<P> Coal fueled the industrial revolution in the 18th and 19th century . With the advent of the automobile , aeroplanes and the spreading use of electricity , oil became the dominant fuel during the twentieth century . The growth of oil as the largest fossil fuel was further enabled by steadily dropping prices from 1920 until 1973 . After the oil shocks of 1973 and 1979 , during which the price of oil increased from 5 to 45 US dollars per barrel , there was a shift away from oil . Coal , natural gas , and nuclear became the fuels of choice for electricity generation and conservation measures increased energy efficiency . In the U.S. the average car more than doubled the number of miles per gallon . Japan , which bore the brunt of the oil shocks , made spectacular improvements and now has the highest energy efficiency in the world . From 1965 to 2008 , the use of fossil fuels has continued to grow and their share of the energy supply has increased . From 2003 to 2008 , coal was the fastest growing fossil fuel . </P>
<P> Coal fueled the industrial revolution in the 18th and 19th century . With the advent of the automobile , aeroplanes and the spreading use of electricity , oil became the dominant fuel during the twentieth century . The growth of oil as the largest fossil fuel was further enabled by steadily dropping prices from 1920 until 1973 . After the oil shocks of 1973 and 1979 , during which the price of oil increased from 5 to 45 US dollars per barrel , there was a shift away from oil . Coal , natural gas , and nuclear became the fuels of choice for electricity generation and conservation measures increased energy efficiency . In the U.S. the average car more than doubled the number of miles per gallon . Japan , which bore the brunt of the oil shocks , made spectacular improvements and now has the highest energy efficiency in the world . From 1965 to 2008 , the use of fossil fuels has continued to grow and their share of the energy supply has increased . From 2003 to 2008 , coal was the fastest growing fossil fuel . </P>
when did oil consumption peak as a share of global energy
when did oil consumption peak as a share of global energy
1973
1973