It's our second largest source of energy. Only oil provides more energy than natural gas. Natural gas has many different uses. For example, industry uses it for heat and as a source of power. Many households rely on it for heating and cooking.
Power companies use it to make electricity.
The United States consumed 18.2 million barrels of oil a day in 1996. About half of the oil we consume is produced here in the United States. The rest is imported. While the world holds a finite supply of oil, we're not in danger of running out any time soon. In fact, though we're using more oil, we're also finding more.