EIA projects that U.S. coal demand will remain flat for several decades

EIA projects U.S. coal disposition—domestic demand and coal exports—to remain relatively flat through 2050 in the Annual Energy Outlook 2018 (AEO2018) Reference case, even as many coal-fired power plants are retired. Coal disposition for the next three decades averages 750 million short tons per year (MMst), down from the peak of nearly 1.2 million tons in 2008. More »

EIA uses two simplified metrics to show future power plants' relative economics

EIA's long-term outlook for the electric power sector considers both the cost to build and operate power plants as well as the value those plants provide to the grid. A supplemental report to EIA's Annual Energy Outlook 2018 (AEO2018) describes two simple measures of cost and value to show how certain technologies can be compared to determine the most economically attractive technologies, and in turn, the types of power plants most likely to be built. More »

U.S. net energy imports in 2017 fall to their lowest levels since 1982

Total net energy imports to the United States fell to 7.3 quadrillion British thermal units (quads) in 2017, a 35% decrease from 2016 and the lowest level since 1982, when both gross imports and gross exports were much lower. More »

U.S. liquefied natural gas exports quadrupled in 2017

U.S. exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) reached 1.94 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2017, up from 0.5 Bcf/d in 2016. As LNG exports increased, shipments went to more destinations. U.S. LNG exports in 2017, all of which originated from Louisiana's Sabine Pass liquefaction terminal, reached 25 countries. More »

EIA’s estimates for Texas crude oil production account for incomplete state data

Crude oil and lease condensate production data for Texas, published by EIA in its Petroleum Supply Monthly (PSM) and by the Texas Railroad Commission (TRRC), reflect differences in the treatment of incomplete and lagged data. Data published by state agencies are often incomplete when first published because of a combination of late reporting and processing delays. More »

Electricity demand by U.S. manufacturing has declined in recent years

Overall electricity use in U.S. manufacturing has declined in recent years, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Many manufacturing establishments have the option of generating their own electricity in addition to pulling directly from the electric grid to run their processes. More »

Residential heating oil and propane prices up from last winter

Residential heating oil and propane prices have been higher this winter than last winter. U.S. average heating oil and propane prices this season were 17% and 11% higher, respectively, because of slightly higher crude oil prices, colder winter temperatures, and lower fuel inventories than last winter. More »

Solar photovoltaic costs are declining, but estimates vary across sources

Costs for utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) systems have declined in recent years—most sources show that system costs on a per-watt basis have fallen about 10% to 15% per year from 2010 through 2016. More »

Electricity generation from fossil fuels declined in 2017 as renewable generation rose

According to EIA’s Electric Power Monthly, total U.S. net electricity generation fell slightly (down 1.5%) in 2017, reflecting lower electricity demand. Natural gas and coal generation fell by 7.7% and 2.5% from 2016, respectively, as generation from several renewable fuels, particularly hydro, wind, and solar, increased from 2016 levels. More »

The United States exported more natural gas than it imported in 2017

The United States exported more natural gas than it imported in 2017, marking the first time since 1957 that the United States has been a net natural gas exporter. More »

Solar plants typically install more panel capacity relative to their inverter capacity

A solar photovoltaic (PV) system’s panel capacity is often reported in direct current (DC), while operating capacity in the United States is reported as it is delivered to the grid in alternating current (AC). For economic and engineering reasons, capacity values reported in DC typically are 10% to 30% higher than those reported in AC capacity. More »

U.S. crude oil exports increased and reached more destinations in 2017

U.S. crude oil exports grew to an average of 1.1 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2017, the second full year since restrictions on crude oil exports were removed. Crude oil exports in 2017 were nearly double the level of exports in 2016. Increased U.S. crude oil exports were supported by increasing U.S. crude oil production and expanded infrastructure. More »

The value of U.S. energy exports to Mexico exceeded import value for third year in a row

In each of the past three years, the value of U.S. energy exports to Mexico has exceeded the value of U.S. energy imports from Mexico. Energy trade between Mexico and the United States has historically been driven by Mexico�s sales of crude oil to the United States and by U.S. exports of refined petroleum products to Mexico. As the United States has reduced crude oil imports from Mexico, the trade balance has shifted. More »

Venezuela’s crude oil production declines amid economic instability

Venezuela’s crude oil production has been on a downward trend for two decades, but it has experienced significant decreases over the past two years. Crude oil production in Venezuela decreased from 2.3 million barrels per day (b/d) in January 2016 to 1.6 million b/d in January 2018. More »

S&P 500 implied volatility briefly surpassed that of crude oil in February

For four consecutive days in early February, stock market implied volatility surpassed crude oil price volatility for the first time since 2008. The VIX, a measure of implied volatility, or the market’s expected range of near-term price changes on Standard and Poor’s (S&P) 500 index options, closed higher than the OVX, a measure of implied volatility on crude oil options. More »

Investment in tight oil, oil sands, and deepwater drives long-term oil production growth

Upstream investment in crude oil and liquids production is highly sensitive to crude oil prices, particularly production of higher-cost resources from tight rock formations, oil sands, and offshore deepwater. In EIA’s "International Energy Outlook 2017" (IEO2017) Reference case, increasing crude oil prices lead to more investment, driving production growth in these higher-cost resources. More »

EIA updates layers to U.S. Energy Mapping System

EIA’s U.S. Energy Mapping System is an interactive, comprehensive visual reference for energy infrastructure in the United States. Several layers in the system were recently updated, allowing users to see locations of several types of energy infrastructure, including wind turbines, coal mines, oil and natural gas wells, high-voltage electric transmission lines, natural gas pipelines, and U.S. border-crossing points of electric transmission lines and liquids and natural gas pipelines. More »

Average U.S. coal mining productivity increases as production falls

Coal mining productivity in the United States increased 26% over the past five years, reaching 6.8 tons per miner hour in 2017, up from 5.4 tons per miner hour in 2012, according to EIA’s Annual Coal Report and data from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). More »

Positive U.S. ethanol margins are driving ethanol production growth

Estimated ethanol production margins at U.S. corn ethanol plants averaged 22 cents per gallon (gal) in 2017. Last year was the fifth consecutive year that margins have averaged more than 20 cents/gal, which has helped drive consistent ethanol production growth over that period. More »

Middle East countries plan to add nuclear to their generation mix

Nuclear electricity generation capacity in the Middle East is expected to increase from 3.6 gigawatts (GW) in 2018 to 14.1 GW by 2028 because of new construction starts and recent agreements between Middle East countries and nuclear vendors. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will lead near-term growth by installing 5.4 GW of nuclear capacity by 2020. More »

West Coast jet fuel imports increase to meet growing demand

Net imports of jet fuel into the West Coast have increased in recent years as regional jet fuel consumption has outpaced production. States in the West Coast region—those bordering the Pacific Ocean plus Nevada and Arizona—make up about 20% of the U.S. population but account for nearly a third of U.S. jet fuel consumption. Most of these jet fuel imports have come from refineries in Asia. More »

Natural gas expected to remain most-consumed fuel in the U.S. industrial sector

EIA expects a 40% increase in natural gas consumed in the U.S. industrial sector, from 9.8 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) in 2017 to 13.7 quadrillion Btu in 2050, according to the Annual Energy Outlook 2018 (AEO2018) Reference case. By 2020, industrial natural gas consumption will surpass the previous record set in the early 1970s, according to the AEO2018 Reference case. More »