November 3, 2003—US energy use increased about 1 percent in 2002, according to a new report by the US Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA). This increase over 2001 levels is still 1.4 percent lower than the energy consumption in 2000 and only 0.6 percent greater than the consumption in 1999. Residential energy use accounted for the highest increase with 3.4 percent; energy for transportation increased 0.9 percent; commercial consumption increased 0.5 percent; and industrial consumption increased 0.02 percent.
EIA also found that renewable energy consumption increased about 10.8 percent in 2002, due largely to a 21.2 percent increase in hydropower use. Wind power experienced the fastest growth of all renewables, increasing nearly 59 percent.
For more details, the complete 413-page EIA Annual Energy Review 2002 is available online in PDF format.
