Americans Appear to Support Renewable Energy, But to what Extent?

Renewable energy refers to non-depletable natural sources such as wind or solar energy, and often requires a considerable upfront investment to be commercially viable. The scope of the problem is clear. In 2017, the United States accounted for about 17% of the world’s total consumption of primary energy, energy taken directly from natural resources. Meanwhile, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, in 2018 the use of renewable energy sources accounted for only 11% of the United States’ total sources for primary energy consumption, with the main sources for energy consisting of petroleum (36%), natural gas (31%), coal (13%), and nuclear electric power (8%). The use of nonrenewable resources poses not only diverse environmental problems but potential economic challenges as countries compete over finite supplies.