Primary Energy Consumption by Source and Sector – 2014
This graphic from the EIA helps visualize some of the data leaking out of the agency’s massive knowledge vault. In their measure for total U.S. energy consumption in 2014, they use the graphic to help visually break it down by source and end use (sector).
For example, it’s not a surprise that 71% of the petroleum the U.S. used in 2014 went to transportation, and only 1% went to generating electric power. On the natural gas side, only 3% went to transportation while 30% went to generating electricity. Looking at coal, 0% went to transportation, while 91% was used to generating electricity. For nuclear, 100% of the energy went to making electricity.
Total Consumption
Nuclear accounted for only 8% of total U.S. energy consumption in 2014, renewables were the next smallest at 10%, coal represented 18%, natural gas accounted for 28% and petroleum was the largest source of energy at 35%.
