U.S. ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION
WASHINGTON DC 20585
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 22, 2000
Fossil Fuels Powered the 20th Century
Reliance on energy sources has shifted dramatically over U.S. history, as shown in the figure below released today by the Energy Information Administration in the Annual Energy Review 1999 (www.eia.doe.gov/aer). This report is a statistical and graphical history of energy in the United States, concentrating on the period 1949-1999.
Wood (along with unrecorded quantities of human, animal, water, and wind power) fueled the country from the time of its settlement in the early 1600s through the middle of the 19th century. Reliance on wood gave way to coal in the second half of the 19th century. Coal remained vital to the energy mix, but it, too, was eventually surpassed by other newly developed resources---petroleum and natural gas.
In addition to the immense growth in fossil-fuel consumption during the 20th century, hydroelectric power and nuclear electric power also made significant contributions. However, the 20th century was indeed the era of fossil fuels. As the end of the century approached, fossil-fuel consumption accounted for 84 percent of all energy used in the United States, while nuclear electric power and renewable energy each accounted for 8 percent.
Printed copies of the report will be available in early August from the U.S. Government Printing Office (202-512-1800) or through EIA's National Energy Information Center (202-586-8800).
| The report described in this press release was prepared by the Energy Information Administration, the independent statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. The information contained in the report and the press release should be attributed to the Energy Information Administration and should not be construed as advocating or reflecting any policy position of the Department of Energy or any other organization. |
EIA Program Contact: Leigh Carleton, 202/586-1132
EIA Press Contact: National Energy Information Center, 202/586-8800
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