Oil and gas are two of the most abundant sources of energy across the United States. Oil has been found in many places in the US, and natural gas is becoming easier and easier to extract. As a result, much of our industry and daily lives runs on these two resources. For example, gas-powered vehicles and air conditioning are the most popular uses for these fossil fuels. However, work is being done to find more efficient and cleaner methods of retrieving these resources to avoid damage to the environment. Efforts are also being made to find different sources of energy, as oil and gas production produces lots of greenhouse gases, which is not healthy for the atmosphere.
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More information on Natural Gas
Courtesy of Energy.gov
Geothermal energy, put simply, is energy created from heat within the earth. Using reservoirs of hot water and steam from under the earth's surface, electricity can be produced. It is a clean and renewable energy source and is able to run continuously, making it a reliable source of energy with high potential for growth in the coming future. The Geothermal Technologies Office at the Department of Energy is working to promote geothermal energy growth and has lots of available information on the topic.
More information on geothermal energy
Courtesy of Energy.gov
Solar technologies harnesses the energy from the sun by converting sunlight into electrical energy. There are two forms of solar energy - solar cells and passive solar technology. Solar cell technology is more direct, converting it to power for homes and businesses, while passive solar technology converts sunlight into light and heat. It is quickly growing as a reliable and clean energy source to replace oil and gas, especially for housing, air conditioning, and electricity. Much work has also been done to reduce the cost of solar panels and other systems directly related.
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NREL page on solar energy Courtesy of Energy.gov & NREL.gov
Wind energy is a clean, renewable source of energy that runs on a very simple premise. By setting up wind turbines in areas with lots of wind and minimal interference, the wind spins the turbines, generating electricity. The turbines are capable of working alone or being part of large 'wind farms.' Wind is another popular renewable source of energy to cut carbon pollution and generate jobs.
More information on wind energy
NREL page on Wind Energy
Courtesy of Energy.gov & NREL.gov
A microgrid is a group of interconnected loads and distributed energy resources that acts as a single controllable entity with respect to the grid. It can connect and disconnect from the grid to operate in grid-connected or island mode. Microgrids can improve customer reliability and resilience to grid disturbances. Advanced microgrids enable local power generation assets—including traditional generators, renewables, and storage—to keep the local grid running even when the larger grid experiences interruptions or, for remote areas, where there is no connection to the larger grid. In addition, advanced microgrids allow local assets to work together to save costs, extend duration of energy supplies, and produce revenue via market participation.
More information on Micro-Grids
Courtesy of NREL.gov
Hydrogen energy is a secondary source of clean energy. Hydrogen itself does not exist in nature, but it is an energy carrier, and can be used with fuel cells to provide large amounts of energy. Using the hydrogen byproducts of chemical reactions and other sources of energy, such as fossil fuels, Hydrogen is then combined with oxygen inside of a fuel cell, which then produces both heat and electricity. The market for hydrogen is huge, and the amount of hydrogen produced every year, according to the Department of Energy, is around 10 million metric tons. Fuel cells are very versatile and could be used in many different ways in our current infrastructure.
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More information on fuel cells
Courtesy of Energy.gov
Nuclear energy has been used in the US for the past 60 years, and is rapidly becoming a popular source of reliable energy to power major parts of the energy grid. There are a few different kind of nuclear reactors in use right now. The first is small modular reactors. There are much smaller than a full power plant and can be made and shipped in a good amount of time, providing flexibility and low cost. Light water reactors are reactors that are able to withstand being underwater for periods of time. The last type of reactors are Advanced Reactors. These reactors, like the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) developed by the Department of Energy, are highly innovative and are making huge steps to promote the advancement of nuclear energy as a safe and reliable source of energy.
Office of Nuclear Energy
More information on nuclear energy
Courtesy of Energy.gov
Wet waste, solid waste, and gaseous waste streams are potential high-impact resources for the domestic production of biofuels, bioproduct precursors, heat, and electricity. Wastes represent a significant and underutilized set of feedstocks for renewable fuel and product generation. These waste streams are available now without land-use change and in many cases their utilization helps to address the unique and local challenges of disposing of them. These resources are unlikely to diminish in volume in the near future, and as a result (in the short and medium term), they represent a potentially low-cost set of feedstocks that could help justify broader investment.
More information on Waste-to-Energy
Courtesy of Energy.gov
Offshore Wind Turbines operate on similar principles as the land based wind turbines, but can harness more powerful winds and can be easier to transport. Even though offshore wind turbines is a relatively new concept, it is predicted to grow rapidly according to NREL and could easily become a powerful source of clean, renewable energy for now and future generations to come.
More information on Offshore Wind
Courtesy of Energy.gov and NREL.gov
Carbon capture works by taking the carbon produced from coal-fire and other sources, and then repurposes the after products of those sources. It is possible to both immediately use that carbon, or to store it for later use. Places that carbon dioxide can be stored includes places like reservoirs of oil and gas, unreachable lines of coal, and other deep, natural locations to keep them away from the surface. Lots of research is being done to improve the viability and safety of the storage methods, and lots of effort is being taken in the Houston area to incorporate carbon capture into the energy transition.
More information on Carbon Capture
Courtesy of Energy.gov
The Houston Energy Transition Initiative is an outline for the future of Houston to lead the world as industry and governments are transition to cleaner energy. Houston has a unique position to develop multiple kinds of new clean energies to get a head start in lowering carbon levels. Houston will also be focusing on bringing companies from these clean energy industries and supporting their needs. Then, the city of Houston will aid companies in their personal transition to cleaner energies.
Houston and Texas are known as the energy capitol of the world. In an effort to keep that reputation, The Greater Houston Partnership created The Houston Energy Transition Initiative. It is a collaboration collaboration of Civic leaders, the energy industry, academic institutions, and other stakeholders. This initiative has three objectives - jumpstart emerging sectors where Houston has a distinct advantage, attract and support companies in established "new energy" industries, and deploy cross-cutting initiatives to attract and grow companies in all Energy value-chains. You can download the document explaining all of this here.
Courtesy of Houston.org