Everything in our lives depends on it. The world be a very different place without it. Electricity, the pushing force behind almost every aspect of our lives. It runs through almost everything surrounding you. It powers this technologically advanced society we live in and, because of our need for it we have discovered many different ways of creating it. Electricity can be made in a variety of ways including: Geothermal, Solar, Coal, Petroleum, Natural gas, Biofuel, and Wind Power. All of theses sources have their own each unique implications.
Geothermal energy is one of the most renewable of all of the sources of energy. “Geothermal energy is the heat energy that exists deep inside the Earth. Geothermal energy …show more content…
One of the issues with solar power is the uncertainty of available light, especially during the night. Because of this, large batteries must be used to trap the power during the day and store it. The initial cost of the system to harness solar power and batteries involved with it are very expensive. This is one of the biggest problems facing widespread use of solar energy.
Likewise coal is a very powerful source of energy.Coal is the biggest source of electric generation in the world. Coal contains huge amounts of potential energy which is released when burned.
“Coal is used for electricity generation, accounting for the consumption of about 87 percent of all coal production, and as a heating fuel in industrial and manufacturing industries, particularly for the production of steel, which accounts for more than half of all coal exported from the United States. Burning coal releases toxins such as mercury, barium, zinc, lead, chromium, arsenic, nickel, ammonia, and hydrochloric acids into the atmosphere”(Hendrickson, …show more content…
Natural gas is a very abundant source of electricity generation. “Natural gas is currently used in a number of ways. Electricity can be generated with natural gas, and in many countries highly efficient, combined turbine and heat-recovery systems have been developed to produce electricity from both the turbine and a heat and steam generator”(Hendrickson, 2015).Natural gas is a very efficient source of energy. Primarily used to create heat it can also be utilized to create electricity.The large abundance of natural gas makes it a very useable and attainable source of energy.
Like solar and wind power biofuel is another renewable source of energy. It can also be used to generate electricity.
“Biofuel may be used to produce heat, power, or both. It may be used without processing or improved by drying, grinding, or pressing to make it more energy dense. While wood is the most commonly used biofuel, other types of biofuel include algae, food, plants, agricultural and forest residue, and some municipal and industrial wastes such as methane, which is a fume from the decomposition of matter in landfills”(Campbell, 2015).
Biofuel is used primarily for a heat source. However it can also be turned into methane a gas which can be used to create electricity. Biofuel is a very renewable source of energy because it has no byproducts that are harmful to the