The Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize will host a
series of competitions in Michigan this year to determine the
winners of a $10 million purse for super fuel-efficient
vehicles. A combination of on-track stages and lab tests will
lead to a September awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Crude oil, taxes, refining, distribution and marking are the four main components that make up the retail price of a gallon of gasoline. (Source: EIA)
Appliances account for roughly 65% of electricity consumption in the average American household (2001), with refrigerators and lighting making up the largest categories. (Source: EIA)
Fossil fuels provide more than 85% of all the energy consumed in the US, nearly two-thirds of our electricity, and virtually all of our transportation fuels. (Source: DOE)
In 2007, the average monthly residential electricity consumption was 936 kWh. (Source: EIA)
Public policies such as appliance and vehicle efficiency standards and building codes are responsible for at least 20% of the improvement in the US's energy intensity--energy use per unit of GDP. (Source: Institute for 21st Century Energy)
