As the hot topic of the impending necessity for the United States to develop domestic resources for alternative energy is discussed, many companies are refining their roles in the energy industry to strive toward a common goal of providing the U.S. with independence from foreign fuel sources while reducing the negative impact traditional energy conversion has had on the global environment. The most obvious sources of renewable energy that can be harnassed and converted to heat and electricity for commercial and residential use are solar energy, wind energy and oceanic wave energy.

Another valuable source of potential energy is the process of extracting natural hot water reservoirs from the earths underlayers and pumping them to the earth’s surface to be used as insulating conduit inside of walls and floors. This process is called geothermal energy, and was first tested for viability in 1904 in Italy, although to date, only 1% of the worlds total energy use is being propagated by geothermal technology. Currently the world’s largest geothermal energy plant is located north of San Francisco in California. The power plant taps into the Geysers as it’s source of renewable energy and is responsible for providing 60 percent of all of the energy consumed by the coastal region of California.

Geothermal energy is extremely cost effective, in that no method of heating the water is necessary, there is no purchasing of fuel required and there is an unlimited heat source deep in the earth’s mantle. The only cost involved in the use of geothermal energy is in construction of the power plants necessary for boring into the earth and the equipment required for extraction of the energy source. Furthermore, the processing of geothermal energy creates no dangerous emissions. There is a mild environmental argument that holds that if geothermal energy is mined for on a mass scale, there may be considerable damage done to the outer layers of the earth’s crust, which can eventually affect the plate tectonics of our planet. As the technology advances, though, less invasive methods for extracting the necessary components will make this form of energy more ecologically feasible and available on a wide basis.

Geothermal energy can be harvested for use in several forms. The hot beds under the earths outer layers contain hot water, gas and molten rock, all of which can be “mined”, so to speak, and used in their various forms to heat homes, commercial buildings, and public walkways to prevent snow and ice build up.

When converted correctly, geothermal energy produces no polluting emmisions into the water or air environments. Also among the benefits of geothermal energy production are the traits of the energy power plants themselves, which generally only require a small building footprint and are a self-sufficient source of energy that has little impact on the landscape environment.

As is the case with any new form of energy, or new process for harnessing energy, it is of vital importance that steps are taken to insure the proper drilling and conversion of geothermal energy. Improper drilling can release hazardous chemical and gases from the earth which can be potentially dangerous to surrounding life as well as the overall atmosphere.

A relatively new concept in alternative and renewable energy production is the use of wave farm technology, that is, harnessing the energy produced by oceanic waves and converting it to electricity. Currently, the United States has no commercial wave farms, but the largest national utility and many additional public utility companies are actively investing in wave energy technology, and recently enacted California state laws requiring public utility companies to acquire 20 percent of their electricity from renewable energy sources by the year 2010 will assure that this trend to developing more responsible sources of energy will continue.

Wave energy, known as hydroelectric power, is a truly renewable form of energy in that the water used in the production of the electricity can be reused. While the dams required for containment of the oceanic flows are very expensive and require cooperation between large corporations, research facilities and governmental entities to finance and build, as long as there is a sufficiently powerful water supply available, electricity can be continuously generated. Unlike solar energy, which is contingent on the number of sunny days available in a year, the absence of air pollution to interfere with the solar cell collectors, and the negative impact of no energy collection after sunset, wave energy is not affected by any other environmental factor, therefore is a 24/7 operation, continuously.

Hydroelectric power is the most widely used form of renewable energy and over 50 percent of the total hydroelectric power produced in the United States is from power plant locations in California, Oregon and Washington. These coastal states have advanced the technology used to dam the reservoirs of water at different levels to be able to control the output of energy in relation to current demands.

Water has been used, worldwide, as a source of energy since the times of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Use of water to harness energy spans over thousands of years in various forms from ancient aquaducts to waterwheels used to produce water driven electricity to power various manufacturing plants in North America in the 1950’s.

One potential negative impact of hydroelectric power technology is in the direct relation to aquatic habitat. Considerations must be made in effort to prevent disruption of spawning patterns and natural chemical flows for the reproductive efforts of aquatic life. In most cases, problems arising from introduction of new devices to an established waterway are seldom able to be foreseen, and must be addressed once the dilemma has presented itself. As more dams and water energy producing systems are introduced, producers and installers will have the benefit of prior installation issues to aid in preventing future problems.

As research and development continues to progress regarding the use of wave energy technology the U.S. will find itself poised to be the frontrunning source worldwide in the distribution of harnessed water energy. As the U.S. terrirtories are large in geography, and contain many oceanic borders, including Hawaii and the Virgin Islands, the potential for becoming a worldwide supplier of a natural energy source which produces no pollutants or chemical bi-products is a lucrative position to be in.