Abstract
Between 1973 and 1980, U.S. energy use grew at an average annual rate that was only one-tenth the pre-embargo rate. This dramatic change in energy growth was caused by a combination of rapidly rising fuel prices, slower economic growth, occasional shortages of fuels, and government and utility conservation programs. This paper examines the post-embargo period in terms of energy use in each of the major sectors: residential and commercial buildings, transportation, and industry. The analysis deals with two issues: what changes occurred in energy use during this period relative to pre-embargo trends and why these changes occurred. Energy use in 1980 (76 quads) was about 20 quads lower than pre-embargo trends would suggest. About half of this reduction was due to slower growth in economic activity. The remainder was due to improvements in energy efficiency, spurred primarily by rising fuel prices and also by government and utility conservation programs. The 1980 increase in overall energy efficiency (10 quads) was due primarily to technical efficiency improvements and secondarily to operational changes.
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