Washington: In 2024, the United States achieved a historic milestone in energy production, surpassing all previous records. The U.S. Energy Information Administration's Monthly Energy Review reported that the total energy production exceeded 103 quadrillion British thermal units, marking a 1% increase from the prior record set in 2023. This achievement was driven by record outputs from several energy sources, including natural gas, crude oil, natural gas plant liquids, biofuels, solar, and wind.
According to Emirates News Agency, natural gas remained the dominant source of U.S. energy production, accounting for approximately 38% of the total in 2024. Since surpassing coal in 2011, it has held this position consistently. The U.S. produced nearly 38 trillion cubic feet of dry natural gas, maintaining the same level as in 2023.
Crude oil contributed about 27% to the total energy production, reinforcing the United States' status as the top crude oil producer globally. With a record output of 13.2 million barrels per day, U.S. crude oil production increased by 2% compared to the previous year, largely due to growth in the Permian region that spans parts of New Mexico and Texas.
Coal's contribution to the energy mix was about 10%, with production at 512 million short tons, marking the lowest annual output since 1964. Coal was previously the largest energy source from 1984 through 2010.
Natural gas plant liquids (NGPL), such as ethane and propane, accounted for around 9% of the total production. NGPL output reached a record 4 trillion cubic feet, a 7% increase from 2023. This growth is attributed to increased natural gas production and processing capacity since 2005.
Renewable energy sources like biofuels, wind, and solar also set production records in 2024. Biofuels production, including ethanol, renewable diesel, biodiesel, and sustainable aviation fuel, reached a record 1.4 million barrels per day, up 6% from 2023. Solar and wind production saw increases of 25% and 8%, respectively, as new generators were commissioned. Other energy sources such as hydropower and nuclear have peaked in previous decades, while geothermal saw a slight decline from 2023 levels.