Clean Electricity in Green Technology

President Obama announced in his 2011 State of the Union address a goal of having 80% of America's energy be from clean energy sources by the year 2035. Specifically mentioned were the liberal favorites of wind and solar energy as well as the conservatives favored clean energy sources nuclear, natural gas and clean coal. With such an aggressive goal there is no doubt that all five methods will be required to some extent. This article will define each method and provide a quick rundown of the perceived pros and cons of each method.

Wind energy is produced through the use of large turbines. As the wind blows the blades spin and crank the turbine creating energy. Since this method burns no fuel and requires zero water it seems to be one of the most eco-friendly methods of energy generation. The wind is, after all, an endless resource. However, wind energy has its group of skeptics that cite the amount of land required to produce a 1 single mega-watt is as much as 50 acres which drastically diminishes the benefits. Wind power advocates insist that the some of the best areas for wind power generation are just off the coast and therefore no land is actually used.

Solar energy generation makes use of one the Earth's few infinite resources, the Sun. Solar panels produce no pollution, are quiet and can be used to generate power in remote areas where pipes and cables have difficulty reaching. Solar energy seems does have its drawbacks. For instance, similar to wind energy production, solar panels can take up a lot of space. Then of course there is the issue of the Sun only shining on a given point of the Earth for half of the day.

Most people have an unrealistic fear of nuclear energy. The truth is nuclear energy is one of the safest methods of energy production known to man. The chances of a nuclear event happening are remote. In fact, there has never been one on American soil. However, since the impact of that remote occurrence can be so catastrophic the fear should not be discounted entirely. Then, of course, there is the disposal of the toxic by-product to deal with.

Clean Coal refers to a process of producing energy from coal while trapping the pollutants coming from smoke stacks, liquefying them and storing them underground where they will do no harm to the Earth's atmosphere. Proponents of Clean Coal (Like President Obama and John McCain) point out that we have an abundance of coal and are very adept at mining. T his should make this a cheap a clean way to produce energy. Opponents cite the spotty safety record of the mining industry and the cost of converting current coal energy plants or building new ones as prohibitive.

Natural gas is an efficient and versatile fuel that burns the cleanest of all fossil fuels but the release of large quantities of nitrogen oxides can cause water pollution. Natural gas is abundant in the United States and is easily stored, transported and controlled in large volumes but pipeline networks can be expensive and limited by geography.

Non-Renewable Energy Articles

• Non-renewable Energy Will Eventually Be Depleted
• Natural Gas is a Cleaner Non-renewable Resource
• Why Non-Renewable Energy Isn't Really That Non-Renewable Anymore
• Non-Renewable Energy and its "Dirty" Ties with World Economy
• Oil Industry Overview: Peak Oil
• Oil Production: OPEC Learn From Canada
• Clean Energy in Green Technology
• Non-Renewable Energy

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