NEA: China is not largest energy user

Data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) showing that China surpassed the U.S as the world’s largest energy consumer last year are not accurate, a spokesman with China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) said. “By our calculation, the U.S was still the world’s largest energy user in 2009 (although) China was the largest primary energy producer,” Zeng Yachuan told Dow Jones Newswires. The Paris-based IEA, whose forecasts are generally regarded as bellwether indicators for the energy industry, said China consumed a total of 2,252 million metric tons of oil equivalent last year, about 4% more than the U.S., which burned through 2,170 million tons of oil equivalent. The oil-equivalent metric represents all forms of energy consumed, including crude oil, nuclear, coal, natural gas and renewable sources such as hydroelectric power. (July 20, 2010)