America's energy future : technology and transformation / Committee on America's Energy Future, National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and National Research Council of the National Academies.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

National Academy of Engineering. Committee on America's Energy Future.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Power resources--United States.

Power resources.

Energy policy--United States.

Energy policy.

Energy conservation.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (209 p.)

Edition:

Summary ed.

Place of Publication:

Washington, DC : National Academies Press, 2009.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Energy production and use touch our lives in countless ways. We are reminded of the cost of energy every time we fill up at the gas pump, pay an electricity bill, or purchase an airline ticket. Energy use also has important indirect impacts, not all of which are reflected in current energy prices: depletion of natural resources, degradation of the environment, and threats to national security arising from a growing dependence on geopolitically unstable regions for some of our energy supplies. These indirect impacts could increase in the future if the demand for energy rises faster than available energy supplies. Our nation's challenge is to develop an energy portfolio that reduces these impacts while providing sufficient and affordable energy supplies to sustain our future economic prosperity. The United States has enormous economic and intellectual resources that can be brought to bear on these challenges through a sustained national effort in the decades ahead. America's Energy Future is intended to inform the development of wise energy policies by fostering a better understanding of technological options for increasing energy supplies and improving the efficiency of energy use. This summary edition of the book will also be a useful resource for professionals working in the energy industry or involved in advocacy and researchers and academics in energy-related fields of study. America's Energy Future examines the deployment potential, costs, barriers, and impacts of energy supply and end-use technologies during the next two to three decades, including energy efficiency, alternative transportation fuels, renewable energy, fossil fuel energy, and nuclear energy, as well as technologies for improving the nation's electrical transmission and distribution systems.

Contents:

""Foreword""; ""Preface""; ""Acknowledgments""; ""Acknowledgment of Reviewers""; ""Contents""; ""Executive Summary""; ""PART 1""; ""1 Context and Challenges""; ""2 Key Findings""; ""3 Key Results from Technology Assessments""; ""APPENDIXES""; ""Appendix A: Committee and Staff Biographies""; ""Appendix B: Meeting Participants""; ""Appendix C: America�s Energy Future Project""; ""Appendix D: Principal Units and Conversion Factors""; ""Appendix E: Select Acronyms and Abbreviations""; ""Index""

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

9786612454868

9780309149174

0309149177

9781282454866

1282454862

9780309141468

030914146X

OCLC:

923280006