Integrating Sources in APA

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Alternative energy sources in South Florida

Raciel Vera

Miami Dade Collage

ENC 1102

Steve Kronen

Friday, June 18, 20201

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Abstract

The use of alternative energy sources is encouraged not only in South Florida but also

across the world. Generally, the adoption of alternative energy sources is mainly for

environmental conservation. Over time, many countries have used fossil fuels as an energy

source. However, fossils use has proved primarily harmful to the environment. Gradually, a shift

has been experienced and the incorporation of environment-friendly methods practiced. This

paper will discuss the introduction of wind energy, hydroelectric energy, and geothermal energy

in South Florida.

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Introduction

Energy alternatives become a crucial aspect when environment conservation is a concern.

Over time, fossil energy has raised concerns about environmental pollution in South Florida and

the world at large. Gradually, there have been effects such as climate change and global warming

resulting from the interference of the atmosphere with the toxic substances emitted from the

fossils during the process of energy production. Environmental pollution has been a topic of

study for quite a long time. Therefore, more natural ways have been introduced to avoid

environmental pollution. These are majorly the alternative sources of energy that are

environment-friendly such as wind power, energy from solar, hydrogen gas, hydroelectric

energy, geothermal energy, and natural gas use. The essay thesis statement holds that wind

energy, geothermal energy, and hydroelectric energy are the three most desirable sources of

energy to be introduced in South Florida.

Wind power

Florida should embrace wind power energy. Wind power or energy is generally the

tapping and use of wind to generate energy and power using turbines to provide energy for

electric generators to produce electric energy (Musial & Ram, 2010). Over time, wind power has

been studied and proved environmentally friendly. Likewise, wind power is renewable and

sustainable. Research says that South Florida harbors the potential to produce wind-based power.

However, there are claims that Florida and other states in the southeastern experience lower

winds than different zones (Musial & Ram, 2010). However, research and study have found that

windmills and turbine construction are possible, along with some parts of South Florida coasts

incorporating the most recent wind technology.

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For quite a long time, South Florida has been using Biomass and Solar energy, which are

pretty good. However, the state equally has the potential of exploring the production of wind

energy. The winds experienced along Hutchinson Island coasts usually blow at 14 miles in an

hour, covering 80 meters hub height, producing electric power. This shows that South Florida

can introduce the use of wind energy as an alternative source of energy. The college of Florida

and Florida State Universities, (FAMU-FSU) research says, "With advances in turbine

technology, taller towers, larger rotor diameter, and new control system, we will be able to

provide low-cost wind power to low wind regions such as Florida and the Southeast” (Musial &

Ram, 2010). Generally, with the advancing technology, the turbines used in wind production

have been upgraded to incorporate variable wind speed in different locations.

Hydroelectric energy

There is a need to acknowledge hydroelectric energy production in Florida. Florida

comes second after Texas in electricity production. Equally, it is among the states with higher

electricity consumption. However, the major energy source used in South Florida's power

production is Biomass and solar energy. With the massive water bodies in South Florida, there

lies an opportunity to embrace the hydroelectric method of energy production. The hydroelectric

method of energy production is one of the earliest and environment-friendly methods of energy

production (Rahman et al., 2014). It is a proven renewable and clean source of energy. In this

method of energy production, water in the dams or rivers is used to generate electric power.

Usually, the water waves set the turbines' blades in motion, igniting the generator to convert the

mechanical energy into electricity.

South Florida has not embraced the use of dams, rivers, and water reservoirs in energy

production. There are fewer hydroelectric stations in South Florida. When Gabriel Alsenas brief

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the Florida legislators on the amount of energy the Gulf Stream can generate, he says, “Imagine

all the freshwater rivers in the world like Mississippi and their discharge into the World’s Ocean.

Multiply that water flow by 30, and you got what is going by our shores every second" (Kosnik,

2008). Significantly, this shows the possibilities of hydroelectric power production in South

Florida, too, as it has more water bodies and rivers such as Santa Fe, St Johns, Apalachicola,

Escambia, and many others. The research shows that hydroelectric production would increase

power production by 2-4 folds. Further, Alsenas Gabriel, the head of FAU and a renewable

energy center, says, “in our experiment, we generated about 100 watts, like a bulb you might

have in a floodlight” (Kosnik, 2008). Significantly this shows the possibility of hydroelectric

power generation in Florida.

Geothermal energy

Extensive exploration of geothermal energy would be beneficial to South Florida.

Geothermal energy involves the extraction of power or energy from the ground. The water

usually carries the energy to the earth's surface (Von & Brekken, 2017). There are greater

potentials for this method of energy production in Florida. Florida has a big advantage when it

comes to geothermal energy adoption because it has more groundwater as compared to other

states.

However, there is a need for extensive research in South Florida concerning groundwater

heat pump efficiency. It is generally accepted that the groundwater temperatures be lower than

the air temperature. Conversely, there are situations in South Florida when the groundwater

temperatures are almost the air temperatures and sometimes exceed the air temperatures (Von &

Brekken, 2017). Therefore, proper installations of the heat pumps are necessary for South Florida

to enjoy geothermal energy production.

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Conclusion

In conclusion, alternative energy sources are a crucial aspect of energy production.

Adopting alternative energy sources like wind, water, and ground energy production is cost-

effective. It reduces environmental pollution like increased ozone layer depletion leading to

global warming with severe climatic change. Another advantage of the three discussed

alternative sources is that they are renewable. Just as Tom Steyer says, "Renewable energy is a

clear winner when it comes to boosting the economy and creating jobs." Therefore, there is a

need for South Florida to embrace the suggested alternative energy with a renewed zeal for better

performance.

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References

Kosnik, L. (2008). The potential of waterpower in the fight against global warming in the US.

Energy Policy, 36(9), 3252-3265.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301421508002310

Michaelides, E. E. S. (2012). Alternative energy sources. Springer Science & Business Media.

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ve%20energy%20sources&f=false

Musial, W., & Ram, B. (2010). Large-scale offshore wind power in the United States:

Assessment of opportunities and barriers (No. NREL/TP-500-40745). National

Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States).

https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy10osti/40745.pdf

Rahman, N., Badshah, S., Rafai, A., & Badshah, M. (2014). Literature review of ocean current

turbine. International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, 5(11), 11.

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Noor-Rahman-

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Von Jouanne, A., & Brekken, T. K. (2017). Ocean and geothermal energy systems. Proceedings

of the IEEE, 105(11), 2147-2165.

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8008739

Fehl, P. (2010). Energy (Green Careers). Ferguson. Retrieved June 13, 2021, from

https://ebooks.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=16925&ISBN=9781438132280

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Kusky, T., Ph.D. (2020). Encyclopedia of earth and space science, revised edition (Science

Encyclopedia). Facts On File. Retrieved June 13, 2021, from

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