Exhaustible Energy Sources

1
Exhaustible Energy Sources We use currently 13
TWyr per year, but will use 25 TW in 2050
Reserves Resources
Fossil Fuels TW-yr TW-yr
Coal 600 2500
Oil 120 350
Gas 75 270
Oilshale 600
Tar sands 800

Nuclear Energy
Thermal reactors 60
Breeders 2500
Fusion Very large
Based on reserves of 4.3x106 tons of U
2
Renewable, sustainable energy sources (TW)
World
USA
Potential Current Potential Current
Hydro 1.5 0.2 0.12 0.09
Wind 1.0 0.3
Ocean 0.005
OTEC 0.5
Tidal 0.04
Geother. 0.6 0.02 0.1 0.001
Biomass 2.0
Total 5.7
3
Solar Power

• Land area x Solar Flux
• 1.48 x 1014 m2 x 170 W/m2 2.5 x 1016 W ?
  25,000 TW