Energy Assignment Part 3

Based on the potential to be implemented in my state, I would rank the energies in the following order for the state of Hawaii:

1. Solar energy
2. Coal energy
3. Wind energy

I ranked Solar energy as first because solar energy is not only sustainable but renewable which means that we will never run out of it. It is a natural source of power as it is possible to generate electricity. Hawaii is known to be a rich state because of tourism and since on average people make over $75,000 there which would make the cost of implementation of expensive solar panels possible. Initially solar energy panels are what are expensive however in the long term, the creation of solar energy requires little maintenance. The geography of my state is perfect for solar energy since the location on earth causes it to have a lot of available sunlight. There are many resources available to recharge the solar panels. The tropical location provides abundant sunlight and warm climate. The size of Hawaii is good since sunlight is able to cover it adequately. Hawaii’s government has been using solar energy for electricity and government has been using it more and more over the years. The government also uses it in ventilation of homes and buildings.

I ranked Coal energy as second because solar energy is the better option for Hawaii in particular but because of coal production in Hawaii, it is also a fair and good second option. The cost of coal mining and everything else is quite affordable for Hawaii because it is a rather rich state compared to other US states. Geographically, there are many coal reserves and areas for coal mining located in Hawaii. The size of the state is large enough for coal to be mined and used for electricity for the whole state. However there may be an issue of coal running out over the years if it is overmined whereas solar energy would not run out because of the abundant sunlight that is why it is ranked first. The government of Hawaii is already using coal for instance,  there are many coal mines in Hawaii and in 2009, 14.8 percent of Hawaii's electric power generation was provided by coal. They used 700,000 short tons of coal to generate 1.52 billion kilowatt hours of electricity. Hawaii ranks number 43 in coal use and and number 50 in energy affordability.  Government and the society is also helped out by coal mining as it brings out 730 jobs in Hawaii and about 20 million dollars in combined payroll.

I ranked wind energy as third because it is renewable and cost effective. Wind turbines can give energy to numerous homes which is a great economic advantage. The cost of implementation is relatively affordable. Geographically, Hawaii can be windy because of the coastal areas however I have ranked this third because winds are not always reliable. Winds don't blow reliably and turbines usually function at about 30 percent capacity or so. If weather doesn't support you, you may end up without power. Serious storms or high winds may cause damage to your wind turbine, particularly when struck by lightning. Hawaii can have unexpected weather in stormy seasons therefore wind energy may not be the best option. This is why solar energy and coal energy is better than wind energy for the state of Hawaii. Governments have been using wind energy since the 1980s because wind is a clean and sustainable source of energy. Governments have installed them for uses of electricity in the state of Hawaii.