The End of Fossil Fuels in the US? Its share was 79% in 2021

Fossil fuels—petroleum, natural gas, and coal—accounted for 79% of the 97 quadrillion Btu of primary energy consumption in the United States during 2021. 10^15 Btu = 1 quad

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About 21% of U.S. primary energy consumption in 2021 came from fuel sources other than fossil fuels, such as pre-existing hydro, pre-existing nuclear, and highly subsidized, expensive, dysfunctional  renewables , mainly wind, biomass (burning trees and ethanol from corn) and a smidgen of highly subsidized, expensive solar, according to data in our Monthly Energy Review.

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Consumption was down 7 quad in 2020, due to COVID, which was the largest annual decrease on record.

Consumption recovered 4 quad in 2021, the largest annual increase on record.

It was mostly attributable to a gradual return to pre-COVID levels

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Consumption of renewable energy increased slightly from 11.5 quad in 2020 to a record of 12.2 quad in 2021.

Increased use of renewables for electricity generation, including wind and solar, was partially offset by a decreased hydro-electricity.

Nuclear totaled 8.2 quads in 2020, the lowest level since 2012.

Petroleum has been the most-consumed primary energy source in the United States since surpassing coal in 1950.

Consumption of petroleum in the United States remains less than its 2005 peak, totaling 35 quads in 2021.

U.S. natural gas consumption totaled 31.3 quads in 2021, a slight decrease from the previous year.

U.S. coal consumption increased to 10.5 quad in 2021, marking the first annual increase since 2013.

U.S. coal consumption has fallen by more than half since its peak in 2005.

Increased gas generation offset most of the coal decrease and reduced most of the CO2

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Our Monthly Energy Review's pre-1949 estimates of U.S. energy use are based on two sources: Sam Schurr and Bruce Netschert’s Energy in the American Economy, 1850–1975: Its History and Prospects and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Circular No. 641, Fuel Wood Used in the United States 1630–1930.

Appendix D of our Monthly Energy Review compiles these estimates of U.S. energy consumption in 10-year increments from 1635 through 1845 and 5-year increments from 1845 through 1945. Data for 1949 through the present day are available in the latest Monthly Energy Review.

Principal contributor: Owen Comstock

THE END OF FOSSIL FUEL IS FICTION

Essay by Eric Worrall

Here is an example of diluted thinking in government

“… Even though we might be seeing record high prices at the moment, and therefore record high revenue for governments, the overall trend is going to be downwards. …”

The fingerprints of climate change are all over a budget navigating an economy in transition 

By climate reporter Jess Davis and climate lead Tim Leslie
Posted Sat 18 May 2024 at 5:35am

Modelling of natural disasters in different climate scenarios could see government spending increase exponentially.

Preparing for the end of the fossil fuel era 

While it’s full of figures and tables, the budget also is an opportunity for the government to draw attention to things it thinks are important.

And this year it highlighted by an unexpected boon from record fossil fuel profits. 

“Strong corporate profits, including from iron ore and coal prices in late 2023 and early 2024 exceeding those assumed in MYEFO, and robust demand, contribute to an upgraded company tax outlook,” the papers say.

But it is also warning that we can’t keep relying on these profits in the future.

“Australia’s exports will be increasingly comprised of low carbon products.

“As the world commits to net zero, and coal, oil and gas start to decline, there should be less tax revenue coming into the government as well, which will have an effect on the budget,” she said.

Read more: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-18/federal-budget-2024-climate-...

The above, in my opinion, is a prime example of deluded thinking

The only downward pressure on fossil fuel use in Western nations is regulatory lunacy, and the ongoing export of our manufacturing industry to other nations, aka de-industrialization.

Fossil fuel powered manufacturing is still happening, and we are very much still using the products of a coal based economy, but because the coal and gas burning is happening in other countries, greens frantically pretend we are somehow disconnecting our economies from burning carbon based fuels.

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The only question is, what will our descendants do when the coal runs out?

Because it is inevitable we will burn or otherwise use every scrap of recoverable fossil fuel on the planet.

There is no chance politicians will leave fossil fuel in the ground.

Even the greenest politicians ditch their alleged principles, when they strike a rich source of fossil fuel.

As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau once said, “No Country Would Find 173 Billion Barrels Of Oil In The Ground And...

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Let us hope, when fossil fuel finally runs out, centuries from now, our descendants have figured out nuclear fusion, because the next best source of carbon after we run out of coal is either limestone or mining the ocean for its CO2 content, and doing either would take a lot of energy.