Energy use 2011

U.S. energy use subject of report
LIVERMORE, Calif. (UPI) -- U.S. energy use went back up in 2010compared with 2009, which hit a 12-year low in consumption, with most of the increase in fossil fuels, a report said.
Electricity from renewable resources remained fairly constant with anincrease in wind power offset by a modest decline in hydroelectricity,the report by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory said.
Wind power jumped from 0.70 quadrillion BTU, or quads, in 2009 to 0.92quads in 2010. (A BTU, or British Thermal Unit, is a unit ofmeasurement for energy).

Biomass energy consumption, mostly in ethanol, rose from 3.88 quads to4.29 quads, the report said.
"We are still seeing the capacity additions from a wind energy boomcome online," said A.J. Simon, an energy systems analyst at thelaboratory who studied data provided by the Energy Department's EnergyInformation Administration. "And renewable fuel mandates are drivingthe consumption of ethanol by cars and trucks."

The majority of energy resources were used in 2010 for electricitygeneration, followed by transportation, industrial, residential andcommercial consumption.
"This is just a snapshot of how the energy system was used," Simonsaid. "Although it doesn't appear to change much from year-to-year,even small shifts can have big consequences for certain sectors of oureconomy."

Copyright 2011 by United Press International