The design and application of utility-scale battery storage varies by region

About two-thirds of utility-scale battery storage power capacity installed in 2016 in the United States is located in two electricity markets: the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), which covers much of California, and the PJM Interconnection, which covers all or parts of 13 eastern states and the District of Columbia. Utility-scale battery systems have been installed in these markets for different reasons. More »

Natural gas power plants purchase fuel using different types of contracts

Most natural gas-fired power plants in the continental United States fulfill all of their fuel requirements through firm contracts that obligate the natural gas producer and the pipeline operator to send the natural gas to the power plant when requested. These power plants reported receiving 71% of the natural gas purchased by power plants in 2016. More »

U.S. uranium production in 2017 was the lowest since 2004

U.S. uranium concentrate production totaled 2.44 million pounds in 2017, down 16% from 2016 and the lowest annual total since 2.28 million pounds of uranium concentrate was produced in 2004. Domestic concentrate production peaked at 43.7 million pounds in 1980 but has remained below 5 million pounds annually since 1997. More »

China becomes world’s second largest LNG importer, behind Japan

China surpassed South Korea to become the world’s second largest importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in 2017, according to data from IHS Markit and official Chinese government statistics. Chinese imports of LNG averaged 5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2017, exceeded only by Japanese imports of 11 Bcf/d. More »

Tight oil remains the leading source of future U.S. crude oil production

EIA's recently released Annual Energy Outlook 2018 (AEO2018) Reference case projects that U.S. tight oil production will generally increase through the early 2040s, when it will surpass 8.2 million barrels per day (b/d) and account for nearly 70% of total U.S. production. Tight oil production made up 54% of the U.S total in 2017. More »

Recent legislation mandates additional sales of U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve crude oil

Recent legislation has directed the sale of more than 100 million barrels of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) in U.S. government fiscal years (FY) 2022 through 2027. Based on legislated sales established in multiple acts of Congress, the SPR could decline by about 40% in the coming decade while still meeting requirements for petroleum import coverage. More »

U.S. ethane consumption, exports to increase as new petrochemical plants come online

Over the next two years, EIA’s Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) projects growth in U.S. consumption of ethane in the petrochemical industry will exceed increases in consumption of all other petroleum and liquid products—such as motor gasoline, distillate, and jet fuel—combined. More »

U.S. coal production, exports, and prices increased in 2017

EIA expects total 2017 U.S. coal production to be 773 million short tons (MMst), 45 MMst higher than in 2016 and the largest year-over-year tonnage increase since 2001. Coal prices across the United States rose as well, especially for Central Appalachian coal. An increase in demand for U.S. coal exports more than offset a slight decline in U.S. coal consumption, contributing to higher coal production in 2017. More »

U.S. proved reserves of natural gas up in 2016, oil reserves remained unchanged

The United States had 341.1 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas proved reserves as of the end of 2016, an increase of 5% from 2015, according to EIA's recently released U.S. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Proved Reserves report. U.S. crude oil and lease condensate proved reserves remained virtually unchanged from their 2015 level, at 35.2 billion barrels. More »

U.S. imports of solar photovoltaic modules mainly come from Asia

Solar photovoltaic (PV) module imports into the United States have increased significantly in recent years and represent a sizable portion of installed solar capacity. In 2016, U.S. imports of solar modules measured in direct current (DC) totaled 13 gigawatts (GWDC)—up from 2 GWDC in 2010—with two-thirds of 2016 imports coming from Malaysia, China, and South Korea. More »

Electricity prices are highest in Hawaii but expenditures are highest in South Carolina

Hawaii has the highest residential electricity prices in the United States, averaging 27.5 cents per kilowatthour (kWh) in 2016—more than twice the national average. However, residential customers in four states spent more per household for electricity that year: South Carolina, Alabama, Connecticut, and Maryland. More »

The United States is projected to become a net energy exporter in most AEO2018 cases

EIA projects that the United States will become a net energy exporter in 2022 in the newly released "Annual Energy Outlook 2018" (AEO2018) Reference case, primarily driven by changes in petroleum and natural gas markets. The transition from net energy importer to net energy exporter occurs even earlier in some sensitivity cases that modify assumptions about oil prices or resource extraction. More »

Utilities continue to increase spending on transmission infrastructure

Spending on infrastructure to deliver power to homes and businesses has increased steadily over the past 10 years as utilities build, upgrade, and replace station equipment, poles, fixtures, and overhead lines and devices. More »

U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions expected to rise slightly in 2018, remain flat in 2019

EIA estimates that U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions declined by 861 million metric tons (14%) from 2005 to 2017. In the latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, EIA projects that CO2 emissions will rise 1.8%, from 5,143 million metric tons in 2017 to 5,237 million metric tons in 2018, then remain virtually unchanged in 2019. In 2019, energy-related CO2 emissions will be about 13% lower than 2005 levels. More »

Future U.S. electricity generation mix will depend largely on natural gas prices

The mix of fuels used to generate electricity in the United States has changed in response to differences in the relative cost of electricity-generating technologies and, for those technologies that consume fuel, the cost of fuel. More »

EIA’s latest Annual Energy Outlook projects rising production, relatively flat consumption

EIA’s Annual Energy Outlook 2018 (AEO2018), released this morning, includes projections of U.S. energy markets through 2050 based on a Reference case and a number of sensitivity cases. More »

EIA’s latest Annual Energy Outlook projects rising production, relatively flat consumption

EIA’s Annual Energy Outlook 2018 (AEO2018), to be released at 10:00 this morning, includes projections of U.S. energy markets through 2050 based on a Reference case and a number of sensitivity cases More »

China surpassed the United States as the world’s largest crude oil importer in 2017

China surpassed the United States in annual gross crude oil imports in 2017, importing 8.4 million barrels per day (b/d) compared with 7.9 million b/d for the United States. China had become the world’s largest net importer (imports minus exports) of total petroleum and other liquid fuels in 2013. More »

California plans to reduce greenhouses gas emissions 40% by 2030

In July 2017, California’s state legislature passed assembly bill (AB) 398 to reauthorize and extend until 2030 the state’s economy-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction program. The bill sets a new GHG target of at least 40% below the 1990 level of emissions by 2030. As of 2015, about 86% of California’s GHG emissions were related to the consumption of energy. More »

U.S. monthly crude oil production exceeds 10 million barrels per day, highest since 1970

U.S. crude oil production reached 10.038 million barrels per day (b/d) in November 2017, according to EIA’s latest Petroleum Supply Monthly. November’s production is the first time since 1970 that monthly U.S. production levels surpassed 10 million b/d and the second-highest U.S. monthly oil production value ever, just below the November 1970 production value of 10.044 million b/d. More »