Uploaded on 2020-06-04 by Stephanie Caress

The dominant fossil fuels produced in the US are gas, oil, and coal, respectively. However, the most prominent fossil fuels used (including imports) are oil (first), then gas, and coal. There are few exports. Oil is primarily used for transportation, while gas is split between residential/industrial use and for electric power conversion. Coal is primarily only used for power conversion, comprising a source of 36% (308 Mtoe) to power stations. Given coal is the major supplier of the fuels used in electric conversion (308 of total 851 Mtoe) and 473 Mtoe is rejected energy, I would first focus a policy change to phase out coal due to its contribution in energy waste as well as the CO2 emissions caused by generating its use. As renewable and clean energy sources have gained more traction in the US, I would focus on increasing support and funding for continued research and design implementation in construction to grow these sources, reducing coal dependency as soon as possible. Additionally, I would encourage training on renewable and clean energy sources for all current coal miners and engineers to allow for job opportunities as the industry shifts. *Graph data from US Energy Information Assoc.