In 2016, the agricultural sector consumed 1,872 trillion Btu of energy, accounting for about 1.9 percent of total U.S. primary energy consumption.
Farms consume energy in many forms, mainly diesel (44 percent of direct energy consumption), electricity (24 percent), natural gas (13 percent), gasoline (11 percent), and liquefied petroleum gas (7 percent). Diesel and, to a lesser extent, gasoline are used to power farm machinery. Electricity is used mainly for irrigation, cooling, and lighting. Natural gas and LP gas are used in heating and grain drying. Large amounts of natural gas are required in the manufacturing of fertilizer and pesticide, so these amounts are categorized as indirect energy consumption on farms.
Overall, about three-fifths of energy in 2016 used in the agricultural sector was consumed directly on-farm, while two-fifths were consumed indirectly in the form of fertilizer and pesticides. Recent increases in diesel and fertilizer consumption come in response to declining oil and natural gas prices. From 2012 to 2015, agriculture became more energy intensive, as energy consumption grew over 10 percent compared with about 6 percent growth in agricultural output.
This chart updates data found in the ERS report, Trends in U.S. Agriculture's Consumption and Production of Energy: Renewable Power, Shale Energy, and Cellulosic Biomass, released August 2016.
Announcements
Job Offers
- Sales Manager / Director - West Coast primary, USA
- Medewerker productmanagement support - Bleiswijk
- Head grower & Indoor farming-/hydroponic specialist - Küssnacht am Rigi, Switzerland
- Technical Director - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Onderzoekassistent Fenotyperen - Bleiswijk
- Horticultural Soil Sales Representative - USA
- Turnkey Vegetable Greenhouse Sales Representative - USA
- Sales Administrator - Europe Division
- Junior Sales Manager - Europe Division
- Head Grower - Avoine, France
"Tweeting Growers"
Top 5 -yesterday
- B.C. partners with industry on energy efficiency at Delta greenhouse
- "Greenhouse campus a game changer for S.C. farming"
- PL Light Systems releases leafy greens crop guide
- Proprietary tomato plant that alerts farmer via iPhone when it's sick
- IGS signs significant export deal with Jungle to supply French retail market
Top 5 -last week
- "Spend less time on your controls, but more quality time with your plants"
- Agroparks in the U.S. - a horn of plenty for investors?
- Can biopesticides help to protect crops against whiteflies?
- Autonomous peroxide generation system promises crop boost
- “We are developing a sustainable technology that uses 75% less LED lighting”
Top 5 -last month
- “If we really want to make a change, we should intensively invest in innovation and technique in Africa”
- "Algorithm predicted irrigation need much better than I can with 38 years experience"
- US (VA): $17 million hydroponic greenhouse operation being planned
- Increasing yield, while improving plant quality and driving down energy costs
- Get your copy of the Greenhouse Guide
Receive the daily newsletter in your email for free | Click here
Other news in this sector:
- 2020-09-18 Alfen expands microgrid for lighting system Red Harvest
- 2020-09-18 B.C. partners with industry on energy efficiency at Delta greenhouse
- 2020-09-10 UK: Ground & air source heat pumps - Navigating the RHI
- 2020-09-07 A further 20% reduction in RHI Tariff
- 2020-08-11 How retailers collaborating on decarbonisation could impact horticulture
- 2020-07-24 UK: How retailers collaborating on decarbonisation could impact horticulture
- 2020-07-15 Tapping into the power of photosynthesis for clean energy
- 2020-07-14 Rainwater generates electricity for shade houses in China
- 2020-07-14 CAN (QC): New cost-effective rate offering for greenhouse growers
- 2020-07-08 Water-filled glass; saving energy and reducing carbon emissions
- 2020-07-08 Energy Efficient Communities Grants Program open to Australian growers
- 2020-06-19 Three actions slashed energy costs 40% for this Canadian greenhouse grower
- 2020-06-18 Sustaining the future of indoor vertical farming with microgrids
- 2020-06-12 Biomass boilers: what wood to burn?
- 2020-06-11 Drilling deep not always necessary, Dutch geothermal project shows
- 2020-06-09 "Geothermal energy market grows exponentially, but needs the right market conditions to thrive"
- 2020-06-05 Gakon installs 1,088 solar panels
- 2020-06-04 Sustainable microalgae production plant in Israel
- 2020-06-04 UK: The twists and turns of the RHI
- 2020-06-03 "Adopting biomass heating will allow your business big savings and a healthy income"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
