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Energy Facts
and Energy Statistics
Debates
about energy policy require an
understanding of energy facts and energy statistics. Energy statistics
show that in the next two decades, the United States will need:
- 31%
more petroleum
- 62% more
natural gas
- 22% more
coal
- 45% more
electricity
- 26% more
renewable resources
- More than
1,300 new power plants
Energy
facts and energy statisitics related to America's Reliance
on Foreign Oil:
- During
the 1973 Arab oil embargo, the United States imported 36 percent
of its oil. It now imports 56 percent.
- Since
1992, U.S. oil production is down 17 percent, while consumption
is up 14 percent.
- By 2020,
more than 65 percent of the U.S.'s oil will be imported.
Within the
broad category of energy
facts and energy statatistics, there is a little known electricity
fact:
- The United
States population has increased 26 percent between 1980 and
2001. Electricity generation has increased 62 percent between
1980 and 2001.
Energy
statistics and energy facts related to coal generated electricity
say:
- Americans
use an average of 20 pounds of coal per person per day for electricity,
which equals more than 7,000 pounds per year.
- In 1980,
America used 569 million tons of coal to generate electricity.
By 2001, that grew to 966 million tons, a 70 percent increase.
- The United
States has more than 250 years of proven recoverable coal reserves.
- Since 1979,
the cost of coal-based electricity generation has increased
just 4 percent.
- Electricity
from coal is half the cost of natural gas fired generation.
- The rate
of emissions from coal-fired power plants has been reduced 76%
since 1980.
- Improved
operating efficiencies of new power generation technologies
are approximately 40 percent higher than a conventional power
plant that uses coal. This results in a nearly equal reduction
in carbon dioxide emissions.
- Coal is
directly responsible for the existence of more than 90,000 U.S.
jobs and nearly one million jobs directly and indirectly.
Learn
more about energy facts and energy statistics
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