What is Energy4me?

Natural gas is a nonrenewable fossil fuel formed hundreds of millions years ago from the remains of plants and animals. Not to be confused with gasoline, it is used for heating buildings and generating electricity.

Petroleum is a nonrenewable fossil fuel made naturally from decaying prehistoric plant and animal remains. It is a mixture of hydrocarbon molecules that exist sometimes as a liquid or a vapor. It's primarily used for power and transportation, as well as household items.

Coal is a nonrenewable energy source that is part of the fossil fuels family. It is a combustible sedimentary rock composed mostly of carbon and hydrocarbons, it is primarily used to generate electricity.

Uranium is a nonrenewable source that makes nuclear energy. It occurs in the nucleus, or core, of an atom. Bonds that hold atoms together contain large amounts of energy that is released in the form of heat.

Hydropower is renewable energy captured from moving water. Nature’s water cycle is important to making hydropower work. Hydropower was one of the first sources of energy used for electricity generation.

Solar energy is the radiant energy (light or heat) that comes from the sun. Only a small amount of the sun’s energy strikes the Earth but is still an enormous amount of energy.

Wind energy is used to generate mechanical power or electricity. People have used wind energy for hundreds of years to pump water or grind grain. Wind power has a relatively high output, but only a fraction of its potential is currently used.

Geothermal energy comes from reservoirs of hot water below the Earth's surface. Wells are drilled into these reservoirs to tap steam and hot water that are brought to the surface for electricity generation and other uses.

Biomass is any organic matter – wood, crops, seaweed, animal wastes – that can be used as an energy source. Biomass has been used longer than any other energy source. Biomass now makes up only a small percentage of total world energy use.