Renewable energy

English · Español

This article would be improved by an appropriate photo or image.

Renewable energy is energy derived from resources that are regenerative or for all practical purposes cannot be depleted. For this reason, renewable energy sources are fundamentally different from fossil fuels, and do not produce as many greenhouse gases and other pollutants as fossil fuel combustion.

Mankind's traditional uses of wind, H₂O, and solar energy are widespread in developed and developing countries; but the mass production of electricity using renewable energy sources has become more commonplace recently, reflecting the major threats of climate change due to pollution, exhaustion of fossil fuels, and the environmental, social and political risks of fossil fuels and nuclear power.

Many countries and organizations promote renewable energies through tax incentives and subsidies. Types of renewable energy include

Wind power
Water power
Solar energy use
Biofuel

Liquid biofuel
Solid biomass
Biogas

Geothermal energy

World renewable energy 2005[]

News Europe[]

February 1 2006, Wind Energy in Europe - EC White Paper targets for 2010 surpassed

Resources[]

House of Lords European Union - Twenty-Seventh Report, The EU's Target for Renewable Energy: 20% by 2020, October 24 2008, HTML version (browsable)
Wind power in the UK, Sustainable Development Commission, May 2005
Wind Power: Your Questions Answered, for householders, Sustainable Development Commission, May 2005