Energy Sources Used to create Electricity

Biomass Burns plants, wood, trash and other organic material Pros: renewable, creates less trash in landfills and removes methane and greenhouse gases Cons: bad odor!! Need high temp to burn or toxins can be released. Efficiency = 37%

Coal Made from dead plants formed millions of years ago Advantages: inexpensive, 200+ year supply (USA) technology is in place Disadvantages: non-renewable, produces CO 2, NO 2, SO 2, acid rain, gr. house gases, mercury poisoning, and mining destroys ecosystem Efficiency = 37%

Geothermal Earth’s interior heats the water needed to create steam (due to heat from radioactive decay and magma/core) Pros: renewable, no transportation needed, very little air pollution, enough supply to power entire Earth Cons: sulfur “egg” smell, noise pollution, limited locations, maintains salts and minerals that can contaminate water Efficiency = 90%

Hydropower Using a river/dam to turn turbines Pros: renewable, no greenhouse gases, after dam is built, little cost and fish ladders increase fish migration Cons: limited locations, needs water flow, destroys ecosystems, interferes with fish migration, may contribute to flooding and droughts, decreases dissolved oxygen Efficiency = 90%

Natural Gas Formed from dead marine plant and animals mya Pros: cleanest fossil fuel, easy to transport, technology in place for distribution. Cons: nonrenewable, year supply, explosive, CO 2, NO 2, greenhouse gases, methane leaks kill organisms Efficiency = 47%

Nuclear - Fission Process that splits atoms to produce heat Pros: inexpensive, very efficient, uranium is in USA mines, no greenhouse gases Cons: nonrenewable, 65 year supply left, storage of radioactive waste, meltdowns, terrorism target, decreases dissolved O 2 in water source, thermal pollution Efficiency = 90%

Plasma Arc-Gasification Burning trash at 3X sun’s temperature Pros: renewable, reuse of waste or trash, inexpensive, no air pollution! Cons: Technology not widely in use yet, metal contamination if not properly monitored, expensive start up costs Efficiency = 90%

Petroleum Formed from dead marine plant and animals mya Pros: cleaner than coal, technology is in place, easy to store Cons: nonrenewable, year supply, CO 2, NO 2, greenhouse gases, acid rain, spills and drilling destroys ecosystems Efficiency = 30%

Solar Sun’s energy is used to react with photovoltaic cells that produce electricity Also Collective Solar Power (heated fluid) (New Mexico) Pros: renewable, no pollution, is free after technology is in place Cons: need space/land, not consistent - cloudy weather, technology is expensive Efficiency = 40-70%

Wind Wind is the product of the uneven heating of Earth’s surface Pros: renewable, no air pollution, free after technology is in place Cons: noisy, eye-sore, need land, wind must be consistent, damage can occur from too much wind Efficiency = 45%

Other tech: Nuclear Power using Fusion Using atomic fusion to create heat Renewable, no greenhouse gases, or radiation Ready in 2020 Expensive Researching (France)