Alternative Energy Sources and Their Advantages

Rising gas and oil prices as well as environmental concerns are causing many to re-think the use of fossil fuels for energy. While there are many viable alternatives available, they're less well-known. None are totally perfect, but some certainly minimize the negative environmental impact. Since these aren't bound by rising and falling oil prices, they can offer more consistent pricing than gas or coal-powered plants when offered to consumers. Wind and solar energy units can also be installed on private properties, allowing customers to be at least partially off the utility grid, and even sell unused kilowatt hours back to their electric company.

Nuclear power plants have been in use for many years, providing a somewhat cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. How Stuff Works estimates that nuclear power supplies 15% of the United States' electricity, while the Energy Information Administration puts this estimate at 19% Because energy is generated through nuclear fission, the process doesn't emit greenhouse gases. However, the uranium mining process can cause some negative environmental impact. Many people fear the presence of a nuclear reactor, but experts feel that the likelihood of a meltdown is minimal. In an FAQ's page by John McCarthy, it's stated that a nuclear power plant is unlikely to blow up, and cites scientific explanations of why. People living near nuclear plants often fear the effects of radioactivity. The environmentalist group Greenpeace has been strongly opposed to the construction of additional plants, citing health hazards, fear of terrorist attacks, and disposal methods. While nuclear power has some strong disadvantages, this may be a good short-term alternative until other alternative sources are utilized.

Wind power is being utilized by many power companies, and many Americans are installing wind turbines on their property to minimize their grid electric consumption. Weather conditions in most places are not always ideal to permit wind turbine users to be off the grid entirely. However, electric costs can be drastically cut. West Texas enjoys a lot of breezy or windy weather, making wind power a good solution in this area. The American Wind Energy Association provides helpful documentation on how wind power helps the environment. They estimate that a single residential turbine can eliminate 200 tons of greenhouse gases during its lifetime, and that each turbine saves 1500 tons of CO2 every year. Most wind farms are located in Texas or California. In spite of how wind energy benefits the environment, some have argued against the presence of turbines in tourist areas, and environmentalists have argued against placing them in ecologically sensitive areas.

Solar power has very few limitations, and has a very minimal environmental impact. Most homeowners who use solar panels use grid electricity, batteries, or a wind turbine system as a backup. An information page from Alliant Energy says that about 10,000 families in the United States use solar power for their homes. Though solar panels for powering homes tend to be expensive, smaller panels can be purchased or made. These can be useful for powering energy-consuming devices such as computers. An online guide by Phil Fear shows how to make a small panel for under $300 According to the author, these can be very helpful when traveling. While solar panels don't cause any pollution, REPP states that there are concerns over used panels being disposed of due to heavy metal content.

A much lesser-known but important source is geothermal energy. It uses a truly renewable source, in this case, heat from below the earth's surface. Some manufacturers are now making furnaces and water heaters that use geothermal energy. These eliminate the need for power-consuming electric heaters or natural gas-powered units. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, geothermal energy can produce 50,000 times the amount of energy produced by all the fossil fuel-burning plants currently in production. Some disadvantages are some carbon gases, the only plants that currently provide power to utility companies are in California and Nevada, and many HVAC technicians don't know how to install home geothermal systems.

With the alternatives to fossil fuel available, Americans have good options for avoiding high energy costs due to high oil prices. Ideally, power companies would be able to utilize many of these sources and offer plans accordingly. Since wind and solar energy can be adapted for use in private homes, these can go a long way towards eliminating fossil fuel use. If alternative energy is in increased demand, prices will eventually be adjusted to make such options easily available for all.