Project Overview

How it Works - Solar tech converts sunlight into electricity via photovoltaic (PV) panels or concentrates sunlight with mirrors (concentrating solar-thermal power). That energy can be used immediately or stored in batteries or thermal storage systems. Solar energy comes from sunlight and is harnessed mainly through PV and solar thermal systems. 

Benefits:  

•  Produces no direct air pollution or greenhouse gases.

• Works at many levels; from rooftop panels on homes to utility-scale solar farms.

• Declining installation costs make it increasingly competivive with fossil fuels.

• Reduces dependence on imported fuels.

• Can bring power to remote or off-grid areas.

How it Works - Geothermal taps into Earth’s internal heat providing a reliable, consistent energy source unaffected by weather. This can be used for heating, cooling, and electricity generation through deep wells, heat pumps, or geothermal power plants.   

Benefits:  

•  Provides a constant baseload supply of electricity, unlike solar or wind, which are variable.

•  One of the cleanest energy sources.

•  Requires much less land than solar or wind per unit of energy.

•  Geothermal heat pumps can cut energy bills up to 65%.

How it Works - Hydropower generates electricity by converting the energy of flowing water through turbines, producing renewable, dispatchable power. Mostly located in regions with large river systems or mountainous areas with elevation drop. 

Benefits:  

•  Supplies about one-third of U.S. renewable electricity.

•  Can quickly ramp power up or down to meet demand.

•  Hydroelectric dams with reservoirs can store energy.

• Dams often also provide flood control, irrigation, and recreation.

How it Works - Wind energy uses kinetic energy from moving air.  Large turbine blades capture this flow, rotating generators to produce energy.  This energy is best suited to areas such as plains, offshore locations, mountain ridges, and coastlines.

Benefits:  

• The U.S. has some of the best wind resources in the world, especially in the Great Plains.

•  Once turbines are built, wind power is inexpensive to operate.

•  Produce no fuel costs, emissions, or water pollution.

How it Works - Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are compact nuclear power plants that generate electricity by splitting uranium atoms to produce heat, which creates steam to turn turbines. Unlike traditional large reactors, they’re built in smaller, factory-made modules, making them cheaper, safer, and easier to install. They can provide steady, carbon-free power and be added in multiples to meet growing energy needs.

Benefits:  

•  Reliable baseload power

• Can be built in places unsuitable for large plants, or paired with renewables for grid balance.

•  Modular construction lowers costs and speeds deployment.

•  Could be built at retired coal plants, using existing grid connections and workforce.