U.S. biodiesel production capacity declined slightly in 2019

According to the most recent data, annual U.S. biodiesel production capacity decreased by 2%, or 49 million gallons, between January 2019 and January 2020. As of January 2020, biodiesel production capacity in the United States totaled 2.5 billion gallons (gal) per year, or 164,000 barrels per day (b/d), according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) annual U.S. Biodiesel Plant Production Capacity report, released on October 23, 2020. More »

Natural gas prices and renewable capital costs affect the generation mix in China

In the International Energy Outlook 2020 (IEO2020), the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects that electricity generation in Asia will more than double between 2019 and 2050. EIA analyzed the impacts of changing the price of natural gas and the capital costs associated with adding renewable energy power plants on the future electricity generation mix in China and other countries in Asia that are not part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). EIA projects that coal and natural gas will generally remain the primary fuels used for electricity generation. However, the lower renewable cost cases project that renewables, which include wind, solar, and hydroelectric (hydro) technologies, will become significant sources of generation in China and other non-OECD countries in Asia by 2050. EIA published the results of this analysis in an accompanying Issues in Focus article, and the results reflect the Comparative Reference case along with eight alternative cases. More »

Crude oil tanker rates are likely to remain low until global petroleum demand increases

In March and April 2020, reduced demand for crude oil and petroleum products in response to COVID-19 mitigation efforts led to a sharp increase in global crude oil inventories. As onshore inventories increased, market participants turned to using oil tankers to store oil, which is typically more expensive than onshore storage. More »

Residential heating oil prices this winter are 28% lower than last winter

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Heating Oil and Propane Update (HOPU), prices during the first two weeks of the current winter heating season (October 1 through March 31) were 28% lower for heating oil than during the 2019–2020 winter. This decrease is the largest price decrease between the start of two seasons since October 2015. The decrease in prices can be attributed to crude oil prices that are lower than last year and distillate inventories that are currently higher than the previous five-year (2015–2019) average. More »

Residential propane prices so far this winter are similar to last winter's prices

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Heating Oil and Propane Update (HOPU), propane prices during the first two weeks of the current winter heating season (October 1 through March 31) were 4% lower than during the same time last winter. Lower residential propane prices are the result of inventories that are near the high-end of the five-year (2015–2019) average and a decrease in crude oil prices since last year at this time. More »

Utility-scale battery storage costs decreased nearly 70% between 2015 and 2018

The average energy capacity cost of utility-scale battery storage in the United States has rapidly decreased from $2,152 per kilowatthour (kWh) in 2015 to $625/kWh in 2018. Battery storage systems store electricity produced by generators or pulled directly from the electric power grid and redistribute the power later as needed. At the end of 2018, the United States had 869 megawatts (MW) of installed battery power capacity (the maximum amount of power a battery can provide at a given moment) and 1,236 megawatthours (MWh) of battery energy capacity (the total amount of energy that can be stored by a battery). More »

U.S. natural gas exports to Mexico have increased in the first nine months of 2020

U.S. exports of natural gas to Mexico, almost all of which travel by pipeline, have continued to increase in 2020. These increases have more than offset declines in Mexico's imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and relatively smaller declines in Mexico's domestic natural gas production. More »

EIA forecasts slightly higher U.S. propane consumption this winter season

The U.S. propane market is highly seasonal: about two-thirds of the propane consumed last year was consumed in the winter months (October through March). In the United States, most propane is consumed in homes during the winter; about 5% of U.S. homes use propane as their main heating fuel. In its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects 5% more U.S. propane consumption this winter compared with last winter, largely because a cooler winter forecast means more demand for residential space heating. More »

EIA expects relatively high distillate inventories to decrease through the winter

U.S. distillate fuel oil inventories remained high through summer 2020 because production outpaced demand. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects that increased demand for distillate fuel oil in the agriculture and residential sectors in the coming winter will help to draw down high U.S. distillate inventories. These initially relatively high inventories, along with lower crude oil prices, will continue putting downward pressure on distillate fuel oil prices through the 2020–21 winter season. More »

The United States consumed a record amount of renewable energy in 2019

In 2019, consumption of renewable energy in the United States grew for the fourth year in a row, reaching a record 11.5 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu), or 11% of total U.S. energy consumption. The U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) new U.S. renewable energy consumption by source and sector chart published in the Monthly Energy Review shows how much renewable energy by source is consumed in each sector. More »

Natural gas generators make up largest share of U.S. electricity generation capacity

Based on the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) annual survey of electric generators, natural gas-fired generators accounted for 43% of operating U.S. electricity generating capacity in 2019. These natural gas-fired generators provided 39% of electricity generation in 2019, more than any other source. Most of the natural gas-fired capacity added in recent decades uses combined-cycle technology, which surpassed coal-fired generators in 2018 to become the technology with the most electricity generating capacity in the United States. More »

Wind is a growing part of the electricity mix in Texas

In 2019, wind-powered generation contributed 84.4 thousand gigawatthours (GWh) of electricity in Texas, an 11% increase from the 75.7 thousand GWh generated in 2018. Substantial growth in wind capacity in the state was the primary reason for this increase. Texas wind capacity rose almost 17% in 2019, from 24.1 gigawatts (GW) in 2018 to 28.1 GW in 2019. Wind power accounted for 18% of the electricity generated in Texas in 2019, compared with 6% in 2010. More »

Global liquid fuels production outages have increased in 2020

Disruptions to crude oil and condensate production from members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC countries have risen considerably since last year. These outages have contributed to reduced liquid fuel supply and, along with crude oil production declines agreed to among OPEC and partner countries (OPEC+), have contributed to global liquid fuels inventory draws since June. More »

Solar photovoltaic generators receive higher electricity prices than other technologies

In 2019, the average U.S. wholesale price for electricity generated by solar photovoltaic (PV) technology was significantly higher than average wholesale prices for electricity from other technologies. The weighted average wholesale price for solar PV-generated electricity was $83 per megawatthour (MWh) in 2019, more than double the price paid to producers for electricity generated by wind, fossil fuels, or nuclear. The higher average wholesale price for solar PV relative to other technologies is partly driven by geography and timing. More »

LNG exports resume from Sabine Pass and Cameron terminals as another hurricane approaches

Sabine Pass and Cameron, two liquefied natural gas (LNG) liquefaction and export terminals located in Louisiana, were affected by Hurricane Laura. Exports from Sabine Pass, the largest LNG export facility in the United States, resumed on September 11. However, damage to the electrical and marine infrastructure around the Cameron LNG facility has persisted for several weeks, and the facility shipped its first post-Hurricane Laura cargo on October 5. Currently, Hurricane Delta, a Category 4 storm in the Gulf of Mexico, is expected to make landfall in Louisiana on Friday, October 9. Depending on the path of Hurricane Delta, Cameron and Sabine Pass may take precautionary measures and temporarily suspend operations as they did before Hurricane Laura. More »

Winter energy bills in the United States likely to be similar to last winter's

On average, across the United States, households can expect heating expenditures this winter (October through March) to be higher than last winter, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Winter Fuels Outlook. EIA and the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) are holding a free webinar at 10:00 a.m. ET today about the Winter Fuels Outlook; registration is required. More »

EIA's prime supplier data show state-level sales of petroleum fuels during the pandemic

The U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) surveys of petroleum product sales by state show how sales of transportation fuels such as motor gasoline, jet fuel, and distillate fuel have changed so far in 2020 amid the various responses to the coronavirus pandemic. Motor gasoline sales fell the most in April and May, especially in states such as New Jersey and Michigan. Jet fuel sales have been lower in every month of 2020 to date in every state except Alaska, the home of one of the busiest cargo hub airports. More »

U.S. natural gas production, consumption, and exports set new records in 2019

The U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Natural Gas Annual shows that the United States set new records in natural gas production, consumption, and gross exports in 2019. In 2019, dry natural gas production increased by 10%, reaching a record-high average of 93.1 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d). U.S. natural gas consumption increased by 3%, led by greater use of natural gas in the electric power sector. Natural gas gross exports increased 29% to 12.8 Bcf/d. More »

Hurricane Laura shut in more Gulf of Mexico crude oil production than any storm since 2008

According to daily estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), Hurricane Laura reduced crude oil production in the Federal Offshore Gulf of Mexico by an estimated 14.4 million barrels during the 15 days rigs were shut down, the most of any hurricane since the combined effect of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008. More »

EIA's upcoming Residential Energy Consumption Survey will collect data from all 50 states

In September, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) launched data collection for the 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) to provide estimates of household energy use in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Most of the earlier iterations of EIA's survey of residential energy use provided state-level estimates for only the four largest states. More »