China's diesel exports grow, driven by changes in its economy and refining industry

Chinese exports of diesel began to increase rapidly in 2015, driven by a structural shift in China's economy—which is reducing diesel demand—and by reforms in China's refining sector, which are contributing to increased refinery utilization and diesel production. These two factors have pushed Chinese net diesel exports higher, to more than 300,000 barrels per day in April. More »

U.S. retail gasoline prices lowest since 2009 ahead of Memorial Day weekend

The U.S. average retail price for gasoline was $2.24 per gallon (gal) on May 23, 50 cents per gallon (cents/gal) lower than at the same time last year, and the lowest average price just before Memorial Day weekend (the start of the summer driving season) since 2009. More »

Industrial and electric power sectors drive projected growth in U.S. natural gas use

U.S. consumption of natural gas is projected to rise from 28 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) in 2015 to 34 Tcf in 2040, an average increase of about 1% annually, according to EIA's Annual Energy Outlook 2016 (AEO2016) Reference case. The industrial and electric power sectors make up 49% and 34% of this growth, respectively, while consumption growth in the residential, commercial, and transportation sectors is much lower. More »

Southern states lead growth in biomass electricity generation

Over the past five years, U.S. electricity generation from biomass across all sectors grew from 56 gigawatthours (GWh) in 2010 to 64 GWh in 2015. Much of this growth occurred in southern states such as Virginia, Florida, and Georgia. In 2015, electricity generation from biomass across all sectors accounted for 11.3% of renewable electricity generation and 1.6% of total electricity generation in the United States. More »

Germany’s renewables electricity generation grows in 2015, but coal still dominant

Renewable electricity generation in Germany increased to 194 billion kilowatthours (kWh) in 2015, representing 31% of the country's gross electricity generation. The renewables electricity growth in 2015, was the largest in both percentage and absolute terms (19% and 32 billion kWh, respectively) in at least a decade. More »

United States remains largest producer of petroleum and natural gas hydrocarbons

The United States remained the world's top producer of petroleum and natural gas hydrocarbons in 2015, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates. U.S. petroleum and natural gas production first surpassed Russia in 2012, and the United States has been the world's top producer of natural gas since 2011 and the world's top producer of petroleum hydrocarbons since 2013. More »

Hydropower conditions improve as West Coast drought eases

The western United States, particularly California, has experienced drought over the past several years, but there are now signs of improvement. Since June 2013, most of California has been in a severe, extreme, or exceptional drought, the worst three drought designations as determined by the U.S. Drought Monitor. More »

Many natural gas-fired power plants under construction are near major shale plays

Natural gas-fired power generation increased 19% in 2015, because of low natural gas prices, increased gas-fired generation capacity, and coal power plant retirements. EIA's May 2016 Short-Term Energy Outlook forecasts that this year, natural gas-fired generation will exceed coal generation in the United States on an annual basis. More »

Future power sector carbon dioxide emissions depend on status of Clean Power Plan

Trends in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from electricity generation through 2040 depend significantly on whether or not the Clean Power Plan (CPP) rule issued last August by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is implemented. Analysis in EIA's Annual Energy Outlook 2016 (AEO2016) examines what the CPP could mean for the fuels used to generate electricity, especially coal. More »

EIA’s Annual Energy Outlook is a projection, not a prediction

The U.S. Energy Information Administration provides a long-term outlook for energy supply, demand, and prices in its Annual Energy Outlook (AEO). This outlook is centered on the Reference case, which is not a prediction of what will happen, but rather a modeled projection of what might happen given certain assumptions and methodologies. Today, EIA released an annotated summary of the AEO2016 Reference Case—which includes the Clean Power Plan—and a side case without the Clean Power Plan. More »

Projected growth in CO2 emissions driven by countries outside the OECD

Global energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are projected to increase by one-third between 2012 and 2040 in EIA's International Energy Outlook 2016 (IEO2016) Reference case, largely driven by increased energy use in countries outside of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The continuing increase in total emissions occurs despite a moderate decrease in the carbon intensity (CO2 per unit of energy) of the global energy supply. More »

Carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation in 2015 were lowest since 1993

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from electricity generation totaled 1,925 million metric tons in 2015, the lowest since 1993 and 21% below their 2005 level. A shift on the electricity generation mix, with generation from natural gas and renewables displacing coal-fired power, drove the reductions in emissions. More »

EIA projects 48% increase in world energy consumption by 2040

EIA's recently released International Energy Outlook 2016 projects that world energy consumption will grow by 48% between 2012 and 2040. Most of this growth will come from non-OECD countries, including countries where demand is driven by strong economic growth, particularly in Asia. Non-OECD Asia, including China and India, accounts for more than half of the world's total increase in energy consumption over the projection period. More »

Annual passenger travel tends to increase with wealth

Global passenger travel by light-duty vehicles, bus, rail, and two- and three-wheeled vehicles reached nearly 24 trillion passenger miles in 2012 (the most recent year with detailed international travel statistics). In 2012, the average person traveled 3,300 miles annually, with wide differences across countries that are generally related to differences in per capita income. More »

Crude oil volatility decreases as prices rise from early 2016 levels

During the first three months of 2016, crude oil prices were relatively more volatile than in recent history. This elevated volatility occurred when overall oil prices were low, and volatility was driven by high uncertainty related to supply, demand, and inventories. Crude oil price volatility has declined since its peak in March. Prices have risen as concerns about future economic growth have abated and as inventory growth has slowed since the start of the year. More »

U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in 2015 are 12% below their 2005 levels

After increasing in 2013 and in 2014, energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions fell in 2015. In 2015, U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions were 12% below the 2005 levels, mostly because of changes in the electric power sector. More »

Recent U.S. imports of oil tend to be heavier than domestic production

In 2015, more than 70% of the crude oil produced in the Lower 48 states was light oil with an API gravity above 35 degrees. At the same time, 90% of imported crude oil was heavier, with a gravity below 35 degrees API. To accommodate increasing U.S. production of light crude oil, refineries have adjusted their imports by reducing imports of light crudes. More »

Hydraulically fractured wells provide two-thirds of U.S. natural gas production

For decades, hydraulic fracturing had been referred to as an unconventional completion technique, but over the past 10 years it has become the technique by which most natural gas is produced in the United States. Based on the most recent available data from states, EIA estimates that natural gas production from hydraulically fractured wells now makes up about two-thirds of total U.S. marketed gas production. This is an even greater share of production as compared to crude oil, where hydraulic fracturing accounts for about half of current U.S. crude oil production. More »

Almost all U.S. gasoline is blended with 10% ethanol

Blends of petroleum-based gasoline with 10% ethanol, commonly referred to as E10, account for more than 95% of the fuel consumed in motor vehicles with gasoline engines. Ethanol-blended fuels are one pathway to compliance with elements of the federal renewable fuel standard (RFS). The total volume of ethanol blended into motor fuels used in the United States has continued to increase since 2010, albeit at a declining rate of growth. Meanwhile, the use of ethanol-free gasoline (E0) by fuel consumers has declined. More »

Declining energy prices lower the cost of living

Since June 2014, decreases in crude oil and natural gas prices have reduced household energy costs. According to initial figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the chained consumer price index for urban consumers (C-CPI-U) decreased by 1.2% from June 2014 to February 2016. Lower energy prices had a significant impact on this decrease in spite of increases in the food and shelter components of the overall index, which represent larger shares of household expenses. The overall index edged up 0.6% in March as real crude oil prices rose 18.1%, while natural gas prices continued to decline. More »

EIA produces new maps of the Utica Shale play

The U.S. Energy Information Administration has produced new maps that show the structure, thickness, and geologic setting of the Utica Shale play and the location of production wells. Production of oil and natural gas from the Utica play has increased since 2011, with more than 1,700 wells drilled as of January 2016. The Utica play includes both the Utica formation and the deeper Point Pleasant formation, each with its own characteristics. More »