Pre-Thanksgiving gasoline prices at lowest level since 2015

The average U.S. regular retail gasoline price (the price that consumers pay at the pump) during the week before Thanksgiving this year was $2.10 per gallon (gal), the lowest average retail gasoline price for the Monday before Thanksgiving since 2015, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update. More »

EIA updates geological maps of Midland Basin's Wolfcamp formation

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has released new structure and thickness maps for the Wolfcamp play in the Midland Basin, which is a part of the larger Permian Basin in western Texas and southeastern New Mexico. The Wolfcamp formation has attracted many oil companies because of its stacked potential (that is, multiple hydrocarbon-producing zones on top of one another). More »

New York generated the fourth most electricity from renewable sources of any state in 2019

In 2019, more electricity was generated from renewable sources in New York than in all but three states, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Electric Power Monthly. New York's 39.4 million megawatthours (MWh) of renewable electricity generation was more than any other state east of the Mississippi River and accounted for 30% of the state's total electricity generation in 2019. More »

New York generated the fourth most electricity from renewable sources of any state in 2019

In 2019, more electricity was generated from renewable sources in New York than in all but three states, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Electric Power Monthly. New York's 39.4 million megawatthours (MWh) of renewable electricity generation was more than any other state east of the Mississippi River and accounted for 30% of the state's total electricity generation in 2019. More »

Off-grid solar generation could affect how Africa uses coal, natural gas for electricity

In the International Energy Outlook 2020 (IEO2020), the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects electricity generation in Africa using two cases with different assumptions about how future electricity needs are fulfilled. In the Maximum Grid Expansion case, in which a centralized grid is developed to meet electricity demand throughout the continent, EIA projects that solar photovoltaic generators will meet 13% of Africa's electricity generation in 2050. In this case, EIA's projections do not include off-grid, stand-alone generators. In contrast, in the Maximum Off-Grid case, where demand growth in the southern half of the continent (Africa-South) is met by off-grid resources, solar energy—from both grid-connected and off-grid systems—will provide 21% of continent-wide electricity generation in 2050. More »

About 25% of U.S. power plants can start up within an hour

About 25% of U.S. power plants can start up—going from being shut down to fully operating—within one hour, based on data collected in EIA's annual survey of electric generators. Some power plants, especially those powered by coal and nuclear fuel, require more than half a day to reach full operations. The time it takes a power plant to reach full operations can affect the reliability and operations of the electric grid. More »

The Gulf of Mexico saw its largest decrease in crude oil production since 2008 in August

In August 2020, the Federal Offshore Gulf of Mexico (GOM) saw its largest monthly decrease in production of crude oil since September 2008, dropping by 453,000 barrels per day (b/d), or 27%. Production of crude oil in the GOM totaled 1.2 million b/d in August 2020, which is its lowest production rate in nearly seven years. The regional drop in production resulted from the path of both Hurricanes Laura and Marco in late August. More »

Natural gas inventories end the injection season near the record high

The amount of working natural gas in storage in the United States ended the natural gas injection, or refill, season (April 1–October 31) at 3,920 billion cubic feet (Bcf), according to interpolated data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report released on November 13. The amount of natural gas held in underground storage in the Lower 48 states is now near the record-high value, 4,047 Bcf, reached in mid-November 2016. More »

Natural gas inventories end the injection season near the record high

The amount of working natural gas in storage in the United States ended the natural gas injection, or refill, season (April 1–October 31) at 3,920 billion cubic feet (Bcf), according to interpolated data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report released on November 13. The amount of natural gas held in underground storage in the Lower 48 states is now near the record-high value, 4,047 Bcf, reached in mid-November 2016. More »

Interregional electricity trade in India affects shares of solar and coal-fired generation

With more than 1.3 billion people, India is the second-most populous country in the world and has the third-highest energy consumption level after China and the United States. To help meet the country's energy needs, India is expanding its electric transmission infrastructure to improve electricity movement between regions of the country. In the International Energy Outlook 2020 (IEO2020), the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) considers how interregional electricity grid connections could influence India's future electricity generating fuel choices. EIA's modeling shows that greater levels of grid connectivity and electricity trade between regions result in more electricity generation from solar and less from coal. More »

2020 could be a record year for U.S. wind turbine installations

According to data collected by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), project developers expect more than 23 gigawatts (GW) of wind turbine generating capacity to come online in the United States in 2020, far more than the previous record of 13.2 GW added in 2012. Only 5.0 GW of capacity has come online in the first eight months of this year, according to EIA's Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory, but as is typical with wind turbine installations, most of the annual capacity additions come online in the final months of the year. Another 18.5 GW plan to come online in September through December, according to project timelines reported to EIA by power plant owners and developers. More »

U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions fell in 2019, mainly in electric generation

After rising by 3% in 2018, energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions fell 3% in the United States in 2019. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) U.S. Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions, 2019 analysis, total energy-related CO2 emissions in 2019 were about 150 million metric tons (MMmt) lower than their 2018 level. EIA attributes nearly all (96%) of this decline to the changing mix of fuels used to generate electricity. More »

U.S. refinery runs remain lower than the five-year range

Since April, when responses to the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) reduced demand for refined products such as gasoline, distillate fuel, and jet fuel, gross inputs of crude oil and other raw materials to U.S. refineries (refinery runs) have been lower than the five-year range (2015—19). Although runs have increased compared with their April lows, the continued effects of the pandemic, in addition to seasonal factors, have resulted in continued lower refinery runs. As of October 30, U.S. refinery runs were 14.0 million barrels per day (b/d), or about 13% lower than the average for this time of year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Weekly Petroleum Status Report. More »

U.S. power customers experienced an average of nearly five hours of interruptions in 2019

Interruptions in electricity service to customers vary in frequency and duration across the nearly 3,000 electric distribution systems that serve about 155 million customers in the United States. In 2019, U.S. customers experienced an average of 3.2 hours of interruptions during major events and 1.5 hours of interruptions without major events, or nearly 5 hours total. More »

Power sector consumed 30% less coal in first-half 2020 than in first-half 2019

From January to June 2020, the electric power sector consumed 184.8 million short tons (MMst) of coal, 30% less than during the same period in 2019. After setting an annual record of 1,045 MMst in 2007, coal consumption in the electric power sector has been declining. This decline is happening as many coal-fired power plants are retiring or are converting to natural gas, driven by tighter air emission standards and the decreased cost-competitiveness of coal relative to other resources. More »

In 2019, the U.S. imported $13 billion of energy goods from Mexico, exported $34 billion

In every year since 2015, the value of U.S. energy exports to Mexico has exceeded the value of energy imports from Mexico. In 2019, the value of selected energy imports-crude oil, petroleum products, and natural gas-fell to $13 billion, and the value of energy exports remained nearly equal to the 2018 value of $34 billion. More »

OPEC members' net oil export revenue in 2020 expected to drop to lowest level since 2002

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts that members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will earn about $323 billion in net oil export revenues in 2020. If realized, this forecast revenue would be the lowest in 18 years. Lower crude oil prices and lower export volumes drive this expected decrease in export revenues. More »

EIA forecasts more residential natural gas consumption this winter than last

In the October 2020 Short-Term Energy Outlook, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts that residential natural gas consumption for the 2020–21 winter season (October–March) will average 21.1 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), 5% more than last winter. EIA expects more residential natural gas consumption because of forecasts for colder temperatures this winter and changes in consumer behavior. More »