MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • October 19, 2020
A new study on energy consumption in the U.S., based on year-over-year changes in energy sales, compared Q2 2019 to Q2 2020. Some key takeaways:
Maine recorded a 3% dip in total energy consumption in Q2 of this year. Commercial power usage in the state fell by 16%, while the residential grew by 6%.
Maine is among the six U.S. states to register an increase in its industrial energy consumption in the second quarter, with a 1% Y-o-Y bump.
Nationally, total energy consumption fell 4% between April and June, compared to the same time period last year. The sharpest drop was in the commercial sector, with a decrease of 11% Y-o-Y, while residential consumption saw an increase of 8%.
In terms of sources, natural gas is the most prominent energy source in the country. In the first half of 2020, it contributed to 40% of the energy requirements in the U.S. market.
Between April and June 2020, energy from renewable sources made up 23% of the total energy sales, exceeding coal by 7%.