-
Essay / Investment in Renewable Energy in the United States
IntroductionBefore debating whether governments should invest in renewable energy development, it is important to establish what renewable energy is and, therefore, to determine its important role compared to other energy sources. Renewable energy commonly referred to as green energy is energy produced from natural environmental resources that can be continually replaced and never run out (Boyle, 2012). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayThe reliability of renewable energy results from the availability of many natural sources of energy, making their production easier (Craddock, 2008). The main sources of green energy are therefore solar panels, wind turbines, geothermal heat and biomass. These renewable energy sources, and therefore their use, can be continually replaced and can never run out. They replenish themselves naturally (Tiwari, 2012). Having established what renewable energy is, it is imperative to go further to determine why governments should invest in the development of this type of energy. The use of renewable energy is important in the sense that it leads to the development of infrastructure and the creation of employment opportunities, thereby boosting a country's economy (Sørensen, 2011). Most renewable energy investments go into materials and artistry to help build and maintain green energy infrastructure. For example, renewable energy investments in the United States are used in the same states and cities. This implies that money spent on energy stays in the country to contribute to job creation and thus stimulate local economies rather than leaving the country (Boyle, 2012). Additionally, technologies developed from renewable energy can be sold to other countries generating government revenue and consequently increasing the country's trade deficit (Tiwari, 2012). Unlike non-renewable energy sources, the use of renewable energy sources such as the use of solar panels and wind energy is relatively cheaper for the country (Tiwari & Ghosal, 2007). If a nation can adopt a renewable energy source under the right investment conditions, solar and wind power can make a lot of economic sense. The efficiency and reliability of solar energy will encourage more people to start purchasing solar panels for home and commercial use. With limited or no subsidies, this can make financial sense (Tiwari & Ghosal, 2007). The cost of solar panels is relatively affordable for more people, and they are not limited to roofs. The affordability of renewable energy source has led to a steady growth of solar and wind power plants in India and Chile (Sørensen, 2011). Most manufacturing plants prefer to use solar and wind power because of their reliability and cheap power source. Increased development of local factories is a result of a competitive source of energy and therefore leads to sequential growth in the country's economy (Boyle, 2012). The growth of solar and wind manufacturing plants will eventually lead to the creation of more local factories. employment opportunities and increased income for the country (Sørensen, 2011). For example, Bloomberg predicts that the world will have 600 gigawatts and 1,900gigawatts of photovoltaic solar energy by 2020 and 20130 respectively. This will represent an increase of 5 to 7% in the global electricity mix. These projections are based on the growth of green energy due to the affordability of structural renewable energy systems (Green, 2006). The renewable energy source ensures better public health and a clean environment and ultimately a healthy country (Diesendorf, 2014). Producing electricity from natural sources is important and poses fewer health and environmental problems than fossil fuels. Unlike renewable energies, the use of a non-renewable energy source presents a significant danger to the environment and its inhabitants. This is due to polluted air and water released into the atmosphere from coal and natural gas manufacturing plants. Unlike green energy, effluent from non-renewable energy manufacturing plants contributes to respiratory and neurological complications in people near the plant (Sørensen, 2011). Replacing fossil fuels with green energy will contribute to the reduction of green energy. premature mortality and lost working days in the country (Boyle, 2012). This is because it helps reduce overall healthcare expenditure and thus ensures the health security of citizens and hence a healthy nation. A healthy nation facilitates the growth of the country's economy; indeed, the overall economic impact of a country is attributed to health impacts resulting from the use of fossil fuels (Ghosh & Prelas, 2011). The health impact of fossil fuels is between 2.5% and 6% of gross domestic product. Therefore, it is essential for a country to adopt an alternative and efficient source of energy, and renewable energy is probably the best source of energy for the country determined to build its economy (Boyle, 2012). Renewable energy provides a more reliable source of energy. and a resilient source of energy for the country (Tiwari, 2012). Wind and solar power are less prone to likely large-scale outages. This is due to the distribution of wind and solar structural systems. Its distribution system ensures that they are distributed over a wider geographical area, minimizing the possibility of a power outage throughout the region. As a result, extreme weather conditions at a location (Diesendorf, 2014). In addition, the availability of modular systems consisting of several wind turbines and individual solar panels guarantees the continuity and reliability of energy in the event of damage in some of the basic equipment. of the system (Green, 2006). Therefore, renewable energy allows the country to provide a reliable source of energy to its citizens at all times. This is because the possibility of a fault in one location due to unfortunate weather events will not impact power distribution in the entire region. As a result, economic activities in the country continue to function normally (Tiwari, 2012). For example, the improbable events of Hurricane Sandy in 2012 damaged non-renewable electricity generation and distribution systems in most areas of New York and New Jersey (Craddock, 2008). As a result, millions of Americans were left without power. However, the same Hurricanes Sandy caused minimal damage to renewable energy systems. Therefore, using a renewable energy source will ensure reliability and availability of electricity at all times, regardless of improbable weather events (Craddock, 2008). The renewable energy source provides a..