Which of the following facilities typically uses a nonrenewable energy source such as coal, oil, or natural gas to generate electricity?

Introduction / Context:
Energy sources can be broadly divided into renewable and nonrenewable. Renewable sources, such as wind, solar, and hydro, are naturally replenished on human time scales. Nonrenewable sources, like coal, oil, and natural gas, are fossil fuels that take millions of years to form and are depleted as we use them. Many electricity-generating facilities are based on one of these types of sources. This question asks which facility typically uses a nonrenewable energy source to produce electricity, highlighting the difference between fossil fuel-based power and renewable energy technologies.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Nonrenewable energy sources include coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear fuel.
• Renewable energy sources include wind, sunlight, and flowing water.
• The options describe a coal-fired power plant, a windmill, solar panels, and a small hydroelectric dam.
• We assume standard definitions used in school science and environmental studies.

Concept / Approach:
A coal-fired thermal power plant burns coal (a fossil fuel) to boil water, producing steam that drives turbines connected to generators, which produce electricity. Coal is nonrenewable because it forms from ancient plant material over millions of years and is depleted as it is mined and burned. In contrast, a windmill uses kinetic energy from the wind; a solar panel converts solar energy; and a hydroelectric dam uses the potential and kinetic energy of water. Wind, sunlight, and flowing water are continuously renewed by natural cycles, making them renewable sources. Therefore, of the options listed, only the coal-fired thermal power plant clearly uses a nonrenewable energy source.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the energy source for each facility. Step 2: Recognise that a coal-fired thermal power plant uses coal, a fossil fuel, and is therefore nonrenewable. Step 3: Note that a windmill uses wind, which is generated by atmospheric processes powered by the Sun and is renewable. Step 4: Understand that solar panels use sunlight, a continuous and renewable source of energy. Step 5: Recall that hydroelectric dams use flowing water, part of the water cycle, which is also renewable. Step 6: Conclude that the only facility among the choices that relies primarily on a nonrenewable source is the coal-fired thermal power plant.

Verification / Alternative check:
Environmental science and geography textbooks frequently classify coal, oil, and natural gas as nonrenewable resources because they are finite and take geological time to form. They describe thermal power plants as major users of these fuels, contributing to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. By contrast, chapters on renewable energy present wind farms, solar power, and hydropower as sustainable alternatives that rely on natural energy flows. Diagrams of different power stations clearly label coal, gas, or oil as the fuel input for thermal plants, while windmills and dams have no such fuel input. This comparison confirms that the coal-fired thermal power plant is the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
A windmill that converts kinetic energy of wind directly into electricity uses wind, which is continuously replenished by solar heating of the atmosphere and is considered a renewable source.
A rooftop solar panel array that converts sunlight into electricity uses solar energy, which is renewable on human time scales.
A small hydroelectric dam that generates power from flowing water relies on the water cycle driven by the Sun and gravity, making it a renewable energy system.

Common Pitfalls:
Some students might focus only on the word “power plant” and assume it always means nonrenewable energy, but many modern power plants use renewable sources. Another mistake is to think that because water behind a dam can be used up temporarily, hydropower must be nonrenewable. In fact, the water is continually replenished by rainfall and the water cycle. A helpful strategy is to ask: “Does this energy source get replaced naturally in a short time, or does it take millions of years to form?” Applying this test clearly identifies fossil fuels like coal as nonrenewable and points to coal-fired thermal plants as using nonrenewable energy.

Final Answer:
The facility that typically uses a nonrenewable energy source is A coal-fired thermal power plant that burns fossil fuels to produce steam and drive turbines.