US energy consumption hits record high in 2018, solar/wind/natural gas grow

U.S. energy consumption set a record high in 2018, with wind, solar, and natural gas making the largest increases in energy supply, according to a new analysis. The findings come from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, which illustrates the results in its energy flow chart. Overall energy consumption reached 101.2 quadrillion BTU (or “quads”), passing the previous record of 101.0 quads set in 2007. (About 3,400 BTUs equals 1 kWh.) Energy use increased 3.6% from 2017 — the largest annual increase since 2010. In 2018, solar and wind energy were both up 0.18 quads, representing a 22% gain for solar and a 7.6% jump for wind. In the last decade, LLNL notes that overall renewable energy production has doubled in the U.S. During the same period, solar and wind have risen 48x and 5x, respectively, from where they were in 2008. Combined, they now produce more electricity than hydroelectric power.