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The
Northwest's power supply:
54%
Hydro
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32%
Coal
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8%
Gas/Oil |
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3%
Nuclear
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<3%
Other
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(Information
compiled from the following sources: Oregon Office of
Energy, Portland General Electric, Northwest Power Planning
Council, Renewable Northwest Project, and other interested
parties.) |
If you live in the Northwest, 43% of your electricity comes
from fossil fuels and nuclear power. Read on for the impacts
of these and other sources of electricity.
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Cleanest.
Clean energy sources of electricity are produced with environmentally-friendly
technologies like solar, wind, geothermal and low-impact hydropower.
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| Air
pollutants are the chief cause of hospital admissions among
children and senior citizens living in urban areas – from
asthma attacks to premature deaths. |
Solar. Photovoltaic panels are semiconductors that directly
generate electricity from solar radiation. Solar thermal panels
use the sun’s heat to create hot water.
Wind. Capturing the energy of the earth’s winds
to turn turbines and generate electricity is the cheapest, cleanest,
fastest-growing source of renewable energy.
Geothermal. Geothermal electricity is generated by utilizing
steam or hot water that lies below the surface of the earth
in certain locations. Geothermal plants emit little air pollution.
Low-impact hydro. Dam operators who mitigate the presence
of their facility to help preserve aquatic life and stream habitat
can be certified “low-impact.”
Efficiency. Efficiency is the cleanest “source.”
By using energy-saving appliances and building materials, we
lessen the overall demand for electricity.
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Cleaner.
Some fuels and energy sources can be used in ways that cause
fewer harms to our health and environment; these methods are
valuable for cleaning up the energy pool. |
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Biomass. Using energy that is stored in green plants and
other organic matter, biomass facilities burn wood, agricultural
wastes or methane gases from landfills to spin a turbine that
generates electricity.
New natural gas technologies. Using a new generation
of combined cycle combustion turbines, these plants produce
energy more efficiently than older gas plants and with fewer
emissions than other fossil fuels. They are not as Earth-friendly
as renewables.
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Water
quality is threatened by mercury and other toxic metals coming
from power plant air emissions.
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High
Environmental Impact. Dirty energy sources, fossil and nuclear
fuels, deplete natural resources, produce high levels of pollution
harmful to human health, the environment and quality of life.
High-impact hydro resources also have serious implications for
the environment. |
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| Climate
changes due to environmental damage – including global
warming and disruption of weather patterns – are serious
indicators that the status quo is unacceptable. |
Coal
and oil. Burning coal and oil creates sulfur dioxide and
nitrogen oxide, causing acid rain and smog. Coal is a major
source of carbon dioxide. These fuels are significant contributors
to global warming.
Old
natural gas technologies. While not as damaging as coal,
gas is still a substantial contributor to smog, acid rain
and habitat destruction.
High-impact hydro. Dams can change natural river flows,
degrade water quality and block fish migration, endangering
fish. Even small facilities can be high impact if they lack
mitigation measures.
Nuclear.
While no smog-related emissions are produced, nuclear
plants create dangerous radioactive wastes that are difficult
to dispose of and that last 235,000 years. No permanent safe
storage sites exist for this waste.
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Make
a choice. Make a difference.
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Signup
to Buy Green Power Today!
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This page was adapted from a document created
by the Renewable Energy Policy Project (http://www.repp.org).
Graphics: Ogilvy International and Renewable Northwest Project.
Text: Ogilvy International, Renewable Energy Policy Project
and the Renewable Northwest Project. Funding: the Energy Foundation
and the Pew Charitable Trust.
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