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. Since 1990, natural gas consumption also includes natural gas consumed as vehicle fuel.

Between 2009 and 2010, transportation sector energy use increased 6.6 percent to 182.2 trillion British thermal units (Btu). Renewable energy use increased 10.4 percent from 2009, petroleum use increased 6.6 percent, and natural gas use increased 4.6 percent. (Renewable energy consisted of ethanol.) If there was any consumption of coal, electricity, or residual fuel in 2009, the amounts were so small that the numbers rounded to zero in this table.

In 2010, nearly all of the transportation sector energy needs were met by petroleum products (93 percent). Motor gasoline (58 percent), diesel fuel (38 percent), and jet fuel (3 percent) made up the majority of the petroleum products consumed by the transportation sector; the rest of the petroleum products comprised less than 1 percent. Natural gas was 4.1 percent, and ethanol was 2.7 percent of the energy consumed in the transportation sector.

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. Denaturant is excluded from fuel ethanol.

The table and graphs were updated on January 30, 2013. Typically, there are one to two years between updates.