Electrical power around the globe is still primarily generated by fossil fuel. Legislators, environmentalists and others who have an interest in saving our planet abhor this.
Green energy, the use of renewable electrical energy by means of wind, sun and water, is promoted extensively in just about every country on the planet by environmentalists, researchers and others concerned with the harm carcinogens are causing the environment. Fossil fuel, unfortunately, still remains the number one source of electrical power.
In February of 2007 the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA published its latest report on climactic conditions and the use and means of electrical energy. This 2007 February was reportedly the coldest since we first started keeping U.S. records in 1895. The nation averaged 32.86 degrees Fahrenheit. This was nearly two degrees below the mean temperature for the entire 20th century. During the month, the heating degree days turned out to be just under 16 percent higher than the prior February and well over 15 percent higher than what is considered normal. As a result of this colder weather and its resulting electrical heating power increase, the total net electrical energy generation increased more than five percent over February of 2006.
The NOAA report broke down the electrical energy use by the various fossil fuel resources and other sources of electrical power. Coal generation, statisticians noted, went up nearly three percent and nuclear generation increased more than four percent. Natural gas increased by a whopping 23.8 percent over the prior year. The liquid fire generation of petroleum was up over 200 percent although what it contributed to the overall fuel generation was still comparatively minimal as opposed to natural gas, coal and nuclear means of electrical power.
Overall the net electrical power generation had increased nearly seven percent since February 2006. The net electrical power generation that could be attributed to plants fired by coal was up 3.4 percent and commercial nuclear use increased by 3.5 percent. Petroleum liquid as a commercial electrical power resource increased by more than 62 percent while natural gas as a commercial electric provider went up nearly 32 percent. Conventional hydroelectric electrical power sources were actually one fourth lower than the prior February although the total electrical power only decreased 14.4 percent. Wind powered renewable energy as a source of electrical power went up 31.8 percent from the prior year, which may account for the reduction in hydroelectric power.
Discouraging, however, is the fact that in spite of rampant green energy efforts and even legislation in the UK and other parts of Europe and voluntary programs in the United States to implement, fund and reward the use of renewable energy, more than half of the U.S. electrical power still came from coal and coal-fired plants. Nuclear energy accounted for just under 21 percent, natural gas for 17.4 percent and petroleum for 2.2 percent. 6.7 percent was provided by conventional hydroelectric means. The small portion of electrical power remaining came from the use of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal and biomass.
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