New EIA monthly data tracks crude oil movements by rail

For the first time, EIA is providing monthly data on rail movements of crude oil, which have significantly increased over the past five years. The new data on crude-by-rail movements are integrated with EIA's existing monthly petroleum supply statistics, which already include movements by pipeline, tanker, and barge. More »

U.S. oil production growth in 2014 was largest in more than 100 years

U.S. crude oil production (including lease condensate) increased during 2014 by 1.2 million barrels per day (bbl/d) to 8.7 million bbl/d, the largest volume increase since recordkeeping began in 1900. On a percentage basis, output in 2014 increased by 16.2%, the highest growth rate since 1940. Most of the increase during 2014 came from tight oil plays in North Dakota, Texas, and New Mexico where hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling were used to produce oil from shale formations More »

Without the Cochin pipeline, western Canadian propane seeks new outlets

In April 2014, after 35 years of shipping propane from western Canada to the upper Midwest, the Cochin pipeline was removed from propane service, and in July repurposed to ship light petroleum liquids north from Illinois to western Canada. Without this pipeline, western Canadian propane production has been shipped by other existing transport modes or placed into inventory at Canadian storage facilities. More »

U.S. ethanol exports in 2014 reach highest level since 2011

According to EIA monthly supply data through December 2014, which EIA released in late February, U.S. exports of fuel ethanol in 2014 reached their second-highest level at a total of 826 million gallons. This level was second only to the 1.2 billion gallons exported during 2011 and 33% more than exports of fuel ethanol in 2013. Similarly, U.S. imports of ethanol, which totaled approximately 377 million gallons during 2013, fell by 81% to a total of 73 million gallons in 2014, their lowest annual level since 2010. More »

Upstream capital expenditure declined 12% year-over-year in fourth-quarter 2014

Based on financial statements from selected international oil and natural gas companies, spending on upstream investments was 12% lower in fourth-quarter 2014 compared to the same period in 2013. Upstream spending on exploration and development typically accounts for the bulk of these companies' investment expenditures. More »

California first state to generate more than 5% of electricity from utility-scale sola

California has become the first state with more than 5% of its annual utility-scale electricity generation from utility-scale solar power, according to EIA's Electric Power Monthly. California's utility-scale (1 MW or larger) solar plants generated a record 9.9 million megawatthours (MWh) of electricity in 2014, an increase of 6.1 million MWh from 2013. California's utility-scale solar production in 2014 was more than three times the output of the next-highest state, Arizona, and more than all other states combined. More »

U.S. biodiesel and renewable diesel imports decline 36% in 2014

After increasing for 15 consecutive weeks, crude oil storage at Cushing, Oklahoma, reached 54.4 million barrels on March 13, according to EIA's Weekly Petroleum Status Report. This volume is the highest on record, but not the highest percent of storage utilization, as working storage capacity at Cushing has also increased over time. More »

U.S. biodiesel and renewable diesel imports decline 36% in 2014

After reaching record levels in 2013, United States imports of biomass-based diesel fuel (both biodiesel and renewable diesel) fell 36%, to 333 million gallons in 2014. Uncertainty surrounding future Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) targets and the absence of a late-year influx of volumes from Argentina were two main factors in this decline. More »

U.S. commercial crude oil inventories now provide the most days of supply since 1985

With lower U.S. refinery runs and increases in domestic crude oil production, U.S. commercial crude oil inventories at the end of February provided the most days of supply since the mid-1980s. Commercial crude inventories were sufficient to supply 29 days of U.S. refinery demand, based on expected refinery runs in March More »

EIA launches new data add-in tool for Microsoft Excel for Windows

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has released a free data add-in for Microsoft Excel for Windows that builds on the well-known Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) add-in and allows users to find, download, and update EIA's energy data and FRED's economic data directly in any Excel spreadsheet. More »

Falling rig counts drive projected near-term oil production decline in 3 key U.S. regions

EIA's most recent Drilling Productivity Report (DPR) indicates a change in the crude oil production growth patterns in three key oil producing regions: the Eagle Ford, Niobrara, and Bakken. After steady growth in these regions since 2009, the latest estimates for March 2015 signal the first instance of regional crude oil production declines in certain regions tracked by the DPR. More »

Growth in residential electricity prices highest in 6 years, but expected to slow in 2015

Residential electricity customers in most areas of the country experienced large increases in retail electricity prices during 2014, with the average U.S. residential price increasing 3.1% over the previous year. The increase represents the highest annual growth rate since 2008. EIA forecasts that prices will increase during 2015, but at a slower pace than in 2014. More »

Total energy subsidies decline since 2010, with changes in support across fuel types

EIA has updated a report on federal subsidies to the energy industry, covering the 2013 fiscal year (FY). The most recent prior report reviewed subsidies in FY 2010, at or near the height of spending related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (more commonly known as the Recovery Act). More »

Oil price decline leads to lower tax revenues in top oil-producing states

The decline in spot oil prices in the last half of 2014 and first month of 2015 has reduced oil and natural gas production tax revenues in some of the largest oil- and natural gas-producing states. More »

California and Quebec complete second joint carbon dioxide emissions allowance auction

California and Quebec have announced the completion of their second joint CO2 allowance auction through a cap-and-trade system. Previous auctions sold emissions allowances for electric generators and large industrial sources. The most recent auction, held in February 2015, also included allowances for the transportation sector, covering wholesale gasoline suppliers. More »

Scheduled 2015 capacity additions mostly wind and natural gas; retirements mostly coal

In 2015, electric generating companies expect to add more than 20 gigawatts (GW) of utility-scale generating capacity to the power grid. The additions are dominated by wind (9.8 GW), natural gas (6.3 GW), and solar (2.2 GW), which combine to make up 91% of total additions. Nearly 16 GW of generating capacity is expected to retire, 81% of which (12.9 GW) is coal-fired generation. More »

Changes in natural gas spot prices may not quickly translate to consumer prices

While natural gas wholesale spot prices have dropped to relatively low levels since the end of 2014, these low prices have not translated directly into lower retail prices for consumers who use natural gas to heat their homes and businesses. This short-term lag is largely due to the nature of utility regulation. Over longer periods, changes in natural gas spot and residential prices are much more closely correlated. More »

Supply shortages lead to rolling power outages in the Philippines

As the 12th-largest nation in the world, the Philippines has a population of more than 100 million people spread over 7,000 islands, presenting several electricity infrastructure challenges. Currently, the country is facing concerns over resource adequacy in its power sector, as the nation is challenged to add supply quickly enough to keep up with growing demand. More »

U.S. petroleum product exports increase for 13th consecutive year, setting record

U.S. exports of noncrude petroleum products from the United States averaged a record 3.8 million barrels per day (bbl/d) in 2014, an increase of 347,000 bbl/d from 2013, based on data from EIA's Petroleum Supply Monthly. In particular, exports of motor gasoline, propane, and butane increased, offsetting a decrease in distillate exports. More »

U.S. crude oil storage capacity utilization now up to 60%

Crude oil inventory data for the week ending February 20 show that total utilization of crude oil storage capacity in the United States stands at approximately 60%, compared with 48% at the same time last year. Most U.S. crude oil stocks are held in the Midwest and Gulf Coast, where storage tanks were at 69% and 56% of capacity, respectively, as of February 20. This capacity use calculation reflects only crude oil stored in tanks or underground caverns at tank farms and refineries. More »

Oil production in federal Gulf of Mexico expected to continue increasing

Because of the long timelines associated with Gulf of Mexico (GOM) projects, the recent downturn in oil prices is expected to have minimal direct impact on GOM crude oil production through 2016. EIA projects GOM production to reach 1.52 million barrels per day (bbl/d) in 2015 and 1.61 million bbl/d in 2016, or about 16% and 17% of total U.S. crude oil production in those two years, respectively. More »

Voluntary agreement continues to reduce energy consumption of television set-top boxes

About 85% of U.S. households have at least one set-top box (STB) designed to deliver subscription-based television service by cable, satellite, or other telecommunication signals, according to 2013 data from the National Cable and Telecommunications Association and the Consumer Electronics Association. In most cases, these STBs operate at almost full power whether they're actively being used or inactive. More »