The U.S. energy situation has improved in the past decade due to a number of factors, including growth in natural gas resources, improved energy efficiency, greater concern about environmental impacts, and decreasing costs of solar PV and wind power. This has led to a relatively constant primary energy consumption of about 100 Quads (Quadrillion Btus) with decreased CO2 emissions over the last 10 years. The trend looks even better when you consider primary energy and CO2 emissions per GDP. However, the results could be even more dramatic if it weren’t for the building sector. Primary energy usage in the building sector continues to increase while energy use in other sectors has decreased. Buildings now account for about 43% of the total primary energy usage and 38% of the CO2 emissions in the U.S. Although buildings are a key to realizing a more sustainable energy and environmental path, this is extremely challenging because energy usage within buildings is highly distributed with more than 120 million buildings in the U.S., the vast majority of which have independent owners. Furthermore, the average lifespan of a building in the U.S. is 73 years, so solutions for both existing and new buildings are needed. This talk will provide a general overview of the evolving energy situation in the U.S. with a focus on sustainable energy options and opportunities. Since buildings are a key component of achieving a more sustainable path, concepts and research for achieving net-zero energy, “smart”, and connected buildings of the future will be presented.