Abstract

Virtually all of the myriad economic and social activities of United States society involve inputs of energy. Our high activity levels have propelled the United States to the forefront of energy consumers among nations. Our almost 100 quadrillion (100 followed by 15 zeroes) British thermal units (Btu) of energy consumed annually is more than twice as much as that of any other nation. However, relative to our population and economic activity, the U.S. is comparable to, and even below, other nations in energy use. A key to understanding the demand for energy in the United States is comprehending the vast scope of activity to which we intensively devote ourselves. This entry attempts to capture that scope by providing an overview of energy use in the several major sectors of U.S. society—housing, commerce and institutions, industry, transport, and even energy transformation—in terms of the types of energy used and the purposes for which it is used.