Preliminary results from our 2022 Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS) show that total U.S. manufacturing energy consumption increased 6% between 2018 and 2022. MECS is the only source for national estimates of energy-related characteristics, consumption, and expenditures for manufacturers in the United States.

We conduct the MECS every four years; the previous MECS provided information on the manufacturing sector for 2018. The 11th, and most recent, survey began in 2023 and provides data for calendar year 2022.

Table 1 provides the first preliminary 2022 MECS estimates, which includes total energy consumption by fuel. We count consumption on its first use to avoid double-counting, such as when energy is consumed to produce other forms of energy. For example, when coal is consumed to produce coal coke or when natural gas is consumed in a cogeneration process that generates heat and electricity, we consider these events second use and would not count the related consumption. The table also illustrates the percentage change between 2018 and 2022 in first use of energy for all purposes. Because these data are preliminary, the information may change once the final data and analysis are released later this year.

A schedule of the 2022 MECS release dates is available on the MECS data website.

Table 1. 2022 MECS preliminary estimates of first use of energy for all purposes (fuel and nonfuel), compared with previously available data for 2018
	Consumption (trillion Btu)
Energy source	2022 (preliminary)	2018	Percent change from 2018	Standard error (percent)	*= Statistically significant change
	Total United States
Coal	929	857	8.40%	3.83%	*
Natural gas	7,968	7,320	8.85%	3.07%	*

Net electricity	2,769	2,591	6.87%	4.49%
Purchases	2,853	2,656	7.42%	4.42%
Transfers in	15	24	-37.50%	3.74%	*
Onsite generation from noncombustible renewable energy	9	4	125.00%	47.80%	*
Sales and transfers offsite	107	93	15.05%	5.31%	*

Coke and breeze	268	262	2.29%	3.11%
Residual fuel oil	33	59	-44.07%	0.85%	*
Distillate fuel oil	81	92	-11.96%	9.24%
Hydrocarbon gas liquids (HGLs) excluding natural gasoline	3,120	2,898	7.66%	1.74%	*
Hydrogen	170	--	--	--	--

Other	6,085	6,224	-2.23%	1.44%
Lubricants^a	245	259	-5.41%	--	--
Special naphthas^a	58	60	-3.33%	--	--
Waxes^a	13	12	8.33%	--	--
Miscellaneous nonfuel products^a	183	198	-7.58%	--	--
Naphtha	486	405	20.00%	0.84%	*
Bitumen	769	694	10.81%	5.72%	*
Kerosene	12	41	-70.73%	1.33%	*
Motor gasoline	7	8	-12.50%	8.18%
Petroleum coke	624	753	-17.13%	1.53%	*
Still gas or waste gas	1,476	1,492	-1.07%	0.22%	*
Pulping liquor or black liquor	840	857	-1.98%	0.00%	*

Biomass total	671	624	7.53%	3.00%	*
Agricultural waste	100	50	100.00%	12.17%	*
Wood harvested directly from trees	24	40	-40.00%	18.87%
Wood residues and byproducts from mill processing	538	524	2.67%	2.57%
Wood-related and paper-related refuse	9	11	-18.18%	3.70%	*

Net steam or hot water	490	564	-13.12%	3.50%	*
Miscellaneous	211	256	-17.58%	24.12%

Shipments of energy sources produced onsite^b	765	867	-11.76%	0.25%	*

Total^c	20,658	19,436	6.29%	1.66%	*
Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Office of Energy Demand and Integrated Statistics, Form EIA-846, 2022 Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey, and Office of Energy Production, Conversion & Delivery, Form EIA-810, Monthly Refinery Report for 2022 Notes: Totals may not equal sum of components because of independent rounding. ^aPreviously, the Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS) had accounted for energy consumed in petroleum refineries by measuring their own fuel use, assuming shipments of fuel products would later be counted in the industries that use them, and assigning the heat equivalent of the nonfuel products to the petroleum refineries (for a more detailed explanation, see Feedstock and Offsite-Produced Fuel at Petroleum Refineries). Starting with the 2014 MECS, however, EIA began collecting asphalt and petrochemical feedstock data from establishments that use those nonfuel products. These data are included under other. However, miscellaneous nonfuel products (that is, lubricants, solvents, waxes, and special naphthas) from refineries, which are used elsewhere throughout the manufacturing sector as energy, are not collected on the MECS. An estimate of the miscellaneous nonfuel products used in manufacturing was derived using EIA's U.S. Product Supplied for Crude Oil and Petroleum Products data. ^bShipments of energy sources produced onsite are those shipments produced or transformed onsite from the nonfuel use of other energy sources. For example, at an establishment that processes coal to make coke for later use, the entire quantity of coal is counted as first use. Any onsite consumption of coke is not counted as first use because it would duplicate the coal use. If some of the coke is then sold to another establishment, then that second establishment will consider this coke to be a shipment of an offsite-produced energy source. Hence, the second establishment will count this coke as its first use, thereby resulting in double counting. To eliminate the double counting, the energy equivalent of the coke shipment must be subtracted from first use. ^cTotal is the sum of all the listed energy sources, including other, minus the shipments of energy sources produced onsite. It is the total amount of first use of energy for all (fuel and nonfuel) purposes. ^*Statistically significant change. ^--Estimation is not applicable. Energy source is not included in series. The Census Bureau has reviewed this data product to ensure appropriate access, use, and disclosure protection of the confidential source data (Project No. 7504703, Disclosure Review Board (DRB) approval number: CBDRB-FY25-0054).