US manufacturers using less energy

The U.S. manufacturing sector is using less energy than a decade ago, the Energy Department said Wednesday. The department’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) said energy consumption from the manufacturing sector declined 17 percent from 2002 to 2010, while total output from the sector fell 3 percent during the period. The manufacturing sector accounted for more than 11 percent of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2010. “These data indicate a significant decline in the amount of energy used per unit of gross manufacturing output,” the EIA said. “The significant decline in energy intensity reflects both improvements in energy efficiency and changes in the manufacturing output mix.”