable-limited energy sources that will eventually run out. Because they take so long to form, the earth can’t keep making more to replace what we use for energy. What is renewable energy?įossil fuels like oil and gas are the remains of ancient organisms that died millions of years ago. And the more we use renewable energy for all these things, the less we have to rely on dirty fossil fuels that damage the climate. We can draw on natural power sources for all kinds of uses, including heating, cooling, and transportation. The wood in the campfire, the wind drying your clothes, and the sun warming your home are all renewable energy sources.Īs these examples show, renewable energy isn’t just about making electricity. ![]() But ask yourself this: Have you ever sat around a campfire with friends? Or hung your clothes out on a clothesline? Or even just opened the windows on a spring day to let the sunshine warm up a room?Īll these activities use renewable energy. You may think renewable energy doesn’t have much impact on your life. ![]()
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