Until the mid-1800s, wood was the source of nearly all of the nation's energy needs for heating, cooking, and lighting. Today, fossil fuels—coal, petroleum, and natural gas—have been the major sources of energy. Hydropower and solid biomass were the most used renewable energy resources until the 1990s. Since then, the shares of U.S. energy consumption from biofuels, solar, and wind energy have increased.

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Renewable energy plays an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Using renewable energy can reduce the use of fossil fuels, which are major sources of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions. The consumption of biofuels and other non-hydroelectric renewable energy sources in the United States more than doubled from 2000 to 2018, mainly because of state and federal government requirements and incentives to use renewable energy. The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects that U.S. renewable energy consumption will continue to increase through 2050.

 

The major types of renewable energy sources are

• • Hydropower

  • Geothermal

  • Wind

  • Solar

  • Biomass

    • Wood and wood waste

    • Municipal solid waste

    • Landfill gas and biogas

    • Ethanol

    • Biodiesel

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One tangible idea is a microgrid is a local energy grid with control capability, which means it can disconnect from the traditional grid and operate autonomously. A microgrid generally operates while connected to the grid, but importantly, it can break off and operate on its own using local energy generation in times of crisis like storms or power outages, or for other reasons. A microgrid can be powered by distributed generators, batteries, and/or renewable resources like solar panels. Depending on how it’s fueled and how its requirements are managed, a microgrid might run indefinitely.