The line graph illustrates information from a report published in 2010 about expenditure on fuel energy in Australia, measured in billion units, from 1980 to 2030, with figures after 2010 being forecasts.
Overall, fuel consumption increased significantly over the period. Oil remained the most widely used energy source throughout the period, while nuclear and solar energy experienced only slight changes. Meanwhile, coal and natural gas also recorded substantial growth in consumption.
Initially, oil consumption stood at 35 billion units in 1980 before declining slightly to 30 billion units in 1990. It then increased steadily, reaching approximately 33 billion units in 2000 and 40 billion units in 2020. According to the forecast, it is expected to rise further to around 48 billion units by 2030. Meanwhile, coal consumption started at about 16 billion units in 1980. It increased gradually throughout the period, reaching 25 billion units in 2010 and is projected to climb to approximately 32 billion units by the end of the period.
Natural gas consumption fluctuated over the period. It began at 20 billion units in 1980 before falling to around 18 billion units in 1990. After recovering slightly in 2000, it dropped again in 2010 but is forecast to increase steadily to about 25 billion units by 2030. By contrast, nuclear and solar energy remained the least-used sources throughout the period. Both stood at approximately 4 billion units between 1980 and 2000. Thereafter, nuclear energy is expected to rise to around 8 billion units, while solar energy will increase more modestly to about 6 billion units by 2030.