Nebraska's Total Energy Consumption by Fuel Type

Nebraska's total energy consumption in 2009 was 759 trillion British thermal units (Btu), a decrease of 3.1 percent from 2008.  Total energy consumption is consumption of primary resources and end–use energy.  According to the Energy Consumption Comparison by State report, Nebraska had the 18th lowest energy consumption in the country, which was less than one percent of the nation's total consumption.

Primary resource consumption includes energy used in the generation of electricity whether that electricity is used in Nebraska or not.  In 2009, consumption of primary energy resources was 810.98 trillion Btu, a decrease of 0.5 percent from 2008.

End–use energy consumption refers to the energy content of electricity and other fuels at the point of use by consumers.  Unless otherwise noted, total energy consumption refers to total primary energy consumption adjusted for net interstate sales of electricity.  Net interstate sales represent the difference between the energy in electricity sold, including the associated losses, and the energy input at electric utilities in Nebraska.  Net interstate sales will be a negative number if Nebraska sold, or exported, electricity; and it will be a positive number if Nebraska had to buy, or import, electricity.  Approximately 70 percent of the primary energy used to generate and distribute electricity is lost as waste heat.  This loss is referred to as associated energy losses or electric system losses.

In 2009, Nebraska's energy needs were met by coal (30.8 percent), petroleum (25.9 percent), natural gas (20.3 percent), nuclear electric power (12.2 percent), and renewable energy (10.8 percent).  (In the graph below, hydroelectric power is broken out of renewable energy.)  From 2008 to 2009, petroleum use decreased 5.4 percent, natural gas use decreased 4.6 percent, and nuclear electric power use decreased 0.4 percent.  Coal use increased 6.4 percent, and renewable energy increased 2.1 percent.

Petroleum products are listed in the second table below to conserve space.  Petroleum is divided into ten fuels or categories of fuels:  motor gasoline (47.2 percent of petroleum), distillate fuel (40.9 percent), propane (6.3 percent), asphalt and road oil (2.2 percent), jet fuel (1.9 percent), lubricants (0.8 percent), other petroleum (0.5 percent), aviation gasoline (0.15 percent), kerosene (0.02 percent), and residual fuel (0.005 percent).  Other petroleum products include sixteen (16) separate products, all of which are assigned to the industrial sector.  The sixteen products are:  aviation gasoline blending components; crude oil; motor gasoline blending components; natural gasoline, including isopentane; pentanes plus; petrochemical feedstocks, naphtha; petrochemical feedstocks, other oils; petrochemical feedstocks, still gas; petroleum coke; plant condensate; special naphthas; still gas; unfinished oils; unfractionated streams; waxes; and miscellaneous.  Miscellaneous products vary from inexpensive (absorption oils similar to kerosene) to very expensive (hydraulic fluids) products.  The greater part of the miscellaneous product line consists of finished petrochemicals, especially the aromatic hydrocarbons:  benzene, toluene, and the xylenes.

Renewable energy components are listed in the third table below to conserve space.  Renewable energy consists of conventional hydroelectric power, wind, wood and waste, ethanol, geothermal, photovoltaic, and solar thermal energy.  Previous years' analyses differ due to the addition of the energy used to produce ethanol and the energy value contained in the dry/wet co–products of ethanol.  Nebraska did use wind energy in 1998, 1999, and 2000 although the numbers were not large enough until 2001 to be included in the table below.

Sources: State Energy Data Report. Energy Information Administration, Washington, DC.  Nebraska Energy Office, Lincoln, NE.

Notes: Totals may not equal the sum of the components due to independent rounding.  NA = Not Available. (s) = Btu value less than 0.05.

¹ Other petroleum includes the subtotal of sixteen (16) petroleum products consumed in the industrial sector.

The tables and graph were updated on December 1, 2011.  Typically, there are one to two years between updates.