Electrification in the U.S. - statistics & facts
As the deadline for net zero carbon emissions approaches, the world is shifting from fossil fuels to clean electricity, and global investments in clean energy are ramping up. In the United States, which plans to halve greenhouse gas emissions compared to 2005 levels by 2030, the renewable electricity capacity is forecast to grow by at least 60 percent by that year. Electrification, or the process in which fossil-fueled technologies are superseded by others compatible with clean electricity, is the second-larger driver of decarbonization. It is especially important in the least electrified sectors of the economy.
Another key point of the U.S.’ strategy for carbon emissions abatement is the electrification of the transportation sector, the most carbon-intensive industry in the U.S.. The electric vehicles market in the country has boomed over the past few years, with sales of plug-in electric light vehicles having grown five-fold since 2016.
Electrification by sector in the United States
Heat pumps use electricity to transfer heat from a warmer to a cooler space and are more efficient than boilers and furnaces powered by fossil fuels. Air-source heat pumps are the most common, followed by water- and ground-source heat pumps. The introduction of heat pumps in the building and industrial sectors has significant potential to reduce carbon emissions worldwide. In the U.S., projections show that the buildings’ carbon footprint will drop by 70 percent within 15 years from the replacement of gas furnaces with heat pumps. In 2021, the country invested more than Japan, France, Germany, and China combined in the electrification of the heating sector. The following year, heat pumps made up over half of the total heating system sales in the U.S., outperforming sales of air furnaces.Another key point of the U.S.’ strategy for carbon emissions abatement is the electrification of the transportation sector, the most carbon-intensive industry in the U.S.. The electric vehicles market in the country has boomed over the past few years, with sales of plug-in electric light vehicles having grown five-fold since 2016.
