Understanding the Importance of Clean Energy
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The article explores the role of clean energy in addressing climate change, with a focus on North Carolina, a state facing severe climate change consequences. It explains clean energy as derived from natural sources like wind and sunlight and states that transitioning to these renewable sources will significantly reduce greenhouse gas and carbon emissions. The article also highlights the economic potential of the clean energy sector, already generating economic activity, with projections reaching $2 trillion globally by 2035, while also highlighting its role in creating new jobs and competitiveness with fossil fuels.
Clean energy investments are vital for North Carolina as it faces severe climate change impacts such as flooding, drought and extreme heat.
Inventor Charles Brush created the first known automated wind turbine in the US in 1888. Brush’s turbine, a 60-foot tall tower with a fan-shaped wheel of 144 cedar wood blades, marked the beginning of harnessing wind energy in America. This innovation was inspired by centuries-old wind energy inventions from around the world, including the first windmill in modern-day Iran and the first horizontal-axis windmill in Western Europe around the year 1300.
Today, nearly 140 years after Brush’s invention, clean energy harnessing has become crucial in resolving one of the nation’s top challenges: climate change.
What is clean energy?
Clean or renewable energy is derived from natural sources such as sunlight or wind that are constantly replenished. Over the last 500 years, humans have shifted to fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas, which are cheaper but pollute the environment and drive climate change.
Fossil fuels are responsible for over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90% of all carbon dioxide emissions, according to the United Nations (UN) Climate Action. These emissions trap the sun’s heat, leading to global warming and climate change, resulting in severe natural disasters.
Types of clean energy
Solar energy is derived from the sun. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory states that sunlight falling on Earth in one hour is more than the energy consumed globally in a year. Solar panels, made from photovoltaic cells, capture sunlight to generate electricity. As of September, nearly 10% of North Carolina’s electricity is produced by solar power.
Wind energy is used to power turbines. The wind turns the turbine’s blades, generating electricity. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill reports that the state has the second-highest offshore wind energy potential in the US, thanks to its long coastline, steady ocean winds, and shallow water, which are ideal for offshore wind development.
Other forms of clean energy include hydroelectric power, biomass energy, and geothermal energy. Hydropower utilises fast-moving water to spin a generator’s turbine blades. Biomass energy comes from burning organic material from plants and animals. However, biomass can have negative consequences for biodiversity and can produce higher carbon emissions than fossil fuels. Geothermal energy is harnessed by drilling wells to bring hot underground water to the surface. This water is then pumped through a turbine to generate electricity.
Why clean energy is crucial in the fight against climate change
Climate change is a growing public health issue, with extreme weather events such as Hurricane Helene in September killing over a hundred people in North Carolina. The North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies found that the climate changes expected by the end of this century will contribute to more natural disasters. Renewable energy sources, which release significantly less greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide, are vital in mitigating climate change’s worst effects.
Other clean energy benefits
The clean energy industry already generates hundreds of billions of dollars annually, which is expected to rise to over $2 trillion by 2035. Renewable energy is becoming increasingly financially competitive with fossil fuels. Clean energy is further anticipated to grow due to the clean energy tax credits provided by the Biden-Harris administration. For instance, more than 3.4 million American families benefitted from $8.4 billion in clean energy tax credits provided by the Inflation Reduction Act in 2023.
Investment in clean energy creates jobs. In 2023, clean energy jobs grew at more than twice the rate of the overall US labor market, creating nearly 150,000 new jobs. North Carolina has received over $3.4 billion in funding from President Biden’s Clean Energy Plan, creating nearly 4,800 new jobs in the state.
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