Energy Benchmarks
Energy trends and greenhouse gases
A user-friendly source energy consumption and power generation stats is the 2009 OECD Factbook. Click on “Energy” for data from the International Energy Agency. For a visual take on current and projected global energy flows, check out this collection of Sankey diagrams, including the greenhouse gas emissions chart below created by the World Resources Institute. The same site has pages on the U.S., Canada and many other countries. 
Direct and hidden subsidies
The U.S. government spent $72 billion in support of fossil fuels from 2002 to 2008, compared to $29 billion for renewable energies, according to an October 2009 analysis by the Environmental Law Institute. See also this U.S. Energy Information Agency take on government subsidies by energy source. For non-internalized social costs, read the U.S. National Research Council’s 2009 report Hidden Costs of Energy: Unpriced Consequences of Energy Production and Use.
Comparative cost of carbon reductions
McKinsey & Company produced this pictogram plotting their take on how options for cutting a ton of carbon will stack up in 2030, dollar for dollar. For the analysis behind it, see “Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: How much at what cost?”
