Energe sources - Research Paper Example

Generally unlike fossil fuels which are considered to be expensive, pollutants and non-renewable energy, the new alternative energy sources like wind and solar energy should be encouraged and supported by the federal government in an attempt to curb the nation’s increased demand for conventional fuel. This paper proposes the development and support of solar energy and wind power as some of the best alternative sources that should receive government assistance to enable the country address some of its energy related challenges.

Solar energy Solar energy refers to the clean energy that is derived from the sun in form of solar radiation. Generally the current technology primarily harnesses solar energy either through the use of solar thermal collectors or the more complex photovoltaic cells. Although currently only 1% of the total energy consumed in America is derived from solar energy, the renewable energy source has got immense potential in the future and is consequently one of the best energy sources that should receive federal funding and support. . According to Bradford “this is a relatively large area with an untapped potential to produce up to 76,000MW of clean photovoltaic electricity.”(106). On the other hand, there is also a huge energy potential in solar thermal power plants.

Although critics argue that such plants often occupy large tracks of land, a comparison of their electricity output verses land size reveals that solar thermal plants use significantly less land than hydroelectric power or coal plants. It is also worth noting that adopting solar energy will significantly help the government in its efforts to reduce the emission of green house gasses that have been largely associated with the fossil fuels. This is particularly because solar power is a clean energy source that does not produce any green house gases, smoke or other chemical by products.

Consequently as a green energy technology, assisting the development of solar energy will also help the United States to be a leader in addressing the issue of climate change and curbing emissions. Lastly solar energy is a decentralized power source that does not need to be transported from one place to the other within the country or internationally and therefore its adoption will bring additional benefits such as reduced pollution due to transport as well as less tear and wear of our roads (Scheer, 67).

Generally the role and purpose of the federal government in the development of solar energy include the provision of incentives such as loan guarantees and tax credits, funding researches on solar energy and developing policies that support investment in such renewable energy sources. Wind power Wind power is another