Greenville's Energy Challenge
You are the director of the Greenville Light & Power Department. You oversee the city’s power grid, the network of power lines and other equipment used to deliver electricity from suppliers to customers. To meet the expected increase in demand for electricity that will come over the next 20 to 30 years as Greenville grows, you need to reconsider the energy source used to generate electricity for the grid.
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While meeting the expected increase in demand is an important concern, it’s not the only one to factor into your thinking. Electricity generation is one of the leading sources of greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide (CO2), in the United States. As you probably know, greenhouse gases are linked to global climate change, which threatens our planet.
Watch this video, which puts the issue in perspective. After watching, answer a question in the notes box below.
Take Notes
As the video suggests, planning your city’s energy future presents you with both an opportunity and a challenge. While the city’s power plant currently burns coal to generate electricity, there are other options. What would you need to know about other energy sources to decide if they should be used instead? (Click SAVE when you have finished. To see your saved or submitted work again, click MY WORK at the top of the page.)
