Columbia River electric generation in 2018 remains normal despite above-normal water flow

During the 2018 water year that ended September 30, 2018, The Dalles Dam in the Pacific Northwest experienced above-normal inflow—water volume flowing into the dam—but electricity generation from the dam remained relatively normal. The difference between the two is attributed to spilled flow, or water diverted past the dam without generating power. Monthly inflow at The Dalles Dam peaked in May, reaching 63% above normal, but more than half of that volume was spilled, some of which was likely required by a recent court order. More »

Hydro and fossil fuels power electricity growth in Sub-Saharan Africa

According to EIA’s international electricity statistics, hydroelectric and fossil fuel-powered generation were the top sources of growth between 2005 and 2015 in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), defined as the 49 countries fully or partially south of the Sahara Desert. During that period, hydroelectric generation increased by about 40% in the region, while fossil-fuel generation increased by 15%. SSA electricity generation totaled about 420 billion kilowatthours (kWh) in 2015, including distribution losses and exported electricity, an increase of 22% during the decade. More »

Like natural gas, coal in the Southwest Power Pool is cycled to accommodate wind power

Electricity generation in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), a regional transmission organization (RTO) covering all or part of fourteen Midwestern states, is mostly provided by three fuels: coal, natural gas, and wind. Several states in SPP have the highest shares of wind generation in the country. In SPP, unlike in other regions, some coal-fired generators are operated similar to natural gas units and are used to balance fluctuations in wind output throughout the day. More »

Summer average wholesale electricity prices in western U.S. were highest since 2008

As a result of record-high temperatures and fuel supply constraints this summer, wholesale electricity prices in the western United States reached their highest levels since 2008. In the area served by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), peak-period electricity prices in July averaged $101 per megawatthour (MWh), the highest monthly average since the current day-ahead market began trading in April 2009. Peak-period electricity prices at the Palo Verde trading hub in Arizona and at the Mid-Columbia hub in the Pacific Northwest averaged $89/MWh and $72/MWh, respectively, in July. Prices in each area also remained relatively high through August More »

Crude oil was the largest U.S. petroleum export in the first half of 2018

Crude oil surpassed hydrocarbon gas liquids (HGL) to become the largest U.S. petroleum export, with 1.8 million barrels per day (b/d) of exports in the first half of 2018. U.S. crude oil exports increased by 787,000 b/d, or almost 80%, from the first half of 2017 to the first half of 2018 and set a new monthly record of 2.2 million b/d in June. Much of this crude oil went to destinations in Asia and Oceania such as China, South Korea, and India. Europe was the second-largest market for U.S. crude oil exports, led by Italy, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. Canada was the only major U.S. crude oil export destination where exports decreased, down slightly in the first half of 2018 compared with the same period in 2017. More »

Seasonality in Brazilian petroleum liquids production is driven by biofuels

Brazil’s ethanol output is seasonal and typically peaks during the fourth quarter (October–December) of each year. The peak coincides with the harvest of sugarcane, the primary feedstock used in Brazil's ethanol production. This seasonal fuel ethanol production can lead to significant monthly variations in Brazil’s total petroleum and other liquids production. More »

East Coast refiners receiving more domestic crude oil from Gulf Coast by tanker and barge

Since mid-2017, the East Coast has been receiving as much crude oil by tanker and barge from the Gulf Coast as it has by rail from the Midwest. In April, the volume of crude oil transported by tanker and barge from the Gulf Coast to the East Coast reached the highest level since mid-2014. At the same time, crude oil shipped to the East Coast by rail from the Midwest has fallen 77% from its peak in late 2014. These changes in crude oil shipments, as well as the mix between foreign and domestic crude oil inputs to East Coast refineries, have followed price movements in crude oil markets. More »

One in three U.S. households faces a challenge in meeting energy needs

Nearly one-third of U.S. households (31%) reported facing a challenge in paying energy bills or sustaining adequate heating and cooling in their homes in 2015. According to the most recent results from EIA’s Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS), about one in five households reported reducing or forgoing necessities such as food and medicine to pay an energy bill, and 14% reported receiving a disconnection notice for energy service. Households may also use less energy than they would prefer; 11% of households surveyed reported keeping their home at an unhealthy or unsafe temperature. More »

OPEC net oil export revenues increased in 2017, will likely continue to increase in 2018

Members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) received about $567 billion in net oil export revenues in 2017, up 29% from revenues in 2016. Increases in both crude oil prices and in net OPEC oil exports drove revenues higher in 2017, and EIA expects that revenues will continue to increase in 2018, based on EIA’s August Short-Term Energy Outlook. More »

EIA introduces interactive dashboard detailing natural gas storage activity

EIA has developed an interactive dashboard that provides daily and weekly contextual information to the Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report (WNGSR). The new dashboard shows Lower 48 and regional storage activity and key market fundamentals that affect underground natural gas storage activity. More »

America’s oldest operating nuclear power plant to retire on Monday

The Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, located 50 miles east of Philadelphia in Forked River, New Jersey, is scheduled to retire on Monday, September 17. The plant first came online on December 1, 1969, making it the oldest commercially operated nuclear power plant in the United States. Oyster Creek was previously expected to retire on December 31, 2019, but its retirement was accelerated by more than a year to coincide with the plant’s fuel and maintenance cycle. More »

Hurricane Florence likely to affect Southeast U.S. electric power, transportation fuels

Hurricane Florence is expected to make landfall near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina as a Category 3 storm on Saturday. The storm’s high winds and heavy rainfall are likely to affect energy infrastructure throughout the region, particularly for electricity transmission and distribution, while widespread evacuations and disruptions to normal business operations could alter electricity demand and supply and demand patterns for transportation fuels. More »

The United States is now the largest global crude oil producer

The United States likely surpassed Russia and Saudi Arabia to become the world’s largest crude oil producer earlier this year, based on preliminary estimates in EIA’s Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO). In February, U.S. crude oil production exceeded that of Saudi Arabia for the first time in more than two decades. In June and August, the United States surpassed Russia in crude oil production for the first time since February 1999. More »

Hydroelectricity is the most prevalent renewable source in 19 states; wind in 16

Hydroelectricity represented the largest share of electricity generation among renewable sources in 28 states in 2007 but retained that status in only 19 states in 2017 as wind and solar became more common. Wind was the most prevalent renewable electricity generation source in 16 states in 2017, and solar was the most prevalent renewable generation source in 7 states. More »

Coal is the most-used electricity generation source in 18 states; natural gas in 16

Electricity generators that use fossil fuels continue to be the most common sources of electricity generation in most states. In all but 15 states, coal, natural gas, or petroleum liquids were the most-used electricity generation fuel in 2017. Since 2007, the number of states where coal was the most prevalent electricity generation fuel has fallen as natural gas, nuclear, and hydroelectricity have gained market share. More »

U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions fell slightly in 2017

U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2017 fell to 5.14 billion metric tons, 0.9% lower than their 2016 levels, and coal emissions were the primary driver behind the decline. U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions have declined in 7 of the past 10 years, and they are now 14% lower than in 2005. More »

Haynesville natural gas production is increasing but remains lower than previous peak

In June 2018, natural gas production in the Haynesville shale formation, located in northeastern Texas and Louisiana, averaged 6.4 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), accounting for 8.5% of total U.S. dry natural gas production and the highest production from this region since September 2012. Monthly dry natural gas production in the Haynesville peaked at 7.4 Bcf/d in January 2012 and fell to less than half that level by early 2016. In 2017, the Haynesville formation was the third-largest producer of shale gas after the Appalachian production region—mainly in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio—and the Permian production region in Texas and New Mexico. More »

In 2015, peripheral devices consumed nearly as much electricity as televisions

Results from EIA’s 2015 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) show that televisions and related peripheral devices—such as digital video recorders (DVRs), video game consoles, and streaming devices—consumed 7% of the electricity used in American homes in 2015 and cost $103 per home per year to operate. Peripheral device consumption accounted for slightly less than half of this electricity consumption, collectively using almost as much energy as televisions. More »

Louisiana and Wyoming consume the most energy per capita, Rhode Island, New York the least

In 2016, all activities in the United States consumed 301 million British thermal units (Btu) of energy per person (per capita), a 1% decrease from the level in 2015 and the lowest level since 1967. However, total per capita energy consumption varies greatly among states and ranged from 176 million Btu in Rhode Island to 897 million Btu in Louisiana in 2016, according to recently released State Energy Data System estimates. More »