Workers install apparatus for an ocean thermal energy conversion testing since 1994 at Hawaii's Natural Energy Laboratory. Credit to: A. Resnick, Makai Ocean Engineering, Inc. Renewable energy is significant because of the benefits it delivers. The key benefits are:
Environmental Benefits
Renewable energy technologies are the clean sources of energy. It has as much lower environmental impact than predictable energy technologies.
Energy For Our Children's Children
Renewable energy will not run out and will not deplete. Ever. Other sources of energy are finite and will someday be depleted.
Jobs And The Economy
Most renewable energy reserves are spent on materials and workmanship to build and maintain the services, rather than on costly energy imports. Renewable energy investments are usually spent within the United States, commonly in the same state, and often in the same town. This means your energy dollars stay home to create more jobs and fuel local economies, rather than going overseas finding geo-jobs.
For the meantime, renewable energy technologies developed and built in the United States are being sold overseas, providing a boost to the U.S. trade deficit.
Energy Security
After the oil supply commotions of the early 1970s, our nation has increased its dependence on foreign oil supplies instead of decreasing it. This increased necessity impacts more than just our national energy policy.
Are We Ready to Switch To Renewable Energy?
What does the future hold? Will much of us continue to bear the full and changeable costs of fossil fuels? The answer is no, not for long if we consider that the main oil and gas producers prefer to produce clean energy in their own territory while gaining higher returns from foreign energy consumption.
Even if the states do consider the cost of fossil fuels when subventions are removed, we still need to think of two more questions ahead:
1) How can we keep set-up costs down during this changeover?
2) Where will the initial capital come from for renewable energy investments?
Our water, electricity and public transportation must become supportable and effective. Our personal ingesting choices might have to change too as government enticements now lean toward sustainability. We also can reduce the costs of a renewable energy transition by using public transportation, participating in a sharing economy, and developing cooperatives.
