Who
Uses Energy?
The U.S. Department of Energy uses three categories to
classify energy users: residential and commercial,
industrial, and transportation. These users are sometimes
called the sectors of the economy.
Residential
and Commercial:
Residential:
Residences are people’s homes. Commerce includes
office buildings, hopitals, stores, restruants, and
schools. Residential and commerical energy use is lumped
together because homes and businesses use energy for much
the same reasons--heating, air conditioning, water
heating, lighting, and operating appliances. The
residential and commercial sector of the economy consumed
about 34 quads
of energy in 1998 with the residential comsuming
two-thirds of this total.
Industrial:
The industrial sector includes manufacturing,
construction, mining, farming, fishing, and forestry.
This sector consumed 34 quads of energy in 1998 as well.
Transportation:
The transportation sector refers to energy used by cars,
buses, trucks, trains, ships, and airplanes. In 1998, the
U.S. used large amounts of energy for teansportation,
more than 26 quads. About 92 percent was supplied by
petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel fuel, and jet
fuel.
Back to the Table of Contents!
All data contained
here is taken paraphrased from the Secondary Energy
Infobook, The Need Project; Herndon, Virginia.
Copyright 1999. |
