What is Renewable Energy?
Renewable energy is energy obtained from sources that can be
continually replenished, such as solar, wind, and biomass. Unlike fossil
fuels, which will eventually be depleted,
renewable energy technologies provide a lasting source of energy.
Use of renewable energy can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, decrease
dependence on foreign oil, and provide
domestic economic development opportunities. Renewable energy
technologies discussed on the RE-Powering America’s Land website include
wind, solar (photovoltaic and
concentrating solar power), biomass (biorefinery and biopower),
geothermal (flash power plant, binary power plant and geothermal heat
pump), and landfill gas energy. Other
renewable energy sources include hydropower, tidal power, geothermal
direct use and biomass direct-combustion and other biomass to energy
conversion technologies. You can read
more about renewable energy on EPA’s Clean Energy web page.
What are contaminated land and mine sites?
Accidents, spills, leaks, and past improper disposal and handling
of hazardous materials and wastes have contaminated tens of thousands
of sites across our country. In addition,
the U.S. has thousands of mine sites with areas contaminated or
scarred by extraction, beneficiation or processing of ores and minerals.
Contaminated land and mine sites can threaten
human health as well as the environment, in addition to hampering
economic growth and the vitality of local communities.In many places, government, private, and non-profit organizations are working with each other to assess, restore, and return these unproductive properties to sustainable and beneficial uses that are protective of health and the environment. EPA and other government agencies manage multiple programs to clean up and revitalize contaminated properties. EPA alone tracks nearly 490,000 contaminated land and mine sites. You can learn more about EPA’s cleanup programs on EPA’s OSWER Cleanups web page.


















Apple Needs to Make it in America
