ure ▁lub ric ants ▁and ▁fuel ▁for ▁k eros ene ▁and ▁oil ▁l amps . ▁ ▁One ▁hundred ▁years ▁later ▁it ▁had ▁become ▁the ▁pre em inent ▁energy ▁source ▁for ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁This ▁rise ▁closely ▁par alle led ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁the ▁autom obile ▁as ▁a ▁major ▁force ▁in ▁American ▁culture ▁and ▁the ▁economy . ▁ ▁While ▁pet role um ▁is ▁also ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁source ▁for ▁pl ast ics ▁and ▁other ▁chemical s , ▁and ▁powers ▁various ▁industrial ▁processes , ▁today ▁two - third s ▁of ▁oil ▁consumption ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁is ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁its ▁derived ▁transport ation ▁fu els . ▁ ▁O il ' s ▁unique ▁qual ities ▁for ▁transport ation ▁fu els ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁energy ▁content , ▁cost ▁of ▁production , ▁and ▁speed ▁of ▁ref uel ing ▁all ▁contributed ▁to ▁it ▁being ▁used ▁over ▁other ▁fu els . ▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁the ▁American ▁Energy ▁In nov ation ▁Council , ▁a ▁group ▁which ▁includes ▁Bill ▁G ates , ▁founder ▁of ▁Microsoft ; ▁Jeff rey ▁R . ▁Im m elt , ▁chief ▁executive ▁of ▁General ▁Electric ; ▁and ▁John ▁Do err , ▁has ▁ur ged ▁the ▁government ▁to ▁more ▁than ▁triple ▁sp ending ▁on ▁energy ▁research ▁and ▁development to ▁$ 1 6 ▁billion ▁a ▁year . ▁ ▁G ates ▁end ors ed ▁the ▁administration ' s ▁goal ▁of ▁reducing ▁green house ▁gas ▁em issions ▁by ▁ 8 0 % ▁by ▁ 2 0