By Sarah Battaglia | EnergyBiz
The United States has taken the lead yet again, but this time, we may not be so proud. We have surpassed every nation, including China, in the category of energy waste. Yes, our country wastes the most energy in the world. The U.S. has an energy efficiency of 42 percent, which means 58 percent of all the energy we produce is wasted! How can this happen?!
No single person or enterprise is responsible for our latest “achievement.” Every industry (manufacturing, transportation, residential, commercial, etc.) has aided in the wastefulness of this country, some more than others. According to the U.S. Energy Administration, estimates show that the industrial sector consumes more energy every year than any other U.S. entity. It has also established that energy use by the residential, transportation, and commercial sectors has drastically increased each year for the past 60 years, and it continues to rise.
Despite the growth of renewable energy sources, the bulk of our power is still produced using coal, petroleum, and natural gas, which tend to lead to inefficiency. The New York Times published a study in 2008 that calculated the main causes of energy waste. It estimated that 71 percent of energy generated for transportation is wasted, 66 percent is wasted in electricity, 20 percent is wasted in commercial and residential buildings, and 20 percent is wasted in industry or manufacturing.
If you’d like to discuss energy issues, contact Court Rich, Co-Chair of Rose Law Group’s Renewable Energy Department at crich@roselawgroup.com
