Electricity generation is faced with a growing number of challenges. Energy sources used to generate electricity need to be available, plentiful and energy-dense while not polluting the air, water or land, and minimizing habitat disruptions.

Throughout this module, you will explore the advantages and disadvantages of different energy sources for generating electricity and consider the question: what sources will generate our electricity in the future? You will focus on the process of extracting natural gas from shale formations through hydraulic fracturing and run experiments with computational models to investigate how gas is extracted. You will evaluate other energy resources and consider how changes in energy use by individuals are an important part of understanding electricity supply and demand. By the end of the module you will be able to compare the costs and benefits of different sources used for generating electricity.