Uses of Electricity

Massachusetts residents use energy to light, heat, and cool our homes and buildings, cook our food, wash our clothes, provide entertainment, and power our transportation. How much electricity and other energy do we need to provide these things in Massachusetts?

The answer to this question depends on whether we look at energy use as a whole or electricity use in particular. Because generating technologies can broadly be divided between those that produce electricity and those that produce other forms of energy, understanding the breakdown of electricity and energy use can help in understanding where clean energy and energy efficiency can be most effective.

Energy and electricity use can be divided into four main categories: Residential, Commercial, Industrial, and Transportation. Each area presents significant energy needs and significant oppurtunities for clean energy and energy efficiency.

Overall Energy Use

In 2000, national energy use was split relatively equally between four sectors. The Industrial sector consumed slightly more energy than other sectors, largely due to its heavy use of heat in industrial processes along with electricity.

Overall Electricity Use

Electricity use, a subset of energy use, is split between the Residential, Commercial, and Industrial sectors with Commercial representing the largest area of use nationwide. Transportation does not factor into electricity use because it relies on direct energy to power its engines and motors rather than electricity produced secondhand by other forms of energy.

Energy Use for Different Building Types

We can further break down energy use for different building types, all of which are represented in the Residential and Commercial sectors. Looking at where buildings use energy is critical to understanding where the most significant energy efficiency savings might be found in each building type.

A 1995 study by the Federal Department of Energy calculated the following average energy needs for different types of buildings nationwide. Note that because of available data, some categories of energy use do not match up between the different building types. For example, lighting is included as "appliances" for residential buildings while it is separated out for commercial buildings.

Single Family Homes	Multi-Family Buildings



Office Buildings	Retail Buildings



Health Care Facilities	Lodging



K-12 Schools	Universities



Government Facilities