The commercial and industrial sectors play a critical role in energy consumption throughout the United States. It is heavily influenced by factors like climate, population, energy policies, and economic activity. Through data provided by the U.S.  Energy Information Administration, energy consumption by states can be compared to shows its differences and patterns. This blog will provide a review of commercial and industrial energy consumption by state, showing which states consume the most energy and how it is being used.

Commercial Energy Consumption by State

Commercial energy accounts for power consumed by businesses and non-governmental organizations. Such entities range from retail outlets like supermarkets to office complexes, hotels and motels, fast-food joints, educational institutions, and medical facilities. These facilities and organizations typically use most of their energy to heat, cool, and light their buildings.

Different states have widely varying levels of commercial power utilization. Data showed that Washington D.C.  had 123.1 million British thermal units (Btu) in commercial usage. Even though D.C. is the smallest geographically, it is home to a massive urban population, including numerous federal government buildings, and is a big tourist destination dense with commercial establishments.

North Dakota stands second with 115.5 million Btu. In the Midwest, states can face extremely cold weather, which creates a serious need for heating in commercial buildings during the winter. Hawaii ranked one of the lowest commercial energy consumers with only 24.4 million Btu. The mild climate of the island and its higher energy prices result in business owners conserving electricity.

Even though it has a large population and dense cities, California stands at a lower rank with 30.6 million Btu due to its policies towards saving energy through efficiency measures and an abundance of renewable sources.

Industrial Energy Consumption by State

Industrial energy consumption is power consumed by businesses involved in agriculture, fishing, forestry, manufacturing products, construction, or extracting materials, like oil or coal mining. Some states have significantly fewer industrial companies operating in their state than others. In this sector, power is typically consumed by heavy machinery used throughout factories, manufacturing plants, and warehouses.

Louisiana has the largest industrial energy consumption, totaling 643.1 million Btu. This is due to the high number of oil and chemical refineries that operate within the state. Alaska ranks second with 586.2 million Btu. Alaska’s top industrial companies are in oil and gas, plus fishing and mining. While Wyoming follows closely at 495.7 million Btu due to its reliance on mining and energy production. States with little or no industrial activities, like New York and Maryland, have a significantly lower industrial energy consumption at 16.7 million Btu and 14.2 million Btu in that order.

Reducing Commercial Energy Consumption

Data on energy consumption in commercial and industrial sectors reveals important information about regional power needs and the economic landscape of the country. States facing harsh weather or higher urban cities will have higher energy consumption than others. However, certain states don’t have a high rate of industrial businesses operating in their territory, resulting in lower industrial energy consumption.

Businesses in all sectors can take energy management into their own hands by investing in energy-efficiency practices, like upgrading equipment or building management controls, in order to lower their energy consumption rates. Incentive Rebate360 provides rebate management services for energy projects to offset the initial costs and simplify the rebate process. Contact us today by calling 480-653-8180, emailing [email protected], or scheduling a call that fits your needs by clicking the button below!