Ask Me Anything: Will the U.S. Run Out of Energy?
Students ask some of the best questions about energy…the kind that can spark an entire class discussion.
In our new Ask Me Anything (AMA) series, Dr. Scott Tinker and Switch Classroom experts answer real questions submitted by students and teachers. Each month, we’ll tackle one big energy question with insights from experts in the field.
Will we run out of energy someday? Will new technologies replace the fuels we use today? What happens as energy demand keeps growing?
Those questions are exactly why we’re launching a new Ask Me Anything (AMA) series.
This month’s question comes from:
Cristopher Marshall’s Class, Heritage HS, Frisco, TX.
Have a question from your classroom? You can submit one here.
Student Question:
“Will the US run out of energy, or will we come up with new technologies?”
The Short Answer:
Very few commodities ever run out. As demand pulls on supply, new technologies kick in to extend the life or replace the commodity with something better. Thus, the horse was replaced by the car and the landline by the cell phone.
Why Is This a Challenge?
It is hard to replace oil in transportation (gasoline, diesel, jet fuel) and for a myriad of other vital products. And hard to replace natural gas, the most versatile fuel used in residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation sectors, and most recently, the generation of baseload, dispatchable electricity.
What Could the Future Look Like?
There remains a large resource of both oil and natural gas, and advanced technologies continue to convert those into reserves. Eventually, as supplies become stressed and prices increase accordingly, a combination of other technologies will continue to evolve to address the end-use needs, especially for transportation and power generation.
Explore Energy Resources for Your Classroom
Want to dig deeper into how energy works and how technologies evolve? These Switch Classroom resources can help students explore the science behind this month’s answer.
Videos:
Classroom Lessons:
Ask Your Own Energy Question
Students often ask the best questions about energy, technology, and the future.
Have a student question you’d love to see answered?
Submit it (with their name and grade level!), and it may be featured in next month’s AMA.