Energy Consumption in Nebraska's
Transportation Sector

The transportation sector consists of private and public vehicles that move people and commodities.  Included are automobiles, trucks, buses, motorcycles, railroads, aircraft, ships, barges, and natural gas pipelines.  Natural gas use reflects the fuel needed to move natural gas through a pipeline to end users in the residential, commercial, industrial, and electric power sectors.

Between 2004 and 2005, transportation sector energy use decreased 0.5 percent to 173.2 trillion British thermal units (Btu).  Natural gas use increased 12 percent from 2004, renewable energy use increased 46 percent, while petroleum use decreased 1.7 percent.  (Renewable energy consists of ethanol.)  If there was any consumption of coal, electricity, or residual fuel in 2005, the amounts were so small that the numbers rounded to zero in this table.

In 2005, nearly all of the transportation sector energy needs were met by petroleum products (95 percent).  Motor gasoline (54 percent), diesel fuel (36 percent), jet fuel (3 percent), and lubricants (1 percent) made up the majority of the petroleum products consumed by the transportation sector; the rest of the petroleum products comprised less than one percent.  Both natural gas and ethanol were each 2.6 percent of the energy consumed in the transportation sector.

Beginning in 1993, the amount of ethanol blended into motor gasoline is included in both "Motor Gasoline" and "Ethanol", but is counted once in the "Total".  The calculations in the paragraphs above and the pie chart below have been altered to reflect the amount of motor gasoline minus the amount of ethanol.

Energy Consumption by Fuel Type, Transportation Sector, Nebraska, 1960-2005
[Trillion British Thermal Units (Btu)]

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 Beginning in 1993, ethanol blended into motor gasoline is included in both "Motor Gasoline" and "Ethanol", but is counted once in the "Total".

The table and graphs were updated on June 18, 2008.  Typically, there are two years between updates.

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