Wyoming, Texas, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and North Dakota ranked as the top five net suppliers of energy in 2015, according to EIA recently released State Energy Data System estimates for net energy supply.
Overall, 12 states produced more primary energy than they consumed, while 38 states and the District of Columbia were net recipients of energy.
Wyoming has the smallest population of any state and ranks 42nd out of 51 in terms of energy consumption. Wyoming leads the nation in coal production, accounting for more than 40 percent of the national total in 2015, and is the sixth-highest natural gas–producing state.
Texas leads the nation in both energy production and consumption. Texas, which produces 41 percent more total energy than it consumes, is also a leading net energy exporter. The state accounts for more than one-third of U.S. crude oil production. For each of those fuels, Texas is the largest producing state.
Pennsylvania’s growth in natural gas production has made it a major net exporter of energy in recent years. The state’s marketed natural gas production grew from 573 billion cubic feet in 2010 to 5,264 billion cubic fee in 2016 as a result of the development of resources in the Marcellus and Utica shales. Pennsylvania is also one of the five-largest producers of U.S. coal.
West Virginia’s coal production has declined, but the state was still the second-leading coal producer in the nation in 2015, accounting for more than one-tenth of the U.S. total.
North Dakota’s crude oil production increased from 108,000 barrels per day in 2006 to more than 1 million barrels per day in 2016, driven by the continued development of the Bakken shale formation. Since 2012, North Dakota has been the second-largest crude oil–producing state. The state also accounted for about 2 percent of the national total of both natural gas and coal production in 2015.
By contrast, populous states such as California, Florida and New York, which have relatively limited energy production but significant energy use, were the top energy net recipients in 2015. All three states rely on petroleum from elsewhere to meet demand in the transportation sector. Natural gas is also the leading fuel for electricity generation in all three states; most homes in both California and New York primarily heat with natural gas as well.