Biomass

What Is Biomass?
Biomass is any organic matter that can be used as an energy Industry is the biggest biomass consumer today; it uses 50.1
source. Wood, crops, and yard and animal waste are examples of percent of biomass to make products. The transportation sector
biomass. People have used biomass longer than any other energy uses 28.2 percent of biomass by consuming ethanol and other
source. For thousands of years, people have burned wood to heat biofuels. Power companies use biomass to produce electricity.
their homes and cook their food. Twelve percent of biomass is used to generate electricity today.
Biomass gets its energy from the sun. Plants absorb sunlight in Homes and businesses are the third biggest users; about one in ten
a process called photosynthesis. With sunlight, air, water, and homes burn wood in fireplaces and stoves for additional heat. Less
nutrients from the soil, plants make sugars called carbohydrates. than three percent use wood as their main heating fuel. Most use a
Foods that are rich in carbohydrates (like spaghetti) are good sources source other than wood for heating.
of energy for the human body. Biomass is called a renewable
In the future, plants may be grown to fuel power plants. Farmers
energy source because we can grow more in a short period of time.
may also have huge farms of energy crops to produce ethanol and
other biofuels for transportation.
Use of Biomass
Until the mid-1800s, wood gave Americans 90 percent of the energy Biomass and the Environment
they used. Today, biomass provides us almost five percent of the
Biomass can pollute the air when it is burned, though not as much
energy we use. It has been replaced by coal, natural gas, petroleum,
as fossil fuels. Burning biomass fuels does not produce pollutants
and other energy sources.
like sulfur, which can cause acid rain.
There are many sources of biomass used in the U.S. today. Two
Growing plants for biomass fuel may help to reduce greenhouse
sources, wood and biofuels, make up the majority of consumption.
gases, since plants use carbon dioxide and produce oxygen as they
Other biomass sources include crops, garbage, landfill gas, and by-
grow. Carbon dioxide is considered an important greenhouse gas.
products from agriculture.

Photosynthesis CARBON
In the process of photosynthesis, plants convert DIOXIDE
RADIANT
radiant energy from the sun into chemical energy ENERGY
in the form of glucose (or sugar). OXYGEN

RADIANT ENERGY
OXYGEN

WATER
CARBON
GLUCOSE WATER
DIOXIDE

8 ©2019 The NEED Project Intermediate Energy Infobook www.NEED.org

 Using Biomass Energy
A log does not give off energy unless you do something to it. U.S. Sources of Biomass, 2017
Usually, wood is burned to make heat. Burning is not the only way WOOD AND
BIOFUELS WOOD WASTE
to use biomass energy, though. There are four ways to release the 45.3% 45.2%
energy stored in biomass: burning, bacterial decay, fermentation,
and conversion to gas/liquid fuel.

ƒƒ Burning GARBAGE,
Wood was the biggest energy provider in the United States and LANDFILL WASTE,
the rest of the world until the mid-1800s. Wood heated homes and OTHER
fueled factories. Today, wood supplies only a little of our country’s
Data: Energy Information Administration
9.7%
energy needs. Wood is not the only biomass that can be burned. *Total does not equal 100% due to independent rounding.
Wood shavings, fruit pits, manure, and corn cobs can all be burned
for energy.
Garbage is another source of biomass. Garbage can be burned to
generate steam and electricity. Power plants that burn garbage
U.S. Biomass Consumption by Sector, 2017
and other waste for energy are called waste-to-energy plants.
These plants are a lot like coal-fired plants. The difference is the fuel. INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATION
Garbage doesn’t contain as much heat energy as coal. It takes about 50.1% 28.2%
900 kilograms (2,000 pounds) of garbage to equal the heat energy
in 225 kilograms (500 pounds) of coal. RESIDENTIAL 6.6%
Sometimes, fast-growing crops like sugar cane are grown especially
for their energy value. Scientists are also researching ways to grow COMMERCIAL 3.1%
aquatic plants like seaweed and algae for their energy value.
ELECTRICITY 12.0%
ƒƒ Bacterial Decay
Data: Energy Information Administration
Bacteria feed on dead plants and animals. As the plants and animals
decay, they produce a colorless, odorless gas called methane.
Methane gas is rich in energy. Methane is the main ingredient in
natural gas, the gas we use in our furnaces and stoves. Methane is a
good energy source. We can burn it to produce heat or to generate
electricity.
U.S. Consumption of Biofuels, 2017
15 Billion Gallons
In some landfills, wells are drilled into the piles of garbage to capture
methane produced from the decaying waste. The methane can be 12
purified and used as an energy source, just like natural gas.
9 Ethanol
ƒƒ Fermentation Biodiesel
We can add yeast (a fungus) to biomass to produce an alcohol 6
called ethanol. For centuries, people have fermented crops to make
alcoholic drinks like beer and wine. Wine is fermented from grapes. 3
Wheat, corn, grasses, and many other crops can be used to make
ethanol. 0
Ethanol is sometimes made from corn to produce a motor fuel.
Automobile pioneer Henry Ford wanted to use ethanol to power ‘03 ‘04 ‘05 ‘06 ‘07 ‘08 ‘09 ‘10 ‘11 ‘12 ‘13 ‘14 ‘15 ‘16 ‘17
his cars instead of gasoline. Ethanol is more expensive to use than Data: Energy Information Administration
gasoline. Usually, it is mixed with gasoline to produce a fuel called
E-10, which is 90 percent gasoline and 10 percent ethanol. For cars
to run on a higher percentage of ethanol, their engines would have
to be changed. But cars can run on E-10 without changes. Adding
ethanol to gasoline lowers carbon dioxide emissions.

ƒƒ Conversion
Conversion means changing a material into something else. Today,
we can convert biomass into gas and liquid fuels. We do this by
adding heat or chemicals to the biomass. The gas and liquid fuels
can then be burned to produce heat or electricity, or it can be used
as a fuel for automobiles. In India, cow manure is converted to
methane gas to provide heat and light.

©2019 The NEED Project Intermediate Energy Infobook www.NEED.org 9

 Coal
What Is Coal?
Coal is a fossil fuel formed from the remains of plants that lived and European settlers discovered coal in North America during the first
died hundreds of millions of years ago, when parts of the Earth were half of the 1600s. They used very little coal at first. Instead, they relied
covered with huge swampy forests. Coal is called a nonrenewable on water wheels and burning wood to power colonial industries.
energy source because it takes millions of years to form. Coal became a powerhouse by the 1800s. People used coal to
The energy we get from coal today came from the energy that plants manufacture goods and to power steamships and railroad engines.
absorbed from the sun hundreds of millions of years ago. All living By the time of the American Civil War, people also used coal to make
plants store energy from the sun. After the plants die, this energy iron and steel. And by the end of the 1800s, people began using coal
is usually released as the plants decay. Under certain conditions, to make electricity.
however, the decay is interrupted, preventing the release of the Today, coal provides 14.1 percent of America’s energy needs. 30.0
stored solar energy. percent of our electricity comes from coal-fired power plants.
100—400 million years ago, plants that fell to the bottom of the
swamp began to decay as layers of dirt and water were piled on top. Coal Mining
Heat and pressure from these layers caused a chemical change to
occur, eventually creating coal over time, a sedimentary rock. Coal companies use two methods to mine coal: surface mining and
underground mining.

History of Coal in America Surface mining is used to extract about one-third of the coal in the
United States. Surface mining can be used when the coal is buried
Native Americans used coal long before the first settlers arrived in less than 200 feet underground. In surface mining, the topsoil and
the New World. Hopi Indians used coal to bake the pottery they layers of rock are removed to expose large deposits of coal. The coal
made from clay. is then removed by huge machines. Once the mining is finished, the

How Coal Was Formed

Long ago, much of the Earth’s land became
swampy. Many giant plants died in these
swamps.
Over millions to hundreds of millions of
years, these plants were buried under water
and dirt.
Heat and pressure turned the dead plants
into coal.

10 ©2019 The NEED Project Intermediate Energy Infobook www.NEED.org

 mined area is reclaimed. The dirt and rock are returned to the pit,
the topsoil is replaced, and the area is seeded. The land can then Surface Mining Deep Mining
Deep Mining
be used for croplands, wildlife habitats, recreation, or offices and
stores.
Underground (or deep) mining is used when the coal is buried
deep within the Earth. Some underground mines are 1,000
feet deep! To remove coal from underground mines, miners are COA
transported down mine shafts to run machines that dig out the
LSEAM LSEAM
COA
coal.
Topsoil
Overburden
Processing and Transporting Coal
After coal comes out of the ground, it goes to a preparation plant for
cleaning. The plant removes rock, ash, sulfur, and other impurities
from the coal. Cleaning improves the heating value of coal.
After cleaning, the coal is ready to be shipped to market. Trains are
used to transport most coal. Sometimes, river barges and trucks are Top Coal Producing States, 2017
used to ship coal. For short distances, coal can also be moved using
conveyors. Deciding how to ship coal is very important because it
can cost more to ship it than to mine it. 3
1 PENNSYLVANIA

Coal Reserves and Production WYOMING

4
Coal reserves are beds of coal still in the ground that can be mined. Illinois 2
WEST VIRGINIA
The United States has the world’s largest known coal reserves.
Depending on consumption rates, the U.S. has enough coal to last
5
KENTUCKY
over 300 years.
Coal production is the amount of coal that is mined and sent
to market. Coal is mined in 24 states. Wyoming mines the most,
followed by West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Kentucky.
Data: Energy Information Administration

How Coal Is Used

Roughly 91 percent of the coal mined in the U.S. today is used to
make electricity. The steel and iron industries use coal for smelting
U.S. Coal Consumption by Sector, 2017
metals. Other industries use coal, too. Paper, brick, limestone, and ELECTRICITY 91.21%
cement industries all use coal to make products. Very little coal is
used for heating homes and buildings.
INDUSTRY 8.6%

Coal and the Environment HEATING 0.2%

Burning coal produces emissions that can pollute the air. It also
produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. When coal is
burned, a chemical called sulfur may also be released. Sulfur mixes Data: Energy Information Administration
with oxygen to form sulfur dioxide, a chemical that can affect trees
and water when it combines with moisture to produce acid rain.
COAL MINERS
Coal companies look for low-sulfur coal to mine. They work hard
to remove sulfur and other impurities from the coal. Power plants
install machines called scrubbers to remove most of the sulfur
from coal smoke so it doesn’t get into the air. Other by-products,
like the ash that is left after coal is burned, once were sent to
landfills. Now they are being used to build roads, make cement,
and make ocean reefs for animal habitats.

Photo courtesy of gettyimages

©2019 The NEED Project Intermediate Energy Infobook www.NEED.org 11
 Geothermal
What Is Geothermal Energy? History of Geothermal Energy
The word geothermal comes from the Greek words geo (earth) and Geothermal energy was used by ancient people for heating and
therme (heat). Geothermal energy is heat from within the Earth. bathing. Even today, hot springs are used worldwide for bathing,
Geothermal energy is generated in the Earth’s core, almost 4,000 and many people believe hot mineral waters have natural healing
miles (6,400 km) beneath the Earth’s surface. The double-layered powers.
core is made up of very hot magma surrounding a solid iron center. Using geothermal energy to produce electricity is a new industry.
Very high temperatures are continuously produced inside the Earth A group of Italians first used it in 1904. The Italians used the natural
because of the immense pressure on the core and mantle. Rocks in steam erupting from the Earth to power a turbine generator.
the crust are warmed by the continuous, slow radioactive decay of The first successful American geothermal plant began operating
rock particles, which is natural in all rocks. in 1960 at The Geysers in northern California. There are now
Surrounding the outer core is the mantle, which is about 1,800 miles geothermal power plants in seven states, with more in development.
(2,900 km) thick and made of magma and rock. The outermost layer Most of these geothermal power plants are in California with the
of the Earth, the land that forms the continents and ocean floors, is remainder in Nevada, Utah, Hawaii, Oregon, Idaho, and New Mexico.
called the crust. The crust is three to five miles (5-8 km) thick under Hawaii’s facility on the Big Island needed to be capped in 2018 due to
the oceans and 15 to 35 miles (24-56 km) thick on the continents. volcanic activity, but produced energy into 2018. It is being worked
The crust is not a solid piece, like the shell of an egg, but is broken on to reopen in the future.
into pieces called plates. Magma comes close to the Earth’s surface
near the edges of these plates. This is where volcanoes occur. The Finding Geothermal Energy
lava that erupts from volcanoes is magma that has reached the
What are the characteristics of geothermal resources? Some visible
Earth’s surface. Deep underground, the rocks and water in the crust
features of geothermal energy are volcanoes, hot springs, geysers,
absorb the heat from this magma.
and fumaroles. But you cannot see most geothermal resources. They
We can dig wells and pump the heated, underground water to the are deep underground. There may be no clues above ground that a
surface. People around the world use geothermal energy to heat geothermal reservoir is present below.
their homes and to produce electricity.
Geologists use different methods to find geothermal reservoirs. The
Geothermal energy is called a renewable energy source because only way to be sure there is a reservoir is to drill a well and test the
the water is replenished by rainfall and the heat is continuously temperature deep underground.
produced deep within the Earth. We won’t run out of geothermal
The most active geothermal resources are usually found along
energy.
major plate boundaries where earthquakes and volcanoes are
concentrated. Most of the geothermal activity in the world occurs in
an area called the Ring of Fire. This area borders the Pacific Ocean.
The Earth’s Interior
CRUST Hydrothermal Resources
There is more than one type of geothermal energy, but only one
MANTLE kind is widely used to make electricity. It is called hydrothermal
magma & rock energy. Hydrothermal resources have two common ingredients:
water (hydro) and heat (thermal). Depending on the temperature of
OUTER CORE the hydrothermal resource, the heat energy can either be used for
magma making electricity or for heating.

INNER ƒƒ Low Temperature Resources: Heating

CORE Hydrothermal resources at low temperatures (50-300°F, 10-150°C)
are located everywhere in the United States, just a few feet below the
ground. This low temperature geothermal energy is used for heating
homes and buildings, growing crops, and drying lumber, fruits, and
vegetables.
In the U.S., geothermal heat pumps are used to heat and cool homes
and public buildings. In fact, each year about 50,000 geoexchange
systems are installed in the U.S. Almost 90 percent of the homes and
businesses in Iceland use geothermal energy for space heating.
12 ©2019 The NEED Project Intermediate Energy Infobook www.NEED.org
 Geothermal Power Plant Residential Geoexchange Units
VERTICAL LOOP HORIZONTAL LOOP

POWER PLANT
2
3 INJECTION WELL

1
PRODUCTION WELL

Shallow Underground Pipes

Deep Underground Pipes
LL
EERRMMAA
T
T H
H O I
I R
R
GGEEOOSSEERRVVO
RREE
GGMMAA
MAA
M

1. Production Well: Geothermal fluids, such as hot water and steam, are
Ring of Fire
brought to the surface and piped into the power plant.
2. Power Plant: Inside the power plant, the geothermal fluid turns the turbine
blades, which spins a shaft, which spins magnets inside a large coil of wire to
generate electricity. NORTH
ASIA AMERICA
3. Injection Well: Used geothermal fluids are returned to the reservoir. AT L A N T I C
OCEAN
PA C I F I C
ƒƒ High Temperature Resources: Electricity OCEAN SOUTH
Hydrothermal resources at high temperatures (250-700°F, 150- AMERICA
370°C) can be used to make electricity. AUSTRALIA

These high-temperature resources may come from either dry

steam wells or hot water wells. We can use these resources by
drilling wells into the Earth and piping the steam or hot water to
the surface. Geothermal wells are one to two miles deep. Most of the geothermal activity in the world occurs around the
Pacific Ocean in an area called the Ring of Fire.
In a dry steam plant, the steam from the geothermal reservoir is
piped directly from a well to a turbine generator to make electricity.
In a hot water plant, some of the hot water is turned into steam.
The steam powers a turbine generator just like a dry steam plant.
When the steam cools, it condenses to water and is injected back Top Geothermal Producing States, 2017
into the ground to be used over and over again.
Geothermal energy produces only a small percentage of U.S.
electricity. Today, it produces almost 16 billion kilowatt-hours, or 5
less than one percent of the electricity produced in this country. OREGON

2
Geothermal Energy and the Environment 1 NEVADA 3
CALIFORNIA UTAH
Geothermal energy does little damage to the environment. Another
advantage is that geothermal plants don’t have to transport fuel,
like most power plants. Geothermal plants sit on top of their fuel
source. Geothermal power plants have been built in deserts, in the
middle of crops, and in mountain forests.
4
Geothermal plants produce almost no emissions because they do HAWAII
not burn fuel to generate electricity. Data: Energy Information Administration
*Hawaii plant not operational in 2018 and beyond.

©2019 The NEED Project Intermediate Energy Infobook www.NEED.org 13

 Hydropower

What Is Hydropower? History of Hydropower

Hydropower (the prefix hydro means water) is energy that comes Water has been used as a source of energy for centuries. The Greeks
from the force of moving water. used water wheels to grind wheat into flour more than 2,000 years
The movement of water between the Earth and the atmosphere ago. In the early 1800s, American and European factories used water
is part of a continuous cycle called the water cycle. The sun draws wheels to power machines.
moisture up from the oceans and rivers, and this moisture condenses The water wheel is a simple machine. The wheel picks up water in
into clouds. The moisture is released from the clouds as rain or snow. buckets located around the wheel. The weight of the water causes
The oceans and rivers are replenished with moisture, and the cycle the wheel to turn. Water wheels convert the energy of the moving
starts again. water into useful energy to grind grain, drive sawmills, or pump
Gravity causes the water on the Earth to move from places of high water.
ground to places of low ground. The force of moving water can be In the late 19th century, hydropower was first used on the Fox River
very powerful. in Appleton, WI to generate electricity. The first hydroelectric power
Hydropower is called a renewable energy source because it is plant was built in 1882. In the years that followed, many more
replenished by snow and rainfall. As long as the sun shines and the hydropower dams were built. By the 1940s, most of the best sites in
rain falls, we won’t run out of this energy source. the United States for large dams had been developed.
At about the same time, fossil fuel power plants began to be popular.
These plants could make electricity more cheaply than hydropower
plants. It wasn’t until the price of oil skyrocketed in the 1970s that
The Water Cycle people became interested in hydropower again.

Hydropower Dams
SOLAR ENERGY It is easier to build a hydropower plant on a river where there is a
natural waterfall, which is why a hydropower plant was built at
Niagara Falls. Building dams across rivers to produce artificial
waterfalls is the next best way.
CONDENSATION
(Gas to Liquid) Dams are built on rivers where the terrain of the land produces a
lake or reservoir behind it. Today there are about 87,000 dams in
the United States, but only 2,200 were built specifically to generate
electricity.
PRECIPITATION Most of the dams in the United States were built to control flooding,
EVAPORATION (Liquid or Solid) EVAPORATION to irrigate farm land, or for recreation, not for electricity production.
(Liquid to Gas) (Liquid to Gas) We could increase the amount of hydropower produced in this
country by putting equipment to generate electricity on many of
the existing dams.
OCEANS, LAKES, RIVERS
(Liquid) Hydropower Plants
Hydropower plants use modern turbine generators to produce
electricity just as coal, oil, or nuclear power plants do. The difference
is in the source used to spin the turbine.
A typical hydropower plant is a system that has three main parts:
a reservoir where water can be stored, a dam with gates to control
water flow, and a power plant where the electricity is produced.
A hydropower plant uses the force of flowing water to produce
electricity. A dam opens gates at the top to allow water from the

14 ©2019 The NEED Project Intermediate Energy Infobook www.NEED.org

 reservoir to flow down large tubes called penstocks. At the
bottom of the penstocks, the fast-moving water spins the blades
Hydropower and the Environment
of the turbines. The turbines are attached to generators to produce Hydropower is a clean energy source. A hydropower plant produces
electricity, which is transported along transmission lines to a utility no air pollution because it does not burn fuel, but it does affect the
company. environment in other ways.
When dams are built, water patterns and the amount of flow in
Storing Energy rivers are altered. Some wildlife and natural resources are also
affected. Many dams today have spillway gates to control the flow
One of the biggest advantages of hydropower dams is their of excess water, and incorporate fish ladders, elevators, and other
ability to store energy. After all, the water in the reservoir has devices to help fish swim up the river.
gravitational potential energy. Water can be stored in a reservoir
and released when electricity is needed. During the night, when On the positive side, hydropower’s fuel supply (flowing water) is
consumers use less electricity, the gates can be closed and water clean and renewable—replenished by the water cycle. There are also
held in the reservoir. Then, during the day, when consumers need other benefits. Dams can be designed to control flood water, and
more electricity, the gates can be opened so that the water can reservoirs provide lakes for boating, swimming, fishing, and other
flow through the plant to generate electricity. Plants that use recreational activities.
elevation to pump water backup at low demand and generate
electricity again at periods of higher demand are called pumped
storage facilities. Hydropower Plant GENERATOR view from above
MAGNETS

Amount and Cost of Hydropower COPPER COILS

RESERVOIR ROTATING
Depending upon the amount of rainfall during the year, SHAFT
hydropower can provide anywhere between five and ten percent Intake

AIL
of the country’s electricity. In 2017, hydropower provided about DAM

DET
7.3 percent of the nation’s electricity. Globally, hydropower is a GENERATOR SWITCHYARD
1
significant energy source, producing almost 17 percent of the PEN
STO 4
CK
world’s electricity. In South America, a little more than half of the 2 5
electricity is produced by hydropower.
3
Hydropower is the cheapest way to generate electricity in the 6 RIVER
TURBINE
United States today. Hydropower is cheaper than electricity from
coal or nuclear plants for many reasons. The fuel— flowing water—
does not have to be transported, and is free to use, unlike coal and 1. Water in a reservoir behind a hydropower dam flows through an intake screen,
which filters out large debris, but allows fish to pass through.
uranium.
2. The water travels through a large pipe, called a penstock.
3. The force of the water spins a turbine at a low speed, allowing fish to pass
Top Hydropower Producing States, 2017 through unharmed.
4. Inside the generator, the shaft spins coils of copper wire inside a ring of
1 magnets. This creates an electric field, producing electricity.
WASHINGTON
5 5. Electricity is sent to a switchyard, where a transformer increases the voltage,
3 MONTANA
4 allowing it to travel through the electric grid.
OREGON
NEW YORK
6. Water flows out of the penstock into the downstream river.

2
CALIFORNIA

Data: Energy Information Administration

©2019 The NEED Project Intermediate Energy Infobook www.NEED.org 15

 Natural Gas
What Is Natural Gas? History of Natural Gas
Natural gas is a fossil fuel like petroleum and coal. Natural gas is The ancient people of Greece, Persia, and India discovered natural
called a fossil fuel because it was formed from the remains of ancient gas many centuries ago. The people were mystified by the burning
sea plants and animals. When the plants and tiny sea animals died springs created when natural gas seeped from cracks in the ground
hundreds of millions of years ago, they sank to the bottom of the and was ignited by lightning. They sometimes built temples around
oceans where they were buried by sediment and sand. This eventually these eternal flames and worshipped the fire.
turned into sedimentary rock. The layers of plant and animal matter About 2,500 years ago, the Chinese recognized that natural gas
and sedimentary rock continued to build until the pressure and heat could be put to work. The Chinese piped the gas from shallow wells
from the Earth turned the remains into petroleum and natural gas. and burned it under large pans to evaporate sea water to make salt.
Natural gas is trapped in underground rocks much like a sponge traps In 1816, natural gas was first used in America to fuel street lamps in
water in pockets. Natural gas is really a mixture of gases. The main Baltimore, Maryland. Soon after, in 1821, William Hart dug the United
ingredient is methane. Methane has no color, odor, or taste. As a States’ first successful natural gas well in Fredonia, New York. It was
safety measure, natural gas companies add an odorant, mercaptan, just 27 feet deep, quite shallow compared to today’s wells. Today,
to the gas so that leaking gas can be detected (it smells like rotten natural gas is the country’s second largest supplier of energy, after
eggs). People use natural gas mostly for heating. Natural gas should petroleum.
not be confused with gasoline, which is made from petroleum.
Natural gas is almost always considered nonrenewable, which
means we cannot make more in a short time. However, there are
some renewable sources of methane, such as landfills.

OCEAN

OCEAN

Tiny Plants and Animals

SAND
SEDI AND
MEN SILT
T AN
D RO
CK

300
to 40
0 MI Trapped gas
LLIO
N YE
ARS Plant and Animal Remains
AGO
How Petroleum and
50 to
Natural Gas Were Formed 100
Tiny sea plants and animals died and
M
ILLIO Trapped oil
N YE
were buried on the ocean floor. ARS
Over hundreds of millions of years, the remains were AGO
burried deeper and deeper.
Heat and pressure turned the plant and animal remains into oil and
gas deposits. TOD
AY
Note: not to scale

16 ©2019 The NEED Project Intermediate Energy Infobook www.NEED.org

 Producing Natural Gas
Natural gas can be hard to find since it is often trapped in porous
Top Natural Gas Producing States, 2017
rocks deep underground. Scientists use many methods to find
natural gas deposits. They may look at surface rocks to find clues
about underground formations. They may set off small explosions
or drop heavy weights on the surface to record the sound waves as
they bounce back from the rock layers underground. 5
OHIO 2
Natural gas can be found in pockets by itself or in petroleum PENNSYLVANIA
PEN
deposits. Natural gas wells average more than 8,600 feet (2.5 km) 3
deep!
After natural gas comes out of the ground, it is sent to a plant 4
LOUISIANA
where it is cleaned of impurities and separated into its various
parts. Natural gas is mostly methane, but it also contains small
amounts of other gases such as propane and butane.
Today natural gas is produced in 35 states, though just five states Data: Energy Information Administration
ration

produce nearly 60 percent of our supply. Natural gas is also

produced offshore. A little less than 5 percent of natural gas
production came from offshore wells in 2017. Scientists estimate
that we have enough natural gas to last 80 years at current prices U.S. Natural Gas Consumption by Sector, 2017
and rate of consumption.
ELECTRICITY INDUSTRY
Natural gas can also come from other sources, such as the methane 34.1% 35.1%
gas found in coal. Coal bed methane was once considered just a
COMMERCIAL
safety hazard to miners, but now it is a valuable source of energy. 11.7%
Another source of natural gas is the gas produced in landfills.
Landfill gas, a biogas, is considered a renewable source of natural RESIDENTIAL PIPELINE FUEL AND
gas since it comes from something continually produced—trash. 16.3% TRANSPORTATION
2.9%
Data: Energy Information Administration
Shipping Natural Gas
Natural gas is usually shipped by pipeline. Over 2.4 million miles of
pipelines connect gas fields to cities, to homes, and to businesses.
Natural gas is sometimes transported thousands of miles in these Locations of Natural Gas
pipelines to its final destination. It can take up to a week to move
Coal Bed Methane
natural gas from Texas to New York.
Eventually, the gas reaches the city gate of a local gas utility. Smaller Conventional
pipes carry the gas the last few miles to homes and businesses. A Associated Gas
gas meter measures the volume of gas a consumer uses.
Seal
Conventional
Who Uses Natural Gas? Non-associated Gas Sandstone
Tight Sand Gas
Oil

Just about everyone in the United States uses natural gas. Natural
gas is used for 28.7 percent of U.S. energy. Industry burns natural Gas-rich Shale
gas for heat to manufacture goods. Natural gas is also used as an
ingredient in fertilizer, glue, paint, laundry detergent, and many
other items.
Residences, or homes, use natural gas for heating. Like residences,
commercial buildings use natural gas mostly for heating. Commercial
Natural Gas and the Environment
users include stores, offices, schools, churches, and hospitals. Burning biomass or any fossil fuel, including natural gas, releases
emissions into the air, including carbon dioxide, a greenhouse
Natural gas is also be used to generate electricity. It accounts for gas.
32.2 percent of U.S. electricity generated. Many new power plants
are using natural gas as fuel because it is cleaner burning and can Natural gas and propane are the cleanest burning fossil fuels.
produce electricity quickly when it is needed for periods of high Compared to coal and petroleum, natural gas releases much less
demand. sulfur, carbon dioxide, and ash when it is burned. Scientists are
looking for new sources of natural gas and new ways to use it.
A small amount of natural gas is also used as fuel for automobiles.
Natural gas is cleaner burning than gasoline, but to use it, vehicles
must have special equipment.

©2019 The NEED Project Intermediate Energy Infobook www.NEED.org 17

 Petroleum
What Is Petroleum? seeped to the surface of ponds and streams. The demand for oil
grew and, in 1859, Edwin Drake drilled the first oil well near Titusville,
Petroleum is a fossil fuel. Petroleum is often called crude oil, or oil. Pennsylvania.
It is called a fossil fuel because it was formed from the remains of tiny
At first, the crude oil was refined or made into kerosene for lighting.
sea plants and animals that died hundreds of millions of years ago.
Gasoline and other products made during refining were thrown
When the plants and animals died, they sank to the bottom of the
away because people had no use for them. This all changed when
oceans.
Henry Ford began mass producing automobiles in 1913. Everyone
Here, they were buried by thousands of feet of sand and sediment, wanted an automobile and they all ran on gasoline. Gasoline was the
which turned into sedimentary rock. As the layers increased, they fuel of choice because it provided the greatest amount of energy in
pressed harder and harder on the decayed remains at the bottom. relation to cost and ease of use.
The pressure and some heat changed the remains and, eventually,
Today, Americans use more petroleum than any other energy source,
petroleum was formed.
mostly for transportation. Petroleum provides 37.0 percent of the
Petroleum deposits are locked in porous rocks almost like water is energy we use.
trapped in a wet sponge. When crude oil comes out of the ground,
it can be as thin as water or as thick as tar. Petroleum is called a Producing Oil
nonrenewable energy source because it takes hundreds of millions
Geologists look at the types of rocks and the way they are arranged
of years to form. We cannot make new petroleum reserves.
deep within the Earth to determine whether oil is likely to be found
at a specific location. Even with new technology, oil exploration
History of Oil is expensive and often unsuccessful. Only about 60 percent of
People have used petroleum since ancient times. The ancient exploratory wells produce oil. When scientists think there may be
Chinese and Egyptians burned oil to light their homes. Before the oil in a certain place, a petroleum company brings in a drilling rig
1850s, Americans used whale oil to light their homes. When whale and raises an oil derrick that houses the tools and pipes they need
oil became scarce due to overfishing, people skimmed the oil that to drill a well. The typical oil well is over one mile deep. If oil is found,
a pump moves the oil through a pipe to the surface.

18 ©2019 The NEED Project Intermediate Energy Infobook www.NEED.org

 Top Petroleum Producing States, 2017 Products Produced From a Barrel of Oil, 2017
2 2.2% Heating Oil
NORTH DAKOTA
2.2% Heavy Fuel Oil
4.4% Liquefied
4 Petroleum Gases
CALIFORNIA
8.9% Jet Fuel
5
NEW MEXICO 13.3% Other Products
1
3 TEXAS
24.4% Diesel
ALASKA

Data: Energy Information Administration

44.4% Gasoline
A little less than one-sixth of the oil the U.S. produces comes from
offshore wells. Some wells are a mile under the ocean. Some of the
rigs used to drill these wells float on top of the water. It takes a lot of
money and technology to drill and find oil in the ocean.
Texas produces more oil than any other state, followed by North Data: Energy Information Administration

Dakota, Alaska, California, and New Mexico. Americans use much

more oil than we produce. Today, the U.S. imports about 40 percent
of the oil it consumes from other countries. Other Petroleum Products
Ink Enamel Pantyhose Fishing rods
From Well to Market Hand lotion Movie film Artificial limbs Dice
We can’t use crude oil as it comes out of the ground. We must Nail polish Balloons Antihistamines Fertilizers
change it into fuels that we can use. The first stop for crude oil is at a Heart valves Antiseptics Oil filters Electrical tape
petroleum refinery. A refinery is a factory that processes oil. Toothbrushes Aspirin Ballpoint pens Trash bags
The refinery cleans and separates the crude oil into many Dashboards Paint brushes Skis Insecticides
fuels and products. The most important one is gasoline. Other Crayons Purses Pajamas Floor wax
petroleum products are diesel fuel, heating oil, and jet fuel. Toothpaste Sunglasses Golf balls Shampoo
Industry uses petroleum as a feedstock to make plastics and Luggage Footballs Perfumes Cold cream
many other products. Parachutes Deodorant Cassettes Tires
Guitar strings Glue Contact lenses Cameras
Shipping Petroleum DVDs Dyes Shoe polish Detergents
After the refinery, most petroleum products are shipped out
through pipelines. There are about 190,000 miles (305,775 km) of
underground pipelines in the United States transporting refined
petroleum products. Pipelines are the safest and cheapest way to
U.S. Petroleum Consumption by Sector, 2017
move big shipments of petroleum. It can take two to three weeks to
TRANSPORTATION 71.2%
move a shipment of gasoline from Houston, Texas, to New York City.
Petroleum can also be moved over water in a tanker. INDUSTRIAL 23.4%
Special companies called jobbers buy petroleum products from oil RESIDENTIAL 2.4%
companies and sell them to gasoline stations and to other big users
such as industries, power companies, and farmers. COMMERCIAL 2.3%

Oil and the Environment ELECTRICITY 0.6%

Petroleum products—gasoline, medicines, fertilizers, and others— Data: Energy Information Administration
*Total does not equal 100% due to independent rounding.
have helped people all over the world, but there is a trade-off.
Petroleum production, exploration, and the use of petroleum
products cause air and water pollution. pollution. Even the careless disposal of waste oil drained from the
Drilling for and transporting oil can endanger wildlife and the family car can pollute rivers and lakes.
environment if it spills into rivers or oceans. Leaking underground The petroleum industry works hard to protect the environment.
storage tanks can pollute groundwater and create noxious fumes. Gasoline and diesel fuel have been changed to burn cleaner. And
Processing oil at the refinery can contribute to air and water oil companies work to make sure that they drill and transport oil as
pollution. Burning gasoline to fuel our cars contributes to air safely as possible.
©2019 The NEED Project Intermediate Energy Infobook www.NEED.org 19
 Propane
What Is Propane? History of Propane
Propane is an energy-rich gas that is included in raw petroleum and Propane has been around for millions of years, but it wasn’t
natural gas. Propane is found mixed with deposits of natural gas and discovered until 1912. Scientists were trying to find a better way
petroleum underground. Propane is called a fossil fuel because it to store gasoline, which had a tendency to evaporate when it was
was formed hundreds of millions of years ago from the remains of stored.
tiny sea animals and plants. An American scientist, Dr. Walter Snelling, discovered that propane
When the plants and animals died, they sank to the bottom of the gas could be changed into a liquid and stored at moderate pressure.
oceans where they were buried by layers of sediment and sand Just one year later, the commercial propane industry began heating
that turned into sedimentary rock. Over time, the layers became American homes with propane.
thousands of feet thick. The layers were subjected to enormous heat
and pressure, changing the remains into petroleum and natural gas
deposits. Pockets of these fossil fuels became trapped in rocks like a
Producing Propane
sponge holds water. Propane comes from natural gas and petroleum wells. About 70% of
the propane used in the United States comes from raw natural gas.
Propane is one of the many fuels that are included in the liquefied
Raw natural gas is about 90 percent methane, five percent propane,
petroleum gas (or LPG) family. In the United States, propane and
and five percent other gases. The propane is separated from the
LPG often mean the same thing, because propane is the most
other gases at a natural gas processing plant.
common type of LPG used. Just as water can be a liquid or a gas
(steam), so can propane. Under normal conditions, propane is a gas. The remainder of our propane supply comes from petroleum
Under pressure, propane becomes a liquid. refineries or is imported. Many gases are separated from petroleum
at refineries. Since the U.S. imports 40 percent of the petroleum we
Propane is stored as a liquid fuel in pressurized tanks because it
use, much of the propane is separated from this imported oil. About
takes up much less space in that form. Gaseous propane takes up
14% of U.S. propane supply is imported.
270 times more space than liquid propane. A thousand gallon tank
holding gaseous propane would provide a family enough cooking
fuel for one week. The same tank holding liquid propane would Transporting Propane
provide enough cooking fuel for over five years! Propane becomes a How does propane get to consumers? It is usually moved through
gas when it is released to fuel gas appliances. pipelines to distribution terminals across the nation. These
Propane is very similar to natural gas. Like natural gas, propane is distribution terminals are like warehouses that store goods before
colorless and odorless. An odorant, called mercaptan, is added to shipping it to stores. Sometimes in the summer, when people need
propane so escaping gas can be detected. And like all fossil fuels— less propane for heating, it is stored in large underground caverns.
coal, petroleum, natural gas—propane is a nonrenewable energy From the distribution terminals, propane goes by railroad, trucks,
source. That means we cannot renew our propane supplies in a short barges, and supertankers to bulk plants. A bulk plant is where local
period of time. propane dealers come to fill their small tank trucks. People who use
very little propane—backyard barbecue cooks, for example—must
take their propane tanks to dealers to be filled.
Liquefied Propane
,
As a gas How Propane Is Used
prop a n e
270
occupies re Propane provides the U.S. with a small percentage of its energy.
s m o
time Propane is used by industry, homes, farms, and businesses—mostly
an
space th for heating. It is also used as a transportation fuel.
n it is
whe ed
pressuriz id.
into a li q u ƒƒ Industry
About 61 percent of the propane we use is used by industry. Many
industries find propane well-suited for special needs. Metal workers
use small propane tanks to fuel cutting torches. Portable propane
heaters give construction and road workers warmth in cold weather.

Propane is also used to heat asphalt for highway construction and

ropane
Liquid P gallon repairs. And because propane burns so cleanly, forklift trucks pow-
1
Propane Volume =
Gaseous 70 gallons ered by propane can operate safely inside factories and warehouses.
2
Volume =

20 ©2019 The NEED Project Intermediate Energy Infobook www.NEED.org

 How Propane
Propane UsesIs Used

ƒƒ Homes U.S. Propane Consumption by Sector, 2017

Propane is mostly used in rural areas that do not have access to CHEMICAL AND INDUSTRIAL
natural gas service. Homes use propane for heating, hot water, 61.4%
cooking, and clothes drying. Many families have barbecue grills
fueled by propane gas. Some families have recreational vehicles TRANSPORTATION
equipped with propane appliances.
0.6%
COMMERCIAL
ƒƒ Farms 9.8%
Many of America’s farms rely on propane. Farmers use propane RESIDENTIAL
to dry crops, power tractors, and heat greenhouses and chicken 28.1%
coops.
Data: Energy Information Administration

ƒƒ Businesses
Businesses—office buildings, laundromats, fast-food restaurants,
and grocery stores—use propane for heating and cooking.
Propane Truck
ƒƒ Transportation Fuel
Propane has been used as a transportation fuel for many years.
Today, many taxicab companies, government agencies, and * Total does not equal 100% due to independent rounding.

school districts use propane instead of gasoline to fuel their fleets

of vehicles. Propane has several advantages over gasoline. First,
propane is cleaner-burning and leaves engines free of deposits. Bobtail trucks can carry 1,000 to 3,000 gallons
Second, engines that use propane emit fewer pollutants into the of liquid propane to local distributors.
air than engines that use gasoline.
Why isn’t propane used as a transportation fuel more often? For
one reason, it’s not as easy to find as gasoline. Have you ever seen
a propane filling station? Second, automobile engines have to Propane and the Environment
be adjusted to use propane fuel, and these adjustments can be Propane is a very clean burning fossil fuel, which explains its use
costly. Third, there is a slight drop in miles traveled per gallon when in indoor settings. It was approved as an alternative fuel under the
propane is used to fuel vehicles. Clean Air Act, as well as the National Energy Policy Act of 1992.
Chemical and Industrial
52%

©2019 The NEED Project Intermediate Energy Infobook www.NEED.org 21

 Solar
What Is Solar Energy? An active solar home, on the other hand, uses special equipment to
Fusion
collect sunlight. An active solar house may use special collectors that
Every day, the sun radiates (sends out) an enormous amount of lookThe
likeprocess
boxes of fusion
coveredmostwith
commonly involves hydrogen isotopes combining to
glass.
energy—called solar energy. It radiates more energy in one day form a helium atom with a transformation of matter. This matter is emitted as
Theseradiant energy. are mounted on the rooftop facing south to take
collectors
than the world uses in one year. This energy comes from within the
advantage of the winter sun. Dark-colored metal plates inside the
sun itself.
boxes absorb sunlight and change it into heat. (Black absorbs sunlight
Like most stars, the sun is a big gas ball made up mostly of hydrogen better than any other color.) Air or water flows through the collectors
and helium gas. The sun makes energy in its inner core in a process and is warmed byIsotope
the heat. The warm air or water is distributed
Hydrogen
called nuclear fusion. to the house, just as it would be with an ordinary Hydrogen Isotope
furnace system.
It takes the sun’s energy just a little over eight minutes to travel the Energy
93 million miles to Earth. Solar energy travels at the speed of light, or
Neutron Helium
186,000 miles per second, or 3.0 x 108 meters per second.
Only a small part of the visible radiant energy (light) that the
sun emits into space ever reaches the Earth, but that is more than
enough to supply all our energy needs. Every hour enough solar
energy reaches the Earth to supply our nation’s energy needs for a
year! Solar energy is considered a renewable energy source due to
this fact.
Solar Collector
Today, people use solar energy to heat buildings and water and On a sunny day, a closed car becomes a solar collector. Light energy passes
to generate electricity. Solar energy accounts for a very small through the window glass, is absorbed by the car’s interior, and converted into
percentage of U.S. energy—just under one percent. Solar energy is heat energy. The heat energy becomes trapped inside.
mostly used by residences and to generate electricity.
SOLAR ENERGY

Solar Collectors TRAPPED HEAT

Heating with solar energy is not as easy as you might think. Capturing
sunlight and putting it to work is difficult because the solar energy
that reaches the Earth is spread out over a large area. The sun does
not deliver that much energy to any one place at any one time.
The amount of solar energy an area receives depends on the time of
day, the season of the year, the cloudiness of the sky, and how close
you are to the Earth’s Equator.
A solar collector is one way to capture sunlight and change it into
usable heat energy. A closed car on a sunny day is like a solar collector.
As sunlight passes through the car’s windows, it is absorbed by the
seat covers, walls, and floor of the car. The absorbed light changes
into heat. The car’s windows let light in, but they don’t let all the heat
out. A closed car can get very hot! Passive Solar Home
SUMMER SUN
Solar Space Heating
Space heating means heating the space inside a building. Today, WINTER SUN
many homes use solar energy for space heating. A passive solar
home is designed to let in as much sunlight as possible. It is like a Overhang
big solar collector. creates shade HEAT CIRCULATION

Sunlight passes through the windows and heats the walls and floor
inside the house. The light can get in, but the heat is trapped inside.
A passive solar home does not depend on mechanical equipment, STORAGE OF HEAT IN THE FLOOR AND WALLS
such as pumps and blowers, to heat the house, whereas active solar
South North
homes do.

22 ©2019 The NEED Project Intermediate Energy Infobook www.NEED.org

 SOLAR WATER HEATER
Solar Water Heating
Solar energy can be used to heat water. Heating water for bathing,
dishwashing, and clothes washing is the second largest home
energy cost. Installing a solar water heater can reduce your water
heating bill by as much as 50 percent.
A solar water heater works a lot like solar space heating. In our
hemisphere, a solar collector is mounted on the south side of a roof
where it can capture sunlight. The sunlight heats water in a tank.
The hot water is piped to faucets throughout a house, just as it
would be with an ordinary water heater.

Solar Electricity
Solar energy can also be used to produce electricity. Two ways to
make electricity from solar energy are photovoltaics and solar
thermal systems. SOLAR PANELS (PHOTOVOLTAIC)
ƒƒ Photovoltaic Electricity
Photovoltaic comes from the words photo, meaning light, and
volt, a measurement of electricity. Sometimes photovoltaic cells are
called PV cells or solar cells for short. You are probably familiar with
photovoltaic cells. Solar-powered toys, calculators, and roadside
telephone call boxes all use solar cells to convert sunlight into
electricity.
Solar cells are made up of silicon, the same substance that makes up
sand. Silicon is the second most common substance on Earth. Solar
cells can supply energy to anything that is powered by batteries or
electric power.
Electricity is produced when radiant energy from the sun strikes the
solar cell, causing the electrons to move around. The action of the
electrons starts an electric current. The conversion of sunlight into SOLAR THERMAL ELECTRICITY
electricity takes place silently and instantly. There are no mechanical
parts to wear out.
Compared to other ways of making electricity, photovoltaic systems
are expensive and many panels are needed to equal the electricity
generated at other types of plants.
It can cost 10 to 30 cents per kilowatt-hour to produce electricity
from solar cells. Most people pay their electric companies about
12.9 cents per kilowatt-hour for the electricity they use, and large
industrial consumers pay less. Solar systems are often used to
generate electricity in remote areas that are a long way from electric
power lines.
In late 2015, the Solar Star power plant in California opened. It is
among the largest photovoltaic plants in the world, generating 579
megawatts of electricity—enough to power 255,000 homes.
ƒƒ Solar Thermal Electricity
Like solar cells, solar thermal systems, also called concentrated
solar power (CSP), use solar energy to produce electricity, but in
a different way. Most solar thermal systems use a solar collector
with a mirrored surface to focus sunlight onto a receiver that heats Image courtesy of U.S. Department of Energy
a liquid. The super-heated liquid is used to make steam to produce Parabolic troughs concentrate the sun’s radiant energy, heating fluid
electricity in the same way that coal plants do. There are CSP plants that is used to create steam. The steam turns a generator, which
in California, Arizona, Nevada, Florida, Colorado, and Hawaii. Many produces electricity.
of the world’s largest CSP facilities are located in California.
Solar energy has great potential for the future. Solar energy is free, damage the environment. It cannot be controlled by any one nation
and its supplies are unlimited. It does not pollute or otherwise or industry. If we can improve the technology to harness the sun’s
enormous power, we may never face energy shortages again.

©2019 The NEED Project Intermediate Energy Infobook www.NEED.org 23

 Uranium (Nuclear)
What Is Nuclear Energy? Fission
The splitting of the nucleus of an atom into nuclei
Nuclear energy is energy in the nucleus of an atom. Atoms are of lighter atoms, accompanied by the release
of energy.
building blocks of elements. There is enormous energy in the Lighter
bonds that hold atoms together. Atom Splits Element

Nuclear energy can be used to make electricity, but first the energy Neutron
must be released. It can be released from atoms in two ways: nuclear
fusion and fission. Neutron
Uranium
235 + Energy
Neutron
In nuclear fusion, energy is released when atoms are combined or fused
together to form a larger atom. This is how the sun produces energy. Lighter
Element
In nuclear fission, atoms are split apart to form smaller atoms,
releasing energy. Nuclear power plants use nuclear fission to
produce electricity. Pressurized Water Reactor
The fuel most widely used by nuclear plants for nuclear fission is ELECTRICITY ELECTRICITY
CONTAINMENT
uranium. Uranium is nonrenewable, though it is a common metal STRUCTURE 4 GENERATION TRANSMISSION
STEAM LINE
found in rocks all over the world. Nuclear plants use uranium as fuel GENERATOR
because its atoms are easily split apart. During nuclear fission, a TURBINE SWITCHYARD
6
small particle called a neutron hits the uranium atom and the atom 1
3 5
splits, releasing a great amount of energy as heat and radiation. 9
REACTOR
More neutrons are also released. These neutrons go on to bombard CONDENSER
7
other uranium atoms, and the process repeats itself over and over 8
2
again. This is called a chain reaction. DETAIL
COOLING WATER
History of Nuclear Energy PRESSURIZER RESERVOIR

Compared to other energy sources, fission is a very new way to CONTROL STEAM
RODS GENERATOR STEAM
produce energy. It wasn’t until the early 1930s that scientists 1. Inside the reactor core are the
discovered that the nucleus of an atom is made up of particles fuel assemblies, control rods,
1 and water. Fission takes place
called protons and neutrons. within the fuel assemblies and
WATER heats the water passing through
A few years later, scientists discovered that the nucleus of an atom 3
the reactor. Control rods absorb
could be split apart by bombarding it with a neutron—the process REACTOR neutrons to control fission.
we call fission. Soon they realized that enormous amounts of energy CORE
2. Water is piped through the
could be produced by nuclear fission. 2 reactor where it is heated.
During World War II, nuclear fission was first used to make a bomb. 3. It then travels to the steam generator where it heats a secondary system of water.
After the war, nuclear fission was used to generate electricity. Today,
4. The steam generator keeps the steam at a high pressure. The steam travels through a
it provides 20.0 percent of the electricity used in the United States. steam line to the turbine.

How a Nuclear Plant Works 5. The high pressure steam turns the turbine as it passes through, which spins a shaft.
The steam then travels through the condenser where it is condensed by cooling water
Most power plants burn fuel to produce electricity, but not nuclear and is pumped back into the steam generator to repeat its cycle.
power plants. Instead, nuclear plants use the heat given off during 6. The turbine spins a shaft that travels into the generator. Inside the generator, the
fission. Fission takes place inside the reactor of a nuclear power plant. shaft spins coils of copper wire inside a ring of magnets. This generates electricity.
At the center of the reactor is the core, which contains the uranium fuel. 7. Electricity is sent to a switchyard, where a transformer increases the voltage, allowing
it to travel through the electric grid.
The uranium fuel is formed into ceramic pellets. The pellets are
about the size of your fingertip, but each one produces about the 8. The unused steam continues into the condenser where cool water from the
environment (river, ocean, lake, reservoir) is used to condense it back into water. The
same amount of energy as 150 gallons (565 L) of oil. These energy- cooling water never comes in direct contact with the steam, so it is safe to return to
rich pellets are stacked end-to-end in 12-foot (3-4 m) metal fuel the environment.
rods. A bundle of fuel rods is called a fuel assembly. 9. The resulting water is pumped out of the condenser with a series of pumps, reheated
Fission generates thermal energy in a reactor just as coal generates and pumped back to the reactor vessel.
thermal energy in a boiler. The thermal energy is used to boil water
into steam. The steam turns huge turbine blades. As they turn, they
drive generators that make electricity.

24 ©2019 The NEED Project Intermediate Energy Infobook www.NEED.org

 Afterward, the steam is changed back into water and cooled. Some
plants use a local body of water for the cooling process; others use a Nuclear Safety
separate structure at the power plant called a cooling tower. The greatest potential risk from nuclear power plants is the
release of high-level radiation and radioactive material.
Spent (Used) Nuclear Fuel Radiation is energy given off by some elements and energy
transformations. There are natural and man-made sources
Every few years, the fuel rods must be replaced. Fuel that has been
of radiation that we are exposed to everyday. Very small
removed from the reactor is called spent fuel. Nuclear power plants
amounts of radiation are harmless to humans. Very high
do not produce a large quantity of waste, but this used fuel is highly
levels of radiation can damage or destroy the body’s cells and
radioactive.
can cause serious diseases such as cancer, or even death.
The spent fuel is usually stored near the reactor in a deep pool of
In the United States, plants are specifically designed to
water called the spent fuel pool. Here, the spent fuel cools down
contain radiation and radioactive material in the unlikely
and begins to lose most of its radioactivity through a natural
case of an accident. Emergency plans are in place to alert and
process called radioactive decay.
advise nearby residents if there is a release of radiation into
In three months, the spent fuel will have lost 50 percent of its the local environment. Nuclear power plants have harnessed
radiation; in a year, it will have lost about 80 percent; and in ten the energy from the atom for over 50 years in the United
years, it will have lost 90 percent. Nevertheless, because some States.
radioactivity remains for as long as 1,000 years, the spent fuel must
In 1979, at the Three Mile Island facility in Pennsylvania,
be carefully isolated from people and the environment.
the top half of the uranium fuel rods melted when coolant
water to one reactor was cut off in error. A small amount of
Spent Fuel Repository radioactive material escaped into the immediate area before
Many scientists think the safest place to store nuclear waste is the error was discovered. Due to the safety and containment
in underground rock formations called repositories. In 1982, features of the plant design, multiple barriers contained
Congress agreed and passed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act. This law almost all of the radiation. No injuries or fatalities occurred as
directed the Department of Energy to design and build America’s a result of the error.
first repository. In 1986, in the Ukraine (former Soviet Union) at the Chernobyl
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) originally looked at Yucca nuclear power plant, two steam explosions blew the top off
Mountain, Nevada, to be the site of a national spent nuclear fuel of Unit 4. A lack of containment structures and other design
repository. Some people supported the site at Yucca Mountain flaws caused the release of a large amount of radioactive
and others did not. The DOE withdrew this location as a possible material into the local community. More than 100,000 people
site, with intentions of pursuing a long-term solution. Until a final were evacuated from their homes and about 200 workers
storage solution is found, nuclear power plants will continue storing were treated for radiation sickness and burns. Several people
spent fuel at their sites in spent fuel pools or dry cask storage. were killed immediately, or died shortly after, with others
suffering longer term medical ailments.

Nuclear Energy and the Environment On March 11, 2011, an earthquake and resulting tsunami
struck Japan, killing and injuring tens of thousands of people.
Nuclear power plants have very little impact on the environment Prior to the earthquake, Japan generated a large percentage
unless there is an accident. Nuclear plants produce no air pollution of its electricity from nuclear power. In the Fukushima
or carbon dioxide, because no fuel is burned. Using nuclear energy prefecture (community), the Daiichi nuclear plant shut down
may be one way to solve air pollution problems and reduce as a result of the earthquake but suffered extraordinary
greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate damage from the tsunami. The damage caused a loss of
change. power that was required to keep the reactor and fuel rods
Nuclear power plants do require a lot of water for cooling. If the cool. The release of some radioactive material required that
water is taken from nearby rivers or lakes and returned at a higher residents within a 12 mile radius of the plant be evacuated.
temperature, it can disrupt the balance of organisms living in the Residents living between 12 and 19 miles from the affected
water habitat. power plant were asked to evacuate voluntarily. The Japanese
Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, the International
The major challenge of nuclear power is storage of the radioactive Atomic Energy Agency, health organizations, and the nuclear
spent fuel. Right now, all of the spent fuel is stored on site at the energy industry continue to investigate the area and restore
power plants. People also worry that an accident at a power plant it for residents. These groups are also monitoring the impact
could cause widespread damage and radioactive contamination. of the radiation released from the Daiichi nuclear power plant
People are using more and more electricity. Some experts predict both on the local environment and around the world.
that we will have to use more nuclear energy to produce the Nuclear energy remains a major source of electricity in the
amount of electricity people need at a cost they can afford. The United States and around the globe. The safe operation of
U.S. produces 20% of its total electricity from only 60 nuclear power nuclear power plants is important to quality of life and to the
plants, presently. health and safety of individuals worldwide.

©2019 The NEED Project Intermediate Energy Infobook www.NEED.org 25

 Wind

What Is Wind? Wind Direction

Wind is simply air in motion. It is caused by the uneven heating of A weather vane, or wind vane, is used to show the direction of the
the Earth’s surface by radiant energy from the sun. Since the Earth’s wind. A wind vane points toward the source of the wind. Wind
surface is made of very different types of land and water, it absorbs direction is reported as the direction from which the wind blows,
the sun’s energy at different rates. Water usually does not heat or not the direction toward which the wind moves. A north wind blows
cool as quickly as land because of its physical properties. from the north toward the south.
An ideal situation for the formation of local wind is an area where
land and water meet. During the day, the air above the land heats Wind Speed
up more quickly than the air above water. The warm air over the land
It is important in many cases to know how fast the wind is blowing.
expands, becomes less dense and rises.
Wind speed can be measured using a wind gauge or anemometer.
The heavier, denser, cool air over the water flows in to take its place,
One type of anemometer is a device with three arms that spin on
creating wind. In the same way, the atmospheric winds that circle
top of a shaft. Each arm has a cup on its end. The cups catch the
the Earth are created because the land near the Equator is heated
wind and spin the shaft. The harder the wind blows, the faster the
more by the sun than land near the North and South Poles.
shaft spins. A device inside counts the number of rotations per
Today, people use wind energy to make electricity. Wind is called minute and converts that figure into miles per hour. A display on the
a renewable energy source because the wind will blow as long as anemometer shows the speed of the wind.
the sun shines. Wind only accounts for a small amount of U.S. energy
consumption—a little more than two percent—but it is one of the
fastest growing renewable sources of energy, and generates over six History of Wind Machines
percent of U.S. electricity. Since ancient times, people have harnessed the wind’s energy. Over
5,000 years ago, the ancient Egyptians used the wind to sail ships on
the Nile River. Later, people built windmills to grind wheat and other
Sea Breeze grains. The early windmills looked like paddle wheels. Centuries later,
the people in Holland improved the windmill. They gave it propeller-
type blades, still made with sails. Holland is famous for its windmills.
In this country, the colonists used windmills to grind wheat and
corn, to pump water, and to cut wood at sawmills. Today, people
occasionally use windmills to grind grain and pump water, but they
also use modern wind turbines to make electricity.

Windmill Weather Vane Anemometer

Land Breeze

26 ©2019 The NEED Project Intermediate Energy Infobook www.NEED.org

 Today’s Wind Turbines
Like old-fashioned windmills, today’s wind turbines use blades to
Wind Turbine Diagram
capture the wind’s kinetic energy. Wind turbines work because they

Blade
slow down the speed of the wind. When the wind blows, it pushes
against the blades of the wind turbine, making the rotor spin. The
parts of a turbine work together to power a generator to produce
electricity. Rotor Hub Low-speed shaft
Low
Most wind turbines have the same basic parts: blades, shafts, gears, a Gear box
generator, and a cable. (Some turbines do not have gear boxes.) These
parts work together to convert the wind’s energy into electricity. High-speed shaft
1. The wind blows and pushes against the blades on top of the
tower. The blades catch the wind and spin the rotor.
2. The rotor is connected to a low-speed shaft. When the rotor Nacelle

de
Bla
spins, the shaft turns. The shaft is connected to a gear box. The
gears in the gear box increase the speed of the spinning motion
on a high-speed shaft. All of the gears are housed inside the Tower
nacelle.
Generator
3. The high-speed shaft is connected to a generator. As the shaft
turns inside the generator, it produces electricity. WIND FARM
4. The electricity is sent through cables down the turbine tower to
a transformer and then to a transmission line.
The amount of electricity that a turbine produces depends on its size
and the speed of the wind. Wind turbines come in many different
sizes. A small turbine may power one home. Large wind turbines
can produce enough electricity to power up to 1,000 homes. Large
turbines are sometimes grouped together to provide power to the
electricity grid. The grid is the network of power lines connected
together across the entire country.

Wind Power Plants

Wind power plants, or wind farms, are clusters of wind turbines
used to produce electricity. A wind farm usually has dozens of wind
turbines scattered over a large area.
The first offshore wind farm in the United States, off the coast of
Choosing the location of a wind farm is known as siting a wind farm.
Block Island, Rhode Island, began operating in 2016. It includes five
The wind speed and direction must be studied to determine where
turbines that power 17,000 homes. More offshore wind farms are
to put the turbines. As a rule, wind speed increases with height, as
planned on the Atlantic coastline.
well as over open areas with no windbreaks.
Turbines are usually built in rows facing into the prevailing wind.
Placing turbines too far apart wastes space. If turbines are too close Wind Production
together, they block each other’s wind. Wind produces only a small amount of the electricity this country
The site must have strong, steady winds. Scientists measure the uses, but the amount is growing every year. One reason wind farms
winds in an area for several years before choosing a site. The best don’t produce more electricity is that they can only run when the
sites for wind farms are on hilltops, on the open plains, through wind is blowing at certain speeds. On Midwestern wind farms,
mountain passes, and near the coasts of oceans or large lakes. Texas, the wind is optimum for producing electricity between 65 and 90
the number one producer of wind energy in the U.S., has plentiful percent of the time.
open space with steady winds. The Midwest and Rocky Mountain
states are also prime states for wind energy production. Environmental Impacts
The wind blows stronger and steadier over water than over land. In some areas, people worry about the birds and bats that may
There are no obstacles on the water to block the wind. There is a lot be injured by wind turbines. Some people believe wind turbines
of wind energy available offshore. produce a lot of sound, and some think turbines affect their view of
Offshore wind farms are built in the shallow waters off the coast of the landscape.
major lakes and oceans. Offshore turbines produce more electricity On the other hand, wind is a clean, renewable energy source that
than turbines on land, but they cost more to build and operate. produces no air pollution. And wind is free to use. Wind power may
not be the perfect answer to our electricity needs, but it is a valuable
part of the solution.
©2019 The NEED Project Intermediate Energy Infobook www.NEED.org 27