Source

Advantages

Disadvantages

• Inexpensive
• Easy to recover (in U.S. and Russia)

• Requires expensive air pollution controls (e.g. mercury, sulfur dioxide)
• Significant contributor to acid rain and global warming
• Requires extensive transportation system

• Fuel is inexpensive
• Energy generation is the most concentrated source
• Waste is more compact than any source
• Extensive scientific basis for the cycle
• Easy to transport as new fuel
• No greenhouse or acid rain effects

• Requires larger capital cost because of emergency, containment, radioactive waste and storage systems
• Requires resolution of the long-term high level waste storage issue in most countries
• Potential nuclear proliferation issue

• Very inexpensive once dam is built
• Government has invested heavily in building dams, particularly in the Western U.S.

• Very limited source since depends on water elevation
• Many dams available are currently exist (not much of a future source[depends on country])
• Dam collapse usually leads to loss of life
• Dams have affected fish (e.g. salmon runs)
• Environmental damage for areas flooded (backed up) and downstream

• Good distribution system for current use levels
• Easy to obtain (sometimes)
• Better as space heating energy source

• Very limited availability as shown by shortages during winters several years ago
• Could be major contributor to global warming
• Very expensive for energy generation
• Large price swings with supply and demand
• Liquified Natural Gas storage facilities and gas transmission systems have met opposition from environmentalists.

• Wind is free if available. As it turns out, the US has many areas available.
• Good source for periodic water pumping demands of farms as used earlier in 1900's
• Generation and maintenance costs have decreased significantly. Wind is proving to be a reasonable cost renewable source.
• Well suited to rural areas. Examples include Mid-Columbia areas of Oregon and Washington, western Minnesota, Atlantic Ocean off Cape Cod.

• Need 3x the amount of installed generation to meet demand
• Limited to windy areas.
• Limited to small generator size; need many towers.
• Highly climate dependent - wind can damage equipment during windstorms or not turn during still summer days.
• May affect endangered birds, however tower design can reduce impact..

• Sunlight is free when available
• Costs are dropping.

• Limited to southern areas of U.S. and other sunny areas throughout the world (demand can be highest when least available, e.g. winter solar heating)
• Does require special materials for mirrors/panels that can affect environment
• Current technology requires large amounts of land for small amounts of energy generation

• Industry in its infancy
• Could create jobs because smaller plants would be used

• Inefficient if small plants are used
• Could be significant contributor to global warming because fuel has low heat content

• Fuel can have low cost
• Could create jobs because smaller plants would be used
• Low sulfur dioxide emissions

• Inefficient if small plants are used
• Could be significant contributor to global warming because fuel has low heat content
• Flyash can contain metals as cadmium and lead
• Contain dioxins and furans in air and ash releases

• Combines easily with oxygen to produce water and energy

• Very costly to produce
• Takes more energy to produce hydrogen then energy that could be recovered.

• Hydrogen and tritium could be used as fuel source
• Higher energy output per unit mass than fission
• Low radiation levels associated with process than fission-based reactors

• Breakeven point has not been reached after ~40 years of expensive research