Renewable energy consumption grew by 7 percent between 2007 and 2008, despite a 2 percent decline in total U.S. energy consumption (Table 1 - Below). Total renewable energy consumption increased by 487 trillion Btu to 7,301 trillion Btu. This is the highest level attained based on EIA estimates of renewable energy back to 1949, and is due to substantial increases in the use of biofuels, wind and solar energy. Renewable energy’s share of total U.S. energy consumption was over 7 percent in 2008, compared to 6 percent in 2004 (Figure 1 - Below).
Renewable energy is consumed across all 5 energy use sectors (Table 2 - Below). The two largest consuming sectors are electric power and industrial, though patterns are changing. In 2008, the electric power sector accounted for 51 percent of renewable energy consumption and the industrial sector 28 percent, down from 56 and 30 percent, respectively, in 2004. This was due in some measure to the substantial change in the transportation sector, whose share rose from 5 to 11 percent between 2004 and 2008. The gain was due to increased consumption of biofuels, primarily ethanol derived from corn, but also to a lesser extent biodiesel. Both are fuels needed to meet the Federal Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires an increasing supply of renewable fuels through 2022.
The Renewable Fuels Association reported that the number of operating ethanol refineries in the U.S. more than doubled in number from 81 in January 2005 to 170 in January 2009.[1] Capacity was spread across the United States but concentrated in the midwestern states. These refineries were responsible for producing 220 million barrels, or 778 trillion Btu of fuel ethanol in 2008, up from 81 million barrels or 287 trillion Btu in 2004.[2] When trade and stock changes are accounted for, ethanol consumption was 229 million barrels, or 809 trillion Btu in 2008. Related ethanol co-products and losses in the industrial sector increased from 210 to 562 trillion Btu between 2004 and 2008.
Biodiesel consumption declined from 46 trillion Btu in 2007 to 41 trillion Btu in 2008 due to the large volume of exports. U.S. domestic biodiesel production was actually up from 62 to 87 trillion Btu between 2007 and 2008.[3]
Finally the two smallest sectors, residential and commercial, maintained their shares of total renewable energy consumption at 8 and 2 percent, respectively.
Table 1 - U.S. Energy Consumption by Energy Source - 2004 through 2008 (Quadrillion BTU's) | |||||
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| |||||
Energy Source | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
Total | 100.349 | 100.485 | 99.876 | 101.552 | 99.305 |
Fossil Fuels | 85.830 | 85.817 | 84.690 | 86.174 | 83.436 |
Coal | 22.466 | 22.797 | 22.447 | 22.748 | 22.421 |
Coal Coke Net Imports | 0.137 | 0.045 | 0.061 | 0.025 | 0.040 |
Natural Gas1 | 22.931 | 22.583 | 22.224 | 23.628 | 23.838 |
Petroleum2 | 40.294 | 40.393 | 39.958 | 39.773 | 37.137 |
Electricity Net Imports | 0.039 | 0.084 | 0.063 | 0.106 | 0.113 |
Nuclear Electric Power | 8.222 | 8.160 | 8.214 | 8.458 | 8.455 |
Renewable Energy | 6.260 | 6.423 | 6.909 | 6.814 | 7.301 |
Biomass3 | 3.023 | 3.133 | 3.361 | 3.597 | 3.884 |
Biofuels | 0.513 | 0.594 | 0.795 | 1.025 | 1.413 |
Waste | 0.389 | 0.403 | 0.414 | 0.430 | 0.431 |
Wood Derived Fuels | 2.121 | 2.136 | 2.152 | 2.142 | 2.041 |
Geothermal Energy | 0.341 | 0.343 | 0.343 | 0.349 | 0.358 |
Hydroelectric Conventional | 2.690 | 2.703 | 2.869 | 2.446 | 2.453 |
Solar/PV Energy | 0.065 | 0.066 | 0.072 | 0.081 | 0.091 |
Wind Energy | 0.142 | 0.178 | 0.264 | 0.341 | 0.514 |
1 Includes supplemental gaseous fuels. 2 Petroleum products supplied, including natural gas plant liquids and crude oil burned as fuel. 3 Biomass includes: biofuels, waste (landfill gas, MSW biogenic, and other biomass), wood and wood derived fuels. PV = Photovoltaic. Notes: Data revisions are discussed in the Highlights section. Totals may not equal sum of components due to independent rounding. Data for 2008 is preliminary. Sources: Non-renewable energy: Energy Information Administration (EIA), Monthly Energy Review (MER) April 2009, DOE/EIA-0035 (2009/04) (Washington, DC, April 2009), Tables 1.3, 1.4a and 1.4b; Renewable Energy: Table 2 of this report. |
Table 2 Renewable Energy Consumption by Energy Use Sector and Energy Source, 2004 - 2008 (Quadrillion Btu) | |||||
Sector and Source | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
Total | 6.260 | 6.423 | 6.909 | 6.814 | 7.301 |
Biomass | 3.023 | 3.133 | 3.361 | 3.597 | 3.884 |
Biofuels | 0.513 | 0.594 | 0.795 | 1.025 | 1.413 |
Biodiesel1 | 0.003 | 0.012 | 0.033 | 0.046 | 0.041 |
Ethanol2 | 0.299 | 0.342 | 0.462 | 0.580 | 0.809 |
Losses and Coproducts | 0.210 | 0.240 | 0.300 | 0.399 | 0.563 |
Biodiesel Feedstock3 | * | * | * | 0.001 | 0.001 |
Ethanol Feedstock4 | 0.210 | 0.240 | 0.299 | 0.398 | 0.562 |
Waste | 0.389 | 0.403 | 0.414 | 0.430 | 0.431 |
Landfill Gas | 0.144 | 0.148 | 0.157 | 0.173 | 0.187 |
MSW Biogenic5 | 0.164 | 0.168 | 0.171 | 0.165 | 0.168 |
Other Biomass6 | 0.081 | 0.088 | 0.086 | 0.092 | 0.076 |
Wood and Derived Fuels7 | 2.121 | 2.136 | 2.152 | 2.142 | 2.041 |
Geothermal | 0.341 | 0.343 | 0.343 | 0.349 | 0.358 |
Hydroelectric Conventional | 2.690 | 2.703 | 2.869 | 2.446 | 2.453 |
Solar/PV | 0.065 | 0.066 | 0.072 | 0.081 | 0.091 |
Wind | 0.142 | 0.178 | 0.264 | 0.341 | 0.514 |
Residential | 0.483 | 0.507 | 0.475 | 0.527 | 0.599 |
Biomass | 0.410 | 0.430 | 0.390 | 0.430 | 0.490 |
Wood and Derived Fuels8 | 0.410 | 0.430 | 0.390 | 0.430 | 0.490 |
Geothermal | 0.014 | 0.016 | 0.018 | 0.022 | 0.026 |
Solar/PV9 | 0.059 | 0.061 | 0.067 | 0.075 | 0.083 |
Commercial | 0.118 | 0.119 | 0.117 | 0.118 | 0.123 |
Biomass | 0.105 | 0.105 | 0.102 | 0.102 | 0.107 |
Biofuels | 0.001 | 0.001 | 0.001 | 0.002 | 0.003 |
Ethanol2 | 0.001 | 0.001 | 0.001 | 0.002 | 0.003 |
Waste | 0.034 | 0.034 | 0.036 | 0.031 | 0.032 |
Landfill Gas | 0.002 | 0.003 | 0.004 | 0.003 | 0.003 |
MSW Biogenic5 | 0.025 | 0.025 | 0.026 | 0.021 | 0.022 |
Other Biomass6 | 0.007 | 0.007 | 0.007 | 0.007 | 0.007 |
Wood and Derived Fuels7 | 0.070 | 0.070 | 0.065 | 0.069 | 0.072 |
Geothermal | 0.012 | 0.014 | 0.014 | 0.014 | 0.015 |
Hydroelectric Conventional | 0.001 | 0.001 | 0.001 | 0.001 | 0.001 |
Industrial | 1.860 | 1.883 | 2.005 | 2.048 | 2.056 |
Biomass | 1.824 | 1.847 | 1.972 | 2.028 | 2.032 |
Biofuels | 0.216 | 0.247 | 0.309 | 0.409 | 0.577 |
Ethanol2 | 0.006 | 0.007 | 0.010 | 0.010 | 0.014 |
Losses and Coproducts | 0.210 | 0.240 | 0.300 | 0.399 | 0.563 |
Biodiesel Feedstock3 | * | * | * | 0.001 | 0.001 |
Ethanol Feedstock4 | 0.210 | 0.240 | 0.299 | 0.398 | 0.562 |
Waste | 0.132 | 0.148 | 0.147 | 0.162 | 0.157 |
Landfill Gas | 0.076 | 0.081 | 0.081 | 0.093 | 0.105 |
MSW Biogenic5 | 0.006 | 0.007 | 0.006 | 0.006 | 0.004 |
Other Biomass6 | 0.050 | 0.061 | 0.061 | 0.063 | 0.047 |
Wood and Derived Fuels7 | 1.476 | 1.452 | 1.515 | 1.457 | 1.298 |
Geothermal | 0.004 | 0.004 | 0.004 | 0.005 | 0.005 |
Hydroelectric Conventional | 0.033 | 0.032 | 0.029 | 0.016 | 0.019 |
Solar/PV | - | - | - | - | - |
Wind | - | - | - | - | - |
Transportation | 0.295 | 0.346 | 0.484 | 0.614 | 0.833 |
Biomass | 0.295 | 0.346 | 0.484 | 0.614 | 0.833 |
Biofuels | 0.295 | 0.346 | 0.484 | 0.614 | 0.833 |
Biodiesel1 | 0.003 | 0.012 | 0.033 | 0.046 | 0.041 |
Ethanol2 | 0.292 | 0.334 | 0.451 | 0.568 | 0.792 |
Electric Power10 | 3.503 | 3.568 | 3.827 | 3.508 | 3.690 |
Biomass | 0.388 | 0.406 | 0.412 | 0.423 | 0.423 |
Waste | 0.223 | 0.221 | 0.231 | 0.237 | 0.242 |
Landfill Gas | 0.066 | 0.065 | 0.073 | 0.077 | 0.079 |
MSW Biogenic5 | 0.133 | 0.136 | 0.139 | 0.138 | 0.141 |
Other Biomass6 | 0.023 | 0.020 | 0.019 | 0.022 | 0.022 |
Wood and Derived Fuels7 | 0.165 | 0.185 | 0.182 | 0.186 | 0.181 |
Geothermal | 0.311 | 0.309 | 0.306 | 0.308 | 0.312 |
Hydroelectric Conventional | 2.656 | 2.670 | 2.839 | 2.430 | 2.433 |
Solar/PV | 0.006 | 0.006 | 0.005 | 0.006 | 0.008 |
Wind | 0.142 | 0.178 | 0.264 | 0.341 | 0.514 |
1 Biodiesel primarily derived from soy bean oil. 2 Ethanol primarily derived from corn. 3 Difference between the energy in biodiesel feedstocks (principally soy bean oil) and the energy in biodiesel consumed in the transportation sector. 4 Difference between energy in ethanol feedstocks (primarily corn) and its coproducts (wet and dry distiller grains), and the energy in ethanol consumed in the transportation sector. 5 Includes paper and paper board, wood, food, leather, textiles and yard trimmings. 6 Agriculture byproducts/crops, sludge waste, and other biomass solids, liquids and gases. 7 Black liquor, and wood/woodwaste solids and liquids. 8 Wood and wood pellet fuels. 9 Includes small amounts of distributed solar thermal and photovoltaic energy used in the commercial, industrial and electric power sectors. 10 The electric power sector comprises electricity-only and combined-heat-power (CHP) plants within North American Classification System (NAICS) 22 category whose primary business is to sell electricity, or electricity and heat, to the public. MSW = Municipal Solid Waste. PV = Photovoltaic. * = Less than 500 billion Btu. - = No data reported. |
Courtesy of the U.S. Energy Information Administration - Data for 2004 through 2008
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