Energy Basics
This quantity describes the ability to do work or transfer heat, and is not the same as power.
What is Energy?
This energy source relies on sunlight and uses photovoltaic panels to generate electricity.
What is solar energy?
These tall structures with large rotating blades were historically used to grind wheat into flour.
What are windmills?
This fossil fuel made up the largest share of U.S. energy consumption in 2023.
What is petroleum?
Clean energy helps limit the release of these harmful atmospheric pollutants.
What are greenhouse gases?
This term describes the rate at which energy is used or transferred.
What is power?
This clean energy source uses moving air to spin turbines and generate power.
What is wind energy?
Before engines existed, these wind-powered vessels enabled intercontinental trade.
What are sailing ships?
On the 2023 U.S. energy chart, this clean, non-renewable energy source accounts for 9% of total consumption and produces electricity without releasing greenhouse gases.
What is nuclear electric power?
Solar farms, wind turbines, hydro plants, and geothermal facilities all help create new opportunities for this economic benefit.
What are jobs?
Clean energy is defined by producing little to none of this type of emissions.
What are greenhouse gas emissions?
This energy source uses flowing water to generate electricity and is one of the oldest forms of mechanical power.
What is hydroelectric/water power?
These wooden mechanical systems used flowing water to grind grain, lift water, and power mills before electricity existed.
What are waterwheels?
On the 2023 chart, this fossil fuel accounted for about 36% of U.S. energy consumption.
What is natural gas?
This term describes energy sources that can be replenished naturally and do not run out.
What is renewable energy?
This broad category of technologies generates usable electricity with minimal environmental impact and without contributing to climate change.
What is clean energy?
Though sometimes debated, this non-fossil fuel energy source is considered “clean” in your presentation because it produces no greenhouse gases while generating electricity.
What is nuclear energy?
Windmills and waterwheels both provided this type of output that allowed humans to perform tasks without fossil fuels.
What is mechanical power?
Between 2010 and 2023, this category of energy increased from 8% to 9% of U.S. total energy consumption.
What is renewable energy?
This fast-growing clean energy technology currently provides the largest share of renewable electricity in the U.S.
What is wind energy?
According to your presentation, clean energy sources are also valued because they introduce this type of benefit, allowing society to adapt if one source fails.
What is energy source variance/diversification?
This clean energy source pulls heat from beneath the Earth's surface and can power turbines or heat structures.
What is geothermal energy?
This ancient technology concentrated sunlight using polished metal or glass to produce heat for tasks like lighting torches or igniting ceremonial fires, making it one of the earliest examples of solar energy use.
What are solar concentrators or burning mirrors?
On the 2023 renewable breakdown, this biomass sub-category made up 32% of total biomass use.
What is biofuels?
This process describes the trapping of heat in Earth’s atmosphere due to greenhouse gases, which clean energy helps mitigate.
What is the greenhouse effect?