Transportation Fuel use for transportation exceeded 24 quadrillion Btu in 1996, and gasoline consumption exceeded 7.8 million barrels per day. Growth in this sector is more rapid than in the other end-use sectors. Low fuel prices, low stock turnover of existing older vehicles, and stable average fuel efficiency in vehicles all contribute to expanding energy consumption. In addition, of the newer vehicles being purchased, a higher proportion of them are sports utility vehicles or light trucks. Thus, even though fuel economy may be stable by category, the shift to less fuel-efficient vehicles means a higher growth rate in consumption.
Motor gasoline accounts for nearly two-thirds of transportation sector energy consumption.
In 1996 energy consumption in the residential and commercial sectors combined totaled 33 quadrillion Btu, up 1.5 quadrillion Btu from 1995. Increased use of natural gas and electricity accounted for most of the change in energy use. Electricity supplies two-thirds of the energy used in these sectors. Of the 19 quadrillion Btu of energy consumed in the residential sector in 1996, nearly half was used for heating and cooling. Most of the emissions from the residential sector are associated with the use of natural gas and electricity for space heating and air conditioning and thus are subject to the vagaries of the weather.