Today we’re taking a look at the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s 2017 Annual Energy Outlook. In addition to a look through the year 2040, we can also see trends from 1980 until present day.

In the Energy Outlook, we get a glimpse of the history of our nation’s energy consumption as well as a prediction for upcoming decades all the way up to 2040. The United States energy consumption is expected to remain somewhat flat in terms of growth. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), overall energy consumption is expected to rise 5% from 2016 to 2040.

While energy consumption is not expected to rise drastically, what we use to meet those energy demands is changing significantly, but not in the way most would expect. EIA predicts that renewable energy sources will be increasing slightly due to capital cost decreases and policies encouraging their use. Natural gas production is expected to increase more than any other fuel source, continuing a trend which started around 2008 – the beginning of the shale revolution.

This is because there is a steady need for natural gas. Natural gas production will be in demand especially by the industrial and electrical power sectors. Natural gas is effective and efficient, that much is certain. We see how beneficial natural gas is to the electricity sector as coal production has been on the decline and EIA expects that decline to continue into the future.

Those who believe that we will have no use for natural gas in the near future may want to take a look at past and current energy trends and see just how vital the production of natural gas is to contemporary society and beyond. This EIA forecast shows us to still be in need of fuels like natural gas and petroleum to meet our energy demands.