In this article, we list and discuss the 6 Industries with the Highest Electricity Consumption in the US. If you would like to see our detailed discussion of the topic, you can go to the 15 Industries with the Highest Electricity Consumption in the US.
6. Transportation Equipment
Net Demand For Electricity (Million Kilowatt-hours): 50,891
Ranked 6th on the list of industries with the highest electricity consumption in the US, the transportation equipment industry is one of the biggest industries in the world, and in the States. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, around 1,843.4 thousand people were employed in the industry in March 2024. It has multiple industrial subsectors, but the aerospace product and parts manufacturing industry stands out as the transportation equipment subsector that consumes the highest amount of electricity (9,950 million KWh).
5. Petroleum and Coal Products
Net Demand For Electricity (Million Kilowatt-hours): 71,694
Responsible for transforming crude petroleum and coal into usable products, the petroleum and coal products manufacturing industry has over 2,097 employer establishments in 2021, and a revenue of $543 billion in the US as of 2017. The industry contributes heavily to the economy, with the petroleum refineries industry standing out as the subsector that consumes the highest amount of electricity (67,296 million KWh).
4. Paper
Net Demand For Electricity (Million Kilowatt-hours): 91,108
The paper manufacturing industry is responsible for producing not just paper, but pulp and converted paper products as well. In the US, it consists of different subsectors, including pulp mills, paper mills industry, newsprint mills, and paperboard mills manufacturing industries. Of these, the paper mills subsector consumes the most electricity, with its net demand for electricity being 31,159 million KWh.
3. Food
Net Demand For Electricity (Million Kilowatt-hours): 94,854
Ranked third among the 15 industries with the highest electricity consumption in the US, the food manufacturing industry is one of the most important industries within the country and throughout the world. It consists of subsectors like the grain and oilseed milling industry, wet corn milling industry, sugar industry, fruit and vegetable preserving specialty food industry, dairy product industry, and the animal slaughtering and processing industry. Of these, the animal slaughtering and processing industry consumes the most electricity, having a net demand for electricity of 31,698 million KWh.
2. Primary Metals
Net Demand For Electricity (Million Kilowatt-hours): 121,469
The primary metals industry is a heavy-work industry that consumes the second-highest amount of electricity in the US. Different subsectors are classified under the primary metals industry umbrella, like iron and steel mills and ferroalloys. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the iron and steel mills and ferroalloys industry is the largest sub-sector within the primary metals industry. Also, the iron and steel mills and ferroalloys industry generates around $107.6 billion annually and is the subsector that consumes the largest amount of electricity, with a net demand for electricity of 60,516 million KWh.
1. Chemicals
Net Demand For Electricity (Million Kilowatt-hours): 207,450
Topping the list, the chemical manufacturing industry is not only the industry that uses the most amount of electricity but also one of the largest manufacturing industries in the US, serving both the domestic market and an expanding global market. As a leader in chemical production, over 15% of the world’s chemicals come from the U.S. According to the International Trade Administration, the U.S. exported over $208 billion worth of chemicals in 2019. The industry has multiple sub-sectors, with the “other basic inorganic chemicals industry” being the one that consumes the most electricity per year, and the synthetic rubber industry being the one that consumes the least.
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