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.
This has happened two other times in the nation’s history. The US made more energy than it’s used in two other periods since 1949: From 1950 to 1953 and again shortly after from 1956 to 1957.
How has US energy production changed over time?
US energy production is a mixture of fossil fuels, nuclear energy, and renewable sources of energy.
Fossil fuels coal, natural gas, and crude oil have been the top forms of US-made energy since at least the mid-20th century. In 2024, they accounted for 75% of energy production.
Coal
Coal comprised 10.3% of US energy production in 2024. It was the top energy source from 1984 to 2010, but production fell 56% from 2008 to 2024. The last since coal production was this low was the early 1960s.
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) attributes the drop in coal production to reduced demand and increased competition with other energy sources. For example, the costs of maintaining aging coal power plants has made coal more expensive to operate than other energy sources, such as natural gas, which has led to coal plant closures. In addition, the electric power sector now uses more efficient, lower heat content coal, which requires less coal to produce energy. This more efficient coal type has led to lower production to meet demand.
Electricity demand during the COVID-19 pandemic led to a brief increase of coal production in 2021. Coal production has not returned to previous levels of the 1990s and 2000s.
In 2023, the nation’s top producers of coal were:
- Wyoming (35.1%)
- West Virginia (18.7%)
- Pennsylvania (9.5%)
- Illinois (6.8%)
- Kentucky (5.8%)
The remaining 24% of came from 16 other states.
Natural gas and crude oil
Natural gas is the top energy source produced in the US, followed by crude oil. In 2024, natural gas was 37.9% of energy production, while crude oil was 26.6%. Combined, they accounted for 64.5% of total energy production.
Cost-effective techniques have increased natural gas and crude oil production over the last decade, meaning bigger yields and lower prices. In turn the electric power and industrial sectors consumed natural gas.
Nuclear, natural gas plant liquids and renewables
Nuclear power, natural gas plant liquids (NGPLs), and renewables are 25.2% of total US energy production.
In 2024, nuclear energy accounted for 7.9% of energy produced in the US. It's been hovering around that rate since 2004.
NGPLs accounted for 8.8% of energy produced in the US in 2024, a record high. NGPL production has more than tripled since 2008.
Renewables, which includes biomass, wind, hydroelectric, solar, and geothermal energy, was 8.5% of energy production in 2024. It was the third year in a row that renewables exceeded their previous year of production. The EIA attributes this to increased production biofuels, solar, and wind energy, all of which have benefited from government policies, programs and tax credits.
For example, there have been several tax credits, such as the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit, for companies blending ethanol into gasoline. Advances in technology have also made wind and solar installations less expensive. The cost of solar power construction, for instance, dropped by more than 50% between 2013 and 2022.
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Page sources and methodology
All of the data on the page was sourced directly from government agencies. The analysis and final review was performed by USAFacts.
Energy Information Administration
U.S. Energy Facts Explained
