US Energy Today

The US today consumes energy from many sources for an even more diverse set of purposes. As we have grown into the world’s largest economy, our energy choices have shifted from wood, biomass and small amounts of coal to those energy resources used for higher forms of human socioeconomic organization such as industry, manufacturing, transportation and communication.

Our sources of energy today include old standbys - such as wood in the form of biomass and coal, which is used to produce over half of our electricity - as well as other forms of energy that create a diverse energy portfolio.

Electricity generation is now our leading form of energy consumption, which is understood by most Americans who search for additional electrical outlets around their energy-comforted homes to plug in the latest electronic gadgets or labor saving devices that make life more enjoyable or lighten their loads. Transportation – and the freedoms it affords Americans — is our next most popular consumer of energy. Much of this is consumed transporting the products of our industrial economy to their intended markets, and our industrial output is responsible for our 3rd largest amount of energy consumption. Finally, about 10 percent of our energy is consumed by Americans’ homes and business buildings, enabling families to gather at home comfortably and work in spaces that allow them…. through the use of energy…. to be more productive.

The US leads the world in economic output, productivity and energy consumption. As a fully integrated, complex economic system, energy matters. You can check for yourself the complexity of the system by using our interactive energy model, showing the energy the world’s greatest economy uses and how.

• Learn More About Energy:

• Energy Overview
• Don't Know Much About Energy
• Climate Change
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