Energy Consumption in Nebraska's Residential Sector

The residential sector consists of private households.  Energy is consumed primarily for space heating, water heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, cooking, clothes drying, and lighting.  Fuel used for motor vehicles by household members is included in the transportation sector.

For the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors, a net total or net energy consumption (less electrical system energy losses) is provided to indicate the energy actually consumed by these sectors.  In addition, energy consumed in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity (electrical system energy losses) is allocated to each sector based on the electricity consumed by the sector.  Thus, total energy consumption represents the energy consumed by the sector as well as that used to provide electricity to the sector.

Between 2004 and 2005, residential sector net energy use increased 3 percent to 80.1 trillion British thermal units (Btu), which was 16.1 percent below the peak of 95.5 trillion Btu recorded in 1972.  Total energy consumption attributed to the residential sector in 2005 was 149.9 trillion Btu, an increase of 3.9 percent from 2004.  Electricity use increased 6.3 percent from 2004, petroleum use increased 6.7 percent, natural gas use decreased 0.2 percent, and coal consumption decreased 12.5 percent while renewable energy use increased 3.0 percent.

In 2005, nearly half (47.9 percent) of the residential sector's energy needs were met by natural gas.  Thirty-nine and seven-tenths percent (39.7%) of the energy consumed in the residential sector was electricity, 8.4 percent were petroleum products, 4.1 percent was renewable energy, and less than one percent was coal.  According to the 2005 American Community Survey, 66 percent of Nebraska's households use natural gas for home heating, 21 percent use electricity, 10.4 percent use petroleum products, and none use renewable energy or coal.

The solar data below includes small amounts of solar thermal and photovoltaic energy consumed by the commercial sector that cannot be separately identified.

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.
¹ The solar data includes small amounts of solar thermal and photovoltaic energy consumed by the commercial sector that cannot be separately identified.

The table and graphs were updated on June 19, 2008.  Typically, there are two years between updates.

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