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Renewable and Non-renewable Energy Resources Explained

by Kevin Stark

There are two major categories of energy: renewable and non-renewable.

Non-renewable energy resources are available in limited supplies, usually because they take a long time to replenish. The advantage of these non-renewable resources is that power plants that use them are able to produce more power on demand. The non-renewable energy resources are:

Natural gas

Renewable resources, on the other hand, replenish themselves. The five major renewable energy resources are:

Water, also called hydro
Biomass, or organic material from plants and animals
Geothermal, which is naturally occurring heat from the earth

While renewable energy resources have the advantage of unlimited supply over the long haul, they are limited in their availability at any given moment.

For example, the sun rises each day, but its ability to generate power is limited when its cloudy . Another disadvantage is that power plant operators can’t crank up renewable energy production when people are consuming more power, such as on a hot day when many people are running air conditioners at the same time.

States like California are trying to solve this problem by using energy storage, like large batteries, to collect electricity from renewable sources when demand is low in order to use it later when demand goes up.

Non-renewable Energy and Climate Change

When coal, natural gas and oil are burned to produce energy, they emit heat-trapping gases such as carbon dioxide. This process of trapping heat is what drives climate change, and the failure to address this problem is what's catalyzing the current climate crisis.

Fossil fuels are hydrocarbon-containing materials like coal or gas that are found in the Earth’s crust and formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms. These energy sources account for the majority of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions .

If emissions continue unrestrained, the atmosphere could warm by as much as 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit above preindustrial levels by the year 2040, according to the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of international scientists empowered by the United Nations to advise world leaders.

Scientists say this increase in the temperature would threaten life on the planet in a myriad of ways, including severe water shortages; more air pollution; rising sea levels, habitat loss; heat waves; melting ice sheets in West Antarctica and Greenland; and destruction of the world’s coral reefs.

Over the last 150 years, humans are responsible for the vast majority of the increase of these gases in the atmosphere, and the burning of fossil fuels through activities like driving a car is the largest source of these emissions.

There is a vocal group of environmentalists and researchers —Stanford’s Mark Jacobson, who developed a state-by-state 100% renewable plan for one — who argue that the power grid should be supported only by renewable resources.

Policy makers who invest in renewable energy often do so with the goal of generating power without emitting these planet-warming gases.

The Nuclear Debate

Experts debate whether nuclear energy should be considered a renewable or non-renewable energy resource.

Nuclear energy is considered clean energy, as it doesn’t create any air pollution or emit carbon dioxide, but generates energy through nuclear fission, the process of atoms splitting apart.

For this reason, supporters of nuclear energy argue it should be considered renewable.

Those who are in favor of more nuclear energy hold that that even with investment in wind, solar and other renewable resources, nuclear power is necessary, because without it we can’t reduce emissions quickly enough to stave off the worst impacts of climate change. Without contributions from nuclear energy “the cost of achieving deep decarbonization targets increases significantly,” wrote MIT researchers in a 2018 paper examining the issue.

Detractors of this approach say that both the mining and refining of uranium and the building of nuclear power plants is energy-intensive. Other downsides to nuclear energy are the finite amount of uranium deposits on the planet and the production of harmful waste from nuclear reactors.

For these reasons, the U.S. Energy Information Administration considers it a non-renewable energy resource.

Links to Learn More

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Change A body of the United Nations, the IPCC regularly assesses the science of climate change and issues annual reports on the impacts and risks of warming, as well as guidance for adaptation and mitigation.

U.S. Energy Administration This U.S. Department of Energy website includes detailed information, analysis and graphics about energy production and use in the U.S.

The United States of Energy A series of infographics provides insight on our country’s energy production and consumption of both renewable and non-renewable energy sources.

PBS LearningMedia Find hundreds of digital media resources about renewable energy for use in the classroom from public media stations across the country.

Andrea Aust contributed to this post.

To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy.

Sources of Energy: A Comparison

Learn how turning toward cleaner energy sources means factoring in economic and energy needs alongside environmental ones.

Two wind turbines are positioned amidst many solar panels

A solar panel park and wind turbines are seen along the highway in Geldermalsen, Netherlands on June 28, 2023.

Source: Piroschka van de Wouw / Reuters

If you want to be eco-friendly, you should be driving an electric car. Right?

Unfortunately, it is not as simple as that. While electric cars do not pollute the air around them like a combustion engine does, they do need to be charged, leading to questions such as what energy source the electricity is coming from and whether that energy source is clean.

The overall evaluation of an energy source is based not only on how clean it is; it also has to be reliable, accessible, and affordable. Not all of these factors can be categorized neatly. For example, petroleum tends to be relatively affordable in the United States, but that is in part because the government subsidizes fossil fuel industries. Similarly, while wind energy tends to be relatively expensive, its cost has been steadily declining for years as its use increases.

To evaluate the options available, understanding fundamental facts about what types of energy are available and what trade-offs each presents is helpful.

There are three main categories of energy sources: fossil fuel, alternative, and renewable. Renewable is sometimes, but not always, included under alternative.

Fossil Fuels : Petroleum, Coal, and Natural Gas

Fossil fuels formed over millions of years ago as dead plants and animals were subjected to extreme heat and pressure in the earth’s crust. This natural process converted bones and other organic matter into carbon-rich substances that, when burned, generate energy. There are three main fossil fuels.

Petroleum is an umbrella term that includes products such as crude oil, which is refined into more familiar fuels such as gasoline, jet fuel, kerosene, and diesel. Petroleum and oil are often used interchangeably. It is extracted through drilling or hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking ).
Coal is a rock found close to the earth’s surface and is one of the world’s most abundant fossil fuels. It is extracted through surface mining (using machines to clear away the uppermost layers of rock and soil) and underground mining (using machines and miners to remove coal deep underground).
Natural gas , a mixture of gases trapped underneath the earth’s surface, is extracted in similar ways as oil. Advances in drilling and fracking have unlocked vast reserves of natural gas.

Fossil fuels are often called dirty energy sources because using them comes at a high—and often irreversible—cost to the environment. Carbon emissions , or the amount of carbon dioxide these fuels release into the atmosphere, add up over generations and cannot be taken back. Moreover, there is only a finite amount of these resources on earth.

Renewable and Alternative Energy : Wind Power, Solar Power, Hydropower, Nuclear Energy, and Biofuels

Forms of energy not derived from fossil fuels include both renewable and alternative energy , terms that are sometimes used interchangeably but do not mean the same thing. Alternative energy broadly refers to any energy that is not extracted from a fossil fuel, but not necessarily only from a renewable source. For example, nuclear power generation most commonly uses uranium, an abundant but not technically renewable fuel. Renewable energy , on the other hand, includes sources such as sun and wind that occur naturally and continuously.

There are five main renewable and alternative fuels.

Wind power is created when wind spins a turbine, or a windmill, which can be located on land or offshore.
Solar power harnesses the sun’s energy in two ways: by converting the sun’s light directly into electricity when the sun is out (think solar panels), or solar thermal energy, which uses the sun’s heat to create electricity, a method that works even when the sun is down.
Hydropower is created when rapidly flowing water turns turbines inside a dam, generating electricity.
Nuclear energy is produced at power plants by the process of nuclear fission . The energy created during nuclear reactions is harnessed to produce electricity.
Biofuels , also referred to as biomass, are produced using organic materials (wood, agricultural crops and waste, food waste, and animal manure) that contain stored energy from the sun. Humans have used biomass since they discovered how to burn wood to make fire. Liquid biofuels, such as ethanol, also release chemical energy in the form of heat.

Renewable and alternative energy sources are often categorized as clean energy because they produce significantly less carbon emissions compared to fossil fuels. But they are not without an environmental footprint.

Hydropower generation, for example, releases lower carbon emissions than fossil fuel plants do. However, damming water to build reservoirs for hydropower floods valleys, disrupting local ecosystems and livelihoods. In another case, biofuels are renewable but are cultivated on huge swaths of land and sometimes generate more carbon emissions than fossil fuels do.

Other considerations such as safety also matter. The likelihood of a meltdown at a nuclear facility is exceedingly small, but if one were to occur, the results would be catastrophic. In fact, concerns about the dangers associated with operating nuclear power plants have limited the expansion of nuclear energy.

Despite the diversity of energy sources available, most countries rely on the three major fossil fuels.

In 2018, more than 81 percent of the energy countries produced came from fossil fuels. Hydroelectricity and other renewable energy (14 percent) and nuclear energy (about 5 percent) accounted for the remainder. But not all countries consume energy at the same levels. For example, the United States, China, and European Union countries combined were responsible for half of the world’s total coal, natural gas, and oil consumption in 2018. Nor do all countries use the same mix of fuels. Norway primarily uses hydroelectric power, for example, but in Saudi Arabia oil reigns supreme. When choosing which types of energy to use, countries balance their economic needs with environmental concerns.

Electric Power Consumption by Country

Click on each country for information about its use of energy sources.

Source: World Bank.

Climate change has added new considerations and urgency to the decisions countries make about their energy sources.

Developing countries have different needs than developed countries—and they face a different set of energy challenges as consequences of climate change become more severe. Many developing countries are going through industrialization , the development of factories and mass production, which requires large amounts of energy. Some of these countries see fossil fuels as the best way to achieve those energy goals, though many are turning to alternative energy sources as well—seeing them as the future of energy consumption.

In 2015, 196 countries pledged to increase their use of clean energy as part of the Paris Agreement , an international treaty that allowed signatories to set their own goals for lower carbon emissions . As countries around the world push to adopt more clean energy sources, they will increasingly contend with the environmental and economic trade-offs that renewable sources present and the reality that opting for clean over dirty energy is not such a simple choice after all.

renewable and nonrenewable energy resources essay

Home — Essay Samples — Economics — Resources — Understanding the Difference Between Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources

Understanding The Difference Between Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources

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renewable energy , usable energy derived from replenishable sources such as the Sun ( solar energy ), wind ( wind power ), rivers ( hydroelectric power ), hot springs ( geothermal energy ), tides ( tidal power ), and biomass ( biofuels ).

The transition to renewable energy explained by Phil the Fixer

At the beginning of the 21st century, about 80 percent of the world’s energy supply was derived from fossil fuels such as coal , petroleum , and natural gas . Fossil fuels are finite resources; most estimates suggest that the proven reserves of oil are large enough to meet global demand at least until the middle of the 21st century. Fossil fuel combustion has a number of negative environmental consequences. Fossil-fueled power plants emit air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide , particulate matter , nitrogen oxides, and toxic chemicals (heavy metals: mercury , chromium , and arsenic ), and mobile sources, such as fossil-fueled vehicles, emit nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide , and particulate matter. Exposure to these pollutants can cause heart disease , asthma , and other human health problems. In addition, emissions from fossil fuel combustion are responsible for acid rain , which has led to the acidification of many lakes and consequent damage to aquatic life, leaf damage in many forests, and the production of smog in or near many urban areas. Furthermore, the burning of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), one of the main greenhouse gases that cause global warming .

In contrast, renewable energy sources accounted for nearly 20 percent of global energy consumption at the beginning of the 21st century, largely from traditional uses of biomass such as wood for heating and cooking . By 2015 about 16 percent of the world’s total electricity came from large hydroelectric power plants, whereas other types of renewable energy (such as solar, wind, and geothermal) accounted for 6 percent of total electricity generation. Some energy analysts consider nuclear power to be a form of renewable energy because of its low carbon emissions; nuclear power generated 10.6 percent of the world’s electricity in 2015.

Combination shot of Grinnell Glacier taken from the summit of Mount Gould, Glacier National Park, Montana in the years 1938, 1981, 1998 and 2006.

Growth in wind power exceeded 20 percent and photovoltaics grew at 30 percent annually in the 1990s, and renewable energy technologies continued to expand throughout the early 21st century. Between 2001 and 2017 world total installed wind power capacity increased by a factor of 22, growing from 23,900 to 539,581 megawatts. Photovoltaic capacity also expanded, increasing by 50 percent in 2016 alone. The European Union (EU), which produced an estimated 6.38 percent of its energy from renewable sources in 2005, adopted a goal in 2007 to raise that figure to 20 percent by 2020. By 2016 some 17 percent of the EU’s energy came from renewable sources. The goal also included plans to cut emissions of carbon dioxide by 20 percent and to ensure that 10 percent of all fuel consumption comes from biofuels . The EU was well on its way to achieving those targets by 2017. Between 1990 and 2016 the countries of the EU reduced carbon emissions by 23 percent and increased biofuel production to 5.5 percent of all fuels consumed in the region. In the United States numerous states have responded to concerns over climate change and reliance on imported fossil fuels by setting goals to increase renewable energy over time. For example, California required its major utility companies to produce 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2010, and by the end of that year California utilities were within 1 percent of the goal. In 2008 California increased this requirement to 33 percent by 2020, and in 2017 the state further increased its renewable-use target to 50 percent by 2030.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Renewable And Non Renewable Energy Sources

Advantages and Disadvantages of Renewable and Non-renewable Energy Sources

Renewable and non-renewable energy sources are the most important and vital sources of energy on this planet. in this article, you will read about their advantages and disadvantages and also the characteristics of renewable and non-renewable energy sources..

What is Renewable Energy?

Renewable energy is derived from sources that are continuously refilled. Solar energy, geothermal energy, wind energy, and hydroelectric power are some of the renewable energy sources.

Renewable sources are generally allied with clean energy and green energy, but there are some subtle differences between these three types of energy. Where clean energy is a type of energy that does not release pollutants like carbon dioxide, the sources that are recyclable are renewable sources, and the energy that comes from natural sources is green energy. There is often a dispute between these types of energy because not all types of renewable energy are truly green or clean. For instance, natural habitats can be damaged by some hydroelectric sources, which eventually causes deforestation.

Characteristics of Renewable Energy Sources

Renewable resources have the capacity to restore themselves easily.
Ecological developments for a definite time period are required by renewable resources to regenerate themselves.
Renewable energy can become non-renewable energy if it is utilised in an extreme amount, that is, higher than the environment’s ability to restore it.

Advantages of Renewable Sources of Energy

1. Renewable energy sources can never run out because these sources are continuously filled by nature. For instance: solar energy can never run out until the Sun exists in the solar system.

2. As compared to non-renewable sources like fossil fuels, renewable energy sources are easily available to humans and are reliable because these energy sources are distributed equally on the planet.

3. Renewable energy sources are environment friendly because they are produced naturally, and they do not emit any harmful gases or pollutants that can cause damage to the ozone layer or to the environment.

4. Renewable sources require less maintenance as compared to non-renewable energy sources. For instance, if you can see turbines in hydropower stations or in wind farms, you will observe that these power generating systems do not require any external system for rotating parts. Although their initial cost is high, once they are installed, you can benefit from them for a lifetime.

Disadvantages of Renewable Sources of Energy

1. Renewable energy sources are not available round the clock because these sources are natural forces that depend strongly on the weather condition. Therefore, when you have bad weather conditions, renewable energy such as solar cells can’t be used.

2. The efficiency of renewable energy is low because every type of energy requires a particular kind of technology to convert it into electricity. Unfortunately, as compared with traditional energy conversion devices, the efficiency of renewable sources and technology is not that high.

3. The storage cost of renewable energy is very high, and also it requires a lot of space for its installation.

What is Non-Renewable Energy?

The source of energy which will eventually run out with time is known as a non-renewable energy source. Fossil fuels, such as gas, coal, and oil, are some examples of non-renewable energy sources.

For a large number of industries, these natural resources are a major source of power; however, there are several disadvantages to non-renewable energy, counting their negative environmental influence and the fact they are in limited supply .

So, basically, a non-renewable resource is a finite natural resource because it cannot be refilled at the speed at which it is consumed.

Characteristics of Non-Renewable Energy Sources

Non-renewable energy sources are also known as stock resources because they are not obtainable in high quantities.
Non-renewable energy generally exists in the form of minerals which are present in various forms in the lithosphere of the earth.
Non-renewable resources can be obtained in solids, liquids or gases, that is, all the three states of matter, for instance, coal, petroleum and natural gas.

Advantages of Non-Renewable Sources of Energy

1. Resources such as oil and coal tend to provide us with more energy as compared to renewable

energy like wind or solar energy, and the reason behind it is that non-renewable resources are high in energy.

2. In the construction of natural gas pipelines, mining of coal and selling of oil and petroleum, huge profits can be generated.

3. Non-renewable resources are easy to use and quite easy to store. Also, non-renewable resources can be conveniently moved across the world.

4. Most significantly, non-renewable resources are helpful in generating employment. Extracting, refining and transporting are the portions of non-renewable sources that provide employment for the people in gulf countries.

Disadvantages of Non-Renewable Source of Energy

1. One of the main drawbacks of non-renewable energy is that it consumes a lot of time and it

takes a lot of effort. For instance, the process involved in the mining of coal is searching for the coal mines, installation of complex machines, drilling, extracting, refining and transporting. All these processes are very time-consuming processes.

2. Non-renewable energy sources are slowly vanishing from the earth because they are formed over billions of years.

3. Since some non-renewable sources emit carbon monoxide, like fossil fuels, it means that non-renewable energy causes pollution and also, they can cause respiratory problems in humans. Sources like coal, oil and natural gas are responsible for rapidly destroying the ozone layer because these sources release a large amount of carbon dioxide when burnt.

4. Transportation of non-renewable sources is a very risky process because when huge oil tanks and cargo ships crash and spill the contents in the sea or somewhere else, then it can be deadly for human beings, sea animals and the vegetation in that area.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is renewable energy.

Renewable energy is energy that is derived from sources that are continuously refilled. Solar energy, geothermal energy, wind energy, and hydroelectric power are some of the renewable energy sources.

What is non-renewable energy?

How many sources of energy are there.

Basically, there are two sources of energy:

Renewable Energy
Non-renewable Energy

Give some examples of non-renewable energy sources.

Coal, uranium, wood, and petroleum products.

GIve some examples of renewable energy sources.

Sun, wind, water.

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ENVIRONMENT

Renewable energy, explained

Solar, wind, hydroelectric, biomass, and geothermal power can provide energy without the planet-warming effects of fossil fuels.

In any discussion about climate change , renewable energy usually tops the list of changes the world can implement to stave off the worst effects of rising temperatures. That's because renewable energy sources such as solar and wind don't emit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming .

Clean energy has far more to recommend it than just being "green." The growing sector creates jobs , makes electric grids more resilient, expands energy access in developing countries, and helps lower energy bills. All of those factors have contributed to a renewable energy renaissance in recent years, with wind and solar setting new records for electricity generation .

For the past 150 years or so, humans have relied heavily on coal, oil, and other fossil fuels to power everything from light bulbs to cars to factories. Fossil fuels are embedded in nearly everything we do, and as a result, the greenhouse gases released from the burning of those fuels have reached historically high levels .

As greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere that would otherwise escape into space, average temperatures on the surface are rising . Global warming is one symptom of climate change, the term scientists now prefer to describe the complex shifts affecting our planet’s weather and climate systems. Climate change encompasses not only rising average temperatures but also extreme weather events, shifting wildlife populations and habitats, rising seas , and a range of other impacts .

Of course, renewables—like any source of energy—have their own trade-offs and associated debates. One of them centers on the definition of renewable energy. Strictly speaking, renewable energy is just what you might think: perpetually available, or as the U.S. Energy Information Administration puts it, " virtually inexhaustible ." But "renewable" doesn't necessarily mean sustainable, as opponents of corn-based ethanol or large hydropower dams often argue. It also doesn't encompass other low- or zero-emissions resources that have their own advocates, including energy efficiency and nuclear power.

Types of renewable energy sources

Hydropower: For centuries, people have harnessed the energy of river currents, using dams to control water flow. Hydropower is the world's biggest source of renewable energy by far, with China, Brazil, Canada, the U.S., and Russia the leading hydropower producers . While hydropower is theoretically a clean energy source replenished by rain and snow, it also has several drawbacks.

Large dams can disrupt river ecosystems and surrounding communities , harming wildlife and displacing residents. Hydropower generation is vulnerable to silt buildup, which can compromise capacity and harm equipment. Drought can also cause problems. In the western U.S., carbon dioxide emissions over a 15-year period were 100 megatons higher than they normally would have been, according to a 2018 study , as utilities turned to coal and gas to replace hydropower lost to drought. Even hydropower at full capacity bears its own emissions problems, as decaying organic material in reservoirs releases methane.

Dams aren't the only way to use water for power: Tidal and wave energy projects around the world aim to capture the ocean's natural rhythms. Marine energy projects currently generate an estimated 500 megawatts of power —less than one percent of all renewables—but the potential is far greater. Programs like Scotland’s Saltire Prize have encouraged innovation in this area.

Wind: Harnessing the wind as a source of energy started more than 7,000 years ago . Now, electricity-generating wind turbines are proliferating around the globe, and China, the U.S., and Germany are the leading wind energy producers. From 2001 to 2017 , cumulative wind capacity around the world increased to more than 539,000 megawatts from 23,900 mw—more than 22 fold.

Some people may object to how wind turbines look on the horizon and to how they sound, but wind energy, whose prices are declining , is proving too valuable a resource to deny. While most wind power comes from onshore turbines, offshore projects are appearing too, with the most in the U.K. and Germany. The first U.S. offshore wind farm opened in 2016 in Rhode Island, and other offshore projects are gaining momentum . Another problem with wind turbines is that they’re a danger for birds and bats, killing hundreds of thousands annually , not as many as from glass collisions and other threats like habitat loss and invasive species, but enough that engineers are working on solutions to make them safer for flying wildlife.

Can energy harnessed from Earth’s interior help power the world?

How the historic climate bill will dramatically reduce U.S. emissions

We took the Great American Road Trip—in electric cars

Solar: From home rooftops to utility-scale farms, solar power is reshaping energy markets around the world. In the decade from 2007 and 2017 the world's total installed energy capacity from photovoltaic panels increased a whopping 4,300 percent .

In addition to solar panels, which convert the sun's light to electricity, concentrating solar power (CSP) plants use mirrors to concentrate the sun's heat, deriving thermal energy instead. China, Japan, and the U.S. are leading the solar transformation, but solar still has a long way to go, accounting for around two percent of the total electricity generated in the U.S. in 2017. Solar thermal energy is also being used worldwide for hot water, heating, and cooling.

Biomass: Biomass energy includes biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel , wood and wood waste, biogas from landfills, and municipal solid waste. Like solar power, biomass is a flexible energy source, able to fuel vehicles, heat buildings, and produce electricity. But biomass can raise thorny issues.

Critics of corn-based ethanol , for example, say it competes with the food market for corn and supports the same harmful agricultural practices that have led to toxic algae blooms and other environmental hazards. Similarly, debates have erupted over whether it's a good idea to ship wood pellets from U.S. forests over to Europe so that it can be burned for electricity. Meanwhile, scientists and companies are working on ways to more efficiently convert corn stover , wastewater sludge , and other biomass sources into energy, aiming to extract value from material that would otherwise go to waste.

Geothermal: Used for thousands of years in some countries for cooking and heating, geothermal energy is derived from the Earth’s internal heat . On a large scale, underground reservoirs of steam and hot water can be tapped through wells that can go a mile deep or more to generate electricity. On a smaller scale, some buildings have geothermal heat pumps that use temperature differences several feet below ground for heating and cooling. Unlike solar and wind energy, geothermal energy is always available, but it has side effects that need to be managed, such as the rotten egg smell that can accompany released hydrogen sulfide.

Ways to boost renewable energy

Cities, states, and federal governments around the world are instituting policies aimed at increasing renewable energy. At least 29 U.S. states have set renewable portfolio standards —policies that mandate a certain percentage of energy from renewable sources, More than 100 cities worldwide now boast at least 70 percent renewable energy, and still others are making commitments to reach 100 percent . Other policies that could encourage renewable energy growth include carbon pricing, fuel economy standards, and building efficiency standards. Corporations are making a difference too, purchasing record amounts of renewable power in 2018.

Wonder whether your state could ever be powered by 100 percent renewables? No matter where you live, scientist Mark Jacobson believes it's possible. That vision is laid out here , and while his analysis is not without critics , it punctuates a reality with which the world must now reckon. Even without climate change, fossil fuels are a finite resource, and if we want our lease on the planet to be renewed, our energy will have to be renewable.

3 ways COVID-19 is making us rethink energy and emissions

Activists fear a new threat to biodiversity—renewable energy

How the Ukraine war is accelerating Germany's renewable energy transition

Let’s not waste this crucial moment: We need to stop abusing the planet

5 environmental victories from 2021 that offer hope

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ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRY

Nonrenewable resources.

Nonrenewable energy resources include coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear energy. Once these resources are used up, they cannot be replaced, which is a major problem for humanity as we are currently dependent on them to supply most of our energy needs.

Chemistry, Conservation, Earth Science

Coal-fire Plant

An aerial view of a coal-fired power plant in Mount Storm, West Virginia, taken in June 2012.

Photograph by Getty Images.

Renewable and nonrenewable resources are energy sources that human society uses to function on a daily basis. The difference between these two types of resources is that renewable resources can naturally replenish themselves while nonrenewable resources cannot. This means that nonrenewable resources are limited in supply and cannot be used sustainably.

There are four major types of nonrenewable resources: oil, natural gas, coal , and nuclear energy . Oil, natural gas, and coal are collectively called fossil fuels . Fossil fuels were formed within the Earth from dead plants and animals over millions of years—hence the name “fossil” fuels . They are found in underground layers of rock and sediment. Pressure and heat worked together to transform the plant and animal remains into crude oil (also known as petroleum), coal , and natural gas.

The plants and animals that became fossil fuels lived in a time called Carboniferous Period , around 300 to 360 million years ago. The energy in the plant and animal remains originally came from the sun; through the process of photosynthesis, solar energy is st ored in plant tissues, which animals then consume, adding the energy to their own bodies. When fossil fuels are burned, this trapped energy is released.

Crude oil is a liquid fuel fossil fuel that is used mostly to produce gasoline and diesel fuel for vehicles, and for the manufacturing of plastics. It is found in rocks below Earth’s surface and is pumped out through wells.

Natural gas is widely used for cooking and for heating homes. It consists mostly of methane and is found near oil deposits below Earth’s surface. Natural gas can be pumped out through the same wells used for extracting crude oil.

Coal is a solid fossil fuel that is used for heating homes and generating power plants . It is found in fossilized swamps that have been buried beneath layers of sediment. Since coal is solid, it cannot be extracted in the same manner as crude oil or natural gas; it must be dug up from the ground.

Nuclear energy comes from radioactive elements, mainly uranium , which is extracted from mined ore and then refined into fuel .

Unfortunately, human society is—for the time being—dependent on nonrenewable resources as its primary source of energy. Approximately 80 percent of the total amount of energy used globally each year comes from fossil fuels. We depend on fossil fuels because they are energy-rich and relatively cheap to process. But a major problem with fossil fuels, aside from their being in limited supply, is that burning them releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Rising levels of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the main cause of global warming.

Alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar energy, are a possible solution to the depletion of nonrenewable sources. Both of these clean energy sources are available in unlimited supply.

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Related Resources

Identifying renewable and non-renewable energy sources

I can identify renewable and non-renewable energy sources and understand the difference between them.

Lesson details

Key learning points.

The sun, directly or indirectly, is the source of all energy on Earth: plants use energy to grow the food we eat.
Non-renewable energy sources are fossil fuels: coal, oil, natural gas, and the elements uranium and plutonium.
Renewable energy sources include solar power, wind, wave and tidal energy, hydro-electric, biomass and geothermal.
Non-renewable sources are unsustainable, polluting and a cause of rapid climate change.

Common misconception

Fossil fuels (coal, gas and natural oil) are infinite.

Fossil fuels are finite - if used at the current rate, they will run out and are not sustainable.

Finite - Finite resources have a limit, or an end and will run out.

Hydro-electric - Hydro-electric power generates electricity by using water.

Geothermal - Geothermal energy comes from heat contained within the Earth's crust.

Unsustainable - An unsustainable resource is one that is being used more or faster than it can be replaced or regrown.

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited ( 2024 ), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Starter quiz

6 questions.

hydroelectric -

renewable - it produces power from water

non-renewable - it is a solid fossil fuel

renewable - it produces power from sea tides

natural gas -

non-renewable - it is a fossil fuel

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VIDEO

Non Renewable Resources
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COMMENTS

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Renewable energy sources include solar power, wind, wave and tidal energy, hydro-electric, biomass and geothermal. Non-renewable sources are unsustainable, polluting and a cause of rapid climate change.