ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of energy use in the United States as well as important energy trends, definitions, and issues. It considers energy from a structural or organizational perspective. Public policy is a deeply paradoxical subject; this is particularly true for the subfield of energy policy. The amount of energy packed into coal makes it a good choice as a fuel to generate electricity, but limits its usefulness for other energy services. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that energy-related activities generated 86 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in 2007. Per-capita energy use has begun a gradual decline, and the overall energy intensity of the US economy has decreased steadily since the 1950s. In envisioning the role of energy in contemporary society, it is also helpful to think of the interaction of multiple subsystems with an energy nexus intertwined.
