What Are Three Non-Renewable Energy Sources?

Non-renewable sources of energy are those which will eventually run out because of the time it takes to create them. The most common non-renewable energy sources are coal, oil and natural gas.

Coal

Coal takes millions of years to create and is formed by pressure and heat compacting dead plants into dense coal. The large amount of hydrocarbons in coal makes it release lots of energy when burned.

Oil

Oil is drilled from the ground and must be refined into different products like heating oil, gas and diesel. According to the Energy Information Administration, each gallon of crude oil produces about 1.05 gallons of products.

Natural Gas

Natural gas is made up almost entirely of methane but can also include butane, propane and ethane. It burns the cleanest out of oil, coal and natural gas.

Advantages of Non-Renewable Energy Sources

Coal, oil and natural gas give off a large amount of energy when they are burned which makes them very effective for generating power. They are also the cheapest types of energy, which helps keep energy costs down.

Disadvantages of Non-Renewable Energy Sources

Though they are cheap and effective, most non-renewable energy sources, especially coal and oil, release more environmental pollutants like carbon dioxide into the air than cleaner methods like solar or wind power.

References

• Oil
• Natural Gas
• Coal