DOE has closed its $465 million loan with Tesla Motors, which
the electric automaker will use to build two factories. A facility
in southern California will build the Model S electric sedan,
and another in Palo Alto, California, will build electric
powertrains and components.
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)
Estimated energy demand is charted to grow by almost 50% in the next 20 years.
In 2007, renewable sources of energy accounted for about 7% of total U.S. energy consumption and 9.4% of electricity generation. (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)
The United States makes up 5% of the world's population and accounts for 25% of total energy use.
