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Energy Sources

Renewable

Energy Ant

Renewable energy sources include biomass, which includes biofuels, hydropower, geothermal, wind, and solar. In 2017, about 11% of U.S energy consumption was from renewable energy. Most of renewable energy use is for producing electricity.

Renewable Basics

The role of renewable energy in the U.S. energy supply
Pie chart showing U.S. energy consumption by major source in 2017: Total=97.4 quadrillion BTU; Petroleum 37%; Natural Gas 29%; Coal 15%; Nuclear electic power 9%; Renewable energy 10%. Stacked bar chart showing total Renewable Energy=10.2 quadrillion BTU and shares of total renewable energy by type; Hydropower 24%; Biofuels 22%; Wood 19%; Biomass waste 5%; Wind 21%; Geothermal 2%; Solar 6%. Note: Sum of components may not equal 100 percent because of independent rounding. Source: EIA, Monthly Energy Review, Table 1.3 and 10.1, April 2017), preliminary data
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Chart showing U.S. historical energy consumption by major source from 1776
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What is renewable energy?

Renewable energy is energy from sources that are naturally replenishing.

The major types of renewable energy sources are

What role does renewable energy play in the United States?

Until the mid-1800s, wood was the source of nearly all of the nation's energy needs for heating, cooking, and light. From the late 1800’s until today, fossil fuels—coal, petroleum, and natural gas—have been the major sources of energy. Hydropower and solid biomass were the most used renewable energy resources until the 1990s. Since then, the shares of U.S. energy consumption from biofuels, solar, and wind energy have increased.

In 2017, renewable energy provided about 11 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) 11 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu)—1 quadrillion is the number 1 followed by 15 zeros—equal to 11% of total U.S. energy consumption. About 57% of U.S. renewable energy consumption was by the electric power sector, and about 17% of U.S. electricity generation was from renewable energy sources.

Renewable energy plays an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Using renewable energy can reduce the use of fossil fuels, which are major sources of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions.

The consumption of biofuels and other nonhydroelectric renewable energy sources more than doubled from 2000 to 2017, mainly because of state and federal government requirements and incentives to use renewable energy. The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects that U.S. renewable energy consumption will continue to increase through 2050.