{"id":23381,"date":"2025-12-15T16:06:13","date_gmt":"2025-12-15T16:06:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/chariot-university\/clean-energy\/"},"modified":"2025-12-16T21:30:33","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T21:30:33","slug":"clean-energy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/chariot-university\/clean-energy\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Clean Energy? 7 Different Sources"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\n.chariot-article {\n  max-width: 800px;\n  margin: 0 auto;\n  padding: 40px;\n  font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, \"Segoe UI\", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, sans-serif;\n  font-size: 18px;\n  line-height: 1.8;\n  color: #333;\n}\n.chariot-article h1 {\n  font-size: 2.5em;\n  font-weight: 700;\n  line-height: 1.2;\n  margin: 0 0 30px 0;\n  color: #1a1a1a;\n}\n.chariot-article h2 {\n  font-size: 1.8em;\n  font-weight: 600;\n  line-height: 1.3;\n  margin: 50px 0 20px 0;\n  color: #1a1a1a;\n  border-bottom: 2px solid #f7931e;\n  padding-bottom: 10px;\n}\n.chariot-article h3 {\n  font-size: 1.4em;\n  font-weight: 600;\n  line-height: 1.4;\n  margin: 40px 0 15px 0;\n  color: #333;\n}\n.chariot-article h4 {\n  font-size: 1.2em;\n  font-weight: 600;\n  margin: 30px 0 10px 0;\n  color: #444;\n}\n.chariot-article p {\n  margin: 0 0 20px 0;\n}\n.chariot-article img {\n  max-width: 100%;\n  height: auto;\n  border-radius: 8px;\n  margin: 30px 0;\n  display: block;\n}\n.chariot-article figure {\n  margin: 30px 0;\n}\n.chariot-article figcaption {\n  font-size: 0.9em;\n  color: #666;\n  text-align: center;\n  margin-top: 10px;\n  font-style: italic;\n}\n.chariot-article ul, .chariot-article ol {\n  margin: 20px 0 20px 30px;\n  padding: 0;\n}\n.chariot-article li {\n  margin-bottom: 12px;\n  line-height: 1.6;\n}\n.chariot-article a {\n  color: #f7931e;\n  text-decoration: none;\n  border-bottom: 1px solid transparent;\n  transition: border-color 0.2s;\n}\n.chariot-article a:hover {\n  border-bottom-color: #f7931e;\n}\n.chariot-article blockquote {\n  border-left: 4px solid #f7931e;\n  margin: 30px 0;\n  padding: 20px 30px;\n  background: #f9f9f9;\n  font-style: italic;\n  color: #555;\n}\n.chariot-article strong {\n  font-weight: 600;\n  color: #1a1a1a;\n}\n.chariot-article em {\n  font-style: italic;\n}\n.chariot-article hr {\n  border: none;\n  border-top: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\n  margin: 40px 0;\n}\n.chariot-article table {\n  width: 100%;\n  border-collapse: collapse;\n  margin: 30px 0;\n}\n.chariot-article th, .chariot-article td {\n  padding: 12px 15px;\n  text-align: left;\n  border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\n}\n.chariot-article th {\n  background: #f5f5f5;\n  font-weight: 600;\n}\n@media (max-width: 768px) {\n  .chariot-article {\n    padding: 20px;\n    font-size: 16px;\n  }\n  .chariot-article h1 { font-size: 2em; }\n  .chariot-article h2 { font-size: 1.5em; }\n  .chariot-article h3 { font-size: 1.25em; }\n}\n<\/style>\n<div class=\"chariot-article\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" alt=\"Cluster of wind turbines\" class=\"wp-image-1415\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/solar-renewable-2-1.jpg\" width=\"1920\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n<p>As<br \/>\nhumans, we tend to bucket things into two categories: good or evil, hard or<br \/>\neasy, rich or poor, stupid or smart. The same could be said for how people<br \/>\nunderstand different energy sources: renewable energy or traditional energy,<br \/>\ngreen power or brown power, clean energy or dirty energy. However, such perfect<br \/>\nbinaries don\u2019t really exist, and the clean energy \/ \u201cdirty\u201d energy dichotomy is<br \/>\nno exception to this. <\/p>\n<p>When you<br \/>\nthink of clean energy, you typically think of <em>renewable <\/em>energy sources such as solar and wind \u2014 and you\u2019d be<br \/>\nright! You\u2019d also get a checkmark if you wrote <em>nuclear <\/em>energy on a test. But you\u2019d probably get half credit if you<br \/>\npenciled in natural gas, depending on the person grading, since there\u2019s obvious<br \/>\ndebate whether fossil fuels can truly be clean. <\/p>\n<p>At Chariot Energy, we believe clean energy is synonymous with renewable energy \u2014 energy that doesn\u2019t emit <a href=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/chariot-university\/greenhouse-gases\/\">greenhouse gases<\/a> or other pollutants. Still, others claim that nuclear energy, natural gas and even clean-burning coal are on the cleaner end of the spectrum. In this article, we delve into the different sources of clean energy \u2014 including nuclear and natural gas \u2014 and ultimately why we believe \u201cclean\u201d should be synonymous with \u201crenewable.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Clean Energy Sources<\/h2>\n<p>We will<br \/>\nstart by examining the 6 main sources of clean energy. Out of all energy<br \/>\nresources, we consider green power (solar, wind, biomass and geothermal) as the<br \/>\ncleanest form of energy. So, if we were looking at clean energy on a spectrum,<br \/>\nthese would be farthest from \u201cdirty\u201d or emissions-heavy energy.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ll<br \/>\nthen discuss natural gas, which some energy experts classify as a clean energy<br \/>\nsource (but we don\u2019t think it is). Finally, we\u2019ll talk about one particular<br \/>\nenergy source that we simply cannot bring ourselves to include. We share why<br \/>\nthat is later in the post.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Solar Energy<\/h3>\n<p>Our beautiful bread and butter, <a href=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/chariot-university\/what-is-solar-energy\/\">solar energy<\/a>. We experience this amazing clean energy source through sunlight and heat, and we can utilize this energy to create electricity through technology like solar panels or concentrating solar power plants (reflective mirrors). We generate this electricity without any emissions or pollution, so it earns a checkmark.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/epa-energy-supply-graphic.png\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: EPA<\/figcaption><\/img><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Wind Energy<\/h3>\n<p>Another<br \/>\nclean energy source, wind energy is <em>technically<br \/>\n<\/em>another form of solar energy since the sun is partly responsible for all<br \/>\nweather patterns on Earth. However, for the sake of how electricity is produced<br \/>\nby solar panels and wind turbines, they are considered two different forms of<br \/>\nenergy. <\/p>\n<p>Like<br \/>\nsolar energy, power generated from wind turbines produces no air pollutants.<br \/>\nSo, it\u2019s an easy check on our list of clean energy requirements. <\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Bioenergy<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1491\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bio-fuel.jpg\" width=\"1920\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Scientists are working to create a super species of algae that can produce copious amounts of fat, which can be converted into biodiesel.<\/figcaption><\/img><\/figure>\n<p>This is a really fun source of energy! Well, not <em>fun<\/em>, per se, but it\u2019s nonetheless interesting.\u00a0This form of renewable energy is created by living organisms such as algae, wood, crop residue. It can also come from food waste, landfills and fermented crops. The most common application is fuel for transportation and heating buildings.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s such<br \/>\na versatile form of energy because, while it can and does generate electricity,<br \/>\nits most prevalent use lies in the creation of biofuels for transportation as a<br \/>\nreplacement for fossil fuels. And since we need fuel for everything from our<br \/>\ncars to airplanes, bioenergy lowers the carbon impact on the environment. <em>Check!<\/em> <\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Geothermal Energy<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"374\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/y_ZGBhy48YI?feature=oembed\" title=\"Energy 101: Geothermal Heat Pumps\" width=\"665\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Unlike<br \/>\nwater, solar and wind, geothermal energy isn\u2019t derived from the sun. Instead,<br \/>\nit is energy in the form of heat from the Earth itself. Most often, geothermal<br \/>\nis used to heat and cool people\u2019s homes. <\/p>\n<p>To create<br \/>\ngeothermal electricity, the Earth\u2019s heat energy is used to boil water to create<br \/>\nsteam. This steam then rotates turbines that generate energy. It\u2019s similar to a<br \/>\ncoal-powered power plant, but it\u2019s run on the Earth\u2019s heat instead of burning<br \/>\nfossil fuels. <\/p>\n<p>Another<br \/>\ncheckmark!<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Hydropower<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"A hydropower facility\" class=\"wp-image-1496\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"1280\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/hydropower-facility.jpg\" width=\"1920\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n<p>Again,<br \/>\nanother source of energy technically powered by the sun, hydropower is fueled<br \/>\nby the water cycle. The sun evaporates water, which then forms clouds that then<br \/>\ndrop rainfall and snow that create rivers, streams and other large bodies of<br \/>\nwater. The famous Hoover Dam, the giant structure holding back the raging<br \/>\nColorado River, is only one example of how hydropower is used today. <\/p>\n<p>Hydropower<br \/>\nrelies on the kinetic energy from flowing water and transforms it into<br \/>\nelectricity through spinning turbines located in a moving body of water. Hence,<br \/>\nhydropower can be a large-scale operation like the Hoover Dam, or it can be<br \/>\nsmall-scale without a dam. Most importantly, this process doesn\u2019t create<br \/>\ngreenhouse gases when generating electricity.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Nuclear Energy<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Nuclear power plant\" class=\"wp-image-1495\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"1262\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/nuclear-power-plant.jpg\" width=\"1920\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">These water cooling towers are practically a symbol of nuclear energy.<\/figcaption><\/img><\/figure>\n<p>Now,<br \/>\nwe\u2019re getting into more controversial territory. This is the test case for why<br \/>\n\u201cclean\u201d energy is difficult to define for some. Technically, nuclear energy is<br \/>\nemissions-free, and it is hugely efficient. One pellet of uranium fuel (approx.<br \/>\n1 cm x 1 cm) is the energy equivalent of approximately 150 gallons of gas or<br \/>\n17,000 cubic feet of natural gas. To put this in perspective, five grams of<br \/>\nthis tiny pellet can produce enough energy to power a normal household for 6<br \/>\nmonths. <\/p>\n<p>The counter<br \/>\nto that \u201cclean\u201d argument is that nuclear energy gives off radiation, which, if<br \/>\nimproperly handled, could contaminate air and water. However, even with the<br \/>\nhorrible outliers like Chernobyl and Three Mile Island, the risk of contamination<br \/>\nis small since there are so many safety systems in place. <\/p>\n<p>So, is<br \/>\nthis energy source truly clean? In our opinion, because of the waste created,<br \/>\nnuclear energy is not clean. However, we can\u2019t deny that nuclear power significantly<br \/>\nreduces greenhouse gas emissions by replacing the need for fossil fuels.<br \/>\nUltimately, you have to decide for yourself whether this one checks the clean<br \/>\nenergy box. <\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Natural Gas<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Natural gas burns on a stop top\" class=\"wp-image-1494\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"1280\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/stove-top.jpg\" width=\"1920\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Yep, gas cooktops in our home are a common use of natural gas in our everyday lives.<\/figcaption><\/img><\/figure>\n<p>This is easily the most disputed inclusion on our list. In fact, the Department of Energy <a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/science-innovation\/clean-energy\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">doesn\u2019t even list<\/a> natural gas as a clean energy source. It\u2019s under the fossil fuels section because, fundamentally speaking, natural gas is derived from dinosaurs, and it does produce greenhouse gas emissions, specifically methane, when burned. <\/p>\n<p>So,<br \/>\nwhat\u2019s the point of even considering natural gas on this list? According to the<br \/>\nU.S. Energy Information Administration, burning natural gas results in fewer<br \/>\nemissions of nearly all types of air pollutants than coal or petroleum products<br \/>\nto create the same amount of energy. It\u2019s considered \u201cclean\u201d because it\u2019s<br \/>\ntechnically \u201ccleaner\u201d than other fossil fuels and is the reason for its<br \/>\nexplosion in popularity amongst energy generators. <\/p>\n<p>However,<br \/>\nit definitely has drawbacks, specifically when you consider hydraulic fracking.<br \/>\nWhile we won\u2019t get into the nitty-gritty details behind how this process works,<br \/>\nit\u2019s essentially a low-cost way of extracting natural gas from rock. Fracking requires<br \/>\na lot of water, which creates a lot of wastewater, and it\u2019s been known to cause<br \/>\nearthquakes and contaminate water supplies.<\/p>\n<p>Sorry, no<br \/>\ncheckmark for you!<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2018Clean\u2019 Coal: The Energy Source We Just Couldn\u2019t Include<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Coal mine\" class=\"wp-image-1493\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"1279\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/coal-mine.jpg\" width=\"1920\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A coal excavation site<\/figcaption><\/img><\/figure>\n<p>There<br \/>\nhave been endless internet memes created about clean coal for a reason: It\u2019s<br \/>\nthe literal opposite of clean energy. <\/p>\n<p>In<br \/>\nreality, clean coal is no different from regular coal. It\u2019s merely a public<br \/>\nrelations ploy designed to reshape public opinion on fossil fuels. Clean coal<br \/>\nis dubbed \u201cclean\u201d because coal plants can capture the carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2<\/sub>)<br \/>\nbefore it\u2019s emitted into the air and bury it underground. The process is called<br \/>\ncarbon capture and storage, and we\u2019re all for it \u2014 when implemented correctly. <\/p>\n<p>To whit,<br \/>\ncarbon capture is a great way to tackle global warming, as it collects CO<sub>2<br \/>\n<\/sub>already in the atmosphere and puts it back into the earth. This is<br \/>\nessentially what plants do; carbon capture and storage is just a man-made way<br \/>\nof doing it. <\/p>\n<p>What<br \/>\nwe\u2019re <em>not <\/em>on board with is terming<br \/>\nany aspect of the coal industry as \u201cclean.\u201d Coal creates significant<br \/>\nenvironmental impacts beyond just burning it to create electricity. This<br \/>\nincludes mining, land erosion, acid rain, water pollution and much more. <\/p>\n<p>This<br \/>\ndoesn\u2019t get a checkmark. We give it a big red \u201cX\u201d \u2014 the kind you feared from<br \/>\nyour teachers in school.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hopefully Clean Energy is a Little Less Murky<\/h2>\n<p>The more<br \/>\nresearch you do into clean energy, the more confusing the term becomes. This is<br \/>\nwhy there\u2019s such a need for an official definition of the concept. That\u2019s why<br \/>\nwe created one ourselves: Clean energy is any energy source that does not emit<br \/>\ngreenhouse gases or other pollutants. Hence, nuclear waste isn\u2019t clean by that<br \/>\nmetric. <\/p>\n<p>Well,<br \/>\nisn\u2019t that convenient? By our definition, clean energy really <em>is<\/em> just another term for renewable<br \/>\nenergy. <em>Check!<\/em><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n<p><strong>Sources<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a aria-label=\"https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/energyexplained\/natural-gas\/natural-gas-and-the-environment.php (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/energyexplained\/natural-gas\/natural-gas-and-the-environment.php\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/energyexplained\/natural-gas\/natural-gas-and-the-environment.php<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a aria-label=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/science-innovation\/energy-sources\/renewable-energy\/wind (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/science-innovation\/energy-sources\/renewable-energy\/wind\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/science-innovation\/energy-sources\/renewable-energy\/wind<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a aria-label=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/eere\/water\/benefits-hydropower (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/eere\/water\/benefits-hydropower\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/eere\/water\/benefits-hydropower<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nei.org\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.nei.org\/<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a aria-label=\"https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/energyexplained\/nuclear\/nuclear-power-plants.php (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/energyexplained\/nuclear\/nuclear-power-plants.php\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/energyexplained\/nuclear\/nuclear-power-plants.php<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a aria-label=\"https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/energyexplained\/natural-gas\/natural-gas-and-the-environment.php (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/energyexplained\/natural-gas\/natural-gas-and-the-environment.php\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/energyexplained\/natural-gas\/natural-gas-and-the-environment.php<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chron.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.chron.com\/<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a aria-label=\"https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/energyexplained\/coal\/coal-and-the-environment.php (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/energyexplained\/coal\/coal-and-the-environment.php\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/energyexplained\/coal\/coal-and-the-environment.php<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Clean energy has become somewhat of a buzzword. Here are 7 examples of truly clean energy and why we think the term should be synonymous with renewable energy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":23522,"parent":627,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-23381","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23381","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23381"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23381\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/627"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23522"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chariotenergy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23381"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}