The U.S. is consuming more renewable energy than ever before; here’s how Kansas ranks
During 2020, 12% of the energy the U.S. consumed was from renewable energy, according to data released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration earlier this week.
This is the fifth consecutive year renewable energy consumption grew, hitting an all-time high last year, and it is the only form of U.S. energy consumption that grew during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Fossil fuel and nuclear consumption declined.
“It does give you a picture of how most of our energy consumption is fossil fuel,” Francis said. “But, renewables is a growing mixture.”
Kansas consumed a lot of renewable energy in 2019, ranking as the 15th highest state, according to data released today. Comparatively, the state ranked 25th in coal and nuclear consumption, 30th in petroleum and 31st in natural gas.
Wind energy grew 14% from 2019 to 2020 and surpassed hydroelectricity, becoming the single most consumed source of renewable energy last year in the U.S., according to the administration. Nationally, wind energy accounts for more than one-fourth of all consumed renewable energy.
Kansas produces a lot of wind energy, as it is the state with the second-largest share of its electricity from wind, but the state consumes a lot, as well. Kansas is the fourth largest consumer, following states such as Texas, Oklahoma and Iowa.
The expanding U.S. consumption of renewable energy is a trend that is only growing, exceeding coal consumption for the first time in more than 130 years in 2019. The last time that happened was before 1885, when wood and the nation’s first hydropower plants were the main sources of U.S. energy.
“It’s useful to see the breakdown, because this is for a big-picture understanding of energy in the United States,” said Michael Francis, an operations research analyst at U.S. Energy Information Administration who compiled the energy consumption data.
By looking at the overall use of energy in the nation, the report helps the country and its individual states understand which sectors are using renewable energy and which could use further investment.
“It’s useful to see that generally, most of the renewables are going to electricity, If we were to look at a petroleum chart or a fossil fuel chart, most of them for transportation, and industrial use,” Francis said. “The consumption of energy is not just electricity. The electric power sector is the biggest sector, it makes up 16% of renewable energy that is directly consumed.”
“It helps policymakers’ have an understanding of the big picture of what energy looks like in the United States,” Francis added.
Hydroelectric power, or electricity generated by water-powered turbines, and wood and waste energy, which is burned to produce heat and electricity, each accounted for 22% of the nation’s renewable energy consumption last year.
Kansas ranks 33rd for consumption of wood and waste energy and 47th for hydroelectric power.
Ethanol, biodiesel and other biofuels accounted for 17% of the U.S. renewable energy consumption. During the COVID-19 pandemic, as energy use in the transportation sector declined, so did the consumption of biofuels, by about 11%.
“Biofuels are basically a substitute for a petroleum product,” Francis said. “Instead of using a regular petroleum product, those are coming from corn, soybeans, canola oil or some sort of bio-based natural oil that they can consider renewable energy because it’s coming from plants.”
The use of solar energy, such as rooftop solar, solar thermal power plants and solar heating systems, grew last year, accounting for 11% of the U.S. renewable energy consumption. Kansas ranked 46th for solar energy consumption.
This story was originally published June 29, 2021 at 11:44 AM.
