U.S. households that heat their homes with natural gas will
see an average increase in home heating costs of about 4%
this winter, while those using heating oil will experience a
larger increase, according to the latest projections from
DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA).
The United States makes up 5% of the world's population and accounts for 25% of total energy use.
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)
In 2007, renewable sources of energy accounted for about 7% of total U.S. energy consumption and 9.4% of electricity generation. (Source: EIA)
Today’s challenges of reducing greenhouse gas emissions while meeting the country’s steadily rising demand for electricity make it essential for legislatures and public utility commissions to shift their focus toward mechanisms that make demand reduction as profitable for utilities as increasing supply. (Source: Institute for 21st Century Energy)
Estimated energy demand is charted to grow by almost 50% in the next 20 years.
