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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


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 Gasa 22.897 22.931 22.583 22.191 23.625 
  Petroleumb 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%
    Biomassc 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.