Energy resources can be converted into forms of energy to do useful work. Nonrenewable resources like fossil fuels cannot be replaced after use or take thousands to millions of years to replace. Fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas formed from buried remains of ancient plants and animals and store energy from the sun. Burning fossil fuels is the primary source of electrical energy in the United States through electric generators. Renewable resources like solar, water, wind and geothermal can be replaced in nature in a short period of time.