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Energy Facts

Below are facts about Iowa energy and factors that can grow our nation's energy and economic security:

  • Iowa is the largest producer of ethanol in the United States. 
  • Iowa is the 2nd-largest wind producer in the U.S. and the largest producer per capita.
  • About two-thirds of Iowa’s households use natural gas as their primary home heating fuel. Natural gas is also used to generate a small amount of electricity and to make fertilizer products such as anhydrous ammonia.
  • More than 63,000 jobs are supported by the oil and natural gas industry in Iowa.
  • America’s oil and natural gas industry supports 9.2 million jobs throughout the economy and 7.5 percent of GDP.
  • The national average annual salary for oil and gas exploration and production is $96,844 or about $47 per hour – more than double the average annual salary of all occupations.
  • America produces 5.4 million barrels of crude oil per day, 164 million barrels, per month, and almost 2 billion barrels per year.
  • The United States produces 72 billion cubic feet (bcf) of natural gas a day, 2,200bcf per month and 26,000bcf per year.
  • The United States is estimated to have enough natural gas to meet 100 percent of current domestic demand for at least 90 years.
  • Iowa imports 22% of its energy needs from Canada.
  • The Canada–Iowa trade relationship is valued at $5.4 billion and supports more than 87,100 jobs in the Hawkeye State.
  • By 2025, production from Canadian oil sands could rise from about 1.4 million barrels per day in 2010 to approximately 3.5 million barrels per day. 
  • Canada possesses approximately 175 billion barrels of oil that can be recovered with today’s technology. Of that number, 170 billion barrels of oil are located in Canada's oil sands.
  • Canada is America's largest supplier of imported oil and natural gas providing 21 percent of the total (US Department of Energy - DOE).
  • Since 2000, the oil and natural gas industry has invested $1.7 trillion in U.S. capital projects to advance all forms of energy, including alternatives, while reducing the industry’s environmental footprint.
  • Between 2000 and 2008, the industry invested more than $58 billion in new low and zero carbon emissions technologies.

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