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| Total Energy Consumed in the
U.S. - 2005 |
| Source: EIA - Annual
Energy Outlook 2007 |
For hundreds of years, natural gas has been known as
a very useful substance. The Chinese discovered a very
long time ago that the energy in natural gas could be
harnessed, and used to heat water. In the early days
of the natural gas industry, the gas was mainly used
to light streetlamps, and the occasional house. However,
with much improved distribution channels and technological
advancements, natural gas is being used in ways never
thought possible.
There are so many different applications for this fossil
fuel that it is hard to provide an exhaustive list of
everything it is used for. And no doubt, new uses are
being discovered all the time.
Natural gas has many applications, commercially, in
your home, in industry, and even in the transportation
sector! While the uses described here are not exhaustive,
they may help to show just how many things natural gas
can do.
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| Natural Gas Use By Sector |
| Source: EIA - Annual
Energy Outlook 2007 |
According to the Energy
Information Administration, energy from natural
gas accounts for 24 percent of total energy consumed
in the United States, making it a vital component of
the nation's energy supply.
Natural gas is used across all sectors, in varying
amounts. The graph below gives an idea of the proportion
of natural gas use per sector. The industrial sector
accounts for the greatest proportion of natural gas
use in the United States, with the residential sector
consuming the second greatest quantity of natural gas.
Click on an area of interest to learn about the various
uses for natural gas in each sector:
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