Milestone 1 sci 220

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Southern New Hampshire University *

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Information Systems

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Apr 3, 2024

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Nicole Liggiero IDS 400 November 9, 2023 Milestone 1

To produce electricity, the US employs a wide range of energy sources and technological advancements. Over time, the sources and technologies have evolved, with certain ones becoming more prevalent than others ( Electricity in the U.S. (EIA) , 2023). Although it is undeniable that fossil fuels have dominated the American energy mix for more than a century, the balance has undergone certain changes throughout time. In particular, the industrial, transportation, residential, and commercial sectors have historically used coal extensively. Although coal consumption has more than doubled since 1950, the U.S. economy no longer uses coal in the same way and for the same purposes. Less than 20% of coal was used for electricity generation in 1950, while 90% of the more than one billion tons used in 2011 went toward this purpose (Kille, 2020). About 20% of the energy needed in the United States is currently supplied by natural gas, up from 17% in 1950 but down from 30% in 1970 (Kille, 2020). Gas-fired power plants produced 16% of all electricity by 2000 and 25% by 2011 (Kille, 2020). Almost continuously since 1970, hydropower produced 257 billion kilowatt hours of electricity in 2010. Nevertheless, it continues to be the most significant renewable energy source, accounting for almost two-thirds of the industry's output (Kille, 2020). In the US, wind power is the electricity generation source with the fastest rate of growth. In a ratio of one to 48, natural gas added 132 gigawatts of capacity while wind added 2.7 between 1999 and 2002 (Kille, 2020). In contrast to wind, which contributed 33.2 gigawatts (a 1,130% increase) between 2003 and 2010, natural gas added only 93.6 gigawatts (a 29% decrease over the previous period's additions), for a ratio of 1 to 2.8 (Kille, 2020). About 10.2% of all utility-scale electricity generated in the United States in 2022 came from wind energy, which also accounted for 47.6% of all electricity generated from renewable sources ( Electricity in the U.S. (EIA) , 2023). Wind energy is transformed into electricity by wind turbines.

In 2022, solar energy generated 15.9% of the utility-scale electricity generated from renewable sources and contributed around 3.4% of the total utility-scale electricity generated in the United States ( Electricity in the U.S. (EIA) , 2023). The two primary solar energy generation technologies are photovoltaic (PV) and solar-thermal. PV conversion uses a photovoltaic cell to directly generate power from sunshine. Steam turbines are used in the majority of solar-thermal power plants to produce electricity. About 0.06 trillion kWh of power was produced using small- scale solar photovoltaic systems ( Electricity in the U.S. (EIA) , 2023). The total energy consumed in the United States in 2010 was almost 98 quads. This represents a significant rise over its 1950–1990 values. It is, therefore, just lower than the 2007 peak energy consumption of roughly 101.4 quads ( U.S. Energy Facts Explained - Consumption And Production (EIA) , 2023). Significant changes have been made to both renewable (solar, wind, and hydropower) and non-renewable (coal, petroleum, and natural gas) resources since 2010. More specifically, the amount of coal consumed annually has decreased as a result of a fall in the demand for coal and an increase in the proportion of coal with lower heat content used by the electric power industry ( U.S. Energy Facts Explained - Consumption And Production (EIA) , 2023). The EIA research estimates that coal use in 2021 was 10.55 quads or almost 11% of the country's total energy consumption. The COVID-19 pandemic was a major factor in the decline in petroleum consumption in 2020 and 2021 when considering oil's place in the present American energy mix. With a total of 31.3 quads, natural gas is still widely employed in the production of power as well as in the commercial, industrial, and residential sectors ( U.S. Energy Facts Explained - Consumption And Production (EIA) , 2023). Accordingly, in 2021, the United States' overall energy consumption was made up of approximately 32% natural gas use ( U.S. Energy Facts Explained - Consumption And Production (EIA) , 2023).

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The main effect of the American energy system on the environment is air pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, and mercury are examples of these emissions. An estimated 13 million metric tons (Mt) of methane leakage occur annually from the oil and natural gas supply chain (fracking wells, pipelines); this amounts to 2.3% of the gross domestic gas output in the United States ( U.S. Energy System Factsheet , n.d.). This methane leak has a nearly 30-degree global warming potential, which translates to 387 Mt of CO2e or 6.1% of all CO2 emissions in the United States in 2021 ( U.S. Energy System Factsheet , n.d.). In 2021, the United States' greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 2.1% from 1990 levels. Fuel combustion accounted for 73% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States in 2021. The environment is also impacted by other energy sources ( U.S. Energy System Factsheet , n.d.). For instance, the construction of large hydroelectric power plants results in habitat degradation and fish kills; wind turbines alter landscapes in ways that some find unappealing and can increase bird and bat mortality; nuclear power generation is associated with issues such as radioactive waste and a high energy requirement to build the plants and mine uranium ( U.S. Energy System Factsheet , n.d.). Since the main source of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States is fossil fuels, employing renewable energy can help cut down on the amount of fossil fuel consumed. Renewable energy has the potential to significantly impact greenhouse gas emissions reduction, energy security, and availability in the United States if further investments are made and it keeps growing. There will be consequences for plants, animals, and ecosystems if we do not pursue clean energy.

References Electricity in the U.S. - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) . (February 2023). https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/electricity/electricity-in-the-us.php Kille, L. W. (2020, December 17). Energy in the United States: Overview and key statistics - The Journalist's Resource . The Journalist’s Resource. https://journalistsresource.org/environment/u-s-energy-overview-key-statistics-2012/ #:~:text=Residential%20consumption%20increased%20from%2039.3,of%20all%20U.S. %20energy%20consumption . U.S. energy facts explained - consumption and production - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) . (n.d.). https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/us-energy-facts/ U.S. energy System Factsheet . (n.d.). Center for Sustainable Systems. https://css.umich.edu/publications/factsheets/energy/us-energy-system- factsheet#:~:text=Life%20Cycle%20Impacts,%2C%20particulate%20matter%2C %20and%20mercury.

Milestone 1 sci 220

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