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Renewable energy benefits and drawbacks
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Renewable energy types each have their own unique benefits and drawbacks. Use this state comparison table to compare the type of renewable energy with the possible benefits and drawbacks to help decide which energy type is a good fit for your needs.
| Biopower | Geothermal | Hydropower | Solar Power | Wind Power | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Benefits | Aids forest product, farming, and other related industries by using production residues. | Available all throughout the day and every day of the year, which makes it cost-effective. | Dams made for hydropower creation may produce areas for boating and fishing. | Can produce electricity in remote areas not connected to the grid, which is more economic than running vast sets of wires. | Landowners can have added income since turbines can be constructed on already present farms or ranches. |
| Environmental Benefits | Restores degraded soils through biochar. | Releases less acid rain-causing sulfur compounds and less carbon dioxide than fossil fuel power plants. | Stores water, which protects water tables from running dry. | Does not create air pollutants or carbon dioxide. | Turbines do not emit atmospheric emissions that result in acid rain or smog. |
| Lower greenhouse gas emissions. | Power plants recylce geothermal steam and water that is used back into the ground, which renews resources. | Power plants do not emit pollutants into the air. | When panels are placed on an already existing construction, there is no further habitat loss. | No water needed to generate electricity from wind. | |
| Economic Drawbacks | Moving traditional timber harvesting equipment is costly. | Large initial investment from the drilling of wells. | Smaller, micro-hydroelectric systems are not qualified for a lot of the same financial perks as other renewable energy systems. | High cost for manufacturing and installing solar panels. | Certain areas might not be windy enough to be profitable. |
| Environmental Drawbacks | Clearing forests to grow biomass produces a carbon penalty. | Arsenic, boron, and mercury, can be in water released from cooling towers. | Upstream habitats could be wiped out entirely when a dam reservoir is first filled. | The beam of intense sunlight a solar power tower makes can burn and kill birds and insects that go into it. | Turbines can cause noise pollution, which can harm wildlife. Noise pollution can also be a community concern. |
| Burning trash for biomass results in air pollution. | Drilling new geothermal wells or pumping well water is believed to cause seismic events. | Dams without fish ladders prohibit fish migrations. | Using ground water or surface water for cleaning solar power plants in dry areas could hurt the ecosystems that need the water. | Spinning wind turbine blades can negatively impact flying animals. |