Project: Energy Resources

Non-renewable Fossil fuels Fossil fuels generate electricity by the fuel (coal, oil, gas, or wood) is burned in a furnace at very high temperatures. The furnace than superheats water into steam. The steam pressure which is used to rotate a turbine. The steam rushing past the fan blades causes the shaft to rotate very quickly. Attached to the shaft is the rotor of the generator.

Nuclear Nuclear power is any nuclear technology designed to extract usable energy from atomic nuclei via controlled nuclear reactions. The only method in use today is through nuclear fission, though other methods might one day include nuclear fusion and radioactive decay. All utility-scale reactors heat water to produce steam, which is then converted into mechanical work for the purpose of generating electricity or propulsion. In 2007, 14% of the world's electricity came from nuclear power. More than 150 nuclear-powered naval vessels have been built, and a few radioisotope rockets have been produced.

Wind Large scale wind farms are typically connected to the local electric power transmission network, with smaller turbines being used to provide electricity to isolated locations. It is plentiful, renewable, widely distributed, clean, and produces lower greenhouse gas emissions, although the construction of wind farms is not universally welcomed due to their visual impact and other effects on the environment. The intermittency of wind seldom creates problems when using wind power to supply a low proportion of total demand. Where wind is to be used for a moderate fraction of demand, additional costs for compensation of intermittency are considered to be modest.

Wave power Each joint of the sea snake contains a hydraulic pump. As waves move the section, high pressure oil is pumped from the joints through motors, which drives the generators that produce electricity.

Water power Dams The dams use the weight of the water to turn the turbines and generate electricity. Tidal power Tidal power is when the energy from the natural tide is used to turn a special sort of underwater windmill.

Geothermal Geothermal energy is when cool water is pumped under the surface of the earth where it get heated by the earth. Then it is pumped to the surface again. The steam is then used to turn the turbine and the process is then repeated.

Solar Sunlight can be converted into electricity using photovoltaic's (PV), concentrating solar power, and various experimental technologies. PV has mainly been used to power small applications, from the calculator powered by a single solar cell to off-grid homes powered by a photovoltaic array.