Energy In-depth: Passenger travel accounts for most of world transportation energy use

Editor’s note: Each Friday, Talk Business & Politics provides “Energy In-depth,” a round-up of energy and regulatory news.

EIA: PASSENGER TRAVEL ACCOUNTS FOR MOST OF WORLD TRANSPORTATION ENERGY USE – The transportation of people and goods accounts for about 25% of all energy consumption in the world. Passenger transportation, in particular light-duty vehicles, accounts for most transportation energy consumption — light-duty vehicles alone consume more than all freight modes of transportation, such as heavy trucks, marine, and rail, according to a new report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The U.S. was the world’s largest transportation energy consumer in 2012, the most recent year with detailed international transportation data by mode. The United States, where on-road passenger travel is especially prevalent, consumed 26 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu), or 13 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, representing 25% of global transportation energy demand in 2012.

Major European countries and China are also major transportation energy consumers, at 19 quadrillion Btu and 13 quadrillion Btu, respectively. In contrast to both the United States and Europe, on-road transportation energy use in China more heavily reflects freight movement instead of passenger travel. Together these three regions represent more than 50% of world transportation energy consumption.

CALHOUN COUNTY SEMI-FINALIST FOR GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY ENERGY PRIZE CONTEST: Calhoun County is currently leading the Georgetown University Energy Prize contest that involves periodic evaluations of energy consumption data from the more than 60 city and county contest applicants across the United States. The contest involves four stages with the final winner to be named by June 2017.

According to Mark Cayce, general manager of Ouachita Electric Cooperative, Calhoun County is in the semifinalist stage, or stage three, and will compete for the next two years to reduce their utility-supplied energy consumption to yield continuing improvements within the county and provide a model for other communities to replicate.

Cayce said the cooperative has worked with municipal and county officials to address energy efficiency practices in government facilities, and it has also implemented an innovative program to assist cooperative members with an easy repayment method for the addition of energy efficiency measures in their homes.

TWO ENERGY TRADE GROUPS TO MERGE: Following approval of both boards of directors, the American Petroleum Institute and America’s Natural Gas Alliance announced the two organizations will combine into a single trade association, effective January 1, 2016. The combined association will continue ANGA’s mission under API.

Since ANGA began in 2009 at the beginning of the nation’s shale development boom, the natural gas industry trade group has collaborated with API to highlight environmental, job creation, energy security and consumer benefits from abundant and affordable supplies of natural gas. API is the only national trade association representing all facets of the oil and natural gas industry, which supports 9.8 million U.S. jobs and 8 percent of the U.S. economy.