Today’s Energy Supply

The United States faces a series of choices that will determine how its economy is powered to meet the needs of the 21st century.

How America chooses to replace and expand its energy supply will affect the health of the world’s environment, America’s national security, and the well-being of the U.S. economy.

A description of America’s future energy choices must begin with how the United States uses and produces energy now. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s flow chart shows U.S. energy use in 2010.

Source: Lawrence Livermore National Lab

Today’s energy mix will likely affect the choices we make tomorrow. However, we must not lose sight of the long-term. It is important for us to consider the relative size and importance of each energy source, as well as how each energy type is used, so that we can make the right decisions tomorrow and beyond.

Fossil Fuels

Fossil fuels make up the largest portion of energy production in the U.S. The combination of low prices and high energy density have made first coal, then oil and natural gas, the preferred choices for energy production for over 200 years. This long-term usage gives those fuels two centuries of built-in advantage in the form of infrastructure built to use and transport these fuels.

Nuclear Power

American civilian nuclear power began in 1955, when the Atomic Energy Commission asked for proposals from to build nuclear reactors to produce electric power from nuclear fission. Today, a total of 104 reactors are operational around the country, with a capacity of 101.0 gigawatts. In 2010, nuclear energy provided about 20% of the country’s total electricity generation and 9% of total energy.

Renewable Energy

In an effort to move toward an energy system that is more sustainable, limitless, and is less likely to provoke conflict, humanity is returning to its original sources of energy. Renewable power includes power generated by water, wind, the sun, plants, or the natural heat of the earth. Together, these five power sources – hydro, wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal – account for 8.2% of total energy generation in the United States, and 10.8% of electricity generation.