US ENERGY SOURCES AND CONSUMPTION

The United States is now the world’s largest oil consumer by a considerable margin,
using four times more oil in absolute terms than any other nation. 1 U.S. exposure to
world oil price shocks is a function of the amount of oil it consumes and is not
significantly affected by the ratio of domestic to imported product.2

US ENERGY SOURCES, 2007 3

• 39.8 % Petroleum, (70% for transportation)

• 23.6 % Natural Gas
• 22.8 % Coal, (91% for electricity)
• 8.4 % Nuclear, (100% for electricity)
• 6.8 % Renewable Energy, (51% for electricity)
o Approximately 5% Hydroelectric
o Approximately 1% Solar
o Approximately 1% Wind 4

U.S. Primary Energy Consumption by Source and Sector, 2007

(Quadrillion Btu)

(0.5 MB)

1
Excludes 0.6 quadrillion Btu of ethanol, which is included in "Renewable Energy.”
2
Excludes supplemental gaseous fuels.
3
Includes 0.1 quadrillion Btu of coal coke net imports.
4
Conventional hydroelectric power, geothermal, solar/PV, wind, and biomass.
5
Includes industrial combined-heat-and-power (CHP) and industrial electricity-only plants.
6
Includes commercial combined-heat-and-power (CHP) and commercial electricity-only plants.
7
Electricity-only and combined-heat-and-power (CHP) plants whose primary business is to sell
electricity, or electricity and heat, to the public.

Note: Sum of components may not equal 100 percent due to independent rounding.
Source: Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Review 2007, Tables 1.3 and 2.1b-2.1f,
and 10.3.

CONSUMPTION
With less than 5% of the world’s population, Americans consume about 25% of the
world’s energy resources. 5 The overwhelming source for electricity in the U.S. is coal.6
In addition, the U.S. consumes 24% of the world’s oil.7 Oil usage by sector is as follows:
• 18% Commercial
• 21% Residential
• 29% Transportation
• 32% Industrial
TRANSPORTATION
The average fuel economy of new cars and light trucks increased significantly from the
mid-1970s through the mid-1980s. It then declined from a high of about 26 miles per
gallon (mpg) in 1988 to less than 24.5 mpg in 1999 due to larger vehicles, more
horsepower, and increased sales of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and trucks. In 2006 and
2007, the average mileage of “light-duty vehicles,” (cars, SUV’s, pick-up trucks and
vans) was 20.2 miles per gallon. That’s actually 1. 8 mpg lower than it was in 1987,
when mileage peaked at 22 mpg 8
High pump prices have resulted in Americans driving less. During the first five months
of 2008, Americans logged 1,188.5 billion vehicle miles, a 2.4% decrease over the same
period last year. 9 One positive result is that U.S. greenhouse gas emissions fell by an
estimated 9 million metric tons in the first quarter of 2008.10

• The U.S. consumes 20.7 million barrels of oil every day.11

• 73% of the gasoline pump price is the cost of crude oil.12
• Americans represent 5% of world population, yet own 1/3 of all automobiles. 13
• 50 % of new passenger vehicles sold are SUVs and light trucks that do not have
to meet the higher fuel economy standards of cars.
• U.S. dependence on foreign oil could be almost completely eliminated within 20
years if average fuel economy increases to 45 mpg instead of 25 mpg.14
1National Commission on Energy Policy: “Ending the Energy Stalemate,” 2004
http://www.energycommission.org/ht/d/sp/i/492/pid/492
2 National Commission on Energy Policy: “Ending the Energy Stalemate,” 2004 http://www.energycommission.org/ht/d/sp/i/492/pid/492

3 Energy Information Administration http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/aer/pecss_diagram.html

4 Energy Information Administration http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/aer/eh/frame.html
5Energy Information Administration
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/saving/efficiency/savingenergy.html
6 Energy Information Administration http://www.eia.doe.gov/aer/pdf/pages/sec2.pdf
7 Energy Information Administration, June 2008 http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/ask/crudeoil_faqs.asp#foreign_oil

8EPA Light-Duty Automotive Technology and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 Through 2007 http://www.epa.gov/
oms/cert/mpg/fetrends/420s07001.htm
9 http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/tvtw/08maytvt/08maytvt.pdf
10 http://www.dot.gov/affairs/fhwa1108.htm

11 Energy Information Administration http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/country/index.cfm?view=consumption

12 Energy Information Administration http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/ask/gasoline_faqs.asp
13Energy Information Administration
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/saving/efficiency/savingenergy.html
14 Ibid.