1. IP1.17.8 Advantages and disadvantages of fossil fuels © Oxford University Press 2011 Advantages and disadvantages of fossil fuels

2. IP1.17.8 Advantages and disadvantages of fossil fuels © Oxford University Press 2011 Coal, crude oil and natural gas are fossil fuels. All three fuels are a concentrated store of chemical energy. When they are burned in a power plant they can generate large amounts of electricity.

3. IP1.17.8 Advantages and disadvantages of fossil fuels © Oxford University Press 2011 Here are some of the advantages of using fossil fuels. 1Capacity to generate large amounts of electricity. 2Comparatively inexpensive. 3Very reliable method of energy production. 4Transporting oil and gas is easy. 5Fossil fuel power stations can be located anywhere. 6Fossil fuels are easy to find. 7Gas fuelled power stations have a short start-up time. They can quickly increase the amount of electricity they generate to cope with sudden increases in demand.

4. IP1.17.8 Advantages and disadvantages of fossil fuels © Oxford University Press 2011 There are also some disadvantages to using fossil fuels. 1Burning fossil fuels give off carbon dioxide. 2Mining for fossil fuels damages the environment. 3Crude oil spills can cause environmental hazards. 4Coal power stations need huge amount of coal. 5Fossils fuels will eventually run out.