▁the ▁nation ▁( when ▁they ▁were ▁roughly ▁equal ). ▁This ▁difference ▁was ▁largely ▁met ▁through ▁imports . ▁Not ▁included ▁is ▁the ▁significant ▁amount ▁of ▁energy ▁used ▁over se as ▁in ▁the ▁production ▁of ▁ret ail ▁and ▁industrial ▁goods ▁consum ed ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Energy ▁Information ▁Administration ' s ▁statistics , ▁the ▁per - cap ita ▁energy ▁consumption ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁has ▁been ▁somewhat ▁consistent ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁to ▁the ▁present ▁time . ▁The ▁average ▁was ▁about ▁ ▁per ▁person ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁to ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁One ▁explanation ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁energy ▁required ▁to ▁increase ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁consumption ▁of ▁manufact ured ▁equipment , ▁cars , ▁and ▁other ▁goods ▁has ▁been ▁shift ed ▁to ▁other ▁countries ▁producing ▁and ▁transport ing ▁those ▁goods ▁to ▁the ▁US ▁with ▁a ▁corresponding ▁shift ▁of ▁green ▁house ▁g ases ▁and ▁poll ution . ▁In ▁comparison , ▁the ▁world ▁average ▁increased ▁from ▁ ▁per ▁person ▁between ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁From ▁its ▁found ing ▁until ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁was ▁a ▁largely ▁agr arian ▁country ▁with ▁abund ant ▁for ests . ▁During ▁this ▁period , ▁energy ▁consumption ▁over wh el ming ly ▁focused ▁on ▁readily ▁available ▁fire wood . ▁Rap id ▁industrial ization ▁of ▁the ▁economy , ▁urban ization , ▁and ▁the ▁growth ▁of ▁rail ro ads ▁led ▁to ▁increased ▁use ▁of ▁coal