US Energy Intensity Has Decreased by 50 Percent Since 1980
Advances in energy efficiency have spurred economic growth, lowered bills
WASHINGTON — Energy efficiency has made major strides in the U.S. in the last 35 years, with “energy intensity” — the measurement of energy used per dollar of gross domestic product — down from 12.1 thousand Btu per dollar in 1980 to 6.1 thousand Btu per dollar in 2014, according to a new report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
ACEEE found that about 60 percent of the improvement in energy intensity over the report’s 35-year period was due to energy efficiency and about 40 percent to major structural changes in the economy. The bottom line is that just the energy efficiency portion saved U.S. consumers and businesses about $800 billion in 2014, roughly $2,500 per capita. Even though U.S. energy use grew by 26 percent from 1980 to 2014, U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 149 percent.