這是美國聯邦環保署官網上對於「綠能 Green Energy」、「再生能源 Renewable Energy」、「傳統能源 Conventional Energy」能源類別的規類認定。
特別是對於環保生態的有益程度來說，美國聯邦環保署很明確的認定綠能優於其他各種能源類別，是對於環保生態最有益的能源類別，其次為再生能源類別，對於環境生態最不友善的類別是傳统能源。傳統能源包括兩大項目，分別是化石燃料能源（即火力發電類別）以及核能。
美國聯邦環保署解釋，核電在整個生命週期的過程中，在起源的採礦、提煉、製造核燃料的過程中，以及核後端處理的漫長過程中（包括核電廠廢爐除役過程、核廢料短中長期各階段的處理、貯放過程）都無可避免的會對環境生態造成負面影響。
What is Green Power? (這是USEPA 美國聯邦環保署官方網站上對於"綠電(Green Power)的符合資格認定的說明與解釋的完整內容)
The U.S. energy supply is composed of a wide variety of energy resources; however, not all energy resources have the same environmental benefits and costs.
Green power is a subset of renewable energy and represents those renewable energy resources and technologies that provide the highest environmental benefit. The U.S. voluntary market defines green power as electricity produced from solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, eligible biomass, and low-impact small hydroelectric sources. Customers often buy green power for its zero emissions profile and carbon footprint reduction benefits.
Renewable energy includes resources that rely on fuel sources that restore themselves over short periods of time and do not diminish. Such fuel sources include the sun, wind, moving water, organic plant and waste material (eligible biomass), and the earth's heat (geothermal). Although the impacts are small, some renewable energy technologies can have an impact on the environment. For example, large hydroelectric resources can have environmental trade-offs on such issues as fisheries and land use.
Conventional power includes the combustion of fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and oil) and the nuclear fission of uranium. Fossil fuels have environmental costs from mining, drilling, or extraction, and emit greenhouse gases and air pollution during combustion. Although nuclear power generation emits no greenhouse gases during power generation, it does require mining, extraction, and long-term radioactive waste storage.
The following graphic depicts how the U.S. Voluntary market defines green power based on its relative environmental benefits.
原始內容請見美國聯邦環保署官網 :
https://www.epa.gov/greenpower/what-green-power
