consume about 110 times more energy per person than early humans, who mainly needed food

and firewood. Most

of our energy comes from fossil fuels, which are non-renewable and can harm the environment. All energy sources,
except direct solar heating, ultimately depend on Earth’s materials.

Energy Resources Types

Natural sources of energy can be divided into two categories

Conventional Sources of Energy

Non-Conventional Sources of Energy.

Difference between Conventional Sources of Energy and Non-Conventional

Sources of Energy

Conventional Sources of Energy Non-Conventional Sources of Energy

These resources are exhaustible and run out

These resources are in-exhaustible and never run out.
eventually.

These resources release smoke and ash, which

Typically, these resources don’t cause any pollution.
contribute to pollution.

The upkeep, storage, and transmission of these These resources are less expensive, and they are
resources are exceedingly costly. also simple to manage.

Coal, natural gas, petroleum, and water power are Solar, biomass, wind, biogas, tidal, and geothermal
among the examples. energy are some examples.

Conventional Energy Sources

1. Coal

One of the vital minerals, coal is primarily employed in the production of thermal energy and the smelting of iron ore.

Coal is mainly found in two geological eras: Gondwana and Tertiary deposits.
 In India, over 80% of non-coking coal reserves are bituminous coal.
The Damodar Valley has the largest Gondwana coal deposits in India, located in the Jharkhand-Bengal coal belt.
Major coalfields in this area include Jharia (the largest), Raniganj, Bokaro, Giridih, and Karanpura.
Other significant coal regions are the river valleys of Godavari, Mahanadi, and Sone.
Key coal mining areas include Singrauli (Madhya Pradesh), Singareni (Telangana), Pandur (Andhra Pradesh),
Talcher and Rampur (Odisha), and Korba (Chhattisgarh).
Tertiary coal deposits are found in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Nagaland.
Brown coal, or lignite, is present in coastal regions of Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, and Pondicherry.

2. Petroleum
Hydrocarbons in liquid and gaseous forms that vary in chemical composition, colour, and specific gravity make up
crude petroleum.

Crude oil is essential for internal combustion engines in cars, trains, and airplanes.
It is also used in petrochemical industries to make products like fertilizers, rubber, fibers, pharmaceuticals, and
cosmetics.
Crude oil is found in sedimentary rocks from the Tertiary era.
The Oil and Natural Gas Commission was set up in 1956 to explore and produce oil.
Before 1956, Digboi in Assam was the only oil refinery, but new reserves have since been discovered in western
and eastern India.
Major oil-producing areas in Assam include Digboi, Naharkatiya, and Moran.
Gujarat has significant oil reserves in places like Ankleshwar, Kalol, and Mehsana.
The Mumbai High oil field, located offshore, began production in 1976.
Oil and natural gas have also been found in the Krishna-Godavari and Kaveri basins.
Crude oil needs refining to remove impurities before it can be used.
India has two types of refineries: market-based (like Barauni) and field-based (like Digboi).

3. Natural Gas

In order to transport and market natural gas, the Gas Authority of India Limited was established as a public sector
enterprise in 1984. It is found in all oil fields alongside oil, however, there are exclusive reserves in Tripura,
Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra as well as along the eastern coast (Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh).

Non-Conventional Energy Sources

Coal, petroleum, natural gas, and nuclear energy all use finite raw materials as their primary energy source. Only
renewable energy sources like sun, wind, hydro geothermal, and biomass are considered sustainable energy
sources. These energy sources are more environmentally responsible and evenly dispersed. After the initial cost is
covered, non-conventional energy sources will offer more consistent, eco-friendly, and less expensive energy.

1. Nuclear Energy
In recent years, nuclear energy has become a reliable power source.
Uranium and thorium are important minerals for nuclear energy production.
Uranium reserves are found in the Dharwar rocks.
Uranium ores are located in the Singbhum Copper belt and in districts like Kullu (Himachal Pradesh), Durg
(Chhattisgarh), and Alwar and Jhunjhunu (Rajasthan).
Thorium is mainly sourced from monazite and ilmenite in beach sands along the coasts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
 The richest deposits of monazite are in Palakkad and Kollam (Kerala), near Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh),
and the Mahanadi river delta (Odisha).
The Atomic Energy Commission was established in 1948, but progress increased after the Bhabha Atomic
Research Centre was founded in 1954.
Major nuclear energy projects are located in Tarapur (Maharashtra), Rahatbhata (Rajasthan), Kalpakkam (Tamil
Nadu), Narora (Uttar Pradesh), Kaiga (Karnataka), and Kakarapara (Gujarat).

2. Solar Energy
Solar energy is generated by capturing sunlight with photovoltaic cells.
There are two main ways to harness solar energy: photovoltaics and solar thermal technology.
Solar thermal energy is usually cheaper, environmentally friendly, and easy to install compared to non-renewable
sources.
Solar power is 10% more efficient than nuclear power and 7% more efficient than coal or oil systems.
It is commonly used in appliances like heaters, crop dryers, and cookers.
Gujarat and Rajasthan in western India have the highest potential for solar energy development.

3. Wind Power
Wind power is a clean and unlimited source of electricity.
Turbines convert wind’s kinetic energy into electrical energy.
India is building 250 wind turbines with a total capacity of 45 megawatts in 12 locations, mostly along the coast.
The government supports wind energy to reduce oil import costs.
India has the potential to generate over 50,000 megawatts of wind energy, but only about 25% is currently usable.
The best states for wind energy in India are Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.

4. Tidal and Wave Energy

Ocean currents provide a constant source of energy.
Efforts to harness this energy date back to the 17th and 18th centuries.
The west coast of India experiences strong tidal waves.
India has great potential for tidal energy production along its coasts.
However, this potential has not yet been fully tapped.

5. Geothermal Energy
Extreme heat is released when magma rises from the Earth’s interior.
This thermal energy can be harnessed and converted into electrical energy.
Hot water from geysers also produces thermal energy, known as geothermal energy.
Geothermal energy is considered a potential backup energy source today.
People have used hot springs and geysers since the Middle Ages.
India has operational geothermal energy plants, such as the one in Manikaran, Himachal Pradesh.

6. Bio-energy
Bio-energy comes from biological materials like waste from homes, industries, and farms.
It can be converted into gas for cooking, heat energy, or electricity.
Using bio-energy helps process waste and garbage while generating energy.
This can improve the quality of life for rural residents in developing countries.