The United States spent an estimated $516 billion for energy in 1995. Among the States, California spent the most for energy in 1995, a total of $51 billion, but its per-capita expenditure of $1,620 put it near the bottom (49th). The five States with the lowest prices per million Btu were also those with the greatest expenditures per capita: Wyoming, Alaska, Louisiana, North Dakota, and Texas. These data on prices and expenditures are presented for energy sources and energy-consuming sectors for 1970 through 1995 at the State and national levels in the Energy Information Administration's State Energy Price and Expenditure Report 1995 (SEPER).
SEPER reveals that in 1995 transportation-sector spending on energy was the highest among the end-use sectors, accounting for more than one-third of the total (see figure). The Nation spent $339 billion for fossil fuels ($237 billion for petroleum, $74 billion for natural gas, and $27 billion for coal); $4 billion for nuclear fuel; and $2 billion for biofuels. Utilities spent $35 billion to purchase the resources to generate electricity and consumers paid $206 billion to buy the electricity.
The commercial sector's average price for energy of $12.78 per million Btu was the highest among all the sectors, followed by residential's average of $12.13, transportation's average of $8.04, and industrial's average of $5.01. Electric utilities, an energy transformation sector, paid $1.23 per million Btu.
The 1995 U.S. average price for energy was $8.28 per million Btu. Prices ranged from Louisiana's $5.12 per million Btu to $12.19 per million Btu in the District of Columbia. The U.S. price for motor gasoline averaged $9.14 per million Btu, while the range extended from Georgia's $7.78 per million Btu to Hawaii's $11.40 per million Btu. Electricity prices averaged $20.30; electricity was least expensive in Kentucky ($11.97 per million Btu) and most expensive in New Hampshire ($34.36 per million Btu).
SEPER presents individual energy price and expenditure estimates for all 50 States and the District of Columbia, as well as aggregate estimates for the United States, by energy source and economic sector. Appendices document data sources, explain procedures used to make the estimates, and summarize changes since the previous edition.
If you are having technical problems with this site, please contact Roy Stanley at Roy.Stanley@eia.doe.gov or call 202-586-5839. For general information about energy, contact the National Energy Information Center at 202-586-8800 or infoctr@eia.doe.gov.
URL: http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/plugs/plseper5.html
File last modified: August 26, 1998
