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UnitsUp to date · Jan 15, 2026

Quad

A unit of energy equal to one quadrillion (10^15) BTU. Used for national and global energy accounting. U.S. primary energy consumption is approximately 100 quads per year.

Why It Matters

You'll see quads in government energy reports and statistics. One quad is approximately the energy in 170 million barrels of oil, or 1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

Related Topics

us energy mix overview

Related Terms

Primary Energy

The total raw energy consumed by a country before conversion losses — including all fuels for transportation, electricity generation, industrial processes, and heating. The U.S. consumes about 100 quadrillion BTU (quads) of primary energy annually.

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