In the absence of new policies, the U.S. emissions of carbon
dioxide from energy use will increase from 5,814 million
metric tons in 2008 to 6,320 million metric tons in 2035,
according to the early release of the "Annual Energy Outlook
2010" from DOE's Energy Information Administration (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.
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.
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)
