Americans Using Less Energy, More Renewables

摘要

The Energy Revolution is influencing America's electricity consumption. Data released recently by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory shows a discernible change in the country's energy use. On one hand, Americans used less energy overall last year. This decline paralleled a similar slowdown in economic activity. In other words, when the economy is bad, people use less power. On the other hand, more of the power people consumed came from environmentally friendly sources. This second trend is notable because it helped contribute to the first. Perhaps more importantly, it also reflects the success of a major push in recent years to change America's energy behavior.