Which one of the following is a conventional energy source ?

Energy resources are classified into conventional and non-conventional sources. Conventional sources are those that have been in traditional use for a long time, including firewood, cattle dung cake, coal, petroleum, and natural gas [4]. Biomass energy, specifically in the form of firewood and animal dung, is a primary conventional energy source in rural India, meeting over 70 percent of household energy requirements [4]. While biomass is technically renewable [5], it is categorized as a conventional source when referring to traditional fuels like wood and waste [4]. In contrast, solar, tidal, and geothermal energy are classified as non-conventional or renewable energy sources [4]. These non-conventional sources are considered cleaner, more sustainable alternatives to traditional fossil fuels and exhaustible raw materials [3]. Therefore, among the given options, biomass energy is the conventional source.

Sources

1. [4] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 8: Energy Resources > NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY > p. 27
2. [2] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 22: Renewable Energy > 22.6 BIOMASS > p. 292
3. [5] INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Mineral and Energy Resources > Non-Conventional Energy Sources > p. 61
4. [1] NCERT. (2022). Contemporary India II: Textbook in Geography for Class X (Revised ed.). NCERT. > Chapter 5: Print Culture and the Modern World > Energy Resources > p. 113
5. [3] https://www.energy.gov/eere/bioenergy/bioenergy-basics