TEHRAN (Iran News) – Energy production in the US last year exceeded consumption for the first time in 62 years, according to a statement by the country’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Tuesday.
The US produced 101.0 quadrillion British thermal units (quads) of energy and consumed 100.2 quads last year, the EIA said.
With this result, energy production last year exceeded energy consumption in the US on an annual basis for the first time since 1957, it added.
Both energy production and consumption hit record highs in 2018, according to the EIA. However, in 2019, US energy production grew by 5.7%, while energy consumption decreased by 0.9% compared to 2018.
“The growth is largely a result of increases in crude oil and natural gas production from hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling,” the statement said.
“In 2019, US crude oil and natural gas plant liquids production totaled 31.8 quads, and natural gas production equaled 34.9 quads. Both values are record highs in the US, surpassing their previous highs set in 2018,” it added.
Renewable energy production in the US remained fairly constant between 2018 and 2019, growing by about 0.1 quad, the EIA said.
US coal production declined in 2019 for the third year in a row, falling by 1.1 quads to 14.3 quads, marking its lowest point since 1974, the administration added.
And, US nuclear electric power production has remained steady at nearly 8 quads for the past two decades, according to the EIA.
- source : anadolou, Irannews
