Percent of Income Spent on Energy


Nebraskans spent nearly ten times the amount on energy in 2009 as was spent in 1970 while the amounts spent on energy in 1970 and in 2009 accounted for 11.8 percent and 10.0 percent, respectively, of consumer income.  In 2008, Nebraskans had spent nearly fourteen times the amount on energy as was spent in 1970 probably due to higher energy prices.  Before the oil embargo of 1973–74, annual energy expenditures were roughly an 11–percent share of personal income.  During the price shocks of the 1970s and early 1980s, energy's share of income peaked at 17.1 percent.  The share steadily fell until it was under 10 percent.  The share started rising again in 2000.  In 2005, energy's share increased to double digits again.

The graph below provides a bigger picture of the 39–year period under review.  Personal income steadily climbed from under $10 billion in 1970 to over $70 billion in 2009.  Energy expenditures have been relatively stable even while creeping upward and continue to remain under $10 billion.  In 2009, energy expenditures dropped 23 percent to just under $7 billion—a major player was the decrease in energy prices.

Energy Expenditures as a Percent of
Nebraska's Personal Income
1970 – 2009

Year

Nebraska's
Total Energy Expenditures
(Nominal Dollars)

Nebraska's
Total Personal Income
(Thousand Nominal Dollars)

Nebraska's
Energy Expenditures
as a Percent of
Personal Income

1970 $667,843,690 $5,643,652 11.8%
1971 $707,157,730 $6,196,200 11.4%
1972 $754,563,990 $6,869,533 11.0%
1973 $834,418,210 $8,039,167 10.4%
1974 $1,053,590,860 $8,384,331 12.6%
1975 $1,203,394,990 $9,529,308 12.6%
1976 $1,408,532,930 $9,982,198 14.1%
1977 $1,549,527,090 $10,820,471 14.3%
1978 $1,667,441,800 $12,533,432 13.3%
1979 $2,018,008,540 $13,525,528 14.9%
1980 $2,454,522,860 $14,394,940 17.1%
1981 $2,724,780,110 $16,699,200 16.3%
1982 $2,809,003,590 $17,970,044 15.6%
1983 $2,987,053,840 $18,614,272 16.0%
1984 $2,967,868,660 $20,716,120 14.3%
1985 $2,945,006,260 $21,799,162 13.5%
1986 $2,525,018,340 $22,405,701 11.3%
1987 $2,623,826,190 $23,415,466 11.2%
1988 $2,749,174,420 $25,010,708 11.0%
1989 $2,940,548,610 $26,442,569 11.1%
1990 $3,153,165,450 $28,388,321 11.1%
1991 $3,117,323,770 $29,561,729 10.5%
1992 $3,052,434,990 $31,271,593 9.8%
1993 $3,152,123,630 $32,245,880 9.8%
1994 $3,243,562,310 $34,458,605 9.4%
1995 $3,333,130,680 $36,467,704 9.1%
1996 $3,732,374,380 $39,923,375 9.3%
1997 $3,767,333,260 $41,079,619 9.2%
1998 $3,490,815,950 $43,852,399 8.0%
1999 $3,585,658,910 $46,056,874 7.8%
2000 $4,369,399,750 $48,997,941 8.9%
2001 $4,447,378,050 $51,335,957 8.7%
2002 $4,192,595,010 $52,248,642 8.0%
2003 $4,722,584,370 $55,652,138 8.5%
2004 $5,414,997,590 $57,904,668 9.4%
2005 $6,469,224,630 $60,064,141 10.8%
2006 $7,237,740,830 $62,809,798 11.5%
2007 $7,975,732,010 $67,569,445 11.8%
2008 $9,098,518,070 $72,556,995 12.5%
2009 $6,976,789,250 $70,072,173 10.0%

Sources:  State Energy Price and Expenditure Report.  Energy Information Administration, Washington, DC.  State Personal Income.  Bureau of Economic Analysis, Washington, DC.  Nebraska Energy Office, Lincoln, NE.

The table and graph were updated on December 28, 2011.  Typically, there are one to two years between updates.

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