Renewable Energy 101
WIND POWER   |   SOLAR THERMAL   |   GEOTHERMAL

Renewable energy resources are pure energy that results from the solar system's fundamental physics. These harvestable forces have existed for millennia, indeed from the beginning of the existence of the earth and the sun. It would be difficult to think of a scenario in which these sources of energy would ever fail to produce.

Americans are fortunate to have an abundant supply of renewable energy resources throughout the United States. The three renewable technologies listed below are approaches which are particularly well suited to utility scale electric power generation. Each has unique characteristics, but all have a common thread: they are not subject to the volatility of fuel prices or the whims of foreign nations, and they are perpetually replenished by nature. By relying on these technologies, we stabilize the cost of energy, reduce our impact on the environment, and enhance our national security. Not just for this generation, but for future generations as well.

We are pleased to provide you with some links to more information about these renewable energy technologies. These links will take you to pages from the U.S. Department of Energy that describe each technology in more detail.



Wind Power                                                                                            Back to top



Wind power is the most rapidly growing source of renewable energy. Wind turbines convert wind into stable cost energy sources. Wind energy is the result of the earth's uneven heating and cooling. It is a powerful resource which has served man and captured imagination throughout history. Wind generated electricity is clean, reliable and predictable. Studies have shown that 20% of the U.S. electricity can be reliably blended with existing sources. Learn More



Solar Thermal Power                                                                          Back to top



Demand for electricity is the highest when the sun is shining. Solar Thermal or Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) leverages the heat from the sun to create steam to turn conventional turbines and generate power. In the southwest, there is enough solar energy available on less than 0.25% of the surface of the United States to power the entire country's peak electric demand. Generating twenty percent of U.S. peak electric demand will require some 400 CSP facilities, each taking up 2,500 acres or four square miles of land. Modern CSP plants use efficient thermal storage systems to create dispatchable power. Learn More



Geothermal Power                                                                               Back to top



Geothermal power plants use heat from the Earth's core to produce clean and cost-efficient electricity. This geothermal heat is the result of the intense pressure created in the earth's core by the natural force of gravity. This intense thermal energy, able to melt rock into lava, travels to the Earth's surface unevenly. In locations where this heat is found close to the Earth's surface, the heat can be used to create the steam required to run a conventional steam turbine. These power plants can produce electric energy around the clock. Learn More