Chapter 14
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US energy
90% of the energy consumed comes from fossil fuels Petroleum, natural gas, and coal Non renewable
Industrialized energy source and consumption
Small percentage of the total population Larger user of total energy produced
Alternative energy sources
Geothermal, nuclear, hydropower, and solar
Renewable energy source
Solar and wind Not depleted by consumption
US dependent on three major fossil fuels
Coal Natural gas Petroleum
Conservation
Getting by with less demand for energy
Energy efficiency
Designing equipment to yield more energy output from a given amount of input energy
Congeneration
A number of processes designed to capture and use waste heat rather than simply releasing it into the atmosphere
Hard path
Finding greater amounts of fossil fuels and building larger power plants
Soft path
Involves energy alternatives that emphasize energy quality and flexibility
Integrated energy management
No single energy source can provide all the energy required by the world
Sustainable energy management
Provides reliable sources of energy without causing serious harm, all while ensuring that future generation inherit a fair share of Earth’s resources
Business-as-usual approach
Find more fossil fuel Build large power plants Use energy as freely as we always have Requires no new thinking Requires no realignment of political, economic, or social conditions Does not anticipate reductions in oil production