Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Monthly Energy Review
In
the United States, petroleum is by far the most-consumed transportation
fuel. But recently the share of fuels other than petroleum for U.S.
transportation has increased to its highest level since 1954, a time
when the use of coal-fired steam locomotives was declining and
automobile use was growing rapidly. The recent increase can be mostly
attributed to increased blending of biomass-based fuels with traditional
vehicle fuels and growing use of natural gas in the transportation
sector.
After nearly 50 years of relative stability at about 4%,
the nonpetroleum share started increasing steadily in the mid-2000s,
reaching 8.5% in 2014. Of the nonpetroleum fuels used for
transportation, fuel ethanol has grown most rapidly in recent years,
increasing by nearly one quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) between
2000 and 2014. Nearly all of the ethanol consumed was blended into
gasoline in blends of 10% or less, but a small amount was used in
vehicles capable of running on higher blends as the availability of
those flexible-fuel vehicles grew. Consumption of biodiesel, most of it
blended into diesel fuel for use in trucks and buses, grew to more than
180 trillion Btu by 2014.
In 2014, transportation use of natural
gas reached a historic high of 946 trillion Btu, 3.5% of all natural gas
used in the United States. Transportation natural gas is mostly used in
the operation of pipelines, primarily to run compressor stations and to
deliver natural gas to consumers. Natural gas used to fuel vehicles,
although a much smaller amount, has more than doubled since 2000.
Electricity
retail sales to the transportation sector grew more than 40% from 2000
through 2014, although sales have declined slightly since 2007.
Electricity for transportation is mostly sold to railroads and railways.
However, this increase does not include the consumption of electricity
in electric vehicles that are not used in mass transit, because charging
stations for these types of vehicles are likely associated with meters
on residential, commercial, or industrial customer sites where this
specific use may not be differentiated from other uses.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Monthly Energy Review. Note: Electricity includes retail sales and electrical system energy losses.
Principal contributor: Mary Joyce
http://theenergycollective.com/todayinenergy/2229301/nonpetroleum-share-transportation-energy-highest-level-1954