ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on commercially feasible renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, biomass, and briefly, geothermal. It provides reasons for using renewable fuels and examines government subsidies for producers and consumers of renewable fuels. The chapter looks at their accelerating use, partly due to subsidies and partly to rapidly declining costs. It examines resistance to their adoption, some of it due to the not in my backyard (NIMBY) phenomenon, and considers hydropower and geothermal energy. There is considerable support for policies that provide green jobs, jobs in renewable energy industries and other sectors that improve the environment or focus on sustainability. Geothermal energy can be a low-cost renewable energy source when the earth's heat is close to the surface. While geothermal is a renewable resource, it is possible to deplete the heat if the rate of use exceeds the rate of replenishment. There is ongoing research to make greater use of geothermal energy, such as binary cycle power plants.
