Every creature is better alive than dead, men and moose and pine trees, and he who understands it aright will rather preserve its life than destroy it.

Henry David Thoreau

Environment

Renewable Energy

GHG Emissions

Renewable Energy

Renewable energy sources like wind, solar, geothermal, hydrogen and biomass play an important role in the future of the United States. The table below, courtesy of the Department of Energy, provides energy consumption statistics from all sources, including renewable energy.

U.S. Energy Consumption by Energy Source, 2003-2007 (Quadrillion Btu)

Energy Source	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2007
Total	98.209	100.351	100.503	99.861	101.605	100%
Fossil Fuels	84.078	85.830	85.816	84.662	86.253	85%
Coal	22.321	22.466	22.795	22.452	22.786
Coal Coke Net Imports	0.051	0.138	0.044	0.061	0.025
Natural Gas^a	22.897	22.931	22.583	22.191	23.625
Petroleum^b	38.809	40.294	40.393	39.958	39.818
Electricity Net Imports	0.022	0.039	0.084	0.063	0.106	0%
Nuclear	7.959	8.222	8.160	8.214	8.415	8%
Renewable	6.150	6.261	6.444	6.922	6.830	7%
Biomass^c	2.817	3.023	3.154	3.374	3.615
Biofuels	0.414	0.513	0.595	0.795	1.018
Waste	0.401	0.389	0.403	0.407	0.431
Wood Derived Fuels	2.002	2.121	2.156	2.172	2.165
Geothermal	0.331	0.341	0.343	0.343	0.353
Hydroelectric Conventional	2.825	2.690	2.703	2.869	2.463
Solar/PV	0.064	0.065	0.066	0.072	0.080
Wind	0.115	0.142	0.178	0.264	0.319

^a Includes supplemental gaseous fuels.
^b Petroleum products supplied, including natural gas plant liquids and crude oil burned as fuel.
^c Biomass includes: biofuels, waste (landfill gas, MSW biogenic, and other biomass), wood and wood-derived fuels.
MSW=Municipal Solid Waste.

For more information about renewable energy, please visit the Department of Energy website.

Electricity from renewable sources is readily available for those who desire to buy it to meet all or part of their electricity needs. There are two ways to "go green", the first is to buy electricity generated from renewable sources, such as a hydroelectric generating station or a wind farm, and the second is to buy Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) to offset (convert) the non-renewable sourced electricity to renewable. RECs are generated when electricity is produced from renewable sources and are available for purchase from most retail providers and from independent brokers.

Electricity that comes from renewable sources generally costs the customer a premium because it is in relatively short supply and it costs retail electric providers a premium. Buying electricity from renewable sources through a retail electric provider is the most practical way for smaller users to utilize renewable energy because REC’s are not generally available for purchase in small quantities as would be needed by a small to medium commercial business or a residence.

SYR Solutions strongly supports the use of electricity from renewable sources. We can assist businesses with purchasing electricity produced from renewable sources, or purchasing RECs to convert all or part of their purchased electricity to renewable sourcing to satisfy requirements of The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system or for other needs.