sources of energy & fossil fuels

renewable resource

can be replenished or regenerated on a human time scale. Renewable sources of energy include geothermal, flowing water, wind, solar, and biomass.

nonrenewable resource

cannot be replenished or regenerated on a human time scale.

Fossil fuels

presently the world's primary energy source. It provides most of the energy that supports transportation, electricity production, heating and cooling of buildings, and various industrial activities.

Coal

formed from the remains of plants that once grew in swamps and adjacent forests millions of years ago.

Petroleum

a naturally-occurring liquid composed of complex hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations underneath the Earth's surface.