Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How reliable are renewables such as wind and solar power?

A. When connected to the grid, solar and wind power actually improve the reliability of the electric system; customers can expect the same (or better) electric service that they currently enjoy with traditional resources.

Q. How does wind power work?

A. Wind power captures air currents using turbine blades. As the blades rotate, electricity is generated. Constant innovations in technology have made this one of the most pervasive forms of renewable technology. The American Wind Energy Association provides more specific information about small wind power options.

Q. What is biopower and biomass?

A. Biopower is the generation of electricity from organic material, primarily through a combustion process. Biomass feedstocks include dedicated crops, such as switchgrass and willow; segregated organic waste, such as agricultural residues; clean wood waste; and, methane gas captured from landfills.

Q. What is geothermal energy?

A. Geothermal energy is generating electricity from underground heat. Geothermal power produces little to no air pollution and is extremely reliable during the lifetime of the power plant. This technology reduces the amount of energy needed to heat water and drive industrial processes, again reducing the use of polluting fuels. Geothermal energy producers are experimenting with ways to re-inject the waters they have extracted in order to prolong the life span of the heated reservoirs they tap for power.

Q. Are large hydro facilities, such as the Hoover Dam, a good source of renewable energy?

A. Usually not. High-impact hydro facilities reduce the flow of water from a river, which changes the landscape it flows through and can, in turn, affect the ecosystem’s flora and fauna. A dam holds back sediments, especially the heavy gravel and cobbles. The river, deprived of its sediment load, seeks to recapture it by eroding the downstream channel and banks, undermining bridges and other riverbank structures. Riverbeds are typically eroded by several meters within a decade of first closing a dam; the damage can extend for tens or even hundreds of kilometers below a dam. Within nine years of closing the Hoover Dam, the riverbed below the dam had lowered by more than 4 meters. Riverbed deepening will also lower the groundwater table along a river, threatening vegetation and local wells in the floodplain and requiring crop irrigation in places where there was previously no need. The depletion of riverbed gravels reduces habitat for many fish that spawn in the gravelly river bottom, and for invertebrates such as insects, mollusks, and crustaceans. Changes in the physical habitat and hydrology of rivers are implicated in 93 percent of freshwater fauna declines in North America.(1)

In the context of renewable energy, low-impact, small-scale hydro and micro-hydro projects (those installations producing less than 20 megawatts of electricity) are considered by some as more environmentally sensitive and appropriate than traditional large-scale projects.

Q. What’s the difference between “renewable” and “clean energy” or “green energy”?

A. “Renewables” are also sometimes called “clean energy ” or “green energy,” though there is no universally recognized definition of these terms. The term “clean energy” often refers to energy that comes from non-polluting (zero emissions) sources, though many believe that energy with low emissions should also be called “clean energy.” “Green energy” often refers to energy that is voluntarily purchased by consumers because it is produced in a manner that is less harmful to the environment.

Q. Where can I find details to know whether the energy I use is “green”?

A. For more detailed information on green energy, visit the Renewable Energy Policy Project (REPP) web site. The Green-E  web site has in-depth information about the specifics of the Green-E program, which works with environmentalists and interested parties to define and certify “green energy” products nationwide. Additionally, a collaborative effort between environmentalists and the Pace Law School Energy Project yielded the Power ScoreCard evaluation tool to provide standard measurement techniques to consumers who are purchasing green power.