How Has USA Energy Use Changed Since 1776?

A new analysis piece published on the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) website recently, which was penned by Mickey Francis, Program Manager and Lead Economist for the EIA’s State Energy Data System, has outlined how U.S. energy use has changed since the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.

The piece highlighted that, according to the EIA’s monthly energy review, in 2024, the U.S. consumed about 94 quadrillion British thermal units (quads) of energy. Fossil fuels – namely petroleum, natural gas, and coal – made up 82 percent of total U.S. energy consumption last year, the piece pointed out, adding that non-fossil fuel energy accounted for the other 18 percent.

Petroleum remained the most-consumed fuel in the United States, the piece stated, outlining that this has been the case for the past 75 years. It also highlighted that, last year, nuclear energy consumption exceeded coal consumption for the first time ever.

The analysis piece went on to note that, when the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, wood was the largest source of energy in the United States.

“Used for heating, cooking, and lighting, wood remained the largest U.S. energy source until the late 1800s, when coal consumption became more common,” it added.

“Wood energy is still consumed, mainly by industrial lumber and paper plants that burn excess wood waste to generate electricity,” it continued.

The piece went on to highlight that coal was the largest source of U.S. energy for about 65 years, from 1885 until 1950.

“Early uses of coal included many purposes that are no longer common, such as in stoves for home heating and in engines for trains and ships. Since the 1960s, nearly all coal consumed in the United States has been for electricity generation,” the piece said.

The analysis piece went on to state that petroleum has been the most consumed source of energy in the United States since 1950.

“Petroleum products such as motor gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and propane are commonly used across all sectors of the U.S. economy, from transportation to industrial chemicals and plastics,” it said.

“Natural gas is the second largest source of U.S. energy consumption, as it has been most years since it surpassed coal in 1958. Natural gas was once considered a waste byproduct of crude oil production but now has become a common energy source for heating and electricity generation,” it added.

The analysis piece noted that the first industrial use of hydropower to generate electricity in the United States was to power lamps at a chair factory in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1880. The world’s first hydroelectric power plant to sell electricity to the public opened on the Fox River near Appleton, Wisconsin, in 1882, it added.

“Other forms of renewable energy did not become significant contributors to U.S. energy production until more recently. In 2016, biofuels – including the fuel ethanol mixed in motor gasoline – became the most-consumed U.S. renewable energy source,” the piece noted.

“Electricity generation from some zero-carbon sources, such as wind and solar, has increased rapidly in recent years, while generation from others, such as hydropower and nuclear, has remained relatively flat,” it said.

“In 2022, U.S. energy consumption from renewable sources surpassed nuclear energy for the first time since 1984, and in 2023, renewables surpassed coal for the first time since around the early 1880s. The United States now consumes more energy from wind and solar sources individually than from hydropower,” it went on to state.

The piece highlighted that, in order to compare different forms of energy, the EIA converted to common units of heat called British thermal units.

In its latest short term energy outlook (STEO), which was published last month, the EIA projected that total U.S. energy consumption will come in at 95.39 quads in 2025.

This year, U.S. liquid fuels demand is forecast to hit 20.39 million barrels per day, U.S. natural gas demand is projected to come in at 91.3 billion cubic feet per day, U.S. coal demand is projected to hit 428 million short tons, and U.S. renewables demand is forecast to come in at 8.94 quads, the EIA’s June STEO showed.

To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com