At-a-Glance:
The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s latest Monthly Energy Review report found overall energy consumption in the United States hit 100 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu), nearly matching the all-time record set in 2018. Additionally, non-fossil generation sources accounted for 20% of all energy consumed, the highest mark in history. To learn more, read “20% of all US energy consumed in 2019 was from non-fossil generation.”
Key Takeaways:
- In total, U.S. renewable energy consumption reached 11.5 quadrillion Btu in 2019, though this figure does include wood burning as a renewable energy source.
- Nuclear energy contributed a record 8.5 quadrillion Btu to the overall energy consumption mix, with wind being the renewable energy source with the most consumption at 2.7 quadrillion Btu.
- Hydroelectric contributed around 2.5 quadrillion Btu, biofuels came in at around 2.25 quadrillion Btu, solar recorded just over 1 quadrillion Btu and geothermal was about 0.25 quadrillion Btu.
Path to 100% Perspective:
It is also important to note that the report found that coal consumption fell by 15% in 2019. This accomplishment has been driven by the large strides in generation capacity made by solar and wind in the last decade. Since 2007, fossil fuel consumption has been falling steadily, indicating that the path to 100% renewable energy is becoming increasingly more possible than ever before.
Image: Department of Energy