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89-570: HS Orka is a privately-owned Icelandic energy company that produces electricity and hot water mainly from geothermal sources, mainly on the Reykjanes Peninsula . It is the third largest electricity producer in Iceland, after Landsvirkjun and Orka Nátturinnar . HS Orka operates two geothermal power plants: Svartsengi and Reykjanes , as well as a small hydropower station, Brú. As of 2022, its total installed electrical capacity

178-493: A biomass conversion (biomass refers to recently living organisms, most often referring to plants or plant-derived materials). This biomass can be converted to convenient energy containing substances in three different ways: thermal conversion, chemical conversion, and biochemical conversion. This biomass conversion can result in fuel in solid , liquid , or gas form. This new biomass can be used for biofuels. Biofuels have increased in popularity because of rising oil prices and

267-508: A diesel additive to reduce levels of particulates, carbon monoxide , and hydrocarbons from diesel-powered vehicles. Biodiesel is produced from oils or fats using transesterification and is the most common biofuel in Europe. However, research is underway on producing renewable fuels from decarboxylation In 2010, worldwide biofuel production reached 105 billion liters (28 billion gallons US), up 17% from 2009, and biofuels provided 2.7% of

356-709: A district heating network in Grindavík. In 1978, electricity production began at Svartsengi Power station. Geothermal district heating distribution was later expanded to the rest of towns on the Reykjanes Peninsula . As a result of new laws, in 2008 Hitaveita Suðurnesja split off its distribution arm into HS Veitur. Hitaveita Suðurnesja was then renamed HS Orka and oversees energy production (operation of power plants and wholesale of energy). In 2009, Alterra Power began buying shares in HS Orka and by 2011 had majority ownership. In 2019, Alterra sold off its shares in HS Orka and

445-514: A gasoline additive to increase octane and improve vehicle emissions. Bioethanol is widely used in the USA and in Brazil . Current plant design does not provide for converting the lignin portion of plant raw materials to fuel components by fermentation. Biodiesel is made from vegetable oils and animal fats . Biodiesel can be used as a fuel for vehicles in its pure form, but it is usually used as

534-542: A decade ago, while energy bonds make up 15.7% of the $ 1.3   trillion junk bond market, up from 4.3% over the same period. Since the cost of energy has become a significant factor in the performance of societies' economies, the management of energy resources has become crucial. Energy management involves utilizing the available energy resources more effectively, that is, with minimum incremental costs. Simple management techniques can often save energy expenditures without incorporating fresh technology . Energy management

623-409: A hydro plant larger than 10 megawatts is 3 to 5 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour. Hydro is also a flexible source of electricity since plants can be ramped up and down very quickly to adapt to changing energy demands. However, damming interrupts the flow of rivers and can harm local ecosystems, and building large dams and reservoirs often involves displacing people and wildlife. Once a hydroelectric complex

712-554: A large variety of risks. In Eastern Europe, a number of long-established projects are struggling to find finance, notably Belene in Bulgaria and the additional reactors at Cernavoda in Romania, and some potential backers have pulled out. Where cheap gas is available and its future supply relatively secure, this also poses a major problem for nuclear projects. Analysis of the economics of nuclear power must take into account who bears

801-429: A light) requires resources and has an effect on the environment. Many electric power plants burn coal, oil or natural gas in order to generate electricity for energy needs. While burning these fossil fuels produces a readily available and instantaneous supply of electricity, it also generates air pollutants including carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), sulfur dioxide and trioxide (SOx) and nitrogen oxides ( NOx ). Carbon dioxide

890-416: A network of grid cables . The transportation of energy, whether by tanker, pipeline, or transmission line, poses challenges for scientists and engineers, policy makers, and economists to make it more risk-free and efficient. Economic and political instability can lead to an energy crisis . Notable oil crises are the 1973 oil crisis and the 1979 oil crisis . The advent of peak oil , the point in time when

979-401: A non-renewable energy source is coal, which does not form naturally at a rate that would support human use. Fossil fuel ( primary non-renewable fossil ) sources burn coal or hydrocarbon fuels, which are the remains of the decomposition of plants and animals. There are three main types of fossil fuels: coal, petroleum , and natural gas . Another fossil fuel, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG),

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1068-408: A number of serious problems, some of which, such as global warming , present potentially grave risks to the world. In some industries, the word energy is used as a synonym for energy resources , which refer to substances like fuels , petroleum products, and electricity in general. This is because a significant portion of the energy contained in these resources can easily be extracted to serve

1157-435: A potential for widespread exploitation. Geothermal wells release greenhouse gases trapped deep within the earth, but these emissions are much lower per energy unit than those of fossil fuels. As a result, geothermal power has the potential to help mitigate global warming if widely deployed in place of fossil fuels. The Earth's geothermal resources are theoretically more than adequate to supply humanity's energy needs, but only

1246-497: A reactor design from the 1960s , prompted a rethink of nuclear safety and nuclear energy policy in many countries. Germany decided to close all its reactors by 2022, and Italy has banned nuclear power. Following Fukushima, in 2011 the International Energy Agency halved its estimate of additional nuclear generating capacity to be built by 2035. Following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster –

1335-403: A result of government assisted research and industry experience, the cost of generating geothermal power has decreased by 25% over the past two decades. In 2001, geothermal energy cost between two and ten US cents per kWh. Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) or marine power (also sometimes referred to as ocean energy, ocean power, or marine and hydrokinetic energy) refers to the energy carried by

1424-524: A significantly different evaluation of the economics of new nuclear power plants. Costs are likely to go up for currently operating and new nuclear power plants, due to increased requirements for on-site spent fuel management and elevated design basis threats. While first of their kind designs, such as the EPRs under construction are behind schedule and over-budget, of the seven South Korean APR-1400s presently under construction worldwide, two are in S.Korea at

1513-483: A substance that selectively absorbs uranium from seawater. This process could make the considerable volume of uranium dissolved in seawater exploitable for energy production. Since ongoing geologic processes carry uranium to the sea in amounts comparable to the amount that would be extracted by this process, in a sense the sea-borne uranium becomes a sustainable resource. Nuclear power is a low carbon power generation method of producing electricity, with an analysis of

1602-458: A useful purpose. After a useful process has taken place, the total energy is conserved. Still, the resource itself is not conserved since a process usually transforms the energy into unusable forms (such as unnecessary or excess heat). Ever since humanity discovered various energy resources available in nature, it has been inventing devices, known as machines, that make life more comfortable by using energy resources. Thus, although primitive man knew

1691-494: A very small fraction may be profitably exploited. Drilling and exploration for deep resources is very expensive. Forecasts for the future of geothermal power depend on assumptions about technology, energy prices, subsidies , and interest rates. Pilot programs like EWEB's customer opt in Green Power Program show that customers would be willing to pay a little more for a renewable energy source like geothermal. But as

1780-481: Is 215 MW, and 190 MWth geothermal hot water power. HS Orka traces its routs back to 1974, when the construction of the Svartsengi Power Station began. It was the world's first combined heat and power geothermal power station. It was established as H itaveita S uðurnesja , and majority owned by local municipalities. In 1976, Svartsengi Power Station began providing geothermal hot water through

1869-491: Is a controversial subject, since there are diverging views on this topic, and multibillion-dollar investments ride on the choice of an energy source. Nuclear power plants typically have high capital costs for building the plant, but low direct fuel costs. In recent years there has been a slowdown of electricity demand growth and financing has become more difficult, which affects large projects such as nuclear reactors, with very large upfront costs and long project cycles which carry

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1958-433: Is a list of the top 10 deals in history in the energy sector: Energy development Societies use energy for transportation, manufacturing, illumination, heating and air conditioning, and communication, for industrial, commercial, agricultural and domestic purposes. Energy resources may be classified as primary resources, where the resource can be used in substantially its original form, or as secondary resources, where

2047-546: Is accounted for by renewable resources. Wind powered energy production is being turned to as a prominent renewable energy source, increasing global wind power capacity by 12% in 2021. While not the case for all countries, 58% of sample countries linked renewable energy consumption to have a positive impact on economic growth. At the national level, at least 30 nations around the world already have renewable energy contributing more than 20% of energy supply. National renewable energy markets are projected to continue to grow strongly in

2136-416: Is also significant. Comparing Nuclear's latent cancer deaths, such as cancer with other energy sources immediate deaths per unit of energy generated(GWeyr). This study does not include fossil fuel related cancer and other indirect deaths created by the use of fossil fuel consumption in its "severe accident" classification, which would be an accident with more than 5 fatalities. As of 2012, according to

2225-659: Is an important greenhouse gas , known to be responsible, along with methane , nitrous oxide , and fluorinated gases , for the rapid increase in global warming since the Industrial Revolution . In the 20th century, global temperature records are significantly higher than temperature records from thousands of years ago, taken from ice cores in Arctic regions. Burning fossil fuels for electricity generation also releases trace metals such as beryllium, cadmium, chromium, copper, manganese, mercury, nickel, and silver into

2314-400: Is argued that there is also the potential to develop a more efficient energy sector. This can be done by: Best available technology (BAT) offers supply-side efficiency levels far higher than global averages. The relative benefits of gas compared to coal are influenced by the development of increasingly efficient energy production methods. According to an impact assessment carried out for

2403-498: Is based on the time required to regenerate an energy resource. "Renewable" resources are those that recover their capacity in a time significant by human needs. Examples are hydroelectric power or wind power, when the natural phenomena that are the primary source of energy are ongoing and not depleted by human demands. Non-renewable resources are those that are significantly depleted by human usage and that will not recover their potential significantly during human lifetimes. An example of

2492-599: Is constructed, the project produces no direct waste, and has a considerably lower output level of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide than fossil fuel powered energy plants. Wind power harnesses the power of the wind to propel the blades of wind turbines . These turbines cause the rotation of magnets , which creates electricity. Wind towers are usually built together on wind farms . There are offshore and onshore wind farms. Global wind power capacity has expanded rapidly to 336 GW in June 2014, and wind energy production

2581-460: Is electric power generated by hydropower ; the force of falling or flowing water. In 2015 hydropower generated 16.6% of the world's total electricity and 70% of all renewable electricity and was expected to increase about 3.1% each year for the following 25 years. Hydropower is produced in 150 countries, with the Asia-Pacific region generating 32 percent of global hydropower in 2010. China

2670-442: Is generally defined as energy that comes from resources which are naturally replenished on a human timescale such as sunlight , wind , rain , tides , waves and geothermal heat . Renewable energy replaces conventional fuels in four distinct areas: electricity generation , hot water / space heating , motor fuels , and rural (off-grid) energy services. Including traditional biomass usage, about 19% of global energy consumption

2759-426: Is heated in the crust, sometimes up to 370 °C (700 °F). From hot springs , geothermal energy has been used for bathing since Paleolithic times and for space heating since ancient Roman times, but it is now better known for electricity generation . Worldwide, 11,400 megawatts (MW) of geothermal power is online in 24 countries in 2012. An additional 28 gigawatts of direct geothermal heating capacity

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2848-538: Is in the context of the Iraq Wars . Some political analysts maintain that the hidden reason for both 1991 and 2003 wars can be traced to strategic control of international energy resources. Others counter this analysis with the numbers related to its economics. According to the latter group of analysts, U.S. has spent about $ 336 billion in Iraq as compared with a background current value of $ 25 billion per year budget for

2937-454: Is installed for district heating, space heating, spas, industrial processes, desalination and agricultural applications in 2010. Geothermal power is cost effective, reliable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly, but has historically been limited to areas near tectonic plate boundaries . Recent technological advances have dramatically expanded the range and size of viable resources, especially for applications such as home heating, opening

3026-547: Is most often the practice of using energy more efficiently by eliminating energy wastage or balancing justifiable energy demand with appropriate energy supply. The process couples energy awareness with energy conservation . The United Nations developed the International Standard Industrial Classification , which is a list of economic and social classifications. There is no distinct classification for an energy industry, because

3115-537: Is now majority owned by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA). The distributor, HS Veitur, is still majority owned by the local municipality, Reykjanesbær . In 2023, one of the power plants operated by HS Orka had to be shielded from being exposed to lava. Energy company The energy industry is the totality of all of the industries involved in the production and sale of energy , including fuel extraction, manufacturing, refining and distribution. Modern society consumes large amounts of fuel, and

3204-424: Is principally derived from the production of natural gas. Heat from burning fossil fuel is used either directly for space heating and process heating, or converted to mechanical energy for vehicles, industrial processes , or electrical power generation . These fossil fuels are part of the carbon cycle and allow solar energy stored in the fuel to be released. The use of fossil fuels in the 18th and 19th century set

3293-406: Is the intersection of national security and the availability of natural resources for energy consumption. Access to cheap energy has become essential to the functioning of modern economies. However, the uneven distribution of energy supplies among countries has led to significant vulnerabilities. Threats to energy security include the political instability of several energy producing countries,

3382-706: Is the largest hydroelectricity producer, with 721 terawatt-hours of production in 2010, representing around 17 percent of domestic electricity use. There are now three hydroelectricity plants larger than 10 GW: the Three Gorges Dam in China, Itaipu Dam across the Brazil/Paraguay border, and Guri Dam in Venezuela. The cost of hydroelectricity is relatively low, making it a competitive source of renewable electricity. The average cost of electricity from

3471-418: Is the use of nuclear fission to generate useful heat and electricity . Fission of uranium produces nearly all economically significant nuclear power. Radioisotope thermoelectric generators form a very small component of energy generation, mostly in specialized applications such as deep space vehicles. Nuclear power plants , excluding naval reactors , provided about 5.7% of the world's energy and 13% of

3560-476: Is thermal energy generated from radioactive decay and continual heat loss from Earth's formation. Temperatures at the core-mantle boundary may reach over 4000 °C (7,200 °F). The high temperature and pressure in Earth's interior cause some rock to melt and solid mantle to behave plastically, resulting in portions of mantle convecting upward since it is lighter than the surrounding rock. Rock and water

3649-449: Is to explore means of producing hydrogen fuel from water. Though hydrogen use is environmentally friendly, its production requires energy and existing technologies to make it, are not very efficient. Research is underway to explore enzymatic decomposition of biomass. Other forms of conventional energy resources are also being used in new ways. Coal gasification and liquefaction are recent technologies that are becoming attractive after

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3738-483: Is very important to the global economy. All economic activity requires energy resources, whether to manufacture goods, provide transportation , run computers and other machines . Widespread demand for energy may encourage competing energy utilities and the formation of retail energy markets . Note the presence of the "Energy Marketing and Customer Service" (EMACS) sub-sector. The energy sector accounts for 4.6% of outstanding leveraged loans, compared with 3.1%

3827-514: The European Commission , the levels of energy efficiency of coal-fired plants built have now increased to 46-49% efficiency rates, as compared to coals plants built before the 1990s (32-40%). However, at the same time gas can reach 58-59% efficiency levels with the best available technology. Meanwhile, combined heat and power can offer efficiency rates of 80-90%. Since now energy plays an essential role in industrial societies ,

3916-650: The Hanul Nuclear Power Plant and four are at the largest nuclear station construction project in the world as of 2016, in the United Arab Emirates at the planned Barakah nuclear power plant . The first reactor, Barakah-1 is 85% completed and on schedule for grid-connection during 2017. Two of the four EPRs under construction (in Finland and France) are significantly behind schedule and substantially over cost. Renewable energy

4005-1006: The IAEA , worldwide there were 68 civil nuclear power reactors under construction in 15 countries, approximately 28 of which in the People's Republic of China (PRC), with the most recent nuclear power reactor, as of May 2013, to be connected to the electrical grid , occurring on February 17, 2013, in Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Plant in the PRC. In the United States, two new Generation III reactors are under construction at Vogtle . U.S. nuclear industry officials expect five new reactors to enter service by 2020, all at existing plants. In 2013, four aging, uncompetitive, reactors were permanently closed. Recent experiments in extraction of uranium use polymer ropes that are coated with

4094-509: The Sun 's light and heat , which can be harnessed using a range of technologies such as solar electricity , solar thermal energy (including solar water heating ) and solar architecture . It is an essential source of renewable energy , and its technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending on how they capture and distribute solar energy or convert it into solar power. Active solar techniques include

4183-614: The Sun , remains an ongoing area of international physics and engineering research . More than 60 years after the first attempts, commercial fusion power production remains unlikely before 2050. There is an ongoing debate about nuclear power . Proponents, such as the World Nuclear Association , the IAEA and Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy contend that nuclear power is a safe, sustainable energy source that reduces carbon emissions . Opponents contend that nuclear power poses many threats to people and

4272-416: The environment . Managing the use of energy is inevitable in any functional society. In the industrialized world the development of energy resources has become essential for agriculture , transportation , waste collection , information technology , communications that have become prerequisites of a developed society. The increasing use of energy since the Industrial Revolution has also brought with it

4361-679: The nuclear industry . New energy industries include the renewable energy industry , comprising alternative and sustainable manufacture, distribution, and sale of alternative fuels . Energy resources may be classified as primary resources, suitable for end use without conversion to another form, or secondary resources, where the usable form of energy required substantial conversion from a primary source. Examples of primary energy resources are wind power , solar power , wood fuel, fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas, and uranium. Secondary resources are those such as electricity, hydrogen , or other synthetic fuels. Another important classification

4450-542: The Earth's crust originates from the original formation of the planet (20%) and from radioactive decay of minerals (80%). The geothermal gradient , which is the difference in temperature between the core of the planet and its surface, drives a continuous conduction of thermal energy in the form of heat from the core to the surface. The adjective geothermal originates from the Greek roots γη (ge) , meaning earth, and θερμος (thermos) , meaning hot. Earth's internal heat

4539-636: The classification system is based on activities , products , and expenditures according to purpose . Countries in North America use the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The NAICS sectors #21 and #22 (mining and utilities) might roughly define the energy industry in North America. This classification is used by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission . The Global Industry Classification Standard used by Morgan Stanley define

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4628-486: The coming decade and beyond.[76] Unlike other energy sources, renewable energy sources are not as restricted by geography. Additionally deployment of renewable energy is resulting in economic benefits as well as combating climate change. Rural electrification has been researched on multiple sites and positive effects on commercial spending, appliance use, and general activities requiring electricity as energy. Renewable energy growth in at least 38 countries has been driven by

4717-416: The economy. Until recently, fossil fuels were the primary source of energy generation in most parts of the world and are a significant contributor to global warming and pollution . Many economies are investing in renewable and sustainable energy as part of human adaptation to global warming. The use of energy has been a key in the development of the human society by helping it to control and adapt to

4806-667: The efficiency of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier fuel into kinetic energy or work . The fuel economy is the energy efficiency of a particular vehicle, is given as a ratio of distance travelled per unit of fuel consumed. Weight-specific efficiency (efficiency per unit weight) may be stated for freight , and passenger-specific efficiency (vehicle efficiency) per passenger. The inefficient atmospheric combustion (burning) of fossil fuels in vehicles, buildings, and power plants contributes to urban heat islands . Conventional production of oil peaked , conservatively, between 2007 and 2010. In 2010, it

4895-414: The energy industry as comprising companies primarily working with oil, gas, coal and consumable fuels, excluding companies working with certain industrial gases. Add also to expand this section: Dow Jones Industrial Average Government encouragement in the form of subsidies and tax incentives for energy-conservation efforts has increasingly fostered the view of conservation as a major function of

4984-576: The energy industry generate considerable pollution , including toxic and greenhouse gases from fuel combustion, nuclear waste from the generation of nuclear power, and oil spillages as a result of petroleum extraction. Government regulations to internalize these externalities form an increasing part of doing business , and the trading of carbon credits and pollution credits on the free market may also result in energy-saving and pollution-control measures becoming even more important to energy providers. Consumption of energy resources, (e.g. turning on

5073-427: The energy industry is a crucial part of the infrastructure and maintenance of society in almost all countries . In particular, the energy industry comprises: The increased dependence during the 20th century on carbon-emitting energy sources, such as fossil fuels , and carbon-emitting renewables, such as biomass , means that the energy industry has frequently contributed to pollution and environmental impacts on

5162-410: The energy industry: saving an amount of energy provides economic benefits almost identical to generating that same amount of energy. This is compounded by the fact that the economics of delivering energy tend to be priced for capacity as opposed to average usage. One of the purposes of a smart grid infrastructure is to smooth out demand so that capacity and demand curves align more closely. Some parts of

5251-434: The energy source must be converted into a more conveniently usable form. Non-renewable resources are significantly depleted by human use, whereas renewable resources are produced by ongoing processes that can sustain indefinite human exploitation. Thousands of people are employed in the energy industry . The conventional industry comprises the petroleum industry , the natural gas industry, the electrical power industry , and

5340-443: The entire U.S. oil import dependence Energy policy is the manner in which a given entity (often governmental) has decided to address issues of energy development including energy production , distribution and consumption . The attributes of energy policy may include legislation , international treaties, incentives to investment, guidelines for energy conservation , taxation and other public policy techniques. Energy security

5429-523: The environment . Nuclear power plant accidents include the Chernobyl disaster (1986), Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster (2011), and the Three Mile Island accident (1979). There have also been some nuclear submarine accidents. In terms of lives lost per unit of energy generated, analysis has determined that nuclear power has caused less fatalities per unit of energy generated than

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5518-440: The environment, which also act as pollutants. The large-scale use of renewable energy technologies would "greatly mitigate or eliminate a wide range of environmental and human health impacts of energy use". Renewable energy technologies include biofuels , solar heating and cooling , hydroelectric power , solar power , and wind power . Energy conservation and the efficient use of energy would also help. In addition, it

5607-459: The foreseeable future. With as much dependence that the U.S. currently has for oil and with the peaking limits of oil production; economies and societies will begin to feel the decline in the resource that we have become dependent upon. Energy security has become one of the leading issues in the world today as oil and other resources have become as vital to the world's people. However, with oil production rates decreasing and oil production peak nearing,

5696-404: The high electricity usage rates. International support for promoting renewable sources like solar and wind have continued grow. While many renewable energy projects are large-scale, renewable technologies are also suited to rural and remote areas and developing countries , where energy is often crucial in human development . To ensure human development continues sustainably, governments around

5785-506: The literature on its total life cycle emission intensity finding that it is similar to renewable sources in a comparison of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per unit of energy generated. Since the 1970s, nuclear fuel has displaced about 64 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2-eq) greenhouse gases , that would have otherwise resulted from the burning of oil, coal or natural gas in fossil-fuel power stations . Japan's 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident , which occurred in

5874-424: The manipulation of energy supplies, the competition over energy sources, attacks on supply infrastructure, as well as accidents, natural disasters, the funding to foreign dictators, rising terrorism, and dominant countries reliance to the foreign oil supply. The limited supplies, uneven distribution, and rising costs of fossil fuels , such as oil and gas, create a need to change to more sustainable energy sources in

5963-425: The maximum rate of global petroleum extraction is reached, will likely precipitate another energy crisis. Between 1985 and 2018, there have been around 69,932 deals in the energy sector. This cumulates to an overall value of 9,578 bil USD. The most active year was 2010 with about 3.761 deals. In terms of value 2007 was the strongest year (684 bil. USD), which was followed by a steep decline until 2009 (-55,8%). Here

6052-580: The mechanical energy of ocean waves , currents, and tides , shifts in salinity gradients, and ocean temperature differences . MRE has the potential to become a reliable and renewable energy source because of the cyclical nature of the oceans . The movement of water in the world's oceans creates a vast store of kinetic energy or energy in motion. This energy can be harnessed to generate electricity to power homes, transport, and industries. The term marine energy encompasses both wave power , i.e. power from surface waves, and tidal power , i.e. obtained from

6141-405: The national level and in 29 states or provinces. The International Energy Agency has a goal for biofuels to meet more than a quarter of world demand for transportation fuels by 2050 to reduce dependence on petroleum and coal. Geothermal energy is thermal energy generated and stored in the Earth. Thermal energy is the energy that determines the temperature of matter. The geothermal energy of

6230-415: The need for energy security . Bioethanol is an alcohol made by fermentation , mostly from carbohydrates produced in sugar or starch crops such as corn or sugarcane . Cellulosic biomass , derived from non-food sources, such as trees and grasses, is also being developed as a feedstock for ethanol production. Ethanol can be used as a fuel for vehicles in its pure form, but it is usually used as

6319-434: The other major sources of energy generation. Energy production from coal , petroleum , natural gas and hydropower has caused a greater number of fatalities per unit of energy generated due to air pollution and energy accident effects. However, the economic costs of nuclear power accidents is high, and meltdowns can take decades to clean up. The human costs of evacuations of affected populations and lost livelihoods

6408-507: The ownership and control of energy resources plays an increasing role in politics . At the national level, governments seek to influence the sharing (distribution) of energy resources among various sections of the society through pricing mechanisms; or even who owns resources within their borders. They may also seek to influence the use of energy by individuals and business in an attempt to tackle environmental issues . The most recent international political controversy regarding energy resources

6497-544: The presence of a source of usable energy, such sources are of great worth in society. While energy resources are an essential ingredient for all modes of transportation in society, the transportation of energy resources is becoming equally important. Energy resources are frequently located far from the place where they are consumed. Therefore, their transportation is always in question. Some energy resources like liquid or gaseous fuels are transported using tankers or pipelines , while electricity transportation invariably requires

6586-424: The price of exporting and importing oil will increase due to increased demand. Producing energy to sustain human needs is an essential social activity, and a great deal of effort goes into the activity. While most of such effort is limited towards increasing the production of electricity and oil , newer ways of producing usable energy resources from the available energy resources are being explored. One such effort

6675-423: The processes that created fossil fuels are ongoing, fuels are consumed far more quickly than the natural rate of replenishment. Extracting fuels becomes increasingly costly as society consumes the most accessible fuel deposits. Extraction of fossil fuels results in environmental degradation , such as the strip mining and mountaintop removal for coal. Fuel efficiency is a form of thermal efficiency , meaning

6764-735: The realization that oil reserves , at present consumption rates, may be rather short lived. See alternative fuels . Energy is the subject of significant research activities globally. For example, the UK Energy Research Centre is the focal point for UK energy research while the European Union has many technology programmes as well as a platform for engaging social science and humanities within energy research. All societies require materials and food to be transported over distances , generally against some force of friction. Since application of force over distance requires

6853-643: The release of pollution into the atmosphere. The fossil fuels are mainly carbon compounds. During combustion , carbon dioxide is released, and also nitrogen oxides , soot and other fine particulates . The carbon dioxide is the main contributor to recent climate change . Other emissions from fossil fuel power station include sulphur dioxide , carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons , volatile organic compounds (VOC), mercury , arsenic , lead , cadmium , and other heavy metals including traces of uranium . A typical coal plant generates billions of kilowatt hours of electrical power per year. Nuclear power

6942-549: The risks of future uncertainties. To date all operating nuclear power plants were developed by state-owned or regulated utility monopolies where many of the risks associated with construction costs, operating performance, fuel price, and other factors were borne by consumers rather than suppliers. Many countries have now liberalized the electricity market where these risks, and the risk of cheaper competitors emerging before capital costs are recovered, are borne by plant suppliers and operators rather than consumers, which leads to

7031-412: The second worst nuclear incident , that displaced 50,000 households after radioactive material leaked into the air, soil and sea, and with subsequent radiation checks leading to bans on some shipments of vegetables and fish – a global public support survey by Ipsos (2011) for energy sources was published and nuclear fission was found to be the least popular The economics of new nuclear power plants

7120-872: The stage for the Industrial Revolution . Fossil fuels make up the bulk of the world's current primary energy sources. In 2005, 81% of the world's energy needs was met from fossil sources. The technology and infrastructure for the use of fossil fuels already exist. Liquid fuels derived from petroleum deliver much usable energy per unit of weight or volume, which is advantageous when compared with lower energy density sources such as batteries . Fossil fuels are currently economical for decentralized energy use. Energy dependence on imported fossil fuels creates energy security risks for dependent countries. Oil dependence in particular has led to war, funding of radicals, monopolization, and socio-political instability. Fossil fuels are non-renewable resources, which will eventually decline in production and become exhausted. While

7209-557: The use of photovoltaic systems , concentrated solar power , and solar water heating to harness the energy. Passive solar techniques include designing a building for better daylighting , selecting materials with favorable thermal mass or light-dispersing properties, and organize spaces that naturally circulate air . A biofuel is a fuel that contains energy from geologically recent carbon fixation . These fuels are produced from living organisms . Examples of this carbon fixation occur in plants and microalgae . These fuels are made by

7298-517: The utility of fire to cook food, the invention of devices like gas burners and microwave ovens led to additional ways of how energy can be utilised. The trend is the same in any other field of social activity, be it the construction of social infrastructure, manufacturing of fabrics for covering, porting, printing , decorating, for example, textiles , air conditioning , communication of information, or for moving people and goods ( automobiles ). Production and consumption of energy resources

7387-558: The world are beginning to research potential ways to implement renewable sources into their countries and economies. For example, the UK Government’s Department for Energy and Climate Change 2050 Pathways created a mapping technique to educate the public on land competition between energy supply technologies. This tool provides users the ability to understand what the limitations and potential their surrounding land and country has in terms of energy production. Hydroelectricity

7476-597: The world are using wind power on a commercial basis. Many of the world's largest onshore wind farms are located in the United States , China , and India . Most of the world's largest offshore wind farms are located in Denmark , Germany and the United Kingdom . The two largest offshore wind farm are currently the 630 MW London Array and Gwynt y Môr . Solar energy is the radiant energy from

7565-486: The world has come to protect what resources we have left. With new advancements in renewable resources, less pressure has been put on companies that produce the world's oil; these resources are geothermal, solar power, wind power, and hydroelectric. Although these are not all the current and possible options for the world to turn to as the oil depletes, the most critical issue is protecting these vital resources from future threats. These new resources will become more valuable as

7654-462: The world's electricity in 2012. In 2013, the IAEA report that there are 437 operational nuclear power reactors, in 31 countries , although not every reactor is producing electricity. In addition, there are approximately 140 naval vessels using nuclear propulsion in operation, powered by some 180 reactors. As of 2013, attaining a net energy gain from sustained nuclear fusion reactions, excluding natural fusion power sources such as

7743-553: The world's fuels for road transport, a contribution largely made up of ethanol and biodiesel. Global ethanol fuel production reached 86 billion liters (23 billion gallons US) in 2010, with the United States and Brazil as the world's top producers, accounting together for 90% of global production. The world's largest biodiesel producer is the European Union , accounting for 53% of all biodiesel production in 2010. As of 2011, mandates for blending biofuels exist in 31 countries at

7832-832: Was around 4% of total worldwide electricity usage, and growing rapidly. Wind power is widely used in Europe , Asia , and the United States . Several countries have achieved relatively high levels of wind power penetration, such as 21% of stationary electricity production in Denmark , 18% in Portugal , 16% in Spain , 14% in Ireland , and 9% in Germany in 2010. By 2011, at times over 50% of electricity in Germany and Spain came from wind and solar power. As of 2011, 83 countries around

7921-412: Was estimated that an investment of $ 8 trillion in non-renewable resources would be required to maintain current levels of production for 25 years. In 2010, governments subsidized fossil fuels by an estimated $ 500 billion a year. Fossil fuels are also a source of greenhouse gas emissions , leading to concerns about global warming if consumption is not reduced. The combustion of fossil fuels leads to

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