United States energy consumption - statistics & facts
The United States derives most of its primary energy from fossil fuels, as petroleum and natural gas rank as the largest sources of energy consumption in the country. In 2023, some 80 percent of the primary energy consumed in the U.S. was from fossil fuels, while renewables covered less than 10 percent of the country’s energy mix. The amount of primary energy consumed from petroleum alone was over four times larger than that of renewables. Nuclear energy and electricity imports accounted for the remaining part of the primary energy consumed in the country.
However, as renewable energy and power storage capacity increase in the country, renewable energy consumption in the U.S. is forecast to reach over 30 quadrillion British thermal units by 2050, more than double the amount covered by wind, solar, and biomass sources in 2022.
Is energy consumption from fossil fuels decreasing in the United States?
As emerging countries continue to grow rapidly, the world’s total energy demand continues to rise. However, developed countries such as the U.S. have seen a stabilization of consumption due in part to better efficiency standards. In fact, the primary energy consumption in the North American country has remained mostly unchanged since the 1990s, which is in part a result of a leveling of primary energy consumption by energy-intensive sectors like electric power. By comparison, U.S. energy consumption from fossil fuels has shown an overall decreasing trend, declining by approximately 10 percent over the past two decades. Renewable energy consumption, on the other hand, has doubled. Among fossil fuels, coal consumption has experienced the largest decrease, while that of natural gas has grown.Renewable energy consumption in the United States
Renewables still account for a small share of the U.S. energy consumption. The transportation sector, electricity generation, and commercial activities have experienced the largest increase in renewable energy consumption since the early 2000s, despite this being a minimal part of the sectors’ energy use. For instance, renewable energy represented only around six percent of the final energy consumption in the U.S. transportation sector.However, as renewable energy and power storage capacity increase in the country, renewable energy consumption in the U.S. is forecast to reach over 30 quadrillion British thermal units by 2050, more than double the amount covered by wind, solar, and biomass sources in 2022.
