Introduction
In recent times, most of the energy necessities are met by the burning of fossil fuels. However the utilization of fossil fuels has been creating pollution in the environment leading to the devastating impacts on the environmental as well as the eco-system (Kahia et al.). The amount of fossil fuel reserves whose accessibilities are limited on the plant, thus making the governments and environmental administrative to efficiently progress towards renewable energy resources. Current data reveal that an approximate rate of over 55% of the oil is being consumed in the US which has been imported from other nations in the Gulf (Folk). Thus it is essential for any nation to reduce its level of dependency on oil in order to save a substantial amount of economy and promote environmental sustainability. The aim of the paper is to evaluate the potentials and benefits of alternative energy resource like the solar energy to enhance the environmental condition of the country and reduce the level of oil dependency.
Discussion
In every hour, the amount of energy resources which reflects on the Earth exhibit a tendency to equates to the amount utilized by the populace of the world in a single year. Mankind has advanced in an approach to efficiently consume the vas energy of the sun by converting its sunlight into electric power via photovoltaic along with other solar energy methods (Omri et al.). The fossil fuels in the form of plants below the Earth have the propensity to significantly transform into oil over the time and are further drilled by utilizing polluting machinery. Kahia et al. claim that although manufacturing solar energy panels consume fossil fuels, the overall revenue is greater in comparison to the consumption of fossil fuels. Jebli et al. state that such beneficiary factors emerge because of the less consumption of solar power and all other powering can be done by significantly capturing the energy resources of the Sun. Solar energy are highly cost-effective and over a period of time it can pay for themselves.
Though the cost of solar power installation is of high expense, the US administration has been proficiently working to offer financial inducement in the form of discounts on purchases as well as tax deductions and tax credits. These financial aids will resourcefully work on the decrease of fossil fuels and oil dependency, further resulting to the elevation of solar power consumption (Jebli et al.). Thus, US’s reliance on oil producing Gulf regions will decrease at a significant rate, thereby saving the amount of expenditure in millions of dollar. Solar power thus has been considered as one of the most prominent and effective solutions for environmental sustainability by promoting lesser amount of release of greenhouse gases in the environment. However Jebli et al. observed that America’s level of dependence on oil has significantly witnessed a decline every year since the administration of Barack Obama. In 2010 it has been reported that less than 50% of the oil consumption has been imported by the US which has occurred for the first time in past 13 years. Various factors have been underpinned the reason why US policymakers have shown utmost inclination in reducing their level of economy’s reliance on oil. Wide ranging policymakers in the United States have noted that the production as well as consumption of oil products has been generating greenhouse gases along with extensive rate of local pollution (Penn). Furthermore, the extensive oil reliance has been making the US economy susceptible to severe price shocks in the world oil market resulting to crate hindrances to US foreign policy and regulations.
At this juncture the Kahia et al. have indicated the significant decline of electric vehicles costs as well as solar energy panels has halted the rise of oil consumption demand by 2020. Bloch et al. have further stated that latest cost diminution projections for the green technologies and the ultimate allegiance of the US to alleviate emissions have resulted solar energy resources as vital determinant of environmental sustainability. Furthermore, polluting fuels could essentially lose over 10% of market share to solar energy resources resulting to the cause the disintegration of coal mining sector of the US (Jebli et al.). However Kahia et al. on the other hand revealed that the five vital utilities of Europe have lost around €100bn between 2008 and 2013 because of their lack of preparation for a 10% increase in solar energy resources. In addition to this, the rising rate of technologies such as printable solar photovoltaic which generate electrical energy resources could further reduce the expenditure costs and amplify the consumption of renewable energy resources (Omri et al.). Folk noted that the cost of solar power has undergone a decline of over 85% in 7 years whereby it has been revealed that panels could supply an approximate of around 25% of global energy resource generation by 2040 as well as around 30% by the next three decades further leaving natural gas with a diminutive share of 1%.
Since 2008, the US installations have elevated almost 17% from 1.2 gigawatts (GW) to an estimated range of over 30 GW that is considered to an adequate to power the equivalent of 6 million averages of American households. Omri et al. reveal that since 2010, the standard expense of solar PV panels have declined over 60% as well as the cost of solar power system has undergone a significant decline of around 50%. Thus US have considered the consumption of solar power to be economically competitive with conventional power sources in several states of USA namely California, Texas, Minnesota and Hawaii (Kahia et al.).
Conclusion
To conclude it can be stated that America needs to put greater degree of effort in reducing the costs of renewable energy sources for the prospective years. Thus US must consider extensive environmental strategies which will develop every accessible solar power resource of the American energy. Such strategies however will incorporate emphasis on the dependence of offshore oil supplies along with substantial renewable energy reserves in order to augment the level of clean energy resources like solar power to improve the environmental conditions of the country.
References
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