Abstract:  The effective use of energy is the salient characteristic of a modern industrialized society. Fossil fuels have provided that energy for many years, but such fuels bring undesirable consequences, for example, release of greenhouse gases, dependence on supply from politically unstable places, etc. These problems motivate us to consider renewable energy sources as solutions, in whole or in part, to our energy problems. Some of the more promising technologies are solar, wind, water, and biomass. There is an abundance of energy supply available from such sources for the limitless future. However, these technologies come with their own set of challenges. One of the more practical issues is the intermittent nature of such sources, for example, solar energy is not directly available at night, the wind varies by location, weather, and even time of day, and customers demand energy in often predictable patterns. This places a premium on storage methods and energy management. It also encourages the use of information technologies to better understand and meet demand for energy. Though the issues are global, Americans enjoy particularly inexpensive energy and want to keep it that way. In this presentation, we will consider the history of renewable energy methods. We will pose some of the more challenging problems that must be addressed to make renewables more practical. We will observe ways in which available technology meets these challenges and identify possible ways to face some of the opportunities ahead of us.