Winds are created by uneven heating of the atmosphere by the sun, irregularities of the Earth's surface, and the rotation of the Earth. As a result, winds are strongly influenced and modified by local terrain, bodies of water, weather patterns, vegetative cover, and other factors.

Solar thermal devices use direct heat from the sun, concentrating it in some manner to produce heat at useful temperatures. The modern solar industry began with the oil embargo of 1973-1974 and was strengthened with the second embargo in 1979. The growth of the solar industry during this period of fuel shortages and high prices (1974-1984) soared from 45 solar collector manufacturing firms to 225 firms.

Wood is a substantial renewable resource that can be used as a fuel to generate electric power and useful thermal output. Wood for use as fuel comes from a wide variety of sources. The Nation’s forestland (or timberland) is the primary, and in most cases original, resource base for fuelwood.

A geothermal heat pump is an electric heat pump that draws heat from or discharges heat to the ground or ground water, instead of air. This works because the ground temperature which is 10-12 feet below the earths's surface stays relatively constant at 55 degrees Fahrenheit. A turbine is driven either from hot water or by natural steam that derives its energy from the Earth's heat.

Although the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean (Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, and Syria) occupy a relatively small geographic area, they represent different economic and political systems. Regional integration, particularly in the energy sector, while increasing, is complicated by the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict.

Iraq has the world’s third largest proven petroleum reserves and some of the lowest extraction costs, although just a fraction of its known fields are in development. According to the March 2007, review by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in 2006, crude oil export revenues represented around 60 percent of GDP and 89 percent of government revenues. In 2006, the U.S Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that Iraq was the world’s 15th biggest oil producer and Iraq meets approximately 94 percent of its energy needs with petroleum. Iraq’s use of abundant natural gas resources and hydropower is limited. According to the findings of the December 2006, Iraq Study Group (ISG), led by former Secretary of State James A. Baker and former Congressman Lee H. Hamilton, the stabilization of Iraq is highly correlated with Iraq’s economic success or failure, which in the medium-term is highly dependent on its hydrocarbons industry.

Iran is a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and ranks amongst the world’s top three holders of proven oil and natural gas reserves. Iran is OPEC’s second-largest exporter after Saudi Arabia, and is the fourth-largest exporter of crude oil globally after Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Norway. Natural gas accounts for half of Iran’s total domestic energy consumption, while the remaining half is predominately oil consumption. The continued exploration and production of the offshore South Pars natural gas field in the Persian Gulf is a key part of in Iran’s energy sector development plan.

In 2004, France consumed 11.2 quadrillion Btu of total energy. Nuclear energy was the largest share, representing 39 percent, followed by oil (36 percent), natural gas (16 percent) and hydroelectricity (5 percent). France is the second-largest producer of nuclear power in the world, after the United States, however, nuclear energy is a much larger share of France’s total energy consumption than the United States (8 percent in 2004).

Brazil is the 10th largest energy consumer in the world and the third largest in the Western Hemisphere, behind the United States and Canada. Total primary energy consumption in Brazil has increased significantly in recent years. In addition, Brazil has made great strides in increasing its total energy production, particularly oil, over the past decade. Increasing domestic oil production has been a long-term goal of the Brazilian government.

Argentina is a significant Latin American energy producer and consumer. It is a net energy exporter, primarily to neighboring Brazil and Chile.

The islands of the Caribbean basin are predominantly net energy importers, with the exception of Trinidad and Tobago. Agriculture and natural resource extraction activities continue to constitute the basis of the islands' economies, though the tourism and service sectors are growing. In recent years, the Caribbean countries have been worried that higher global oil prices will impair their efforts to expand economically. In response, the island nations have been discussing ways to better integrate their energy sectors, especially in regards to increased natural gas exports from Trinidad and Tobago to other islands. These efforts have also focused on the major external energy suppliers to the region, such as Mexico and Venezuela.

Mexico is a major non-OPEC oil producer and home to one of the world's largest oil companies, Pemex.