Infographic: U.S. Declaration of Energy Independence
Infographic: U.S. Declaration of Energy Independence
![](/getmedia/b13a9fcb-b383-42be-b47e-115aae475c81/0724_infographic_hero.jpg?width=920&height=567&ext=.jpg)
![](/getmedia/b13a9fcb-b383-42be-b47e-115aae475c81/0724_infographic_hero.jpg?width=920&height=567&ext=.jpg)
Reliance on imported fuels has shaped the American worldview for generations. But the nation now produces—and exports—more energy than ever before.
Americans old enough to remember the oil embargoes of the 1970s are still scarred by gasoline shortages and rationing. The available solutions at that time, such as lowering the thermostat on oil-fueled furnaces and throwing on a sweater, didn’t meet the magnitude of the crisis, and measures such as improving automobile fuel economy would take a decade or more to have an effect. That’s why even today, calls for American energy independence are strongly embraced by unhappy voters.
As it turns out, the United States is energy independent right now. And it’s not due to some statistical fluke: The nation has been a net-exporter of energy, on the basis of energy content, since 2019 and the level is growing. For the first three months of 2024, net energy exports are on an annual pace of 9.3 quadrillion Btus, or more than net energy imports in 2017.
As it turns out, the United States is energy independent right now. And it’s not due to some statistical fluke: The nation has been a net-exporter of energy, on the basis of energy content, since 2019 and the level is growing. For the first three months of 2024, net energy exports are on an annual pace of 9.3 quadrillion Btus, or more than net energy imports in 2017.