What % Of Oil Used In The USA Is Refined Into Gasoline?

[stopbush]

It's 45%.

That's right. Fully 55% of the oil we use in this country is not refined into gasoline. It's refined into heating oil and diesel and other non-gasoline products.

We use as much oil in this country to produce electricity to heat and cool our homes as we use gasoline to power our cars.

Why isn't this ever brought up in discussion when the talk turns to our nation's energy needs? The fact is that we could be building or converting electrical power plants that currently run on oil to run on wind, solar and hydro and make real headway on reducing MORE THAN HALF of our oil consumption. We could be building massive solar plants in the west where the sun beats down all day long. Wind plants, too.

And we could be converting to electric cars. Did you know that a gasoline-powered internal combustion engine has only ONE THIRD the efficiency of an electric car? It's true. An electric car has 100% energy efficiency. If you're paying $3 for a gallon of gas, it's like you're getting $1 worth of used fuel in the process.

[stray cat]

1. It also means we are all guilty of oil use and oil "spills"

[Crazy Dave]

3. And only worried about what happens to our coast and our economy

Screw the rest of the countries who share the Gulf!

[LARED]

2. Actually the oil not used for gasoline and diesel

is used as a base material for much of what we use in or daily lives. NG and coal produce most of our electricity from fossil fuels. Oil is way down the list. Something like <5% if memory serves me well.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epa/epa.pdf

[safeinOhio]

4. Electric cars are not so good

in real cold climates.

Just saying. Like you can get 100mpg on a moped too. Alcohol, hydrogen and compressed air, lots of choices. Every source has it's own problems though.

[FarCenter]

5. Very little crude oil is used for electrical generation

Most electricity is generated from coal, nuclear, and natural gas. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_in_the_United_States and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:USEnFlow02-quads.gif

In 2002, out of 39.2 quadrillion BTUs of petroleum inputs, only 0.9 were used for electrical generation. 25.9 were used for transportion, which includes jet fuel, diesel for trucks and trains, and heavy fuels for shipping. The Department of Defense is a prodigous user of transportation fuels.

[msongs]

6. and PLASTICS are made from oil nt