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How Much Energy Does the U.S. Use?

An animated guide to the different energy sources that power our nation

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User's Guide to Energy Special Report bug
Alexis Madrigal explains how energy really works in America
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We all know the U.S. consumes a massive amount of energy but it's hard to wrap your head around the numbers. How much do we rely on oil? Do renewable resources make up a significant portion of our energy use? In the two-minute video above, Alexis Madrigal, The Atlantic's senior technology editor, walks through the key energy sources we depend on, from coal to wind and beyond. The facts and figures come to life with animation by Lindsey Testolin, a San Francisco-based artist.

This episode kicks off a six-part video series -- a component of The User's Guide to Energy special report. Don't miss Madrigal's introduction to the project and see Kyle Thetford's "The U.S. Energy Picture" for a more in-depth look at how the landscape is changing.

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Kasia Cieplak-Mayr von Baldegg is the executive producer for video at The AtlanticMore

Cieplak-Mayr von Baldegg's work in media spans documentary television, advertising, and print. As a producer in the Viewer Created Content division of Al Gore's Current TV, she acquired and produced short documentaries by independent filmmakers around the world. Post-Current, she worked as a producer and strategist at Urgent Content, developing consumer-created and branded nonfiction campaigns for clients including Cisco, Ford, and GOOD Magazine. She studied filmmaking and digital media at Harvard University, where she was co-creator and editor in chief of H BOMB Magazine.

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