Sylvie Willis
Fossil fuels have dominated the US energy mix for over a century, and while the sources have changed over time, they still play a major role in electricity generation. In 2023, fossil fuels like coal, natural gas, and petroleum accounted for about 60% of electric generation in the US, with nuclear energy and renewable sources making up the rest. The US has been the world's largest producer of natural gas since 2011, and it was responsible for three-quarters of the global growth in gas generation in 2024. While clean power generation has been a priority, with electricity from clean energy sources rising by 16% since 2019, the increasing demand for power has made it challenging to significantly reduce fossil fuel generation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Percentage of USA electric energy produced from fossil fuels in 2023 | 60% |
| Percentage of USA electric energy produced from fossil fuels in 2024 | 58% |
| Fossil fuel types | Coal, natural gas, petroleum, and other gases |
| Percentage of USA primary energy production from fossil fuels in 2023 | 84% |
| Percentage of USA energy consumption from petroleum in 2023 | 38% |
| Percentage of USA energy consumption from natural gas in 2021 | 36% |
| Percentage of USA utility-scale electricity generation from nuclear energy in 2023 | 18% |
| Percentage of USA utility-scale electricity generation from renewable energy sources in 2023 | 21% |
| Percentage of USA utility-scale electricity generation from solar power in 2023 | 4% |
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What You'll Learn
Fossil fuels vs renewable energy sources
Fossil fuels have long been the primary source of energy in the United States, but this dominance is being challenged by renewable energy sources. In 2023, fossil fuels—including petroleum, natural gas, and coal—accounted for about 84% of total US primary energy production, a slight decrease from the 94 quadrillion BTUs of total US primary energy consumption in the same year. This trend has continued into 2024, with fossil fuels generating 60-62.4% of US electricity, according to various sources. This heavy reliance on fossil fuels has serious environmental implications, as they are a major source of carbon emissions.
While fossil fuels remain the dominant energy source in the US, renewable energy sources are gaining ground. In 2023, renewable energy sources accounted for about 21% of US utility-scale electricity generation, a significant increase from 12% in 1990. Solar photovoltaic and solar thermal power plants provided about 4% of total US utility-scale electricity and 18% of utility-scale electricity generation from renewable sources in 2023. Biomass, another renewable source, contributed about 1% to total US utility-scale electricity generation and 5% to renewable sources in the same year. Geothermal power plants, while producing less than 1% of total US electricity, accounted for about 2% of renewable electricity generation in 2023.
The US has made efforts to transition to cleaner energy sources, and this is reflected in the increasing share of renewable energy in its energy mix. Between 2019 and 2024, electricity output from clean energy sources rose by around 16%. This shift is particularly evident in the decline of coal-fired generation, which dropped by 34% from 2019 to 2024. Wind and solar energy have played a pivotal role in replacing coal, overtaking it for the first time in 2024. However, the overall increase in energy demand has limited the ability of power companies to significantly reduce fossil fuel generation, especially with the rise in gas-fired production.
In comparison to other regions, the US has a higher dependence on fossil fuels than China, the world's largest power producer and polluter. While the US generated 60-62.4% of its electricity from fossil fuels in 2024, China's share was slightly lower at 60.5%. China has also increased its clean energy generation by 67% from 2019 to 2024, demonstrating a more rapid transition to renewable sources. Latin America and the Caribbean have made even more significant strides, with 65% of their electricity generated from clean sources in 2023, well above the global average of 41%.
As the energy landscape evolves, the US faces the challenge of reducing its reliance on fossil fuels and transitioning to cleaner, renewable energy sources. While progress has been made, the persistent demand for energy and economic considerations have hindered more substantial shifts away from fossil fuels. Nevertheless, with the environmental benefits of renewable energy and the decreasing costs of these technologies, the US can accelerate its transition to a more sustainable energy future.
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The US's largest fossil fuel sources
Fossil fuels have dominated the US energy mix for over a century, and in 2019, they accounted for 80% of domestic energy production and consumption. Fossil fuels—including petroleum, natural gas, and coal—made up about 84% of total US primary energy production in 2023.
Petroleum
In 2023, petroleum accounted for about 38% of total US energy consumption. It is the largest source of energy for the transportation sector, providing about 89% of its primary energy consumption. However, it contributes less than 1% of the electric power sector's primary energy consumption.
Natural Gas
Dry natural gas was the largest source of energy in the US in 2021, accounting for 36% of production. It is also the largest source of electricity, making up 38% of generation. The US has been the world's largest producer of natural gas since 2011.
Coal
Coal has been in decline since its peak in 2008, when nearly 1.2 billion tons were mined. In 2018, coal accounted for 16% of total domestic energy production. While coal consumption has decreased, natural gas has been replacing it, and emissions from the two combined have declined from their peak in 2008 by 25% as of 2021.
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Fossil fuel usage in 2023
Fossil fuels have long been the primary source of energy in the US, and this remained true in 2023. That year, fossil fuels—including petroleum, natural gas, and coal—accounted for about 84% of total US primary energy production. This amounted to about 83 quadrillion British thermal units (BTUs) of energy. Fossil fuels also dominated electricity generation in the US in 2023, contributing about 60% of the total. This was a slight decrease from 2022, when fossil fuels accounted for 65% of electricity generation.
The US has been a net exporter of energy since 2019, and in 2023, net exports were 7.6% of production. In total, 102.8 quadrillion BTUs were produced in the US in 2023. Fossil fuels generated 2,509 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in the US that year.
Petroleum was the most-consumed energy source in the US in 2023, accounting for about 38% of total energy consumption. This was a decrease from its peak in the 1970s when total petroleum consumption was about 49%. Natural gas was the second-highest source of energy in the US in 2023, at about 36%. Together, petroleum and natural gas accounted for about 74% of fossil fuel energy consumption in the US in 2023.
While fossil fuels remained the dominant source of energy in the US in 2023, there were signs of a transition to cleaner energy sources. The US's largest source of low-carbon electricity in 2023 was nuclear power, which accounted for about 9% of total energy consumption. Renewable energy sources, including wind and solar, also contributed about 9% of the energy mix in 2023. During the 2023-24 winter heating season, natural gas inventories ended at 2,290 billion cubic feet, indicating a potential shift towards cleaner energy sources.
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Fossil fuel usage in 2024
Fossil fuels have long been the dominant source of energy in the US, and this trend has continued into 2024. While the US has been making efforts to transition to clean energy sources, fossil fuels still account for a significant portion of the country's energy production and consumption.
In the first eight months of 2024, fossil fuels accounted for just over 58% of total energy generation in the US. This is a slight decrease from 2021, when fossil fuels accounted for 60.4% of energy generation during the same period. The total power generation from fossil fuels in the US during the first eight months of 2024 was 68.6 million megawatt hours (MWh), with natural gas-fired plants supplying the majority of this energy. Despite the overall decrease in fossil fuel usage, this figure represents a 2.8% increase from 2023 and is the highest it has been since at least 2021.
The high reliance on fossil fuels in the US is partly due to the steady rise in energy demand, driven by factors such as data centers and artificial intelligence applications. To keep up with this increasing demand, power companies have had to turn to fossil fuels, despite their pledges to reduce reliance on them. Additionally, the current infrastructure for storing and deploying clean energy is not yet sufficient to meet the country's power needs. While utilities are building battery networks to store surplus clean energy, the installed battery capacity is currently only around 2% of total installed generation capacity.
The US has made some progress in transitioning away from high-polluting fossil fuels like coal and oil. In the first eight months of 2024, coal-fired output decreased by 2.3% from the previous year, marking the third consecutive year of contraction in coal use. Oil-fired production also reached a new low during this period. However, natural gas consumption has increased, becoming the largest source of energy in the US as of 2021. This shift from coal to natural gas has contributed to a decline in carbon emissions, as emissions from gas-fired plants are roughly 77% lower than those from coal-fired plants.
While the US has made some strides in reducing its reliance on fossil fuels and transitioning to cleaner energy sources, it still has a long way to go. Fossil fuels continue to play a dominant role in the country's energy landscape, and achieving net-zero emissions targets will require significant further efforts.
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Nuclear energy as an alternative
Fossil fuels have been the primary energy source in the United States for over a century. In 2023, fossil fuels—including petroleum, natural gas, and coal—accounted for about 84% of total US primary energy production and 60% of electric generation. Natural gas alone made up 36% of production in 2021, while coal and petroleum contributed 23% and less than 1% respectively.
Nuclear energy, on the other hand, is a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. Nuclear power stations use a minuscule amount of fuel (such as uranium) to generate the same amount of electricity that a coal or gas power station would. For example, 1 kg of uranium contains the same amount of energy as 2.7 million kg of coal. Nuclear energy produces nearly zero carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gas emissions, and it avoids the air pollutants associated with burning fossil fuels. Nuclear power plants also have longer lifespans than gas or coal-fired power plants, with some new-generation stations certified for 80 years of operation.
However, nuclear energy does have its drawbacks. One of the biggest concerns is the disposal of spent fuel from reactors, as there is currently no definitive way to dispose of it indefinitely without risk. Additionally, nuclear energy has been associated with deadly weapons and disasters, such as Chernobyl and Fukushima. The high capital cost of building nuclear plants and the real or perceived safety risks are also significant impediments to its expansion.
Despite these concerns, nuclear energy will likely play a role in helping countries achieve their net-zero goals. Nuclear power is responsible for the fastest decarbonization effort in history, with countries like France, Saudi Arabia, Canada, and South Korea recording the fastest decline in carbon intensity by building nuclear reactors. Nuclear energy can also assist in the substitution of fossil fuels by providing a continuous and stable source of electricity generation, complementing the fluctuating nature of renewable sources like wind and solar.
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Frequently asked questions
Fossil fuels generated 60% of US electricity in 2023, according to Wikipedia. However, Ember reports that this figure was 58% in 2024.
Fossil fuels generated 2,509 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in 2023, according to Wikipedia. From January to September 2024, fossil fuel-fired generation was 1,967 TWh, according to Reuters.
Fossil fuels are fuels that are formed from the remains of dead plants and animals that existed millions of years ago. They include coal, natural gas, and petroleum.
The US has relied on fossil fuels for a larger share of its electricity than China since June 2024. In 2024, fossil fuels generated 4,618 TWh of electricity in China, compared to 1,967 TWh in the US from January to September.
Fossil fuels accounted for about 84% of total US primary energy production in 2023.
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