Fossil fuels made up 79% of 2021 US primary energy consumption
Fossil fuels (petroleum, natural gas, and coal) accounted for 79% of the 97 quadrillion British thermal units (quads) of primary energy consumption in the US in 2021, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). About 21% of US primary energy consumption for the year came from fuel sources other than fossil fuels, such as renewables and nuclear, EIA’s monthly energy review data show.
The 4-quad increase in US primary energy consumption in 2021 was the largest annual increase on record, mostly attributable to a gradual return to pre-COVID levels of activity, the agency said in a release July 1. Last year’s increase came on the heels of a 7-quad decrease in 2020, which was the largest annual decrease on record.
US renewable energy consumption increased slightly to a record 12.2 quads in 2021 from 11.5 quads in 2020. Increased use of renewables for electricity generation, including wind and solar energy, was partially offset by a decline in hydroelectricity generation, the data show. US nuclear energy consumption of 8.2 quads in 2020 was the lowest level since 2012.
US petroleum consumption remains lower than its 2005 peak, totaling 35 quads in 2021, but remains the most-consumed primary energy source in the US since surpassing coal in 1950. US natural gas consumption totaled 31.3 quads in 2021, a slight decline from the previous year, EIA said.
US coal consumption increased to 10.5 quads in 2021, the first annual increase in US coal consumption since 2013. Overall US coal consumption has declined by more than half since its 2005 peak, the agency said, driven by reduced coal-fired electricity generation.
