How Will You Decide?
This graph shows how different sources of energy have been used in the United States to produce electricity since 1949.
After asking several energy consultants which type of energy they would recommend to power Greenville’s grid, you receive three proposals. Your job is to review them and choose the best option.
- Proposal 1: 100% natural gas
- Proposal 2: 100% renewable energy sources
- Proposal 3: 50% natural gas, 50% renewable energy sources
You’ll need to evaluate the proposals based on three criteria: the availability, cost, and reliability of the energy sources. You should also consider the overarching goal of producing electricity that has less impact on the planet. On the pages that follow, you’ll watch videos, read text, and examine images that will help you make your choice. At the end of the lesson, you’ll develop a written argument based on evidence that supports your choice.
Throughout the lesson, you may highlight and add comments to text that describes key ideas or provides evidence that you’ll use to make your choice. Click or tap and drag over a word or phrase and then add your comments to the text box that appears.
Also, when prompted in Take Notes, type responses that you can use later to support your written argument.
Take Notes
Using examples from the graph, briefly describe the changes in the sources of electricity that have occurred since 2005.
