by 
The Curious Bag
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According to the U.S. Department of Energy, fossil fuels provided 85 percent of the energy needs in the United States in 2007. Fossil fuel energy is used to produce electricity, power vehicles and heat homes.
Identification
Coal, oil and natural gas are fossil fuels. There were formed beneath the Earth's surface from pressure and heat over millions of years. Fossil fuel energy sources are not renewable--once these are used, they are gone forever.
Electricity
In 2007, fossil fuels accounted for 72 percent of the electricity generated in the United States. The fossil fuels used were coal (48.5 percent), petroleum (21.6 percent), natural gas (1.6 percent) and other gases (0.3 percent).
Residential
Fossil fuels are also used directly for heating homes and cooking. According to government statistics, 92 percent of direct energy use in homes in 2007 was provided by fossil fuels.
Transportation
Fossil fuels provided 98 percent of the total energy in the transportation sector in 2007. The vast majority is from petroleum used to form gasoline.
Industry
The industrial sector uses fossil fuels directly for heating and industrial processes. Over 90 percent of the energy (other than electricity) used for industry in 2007 came from fossil fuels.
Source:
Energy Information Administration: Primary Energy Use
Energy Information Administration: Electric Power Industry Net Generation
Energy Information Administration: Residential Sector Energy Consumption
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