Energy resources and trends in their use

• Renewable energy resource


  One that is being or can be replenished as it's used
• Examples of Renewable energy resources

  • Wind power
  • Solar power
  • Hydroelectric power
  • Tidal power
  • Biofuels
  • Geothermal
• Advantages of renewable energy resources

  • They'll never run out
  • They do not add any carbon dioxide to the atmosphere
• Disadvantages of renewable energy resources

  • Wind power and solar power are not reliable
  • Hydroelectric power destroys habitats and is only useful in countries with lots of rivers
  • Tidal power has potential but is not currently used in the UK
  • Wave power is small-scale and experimental
  • Geothermal energy is not used much in the UK
  • Most energy use in the UK is for transport which renewable resources cannot easily power
• Biofuels


  Produced from plant materials, carbon neutral as the growing plant took in carbon dioxide
• Biofuels can be used to power vehicles such as cars and buses
• Using land to grow crops for biofuel could push up the price of food
• Energy resources in the UK

  • Abundant reserves of coal
  • Nuclear power
  • Oil and gas in the North Sea
  • Renewable power (wind, solar, biofuels)
• Shift in energy use in the UK


  1. Coal use fell sharply

  2. Nuclear power came online

  3. UK became major producer of oil and gas

  4. Shift towards renewable power
• Nuclear power came online

  Provided 20% of UK's electricity by 1980s
• UK became major producer of oil and gas


  Replaced coal for electricity generation by 2000
• Gas-fired power stations


  • Generate less carbon dioxide than coal
  • Flexible, can be switched on quickly during periods of high demand
• Coal-fired power stations


  • Have a very long start-up time
• In the 1970s, scientists began to realize that carbon dioxide emissions from human activity could be leading to climate change
• Politicians did not see climate change as a big issue at the time due to cheap energy from fossil fuels
• In 2005, a large number of nations signed up to the Kyoto Protocol and committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions
• Renewable power in the UK

  • UK has one of the best locations for wind power
  • Wind now accounts for around 11% of UK's electricity and set to rise further
  • Other renewables like solar and biofuels also rapidly increasing
• Reliability issues with renewables

  Wind speed can vary, affecting electricity generation
• Addressing reliability issues with renewables


  1. Need a base load of constant electricity supply (nuclear power)

  2. Use gas-fired power stations to provide emergency power during peak demand
• Scientists cannot control how different energy resources are used
• Nuclear power


  Generates electricity using the elements uranium and plutonium
• Nuclear power


  • Non-renewable
  • Does not release carbon dioxide
  • Extremely reliable and generates a lot of electricity when needed
• Nuclear power plant accident

  Highly dangerous radioactive materials can be released into the environment, potentially causing disaster
• Nuclear power plant decommissioning

  Takes many years and is extremely expensive
• Nuclear power plant operation and decommissioning

  Generates large amounts of highly dangerous radioactive waste that must be stored for thousands of years