INVESTIGATING THE SOURCES OF ENERGY ONLINE

Part of energy geoscience literacy includes an understanding of where petroleum comes from, and how our fuel reaches our local gasoline station. An “Energy Assignment,” developed for an “Earth & Space Science for Middle School Teachers” course at Georgia Perimeter College, follows petroleum imports at the company level from their countries of origin to U.S. ports, using online data provided by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Students can investigate the locations of refineries and distribution networks (pipelines) online for any state, as well as the quantities of various products that can be refined from a barrel of oil. Locations of nuclear and coal-fired power plants, hydroelectric and geothermal energy sources can also be investigated, along with the potential for various types of renewable energy sources (solar, wind, etc.) in each state. Energy consumption data are also available for major energy sources. Links provide easy access to data on the locations of U.S. crude oil reserves, detailed oil and gas field maps, the spot price of a barrel of crude oil, the number of drill rigs in operation (by month), and other information pertaining to energy resources. Students can also investigate the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, including the amount of oil stored there, the number of days' supply, and the situations under which the petroleum might be utilized.

The Energy Assignment is located at the following URL: http://facstaff.gpc.edu/~pgore/Earth&Space/GPS/Assignments/energy-assignment.html. Providing teachers with access to online energy data is one way to increase energy geoscience literacy.