WHAT'S NEXT?: Sources of renewable energy are as old as the sun and wind, but how viable are they?

By Jim Kasuba Twitter: @JKasuba

For decades, naysayers have pointed to their expense, relatively high in comparison to formerly abundant sources of fossil fuels, such as coal and crude oil.

But with those resources dwindling and emerging economies such as China and India competing for limited supplies, fossil fuels are becoming more expensive while several popular green energy technologies are coming down in price.

Cost issues aside, another problem environmentalists have with the burning of fossil fuels is the carbon dioxide they put into the atmosphere, considered to be a major contributor to global warming.

The Energy Information Administration estimated that in 2007 primary sources of energy in the world consisted of petroleum, 36 percent; coal, 27.4 percent; and natural gas, 23 percent. That equates to a total of 86.4 percent of the worlds energy being produced with fossil fuels.

Non-fossil sources include hydroelectric, nuclear, geothermal, solar, tide, wind, wood and waste. However, not all of those are considered renewable energy sources.

Although renewable energy sources constitute only a small fraction of energy being produced in this country, those numbers are on the rise.

Because state law mandates providers of electric service to establish renewable energy and energy optimization programs, its not a question of whether renewable energy should be utilized, but rather a question of which ones to use.

Public Act 295 of 2008 is a law that affects virtually every state resident.

The law requires providers to produce 10 percent of its power by 2015 with renewable sources. It further stipulates that the providers start generating or supplying the green power this year, and gradually phase it in.

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WHAT'S NEXT?: Sources of renewable energy are as old as the sun and wind, but how viable are they?