Relate the historical (1950–1990) mix of energy consumption in the United States.

Relate the historical (1950–1990) mix of energy consumption in the United States.

U.S. Energy Mix

Prompt

Throughout its history, the United States has used a variety of energy sources. The use of these sources has changed over time, typically spanning decades. The United States currently gets roughly 80% of its energy from fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas. However, in the decades ahead there will be huge pressures to change due to the following:

 Non-renewable resources becoming harder to find and extract Environmental effects, like global warming, worsening from the continued use of fossil fuels  Prices of increasingly scarce resources becoming too high for the consumer market.

The most desirable attributes for the future of the U.S. energy supply are:  Affordability  Stability of the resources  The “green” element of the resources (clean both in extraction/development and use)  Security of the resources (the resource is domestic rather than provided by other countries)

Considering the attributes listed above, write a research paper that reviews past and current energy use, and presents your vision of what the U.S. energy mix should be in 2050. Incorporate what you have learned in this course, as well as your independent investigation.

Specifically, you must address the critical elements listed below:

Milestone One – Energy Mix

Relate the historical (1950–1990) mix of energy consumption in the United States. As a starting point, visit the U.S. Energy Information Administration webpage summarizing energy sources for electricity in the United States. Specifically, speak on the nonrenewable resources of coal, petroleum (oil), and natural gas, and the renewable resources of solar, wind, and hydropower. Cite your sources.

Describe how the U.S. energy mix has adjusted since 2010 to the present with respect to both non-renewable (coal, petroleum, natural gas) and renewable (solar, wind, hydropower) resources. This will be your description of the current U.S. energy mix. Cite your sources.

Explain the issues with the current U.S. energy mix and the effect on the environment. Cite your sources.

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