Since 1952, the United States has imported more energy than it’s exported. But that could soon change. According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), the US is poised to become a net exporter, trading more energy resources to other countries than it takes in.
Net imports hit a high in 2005 when the United States imported more than 30 quadrillion British thermal units (BTUs, or a unit of heat used also to measure energy), mostly in the form of crude oil. To put that figure in perspective, the 2005 high could also power 391 million American homes, meaning every home in the country and then some. Net imports in 2005 were also slightly more than the 28.3 quadrillion BTUs consumed by the entire transportation sector in 2018.
Between 2005 and 2018, net energy imports fell 88% to 3.6 quadrillion BTUs, partially due to a rise in domestic oil production and a significant increase in exports. During the first six months of 2019, the net imports for the year stood at 0.1 BTU. The final figures for 2019 are expected to be released in early 2020.
