2009: Most Energy-Efficient Economy in History

The EIA released new energy data last Friday showing that the U.S. had the most energy-efficient economy in history last year, based on the amount of energy consumed to produce each real dollar of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In 2009, it required only 7,290 BTUs of energy (petroleum, natural gas and other energy) to produce each real dollar of GDP, an all-time record low, and less than half the energy required in the mid-1970s to produce a dollar of output (see chart top above).

In other words, the U.S. economy is twice as energy-efficient today compared to the 1970s due to technology, innovation and improvements that allow us to produce more output with less energy. We did save some energy in 2009 because output (GDP) fell by 2.44 percent due to the recession, but energy consumption fell by about twice as much (4.81 percent) last year, which lowered energy consumption per dollar of real GDP for the 18th consecutive year to an all-time historical record low.

Amazingly, the EIA report also showed that total U.S. energy consumption in 2009 (94.66 quadrillion BTUs) was less than the total energy consumed 12 years ago in 1997 (94.76 quadrillion BTUs), even though we produced almost 32 percent more output last year than in 1997, the U.S. population has increased by 34.5 million people in the last 12 years, and traffic volume (miles driven) was 17.5 percent higher last year than in 1997 (see bottom chart above)!

The new EIA data showing that we’re living in the most energy-efficient economy in history probably won’t get much media attention (especially compared to an event like Earth Day or the Gulf oil spill), even though it’s an ongoing and remarkable story of environmentally-friendly, green achievement. As American Enterprise Institute fellow Steven F. Hayward commented in 2008, “The consistent improvement in America's energy efficiency is an untold and underappreciated long-term story.”

With all of the media coverage of the oil spill in the Gulf dominating energy news, don't expect any reports on 2009 setting a new record for the most energy-efficient economy in history.

Cross-posted at The Enterprise Blog.