Sustainable Energy

What is sustainable energy?
What are some examples of sustainable energy?
What is being done in Pennsylvania to conserve energy?
What is being done in Meadville, PA, to conserve energy?

The availability of nonrenewable energy is decreasing at a rapid rate, as people find themselves dependent on foreign oil as their means of transportation and homeowners continue to adopt poor energy conservation habits. The ever-decreasing amount of nonrenewable energy has created related problems. Fuel prices continue to go up, and the nation's pristine wilderness areas are now being considered as possible oil and coal sources. If people wish continue traveling and living at a relatively inexpensive cost, as they have been, then it is necessary to explore and adopt methods of sustainable energy, which is readily and continuously available.

There are several examples of sustainable energy. Biomass power uses plant and plant derived materials to develop fuels, such as ethanol or soy diesel from corn or grain. Hydropower systems use dams to store river water for release through a hydroelectric plant, where the water drives a turbine, producing electricity. Geothermal power is derived from heat occurring naturally underground. The most common form of geothermal energy in Pennsylvania comes from shallow well heat pumps, which maintain a constant temperature within the earth's upper crust. Solar power is light or heat energy that has been converted into electricity. Photovoltaic cells directly convert the sun's energy into electricity, and reflective materials can concentrate the sun's heat energy and activate a generator.

In Pennsylvania, Sustainable Energy Funds (SEFs), created by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, provide financing for projects that promote renewable energy, clean energy technologies, and energy conservation and efficiency. The Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant (AFIG) Program, created in 1992, provides financial assistance and information on alternative fuels and vehicles. It's overall goals are to reduce PA's dependence on foreign crude, improve PA's environmental quality, and encourage and financially help commercialize innovative energy-efficient technologies.

The Meadville Community Energy Project, formed in 1997 through Allegheny College's Center for Economic and Environmental Development, is a nonprofit, community-based organization. It aims to eliminate the needless waste of energy in Meadville while keeping money in the community, rather than sending it to large energy companies elsewhere.