Rajan Wilcox
Fossil fuels have been the primary energy source for the US for over a century, but this is changing. In 2023, fossil fuels—including coal, oil, and natural gas—accounted for 84% of US energy production and 60% of electric generation. However, renewable energy sources are growing fast in the US, with solar power experiencing the largest growth of any energy source over the past decade. While fossil fuels still dominate, the US has a heavy reliance on them, which poses a major energy security concern.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Total U.S. primary energy consumption in 2023 | 94 quadrillion Btu |
| U.S. share of world energy consumption | 16% |
| U.S. fossil fuel consumption in 2023 | 84% of total U.S. primary energy production |
| U.S. fossil fuel consumption in 2018 | 80% of the nation's energy demand |
| U.S. fossil fuel consumption in the 1970s | 49% (38 quads) of total U.S. energy consumption |
| U.S. fossil fuel consumption in 2023 | 38% (35 quads) of total U.S. energy consumption |
| U.S. fossil fuel consumption in 2020 | 19% of U.S. energy consumption |
| U.S. fossil fuel consumption in 2023 | 60% of electric generation |
| U.S. fossil fuel consumption in 2022 | 74% of GHG emissions |
| U.S. fossil fuel subsidies in 2022 | $760 billion |
| U.S. tax relief to oil and gas industries for 2020-2024 | $5.7 billion |
| U.S. fossil fuel consumption by the transportation sector in 2023 | 28% of total energy use |
| U.S. fossil fuel consumption by the industrial sector in 2021 | 23% of total energy use |
| U.S. per capita energy use in 2017 | 300.5 million Btu (lowest in five decades) |
| U.S. per capita energy use in 2018 | 309.3 million Btu |
| U.S. fossil fuel consumption by the industrial sector in 2022 | 9% of fossil fuels |
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What You'll Learn
Fossil fuels account for 84% of US energy production
Fossil fuels have dominated the US energy mix for over a century, but the mix has changed over time. In 1966, fossil fuels accounted for 93-94% of US energy production, but this has decreased over the years. In 2018, fossil fuels fed about 80% of the nation's energy demand, down from 84% a decade earlier. In 2019, this figure remained at 80%.
In 2023, fossil fuels—petroleum, natural gas, and coal—accounted for about 84% of total US primary energy production. This is a slight increase from 2019, when fossil fuels accounted for about 80% of US energy production. This increase can be attributed to a rise in the production of crude oil, dry natural gas, and natural gas plant liquids.
The US has seen a dramatic increase in domestic oil and gas production due to new technologies such as fracking and horizontal drilling, which enable companies to access previously untapped underground deposits. As a result, the US became the world's biggest producer of oil and gas in 2018.
While fossil fuels continue to dominate the US energy mix, renewable energy sources are growing rapidly. Solar power, in particular, has experienced the largest percentage growth of any US energy source over the past decade. In 2008, solar power generated just over 2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, and by 2018, this had increased to more than 93 billion kilowatt-hours—an almost 46-fold increase. Despite this impressive growth, solar power still only accounted for 1% of the nation's total energy production in 2018.
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Coal, oil, and natural gas are the main fossil fuels
Natural gas has become an increasingly important energy source in the US. Since 2009, electricity generation has been the largest use of natural gas in the country. It surpassed coal as the largest source of electricity in late 2015. Natural gas is favoured due to its lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to coal and its ability to quickly ramp up and down, making it a good complement to intermittent power sources like wind and solar. The consumption of natural gas in the US is seasonal, with higher usage during the winter, and it is regulated by state authorities.
Oil, in the form of petroleum, is another significant fossil fuel in the US energy mix. While the US produces and exports petroleum products, the consumption of oil from power generation in the US has declined. The EIA reported that US petroleum production averaged about 21.691 million barrels per day in 2023, while consumption averaged about 20.246 million barrels per day.
While the US has seen an increase in renewable energy sources, fossil fuels continue to dominate the energy landscape. Coal, oil, and natural gas are expected to remain a significant part of the country's energy future for decades to come.
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Fossil fuels are the largest source of US carbon emissions
Fossil fuels—petroleum, natural gas, and coal—accounted for about 84% of total US primary energy production in 2023. In 2018, fossil fuels fed about 80% of the nation's energy demand, down from 84% a decade earlier. In 2023, total US primary energy consumption was about 94 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu), with fossil fuels contributing 60% of this electricity generation.
Fossil fuels have dominated the US energy mix for over a century, but the mix has changed over time. Petroleum's share of total US energy consumption peaked in the 1970s, at about 49% (38 quads). In 2023, petroleum consumption decreased to about 38% (35 quads), with a slight dip in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The US has seen a recent increase in renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, which have grown rapidly over the past decade. However, in 2018, these sources accounted for less than 4% of the nation's energy use. In 2018, solar energy produced about 1% of the nation's total energy production, while hydropower was the biggest renewable energy source at 2.8%.
Despite the growth of renewable energy, fossil fuels remain the largest source of US carbon emissions. Transportation is the largest emitter, followed by industry, agriculture, and buildings. Fossil fuel use is the primary source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, contributing about 89% of global CO2 emissions in 2018. The combustion of fossil fuels also releases methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O).
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Fossil fuel use has remained near 80% for 30 years
Fossil fuels have dominated the US energy mix for over a century. Three fossil fuel sources—petroleum, natural gas, and coal—have consistently made up at least 80% of total US energy consumption. While the energy landscape in the United States has undergone significant changes, the reliance on these three fossil fuel sources has persisted.
In 2023, fossil fuels accounted for about 84% of total US primary energy production. This marks a slight decrease from 2018, when fossil fuels supplied about 80% of the nation's energy demand, down from 84% a decade earlier. The slight decrease in the share of fossil fuels can be attributed to the growth of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power.
The transportation sector heavily relies on fossil fuels, with petroleum accounting for about 89% of the sector's primary energy consumption in 2023. The industrial sector is the second-largest energy user, with natural gas playing a significant role in this sector. Additionally, households and commercial establishments also contribute to fossil fuel consumption, with natural gas being a prominent energy source for heating and boilers.
While renewable energy sources are growing rapidly in the US, fossil fuels continue to dominate the energy landscape. In 2023, fossil fuels generated 2,509 TWh of electricity, accounting for 60% of all electricity generation. The largest sources of carbon pollution from energy production in the US are petroleum, natural gas, and coal, with motor gasoline and diesel being significant contributors within the petroleum sector. Despite efforts to transition to renewable energy, fossil fuel use has remained near 80% for the past 30 years.
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US fossil fuel subsidies reached $760 billion in 2022
Fossil fuels have dominated the US energy mix for over a century, but renewable energy sources are growing fast. In 2018, fossil fuels fed about 80% of the nation's energy demand, a slight decrease from 84% a decade earlier. In 2023, fossil fuels—including coal, natural gas, and petroleum—accounted for approximately 84% of total US primary energy production.
The US provides various tax subsidies to the fossil fuel industry, including direct subsidies to corporations and other tax benefits. Conservative estimates value US direct subsidies to the fossil fuel industry at roughly $20 billion per year, with 20% allocated to coal and 80% to natural gas and crude oil. However, the complex nature of the US tax code makes it challenging to detail the exact costs of these subsidies.
In 2022, US fossil fuel subsidies were estimated to be $760 billion, second only to China. One US tax break, the Intangible Drilling Costs Deduction, allows producers to deduct most of their costs from drilling new oil wells. The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates that eliminating this tax break could generate $13 billion over a decade. Another subsidy, the Percentage Depletion tax break, allows independent producers to recover development costs from declining oil, gas, and coal reserves, potentially generating about $12.9 billion in revenue over ten years.
Despite calls for a phase-out, global fossil fuel subsidies are on the rise. President Joe Biden has proposed eliminating fossil fuel subsidies in his annual budget, but these efforts have stalled due to political factors. Scrapping fossil fuel subsidies could prevent 1.6 million premature deaths annually, increase government revenues, and help achieve global warming targets.
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Frequently asked questions
Fossil fuels have been the primary source of energy in the USA for over 100 years, supplying about 80% of the nation's energy demand. In 2023, fossil fuels accounted for about 84% of total US primary energy production, with total US primary energy consumption equalling about 94 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu).
Fossil fuels include coal, oil, and natural gas. They are formed from the carbon-rich remains of animals and plants that decomposed and were compressed and heated underground millions of years ago.
Burning fossil fuels releases carbon and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, contributing to global climate change, acid rain, hazardous air pollution, smog, and habitat destruction. In 2022, 74% of US GHG emissions came from burning fossil fuels.
Renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, hydropower, biomass, geothermal, and nuclear energy are alternatives to fossil fuels. In 2023, renewable energy sources accounted for about 21% of total US energy production.
The transportation sector's primary energy consumption is dominated by petroleum. In 2023, petroleum provided about 89% of this sector's energy consumption.
