Where does energy come from?
Energy is like food — we need it every day, but we don’t often think about where it comes from or what it takes to produce it. To keep the lights on (and other important functions) every day, we can’t depend on one single source of energy. In fact, energy used to make electricity in the U.S. comes from a variety of sources. Fossil fuels account for 81% of electricity, with natural gas and coal producing 61.8%. Natural Gas produces 31.7% of our electricity, and nuclear power produces 18%. Hydropower is responsible for only 7.5%, followed by other renewables including biomass, geothermal, solar and wind. Solar electricity is a rising trend; however, it only produces 1.3% of our electricity. An article by Direct Energy summed it up well, “The diversity of the United States’ production of electricity mirrors its diversity as a nation." The United States depends on a variety of resources to provide energy. When the sun is not shining, we don’t get much electricity from solar energy. When the wind is not blowing, wind energy is minimal. Balance provides consistent energy availability.
Lesson
Free
4th - 8th
