With recent advancements in technology, energy storage for gadgets and sensors has become a challenging task. Among several alternatives, the triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) have been recognized as one of the most reliable methods to cure conventional battery innovation’s inadequacies. A TENG transfers mechanical energy from the surrounding environment into power. Natural energy resources can empower TENGs to create a clean and conveyed energy network, which can finally facilitate the development of different remote gadgets. In this review paper, TENGs targeting various environmental energy resources are systematically summarized. First, a brief introduction is given to the ocean waves’ principles, as well as the conventional energy harvesting devices. Next, different TENG systems are discussed in details. Furthermore, hybridization of TENGs with other energy innovations such as solar cells, electromagnetic generators, piezoelectric nanogenerators and magnetic intensity are investigated as an efficient technique to improve their performance. Advantages and disadvantages of different TENG structures are explored. A high level overview is provided on the connection of TENGs with structural health monitoring, artificial intelligence and the path forward.