Wind power accounted for 1.5% of the energy produced in the U.S. in 2024, according to the Energy Information Administration. (Don Jenkins/Capital Press)

The U.S. produced a record amount of energy in 2024, with natural gas, crude oil, biofuels, wind and solar all setting new highs in production, according to the federal Energy Information Administration.

Fossil fuels produced most of the energy. Natural gas, oil, coal and natural gas plant liquids such as propane and ethane supplied 84% of the energy.

Wind and solar power, though growing, combined for 2.5% of the energy produced. Nuclear and hydropower combined for 8.7%. Minor sources of energy included biomass and geothermal.

The EIA reported 2024 energy production in an online post June 9. The EIA measured energy output by British thermal units, a way to compare, for example, the energy in a barrel of oil with the energy in a cubic foot of natural gas.

The U.S. produced 103 quadrillion Btus last year, or 1% more than in 2023. Natural gas accounted for 38% of the energy. Natural gas has been the leading source of domestic energy production since supplanting coal in 2011. Total energy production in the U.S. has approximately doubled since the late 1960s.

President Trump has signed executive orders instructing his administration to remove barriers to producing energy from oil, natural gas, coal, hydropower, biofuels and nuclear plants. He’s also withdrawn federal support for offshore and onshore wind projects.

Blue states and climate change activists are suing Trump, claiming his energy orders will worsen extreme weather and hinder the development of renewable power.

The EIA report showed many sources of energy grew or held steady during the last year of the Biden administration, with coal an exception.

Crude oil production was a record 13.2 million barrels per day, or 2% more than the previous record set in 2023. Almost all of the increased production came from the Permian region that spans parts of New Mexico and Texas, according to the EIA.

The U.S. produces more crude oil than any other country. In 2024, net exports of oil totaled 1.7 million barrels a day. In 2005, the U.S imported 12.5 million barrels a day.

Coal accounted for 10% of the energy. The U.S. produced 512 million short tons of coal, the lowest output since 1964. Trump signed an executive order in April to reinvigorate “America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry.”

A federal lawsuit filed in Montana by 22 people — ages 7 to 24 — claims Trump’s energy orders will deprive the plaintiffs of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Climate change is causing the plaintiffs stress and anxiety, according to the lawsuit. One plaintiff planned to work on “transition planning in coal communities,” but will have to do something else, the suit states.

Oregon, Washington, California and 14 other states are suing Trump in Massachusetts over a presidential memo instructing federal agencies to pause issuing permits for wind projects. The directive has stopped most wind-energy development, according to the suit.

Washington leads a 15-state coalition suing Trump in the U.S. District Court for Western Washington. The suit alleges Trump’s orders have a “myopic focus on fossil fuels.”

“Burning fossil fuels increases the instances of severe and extreme weather events that damage our nation’s infrastructure and threaten human life,” the lawsuit states.