Almost anywhere you go in the United States, you will find a renewable resource that can be used as energy. If we develop the infrastructure, we can become energy independent and sustainable at the same time. Not a bad way to be huh?

Here are some short explanations and links to learn more.

Biomass refers to any biological residue like the waste from wood products, corn, landfills, even human waste. The map shows our resources, shaded by county.

Solar Energy is pretty self explanatory on the surface. Dig deeper though, and you'll see that there are many different ways to capture solar energy. This map shows the resource for the most common technology, photovoltaics. However, the map for the other technologies is very similar: where it's sunny much of the year, the solar resources are strong.

Americans have become more accustomed to wind power. In places like Oklahoma and Texas, wind farms are popping up. This map shows the windiest areas of the nation...on and offshore.

Geothermal energy utilizes the heat from the earth. There are various ways to harvest this energy, which is concentrated in the west. I haven't seen a really great map of geothermal resources, but this one should get the point across: dig deep enough almost anywhere and you'll find heated groundwater...the basis for geothermal power.

Happy Memorial Day!