U.S. Energy: Where It’s From, Where It Goes, and What’s Wasted

More than half the energy produced in the U.S. isn't put to use. Much of it is lost, released as heat when we burn fuels to power vehicles or generate electricity. Entrepreneurs want to harvest wasted energy and identify new sources of power.

This graphic shows the sources and uses of U.S. energy, including where power is lost. It is based on flow charts from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory using data from the Energy Information Administration.

Roll over an energy stream to see where it goes, or a sector to see its power source and its efficiency. Roll over the orange dots for more detail and examples of how some entrepreneurs are trying to transform the energy landscape.

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Notes: Graphic does not depict the United States' 0.12 Quad net electricity imports. Totals may not equal sum due to independent rounding.
Data: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Energy Information Administration