Washington's Energy Indicators

16.  Transportation Sector Trends — End-Use Energy Consumption by Fuel

Source: Energy Information Administration

GASOLINE ACCOUNTS FOR HALF OF TRANSPORTATION SECTOR ENERGY USE IN WASHINGTON. WHILE WASHINGTONIANS DRIVE MORE THAN OTHER AMERICANS, WASHINGTON’S STATUS AS A MAJOR SEAPORT AND AVIATION HUB MEANS HIGHER CONSUMPTION OF AVIATION AND MARINE FUELS AS WELL.

Motor gasoline is the dominant transportation fuel, accounting for approximately half of Washington’s transportation energy consumption. Except for the period between 1978 and 1986, demand for travel has outstripped gains in vehicle fuel efficiency, leading to steady growth in gasoline consumption. Consumption of motor fuels in boats and ships, airplanes, and railroads has shown growth paralleling that of on-road uses. Residual fuel, used for vessel bunkering, is subject to price-induced volatility, because it can be stored for long periods of time without degrading, leading to large swings in sales during times of high or low prices.

Jet fuel consumption most closely resembles the overall transportation trends. Declining jet fuel prices have contributed to a significant increase in air travel, overwhelming efficiency improvements in the stock of private, commercial, and military planes. Jet fuel use more than doubled between 1970 and 1995, growing at an average annual rate of 3.2 percent.

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