Americans use more power than ever

Americans are using more power than ever, a key consideration for President George W. Bush and Congress as they begin hammering out a national energy policy Bush has emphasized more oil drilling and expanded use of nuclear power. Democratic lawmakers, meanwhile, have suggested tax breaks and price caps. For both sides, the heart of the problem lies in a simple fact: There are more Americans than ever, and they are using more power, although energy resources remain limited.
"There is no magic bullet, no single thing to be done that will solve the challenges we face," said David Cook, general counsel for the industry-sponsored North American Electric Reliability Council, in testimony before the US Senate's Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Power consumption has risen dramatically in the United States in the last 50 years, according to the federal Energy Information Administration (EIA), an independent Energy Department agency that tracks production and consumption. Americans last year used 98.5 quadrillion Btu, or about 18 times more than the amount they consumed in 1950. Thirty-6 % of that energy was used for manufacturing and other industrial purposes, 27 % to operate the nation's transportation system, 20 % to power homes and 16 % by general businesses.
The nation's rising population -- and Americans' growing personal incomes - contribute to the increase in energy consumption, says EIA economist Crawford Honeycutt. For example, more Americans can afford to travel now, which has led to a jump in transportation-related power use. "There are a lot of economic factors that drive energy consumption," Honeycutt notes.
The nation overwhelmingly uses fossil fuels -- coal, natural gas and petroleum -- for its power. Last year, Americans consumed 83.8 quadrillion Btu of fossil fuels, up from 69.9 quadrillion Btu in 1980. Of all the petroleum consumed in the world in 1999, the United States accounted for 26 %, according to the EIA. Americans consumed about 25 % of natural gas and 22 % of coal.

In 2000, the United States used 8 quadrillion Btu of nuclear power, up from 2.7 quadrillion Btu in 1980. Americans consumed almost 7 quadrillion Btu of "renewable" energy, such as solar and wind power, last year, up from 5.8 quadrillion Btu in 1980.
Texas consumes 14 % of the nation's energy, more than any other state, according to the EIA. The District of Columbia ranks 50th, just ahead of Vermont, which uses fewer than 2 quadrillion Btu annually. California ranks second in total energy consumption, consuming about 8 quadrillion Btu a year. The state's power crisis, which has produced blackouts and soaring utility rates for customers, is expected to continue through the summer and take a major toll on the California economy.
US energy production has risen with demand, although the country has turned increasingly to other nations for power since the energy crisis of the 1970s. The nation produced 57.6 quadrillion Btu of fossil fuels, 8 quadrillion Btu of nuclear power and 6.5 quadrillion Btu of renewable energy last year, according to the EIA. In 1999, fossil fuels accounted for 80 % of total energy production in the United States and were valued at an estimated $ 94 bn.

Coal remains the most popular fossil fuel mined in the United States. The nation produced 22.8 quadrillion Btu last year, up from 18.5 quadrillion Btu in 1980. "Coal is like your old friend who is out of sight and out of mind, but who has been around for a long time," says Steve Miller, president of the Centre for Energy and Economic Development, a coal industry trade group.
The amount of power mined in the United States is staggering, but it is not enough to satisfy demand for energy within US borders. For example, Americans consumed 27.2 quadrillion more Btu of fossil fuels than the United States was able to produce last year.
Crude oil, used for gasoline, diesel fuel and a host of other products, is the most common form of energy shipped into this country. Oil and petroleum products were imported at the rate of 10.5mm bpd in 1999, according to the most recent statistics from the EIA. Surprisingly, most of the oil and petroleum products imported into the United States comes from Canada, which shipped 1,539 bpd in 1999, according to EIA. Venezuela shipped 1,493 bpd that year, and Saudi Arabia 1,478 barrels.

The United States does not belong to OPEC . The 11 countries that make up OPEC , including Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, supply about 40 % of the world's oil output.
Each form of energy the United States mines has benefits and drawbacks for the environment. Americans overwhelmingly use fossil fuels to power their homes, businesses and cars, but alternative sources such as nuclear power and solar and wind energy could become more common. Vice President Richard B. Cheney would like to see an increase in the percentage of electricity generated by nuclear power. America's 103 nuclear plants now provide about 20 % of the nation's electricity.
"It is safe, the technology gets better all the time and it has the great advantage of not adding any to greenhouse gases, carbon-dioxide emissions," said Cheney, who is Bush's chief adviser on energy matters. The vice president has recommended renewing the Price-Anderson Act, which exempts nuclear-power companies from unlimited liability in the case of nuclear catastrophe.

Wind energy, meanwhile, could supply about 20 % of the nation's electricity, according to Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory, an environmental-studies organization. About 35,000 wind turbines generate power worldwide, notes American Wind Energy Association, a trade group. In the United States, wind-produced energy is expected to produce 2,500 MW of electricity this year, a 60 % increase from the 1,500 MW produced last year. One MW provides power for about 1,000 homes.