California’s energy consumption (which includes electricity) per capita (199.63 million BTU) is significantly lower than other large states. Among the fifty states, California’s per capita energy consumption is the second-lowest after Rhode Island. In addition, California’s per capita energy consumption is just 61.5 percent of that of the rest of the U.S. (324.77 million BTU/person).
While California’s per capita electricity consumption has continuously declined, this has not been true for per capita energy consumption. California’s per capita electricity consumption decreased 6.9 percent between 2014 and 2019, yet its per capita energy consumption actually rose 1.3 percent between 2013 and 2018. Much of that increase is attributed to a rise in energy consumption in the transportation sector, as consumers increasingly prefer larger vehicles such as SUVs and pick-up trucks over sedans and compact cars.