Fossil fuels made up 79 percent of U.S. energy consumption last year, EIA said

Americans consumed more coal for energy last year than in 2020, making it the first annual increase in coal use in nearly a decade, according to federal data. Last year the U.S. consumed 97 quadrillion British thermal units, often called quads, of energy. Of that, 79 percent came from fossil fuels such as petroleum, coal and natural gas, according to the Energy Information Administration, the statistics and analysis branch of the Department of Energy. A further breakdown of the data shows Americans’ use of coal for energy increased to 10.5 quads from 9.2 quads in 2020.

And overall, Americans used a lot more energy last year than during the depths of the pandemic in 2020. “The 4-quad increase in U.S. primary energy consumption last year was the largest annual increase on record and was mostly attributable to a gradual return to pre-pandemic levels of activity,” the EIA aid. “The increase in 2021 follows a 7-quad decrease in 2020, which was the largest annual decrease on record.” Coal consumption had fallen by more than half since its 2005 peak, mostly due to shuttering of coal-fired power plants. Meanwhile, petroleum continues its reign as the highest-consumed energy source, a spot it's held since overtaking coal in 1950, notes the administration. Still, the data shows petroleum consumption at around 35 quads last year, less than its 2005 peak. Natural gas use also ticked down slightly compared to 2020. The administration’s report shows renewable energy use was up 6 percent to a record 12.2 quads in 2021, compared to 11.5 in 2020. While clean energy is outpacing the oil and gas sector in terms of hiring, experts say production of oil and gas in the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico is set to hit records this year. Global investment in the industry is expected to grow by 20 percent.