Change in carbon dioxide emissions since 1800 from burning fossil fuels. Source: NASA

Burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) to satisfy our energy needs has come at a high cost to our environment since the start of the Industrial Revolution (1760). Every second, 1,079 metric tons of CO₂ are released globally from burning fossil fuels, and entire ecosystems are being damaged or eliminated for the transportation and unearthing of these fossil fuels (i.e. soot on ice glaciers, water contamination from oil spills and waste, and habitat destruction). The year 2024 was the first year to see the global average temperature surpass 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. For comparison, 1°C below these levels will have us back in the Ice Age, and we’ve already reached halfway towards Pliocene (5.3 to 2.6 million years ago) warmth in just 150 years.

International Day of Clean Energy

The General Assembly declared January 26th the International Day of Clean Energy (resolution A/77/327) to encourage awareness and action toward a fair and inclusive shift to clean energy that benefits both people and the planet. To prevent a climate disaster, we must reduce carbon pollution and other greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% within this decade. With this urgent need in mind, staying committed to fully transitioning to clean energy from renewable resources in the United States is crucial by 2035.

Renewable Energy Sources

Solar

The sun releases solar radiation as light and solar energy technologies harness this radiation, converting it into usable energy. This can be achieved through methods like photovoltaics (PV) (solar panels that convert sunlight into electrical energy) or concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) (mirrors that direct sunlight to heat a high-temperature liquid inside a receiver).

Pros: Low maintenance, lower electric bills, reduces carbon footprint

Cons: High initial cost, solar panels take up lots of space, not reliable (not efficient on cloudy days and nights, requires energy storage, solar panel disposal is toxic to humans)

Wind

Wind turbines capture the kinetic energy of the wind and convert it into electricity to support the power grid.

Pros: Zero emissions, low operating cost, job creator, efficient land use

Cons: Noise pollution, negatively impacts wildlife (small bird, raptor, and bat fatalities, behavioral disruption, habitat loss, and decrease in reproduction), expensive to implement, limited location (wind potential dependent)

Hydro

Hydropower, also known as hydroelectric power, is among the oldest and largest sources of renewable energy, harnessing the natural flow of moving water to produce electricity.

Pros: Reliable, energy storage, flexible to meet electricity demand, inexpensive in the long run
Cons: Susceptible to droughts, habitat destruction for hydro plants, methane emissions (22 million tons per year)

Implementation in Knoxville

Tennessee Valley Authority

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the country’s largest public power provider, supplies affordable, reliable, and resilient energy to over 10 million people. Nearly 60% of the electricity delivered is carbon-free, generated through TVA’s 29 hydroelectric dams and other renewable sources like solar. In 2024, more than half of TVA's energy was sourced from carbon-free options, including solar and hydropower.
The city of Knoxville serves as TVA’s headquarters and is ranked #1 for solar investment for all of the southeast due to TVA’s partnership with Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB) to create the Green Invest program. This program connects the renewable energy needs of various organizations to new solar installations in the Valley through an innovative public-private partnership that will bring 502 Megawatts of solar energy to power the city. This investment aims to steer Knoxville towards a future of 80% carbon-emission reduction by 2050.

Progress needed before 2035

TVA is working on a plan to expand its solar capacity by 10,000 megawatts by 2035, which includes the development of its first utility-scale solar facility.

“A transition to clean energy is about making an investment in our future”

— Gloria Reuben, actress and environmental activist

Cleaning Up with Clean Energy