Typre | Advantages | Disadvantages |
Biomass | Renewable. No net CO2 produced. | Often smelly |
Fossil Fuels - Oil, Coal, Gas | Cheap/ Power station cheap to build and quick to start and stop. Gas quickest, then oil, then coal | Produces CO2 and other pollutants. Non renewable. |
Nuclear | Little fuel required. No CO2 produced. Suitable for baseload - power station always running. | Expensive. Produces radioactive waste. Occasionally one blows up and contaminates a wide area. Power stations are very difficult and dangerous to dismantle. |
Tidal | Predictable power output. Renewable. No CO2 produced. | Expensive. May result in habitat destruction of wildlife. |
Wave/wind/Solar | Renewable. No CO2 produced. Now becoming very cheap. | Unsightly and unpredictable |
Hydroelectric | Controllable power output. Quick to turn off and on. Can act as energy store. Renewable. No CO2 produced. | May result in habitat destruction of wildlife. |
Geothermal | Controllable power output. Quick to turn off and on. No CO2 produced. | Deep drilling Required. |