Number of Establishments: The Number of Energy-Using Establishments Were 8 Percent Lower in 1998 than in 1994

Note: All of the 1994-1998 comparisons are statistically significant.
Exceptions are noted by "NS." 

In 1998, while the number of establishments using residual, distillate fuel oil, and coal (NS) were dramatically less for most industries as compared to 1994, the number of establishments using LPG were 13 percent higher and  9 percent higher for "Other" which includes net steam.

Most all manufacturing establishments use electricity, however, in 1994 only 64 percent used natural gas-- increasing slightly to 66 percent in 1998.

The number of establishments using natural gas fell by 5 percent between 1994 and 1998 as 13 percent more establishments used LPG--implying a potential switch in energy sources.

As the total number of establishments were 16 percent fewer in the paper industry in 1998, establishments using residual fuel oil fell by 27 percent--continuing the decline in the use of residual fuel oil in manufacturing.

The number of establishments in the primary metals industry dropped by 26 percent between 1994 and 1998 as companies disappeared for a variety of reasons including bankruptcy, consolidation, closing unprofitable plants, and mergers.

Establishments using residual fuel oil were 53 percent fewer in 1998 than in 1994--although the absolute number using this energy source fell from only 88 establishments using 43 trillion Btu of residual to 41 establishments using 30 trillion Btu of residual.