Energy is a necessity for the ever growing technological advances in human culture. Many different techniques of achieving the energy have been developed as the evolution of technology continues. Some techniques require the utilization of nonrenewable resources, while others derive their energy from renewable resources. Conducting energy from nonrenewable resources is a liability when making acknowledgment of the potential harm and availability of the product. Coal, for example, is a nonrenewable resource currently used by the town of Coalston, West Virginia as a primary source of energy. The need for change is inevitable and can be found in the form of hydroelectric power or wind powered energy. When deciding in which power source to change to, considerations should be made, such as how the individual techniques operate, the cost, and the risk factors. The understanding of coal’s potential threats allow for one to see that a problem persist while coal exist. When coal is converted into energy, a waste called ash is produced as a result. The type of ash with the highest difficulty to be sustained is coal fly ash, which is the bits of surviving coal after being burnt for energy. If the ash isn’t contained, it will makes its way to wreak havoc upon the environment (Hu par. 9). Even before coal makes it in the power plant to be made into energy, it possess a threat by the mere collection of it. When being collected from a mine, coal has the problem of contaminating water supplies and the air atmosphere. Water being the most server due to the concentration levels when compared to air. Coal finds its way into water sources through drainage and runoff from the sites of mining. Many metals that are harmful to humans can find their way into water through there mining sites. Coal may be able to supply towns with energy, but it also possess a threat on the survivability of every individual in the community. To move away from coals harm, wind power techniques may be developed. The basic wind power is produced through blades being turned by wind, which spin a shaft that creates electricity through a generator. The generator simple takes the kinetic energy of the wind and converts it into electricity. Mechanical energy can also be produced by wind turbines to achieve goals such as, grinding grain or pumping water (“Wind Power” par.7). “In the US, wind power generation doubled in the last two years to more than twenty gigawatts, and became the world leader in wind energy generation,” (“Wind Power” par.2). Wind power’s technique of operation is common, but effective. As compared to wind power, hydropower develops an operating technique through different types and sizes. The primary type of hydropower is conducted with the use of a dam. The dam releases water to spin a turbine and generate energy. Water levels are fluctuated through the turbine to meet energy needs or to control reservoir level. This type of hydropower is referred as an impoundment facility. Another type of hydropower is called diversion, which utilizes a portion of a river through a canal. The water passes through a turbine and generates energy. The use of a river’s natural occurrence to power up turbines is called run-of-river. Low generated hydropower plants called pumped storage, are manufactured by storing energy generated by pumping water from a low reservoir to a high reservoir. When a higher need for energy is among the plant, the water is dumped by to the lower reservoir (U.S. 4). Many different operating techniques of hydropower plants have been produced, allowing for utilization of the most efficient plant in an area.
The cost of wind power must be assessed to help decided in which operating technique will be established. Wind energy can reach prices as low as four and six cents per kilowatt-hour if the right resources are achieved and if the project financing is high. This puts wind energy towards the top