Alabama Landscapes

Energy

Energy

Energy is critical to Alabama and assuring continuing supplies of it is one of the great challenges of the 21st century.

In 2000, Alabama consumed 1,977 trillions of British Thermal Units (1 BTU: amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water by 1 degree Celsius),  some 445 trillion BTUs per capita, which was 9th highest in the nation. The major sources of energy--coal, petroleum and natural gas--are all non-renewable resources.  Alabama uses much more coal and less petroleum in its energy mix than the nation as a whole (Figure EN1). 

Figure EN1.  Sources of energy in Alabama and USA 2001. (EIA http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/states/main_al.html)

Most energy is consumed by industry (Figure EN2).

Figure EN2.  Consumption of energy  2001. (EIA http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/states/main_al.html)

Future sections will look at each of coal, petroleum and natural gas, hydroelectric power and nuclear power resources in Alabama.

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