What You Need To Know About Energy
The Cost of Energy
Energy use can carry a hefty price tag—and not just in money. The cost to our environment, to national security, and to the prospect of future sustainability is sometimes hard to calculate in dollar terms, but nonetheless very real in practical terms. What factors should we consider as we make decisions about energy options for the future?
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A visualization of all our energy sourcesEnergy Defined
- Ocean Acidification
The process by which the hydronium ion concentration increases in the ocean, measured as decreasing pH. One source of ocean acidification is the dissolution of carbon dioxide, which forms carbonic acid with water and then dissociates into hydronium and bicarbonate. Lower pH impacts ocean life, including their soft and hard materials, and also human-built structures in the ocean, such as vessels.
National Academies
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Source Material
- America’s Energy Future: Technology and Transformation (2009)
- Electricity from Renewable Resources: Status, Prospects, and Impediments (2010)
- Liquid Transportation Fuels from Coal and Biomass: Technological Status, Costs, and Environmental Impacts (2009)
- Assessing Economic Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Mitigation: Summary of a Workshop (2009)
- Coal: Research and Development to Support National Energy Policy (2007)
- Energy Research at DOE: Was It Worth It? Energy Efficiency and Fossil Energy Research 1978 to 2000 (2001)
- Novel Approaches to Carbon Management: Separation, Capture, Sequestration, and Conversion to Useful Products-Workshop Report (2003)
