The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) traces the evolution of US energy consumption from 1776 to 2025, highlighting a transition from wood to coal, then petroleum, natural gas, nuclear, and renewable energy. In 2025, total US energy consumption reached 96 quadrillion British thermal units (quads), up 2% from 2024 but still below the 2007 peak. Petroleum remained the largest energy source, followed closely by natural gas, while renewables, coal, and nuclear each accounted for about 9% of total energy use. Despite the growth of cleaner energy sources, fossil fuels still supplied 82% of U.S. energy consumption.
The EIA also notes that electricity demand is increasingly being driven by data centers, artificial intelligence (AI), cryptocurrency mining, and electric vehicles. Natural gas has become the leading fuel for electricity generation, while renewables have continued to expand, surpassing both nuclear and coal in recent years. Looking ahead, the EIA expects US electricity demand to grow at its fastest pace since 2000, largely due to the rapid expansion of AI-powered data centers.
