Environment articles
How many energy jobs are there in the US?
In 2024, 8.5 million people had energy-related jobs, roughly 5.4% of all jobs worked that year. For scale, that’s nearly the populations of Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio and San Diego combined. Energy jobs include a spectrum of roles such as engineers and drill operators to architects and auto mechanics. They work across many industries including electric power generation, transmission, distribution, storage, fuels, energy efficiency, and motor vehicles. The sector lost nearly 10% of total jobs in 2020’s pandemic-driven economic downturn. As of 2024, the energy sector has surpassed the pre-pandemic peak (in 2019) by nearly 200,000 jobs. Which states have the most energy jobs?Texas leads the nation in energy jobs, employing over 990,000 individuals in the energy sector. That’s roughly eight out of every 100 workers statewide. Oil and natural gas production alone employed more than 289,000 people.
What are the top energy production sources in the US?
For 61 years, the United States has used more energy than it’s produced. That changed in 2019, when production surpassed consumption — and it’s remained that way since.
How has US energy consumption changed over time?
What powers the US? Petroleum. In 2024, petroleum was the nation’s most-consumed energy source, accounting for over a third (38%) of all energy usage. Natural gas was also over a third (36%). The rest of the country’s energy came from nuclear electric power, coal, and renewable energy, each accounting for 8% to 9% of consumption.What kinds of energy does the US use?CoalCoal consumption was on par with natural gas as recently as 2006. But a more efficient coal type, plus cheaper energy competition, has caused coal consumption to drop by 65% since its peak in 2005. Coal consumption is now at similar levels to nuclear energy, and renewables, all between 8 and 9 quadrillion British thermal units (BTUs) annually. In 2005, coal consumption was 22.8 BTUs per year.
Just the Facts about US energy use, production, and environmental impact
Wind, fossil fuel, solar: Get the facts on how America keeps its lights on. Plus, some good environmental news.
How much solar energy do homes produce?
In 2022, residential solar panels generated 37 million megawatt-hours, accounting for 18% of all solar energy in the US, according to the Energy Information Administration. The average US home uses about 11,000 kilowatt hours per year, meaning residential solar panels generated enough electricity to power 3.4 million homes in 2022.Solar energy is one of the fastest-growing renewable energy sources in the US, according to the Department of Energy. The US had about 3.9 million photovoltaic solar power systems installed at residences at the end of 2022, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. That number has grown by an average of 37% per year since Congress passed a federal tax credit for solar power in 2005.In 2022, Congress passed additional tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act to help more Americans invest in rooftop solar installation. A small percentage of all homes (2.7%) had solar panels installed by the end of 2022. Overall, residential solar generates a small fraction of total US energy, making up less than 1% of all electricity production in 2022.Energy produced by small-scale solar vs. utility-scale solar facilitiesSmall-scale solar installations, including those at homes, businesses, and non-utility industrial sites, collectively generated 29% of all solar power in the US in 2022. At 61 million megawatt hours produced, small-scale solar power generated enough electricity for 5.6 million homes. That level of production is more than five times the amount from 2014.Meanwhile, solar farms and other utility-scale solar facilities produced enough electricity to power over 13 million homes in 2022, a total of about 144 million megawatt hours. Utility-scale solar facilities generated eight times more power in 2022 than in 2014.
Is the US energy independent?
In the past decade, US domestic energy production has increased faster than any other time in history. This rapid growth has prompted government officials, including former President Donald Trump, to claim that the US is now energy independent.But while it’s true the US now exports more energy than it imports, the nation still relies on foreign oil to some degree for the energy it needs.The need for foreign oil is largely due to a need for heavy crude oil by the refining industry, which is harder to come by in the US.This need for foreign energy is not new. Since 2007, every president has signed legislation to reduce energy imports and increase domestic production of oil and natural gas. And energy independence is still a stated goal of government officials across the political spectrum.
How much of America’s clean energy infrastructure is built in the US?
Renewable energy sources, including wind, hydropower, solar, biomass and geothermal, contributed 20% of US electricity in 2021. This proportion is rapidly expanding; over 60% of new electricity generation capacity in 2022 is projected to be renewable.A clean energy industry needs specific equipment to work. Solar energy needs solar panels with photovoltaic (PV) cells designed to convert energy from the sun. Wind energy needs turbines. Renewable energy often relies on batteries to store energy from intermittent energy sources such as wind and solar, which only generate electricity about 40% of the time.The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act attempts to encourage US-based manufacturing of this kind of clean infrastructure. The bill includes at least $15 billion in clean manufacturing tax credits meant to increase domestic manufacturing capacity for solar panels, wind turbines, and lithium batteries.
What are the main sources of US greenhouse gas emissions?
In 2022, the transportation sector released more greenhouse gas emissions than any other: more than 1.8 billion metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions, or 28.4% of emissions overall. Since 1990, emissions have increased for the transportation, agricultural, commercial and residential sectors. Conversely, emissions from the electric power, industrial and US territories have declined. Power plants stood out among the highest greenhouse gas-emitting facilities reported to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2023: — 82 of the top 100 reporting facilities were power generation sites. In September 2025, the EPA proposed a rule change to eliminate greenhouse gas emission reporting until 2034.How much greenhouse gas does the US emit?In 2022, the US emitted 6.3 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent metric tons. That’s 3.0% lower than measured in 1990, and 15.8% lower than 2007, when the US hit its recorded peak of 7,530 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. For context, a typical passenger vehicle in the US emits an average of 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. Emissions in 2022 were equivalent to nearly 1.4 billion cars. While total emissions declined by 3.0% from 1990 to 2022, greenhouse gas emissions per person decreased by 27.3%.
What does the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) do?
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is a subdivision of the US Department of the Interior responsible for administering public lands in the United States. The agency manages various resources and activities on these lands, including energy development, livestock grazing, recreation, and conservation. It aims to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. It was established in 1946.
What are green banks?
The Inflation Reduction Act — which was signed into law by President Joe Biden — invests $300 billion in deficit reduction and nearly $370 billion in energy security and climate change programs over the next 10 years.One of the environmental provisions inside the bill establishes a National Green Bank, a program that's designed to help launch and leverage private funding for clean energy projects across the US.Green banks are banking institutions that use public and private funding to incentivize the transition to clean energy. The banks are initially funded with public dollars and then use the proceeds from their investments or other private dollars to fund more environmental-related projects. For example, a green bank might loan money to a company that's installing solar rooftops or to a homeowner that wants to buy a heat pump. Green banks are either government-owned or semi-public.The first green bank opened in 2010, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
How much oil and gas comes from federal territory?
Roughly a quarter of all crude oil and more than a tenth of all natural gas was produced on territory owned by the federal government in 2021. Though offshore natural gas production has dwindled in recent years, crude oil production on public lands has increased.While energy production has increased on federal lands, the total amount of land leased to oil and gas developers has gone down since 2008. More than half of all land leased to oil and gas companies remains unused for production.The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 promotes domestic energy production in some specific ways. One provision is a requirement making new leases of federal territory for wind and solar energy dependent on offering federal leases for oil and gas producers.On the surface, this part of the bill appears to tie renewable energy development to the continued production of fossil fuels on federal territory. However, increases to oil and gas production costs on federal territory could impact how many companies choose to acquire development leases.
How does nuclear fusion work, and why is the US investing in it?
In December 2022, scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California achieved a breakthrough in nuclear fusion. For the first time, they successfully created more energy from a fusion reaction than the energy used to start the process.This was the latest of several developments in the past few years that have brought nuclear fusion closer to becoming a viable source of energy.In 2022, the Biden administration and the Office of Science and Technology Policy set a goal of having fusion energy on the grid by the early 2030s. While it is still far from becoming a commercial fuel source, fusion’s advantages mean that scientists and governments around the world are continuing to invest in the technology.What is nuclear fusion and how does it work?Fusion is the atomic reaction that powers the sun. It involves fusing two atoms together at an extremely high temperature and pressure, releasing energy in the process. However, creating those conditions for fusion on Earth is difficult. For a fusion energy system to be viable, it must produce more energy through fusion reactions than the energy needed to produce the reaction. Those reactions are maintained in a plasma, a state of matter that scientists are still working to understand.Nuclear fusion differs from nuclear power currently generated in reactors, which occurs through fission. Fission is when heavier elements split into lighter elements.What are the advantages and challenges of nuclear fusion?If scientists find a way to sustain fusion and harness its energy, it has significant advantages over current fuel sources.Fusion power is a clean energy source. It produces no greenhouse gases, uses relatively common materials for fuel, and does not pose the risk of a nuclear meltdown (unlike current nuclear reactors). Also, it does not produce long-lasting radioactive waste the way current nuclear reactors do, which can be challenging to dispose safely.Fusion energy is still a developing area of research, and figuring out the science is just the first step—the cost competitiveness and commercial viability are still open questions. The costs of commercial fusion power are still unknown, as they’ll be impacted by unknown maintenance costs, advancements in materials that can hold plasma, and undetermined regulatory costs. Projections for fusion energy on the grid range from 10 to over 20 years.Where is the US currently at in developing nuclear fusion?Recent years have brought scientists closer to usable fusion energy. In 2021, scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology developed high-temperature superconducting magnets, which could reduce the cost of fusion energy systems. European scientists in 2021 set a record for sustained energy output from fusion. And in 2022, fusion ignition (generating net positive energy from a fusion reaction) was achieved at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.Government funding plays a critical role in supporting the research and development of fusion energy. The Department of Energy (DOE) has consistently invested in fusion research, with funding levels increasing over time.
How much oil is produced in the US?
Oil production plays a key role in the nation's economic and energy landscape. Everything from gas prices to clothing is impacted by the cost of extracting petroleum and all its byproducts.While the Biden administration is driving efforts to implement a large-scale transition to renewable energy and investment in green technology, much of the US economy is still inextricably tied to oil production and will continue to be for the foreseeable future.So, what is the state of oil production in the US today? Is the country producing enough to meet consumption demands, and how has the industry changed over the past decade?Is US oil production down?Domestic energy production has increased faster than at any other time in history, with crude oil production more than doubling between 2011 and 2022. US crude oil peaked in 2019 with the country producing an average of 12.3 million barrels per day.
What is carbon capture and storage?
From electric vehicle charging stations to renewable energy, the US is increasingly turning to new technology to mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis.One emerging technology is carbon capture and storage, and some of the $369 billion in climate and clean energy incentives in 2022’s Inflation Reduction Act includes funds for such projects. While the carbon capture industry is still emerging, it is set up to play an important role in achieving net zero emissions in the coming decades.How does carbon capture work?Carbon capture and storage is a process that captures carbon dioxide emissions, compresses, transports, and stores it deep underground. The carbon capture occurs either at carbon-emitting sources such as coal-fired power plants, known as point source capture, or directly from the atmosphere, known as direct air capture. It is then transferred to large-scale storage facilities and stored in formations such as natural saline reservoirs, depleted oil/gas fields, or other stable formations with high capacities.Carbon capture traps carbon dioxide that’s already been generated. This differs from renewable energy, which produces energy with fewer emissions, and carbon offsets, which permit purchasers to create some emissions in exchange for a fee to fund greenhouse gas reduction.How many carbon capture projects are active? Where are they located?A Department of Energy database identified 417 carbon capture projects as of January 2023. Of these projects, 169 are active. The rest are completed, on hold, potential, or terminated.
Did releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve impact gas prices?
Beginning in November 2021, President Joe Biden’s administration has used the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to combat rising gas prices. In March of 2022, the administration announced a new release of 180 million barrels of oil into the supply chain, the most in the reserve’s history. As a result, the total amount of oil in the SPR decreased by more than 20% between November 2021 and July 2022.A report released by the Treasury Department indicates that the effort did initially impact gas prices.While the SPR’s main function is to protect the country from oil shortages, past sales of crude oil from the reserve were used to generate revenue for the federal government. These types of sales have increased since 2017.
How much electricity would it take to power all cars if they were electric?
In 2022, California became the first state to require all new cars and light trucks sold to be zero emission vehicles by 2035. Because several states have laws or rules on the books agreeing to follow California’s vehicle emission standards, about 34% of states in the US are expected to follow suit. While electric vehicles (EVs) currently represent a modest proportion of the automotive market, sales of all types of EVs are expected to continue growing in the near-future.This raises questions over how much more electricity would be needed to power these cars, and how much more cost-effective EVs are per mile.Based on 2019 data, the US would need to produce 20-50% more electricity in a year if all cars were EVs.According to data from the Department of Energy (DOE), the cost of powering EVs is approximately 35-75% cheaper than the cost for gas-powered vehicles per mile.Since generating electricity often relies on the use of fossil fuels, switching to EVs won’t eliminate vehicle-related emissions of greenhouse gases. The emission rates for EVs would vary by state based on how electricity is generated.
What is the most common vehicle fuel type in each state?
There are nearly 100 registered gasoline-powered vehicles for every electric vehicle (EV) in the US. But the growth rate for some alternative-powered vehicles is higher than that of gasoline-powered vehicles, according to the US Department of Energy (DOE).
How many electric cars are on the road in the United States?
Americans are traveling more and more miles in their cars.At the same time, transportation sector greenhouse gas emissions are rising.Vehicle miles traveled by light-duty vehicles — which include passenger cars and smaller trucks — increased 47% between 1990 and 2022. And in 2022, transportation accounted for the most greenhouse gas emissions of any sector in the US: 28%. Light-duty vehicles were the largest source of emissions in this sector.The US has invested in electric vehicle production to curb rising emissions, setting a goal to reach 50% electric vehicle sales by 2030.What are electric vehicles? What types are there?The Energy Department defines electric-drive vehicles as those that “use electricity as their primary power source or to improve the efficiency of conventional vehicle designs.” Electric-drive vehicles fall into three categories under this definition:Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are powered by a conventional gasoline or diesel engine and by an electric motor that uses energy from both the engine and a battery. The engine powers the battery’s charge.Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are like HEVs but have an extra battery for the option of electric-only driving. They can run on gas alone but must be plugged in to use their electric features.All-electric vehicles (EVs) run on electricity alone. They have a larger battery that powers an electric motor and are charged by plugging the vehicle into an electric power source.The term “electric vehicle” is sometimes used to describe all-electric vehicles exclusively. However, it can also refer to plug-in hybrids and all-electric cars since both can be operated using electricity alone. A more specific term for this combination is “plug-in electric vehicle.”People who purchase all-electric or plug-in electric vehicles may qualify for a federal tax credit of up to $7,500, depending on the vehicle make and model as well as their income.
How many dams does America have?
According to the Army Corps of Engineers, the US has 91,804 dams across all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Guam.Approximately 65% of all dams are privately owned, while federal, state, and local government agencies own 31%. The remaining 4% belong to public utility companies and tribal governments, or remain unlisted. Federal agencies, such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the US Army Corps of Engineers, or the Bureau of Land Management, own and operate 5,399 dams.
91% of households nationwide have air conditioning. 44% of those in Seattle do.
Last week's Pacific Northwest heatwave spiked temperatures in Portland, Ore. and Seattle. Both cities recorded temperatures over 100 degrees for three days straight. Temperatures hit 108 degrees in Portland on June 26, 112 degrees the next day, and 115 degrees the following day. Seattle experienced heat of 102 degrees, 104 degrees, and 107 degrees in the same period. Seattle had logged three-digit temperatures just twice before in the past 70 years. Temperatures hit 103 degrees on July 29, 2009, and 100 degrees on July 20, 1994.Seattle is particularly vulnerable to high temperatures because most households do not have air conditioning. Portland also reports lower rates of air conditioning compared to other major cities.Ninety one percent of American households had central air or window units in 2019, according to the Census Bureau. But of the largest 15 metro areas, Seattle had the fewest homes with air conditioning, at 44%. Around 22% of Seattle households have central air, while 15% have air conditioning in no more than one room.Air conditioning usage varies by city and typically tracks with average summer temperatures. About 99% of households in Houston, Miami, and Atlanta had some form of air conditioning in 2019, the most of the 15 largest metro areas. June and July temperatures average almost 93 degrees in Houston and in the high 80s in Miami and Atlanta.