Americans Are Using More Renewable Energy Resources

Map showing the installed U.S. wind power name...
Image via Wikipedia

A new government study shows that Americans are using less energy overall and making more use of renewable energy resources. The average American household uses about 95 million BTU per year.

Wind power increased dramatically in 2009 to.70 quads of primary energy compared to .51 in 2008. Most of that energy is tied directly to electricity generation and thus helps decrease the use of coal for electricity production.

The increase in renewables is a really good story, especially in the wind arena, it’s a result of very good incentives and technological advancements.

In 2009, the technology got better and the incentives remained relatively stable.The investments put in place for wind in previous years came online in 2009. Even better, there are more projects in the pipeline for 2010 and beyond.

The ratio of energy services to the total amount of energy used is a measure of the country’s energy efficiency. Carbon emissions data are expected to be released later this year, but Simon suspects they will tell a similar story.

Related articles by Zemanta
Enhanced by Zemanta

{ 0 comments }

New Renewable Energy Plant in California

Image via Wikipedia The Beacon Solar Energy Project will be a step forward for California coming closer to the law that was set out for investor-owned utility companies to produce 20 percent of their energy from renewable sources, such as solar. Although it is not promising that the 20 percent mark will not be reached [...]

Read the full article →

Magnetic Generator Used for Wireless Communications

Image via Wikipedia In the 1890s, Tesla experimented with the concept as a possible alternative to Marconi’s wireless telegraph. But the device’s relatively short range and high signal noise made it impractical for widespread use. Now a team focused on a concept developed over a century ago by Nikola Tesla, had shown that a magnetic [...]

Read the full article →

Smart Phone Apps To Save Energy At Home

Image by rahen z via Flickr The Wiser Home Control allows anyone with a home using the Wiser management system to wirelessly check in with the system. It allows the device to serve as a sort of remote control that can turn on different systems or appliances, and turn them off too. It can provide [...]

Read the full article →

Solar Energy Products Need Environmentally Responsible Standards

A new study by the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition has found that much of the solar energy industry still lacks widespread standards to make its products as environmentally safe and “green” as the renewable energy it produces. While solar energy may be one of the fastest growing forms of energy in the country, a new [...]

Read the full article →

How Does Solar Power Work for Homes

Image by Dave Dugdale & SolarDave.com Most homes get electricity from the local power company. The local power company is part of what is called “the grid”. The electricity from the grid enters our home trough a meter. By adding solar energy or PV to our homes, the home can generate its own electricity. First, [...]

Read the full article →

Arnold Schwarzenegger Calling for a National Standard for Renewable Power

Image via Wikipedia 29 Governors, including Arnold Schwarzenegger are calling for a national standard for renewable power that they believe will could help spur job growth, economic development and make the U.S. less dependent on foreign fuel. A report, compiled by the bipartisan Governors’ Wind Energy Coalition also recommended that utilities be required to obtain [...]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries