Nearly 90% of U.S. households used air conditioning in 2020

According to the most recent results from the 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey, 88% of U.S. households use air conditioning (AC). Two-thirds of U.S. households use central AC or a central heat pump as their main AC equipment. More »

Memorial Day real gasoline prices highest since 2012, near record levels

On May 23, heading into this Memorial Day weekend, the U.S. average retail price of regular gasoline was $4.59 per gallon (gal), the highest inflation-adjusted (real) price since 2012. On a nominal basis, this price is the all-time highest price for gasoline recorded in our weekly Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update, which dates back to 1990. The high price of gasoline is currently driven by several factors, including the price of crude oil, the effects of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and rising U.S. gasoline demand outpacing refinery runs. . More »

Beneficial use of power sector combustion byproducts exceeded material disposed in 2020

Combusting fuel for electricity generation creates solid byproducts, which have decreased in recent years as some fuels—especially coal, the source of nearly all of these byproducts—have been used less frequently in the United States. In 2020, for the first time since we began collecting these data in 2008, larger amounts of these byproducts were put to beneficial use rather than disposed of. More »

European petroleum tanker rates rise due to geopolitical instability and marine fuel costs

Petroleum tanker rates for routes originating in Europe rose to record highs in April 2022 because of geopolitical instability related to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and rising marine fuel prices, also known as bunker fuel. Dirty tanker rates for Aframax-sized vessels originating in the Black Sea in southeast Europe increased to $32.10 per metric ton (mt) in April 2022, more than triple the $10.11/mt price in January 2022. The tanker rates for routes originating in the Baltic Sea in northern Europe reached $41.38/mt in April 2022, up from $7.50/mt in January 2022. More »

FERC approves new natural gas pipeline projects to increase U.S. exports

Our recently updated Natural Gas Pipeline Project Tracker tracks recently approved and completed natural gas pipeline projects. In the first quarter of 2022, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved three projects intended to increase U.S. natural gas exports via pipeline and as liquefied natural gas (LNG). Our tracker also lists pipelines that were completed last quarter. More »

U.S. retail diesel prices increase to over $6 per gallon in the Northeast

On May 16, 2022, the average U.S. on-highway retail diesel fuel price was $5.61 per gallon (gal), a $2.00/gal increase from January 3. Although retail diesel prices have increased across the entire United States, prices in the Northeast have increased the most and are now among the highest in the country. On May 16, the average retail diesel price was $6.43/gal in the New England region and $6.36/gal in the Central Atlantic region, increases of 78% and 68%, respectively, since the beginning of the year. Retail diesel prices in these regions are nearly equal to California’s average of $6.47/gal, according to our Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update. More »

EIA Product Highlight: Natural Gas Storage Dashboard

Our Natural Gas Storage Dashboard provides daily and weekly contextual information to the Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report (WNGSR), which contains our latest weekly natural gas storage estimates. The dashboard shows storage activity in several regions of the Lower 48 states and key market fundamentals that affect underground natural gas storage activity. More »

EIA expects solar and wind to be larger sources of U.S. electricity generation this summer

In our Summer Electricity Outlook, a supplement to our May 2022 Short-Term Energy Outlook, we expect the largest increases in U.S. electric power sector generation this summer will come from renewable energy sources. These increases are the result of new capacity additions. We forecast utility-scale solar generation between June and August 2022 will grow by 10 million megawatthours (MWh) compared with the same period last summer, and wind generation will grow by 8 million MWh. Forecast generation from coal and natural gas declines by 26 million MWh this summer, although natural gas generation could increase in some electricity markets where coal supplies are constrained. More »

EIA Product Highlight: Status of U.S. Nuclear Outages

Every morning, each nuclear electricity generator in the United States reports its operating status to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The NRC compiles this information in its Power Reactor Status Report, and we present that information in interactive visualizations on our Status of Nuclear Outages page. Our analysis tool combines the NRC daily status with data gathered from our Annual Electric Generator Report and Monthly Update to the Annual Electric Generator Report. The page includes two maps showing the capacity and outage status of U.S. nuclear plants. More »

Stronger U.S. dollar contributes to higher crude oil prices in international markets

The price of Brent crude oil, the world benchmark, has increased in 2022, partly as a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In addition, a strong U.S. dollar means that countries that use currencies other than the U.S. dollar pay more as crude oil prices increase. Since June 1, 2021, the Brent crude oil price has increased by 59% in U.S. dollars and by 86% in euros. More »

Natural gas production in the Bakken region grew while crude oil fell in 2021

Annual natural gas production (measured as gross withdrawals) in North Dakota’s Bakken region increased by 9% in 2021, even as the region’s crude oil production declined by 6%, according to our Drilling Productivity Report. More »

U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions rose 6% in 2021

In 2021, U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions increased by 296 million metric tons (MMmt), or 6%, compared with 2020 levels. This increase followed a rise in economic activity and energy consumption once the initial economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic began to subside. Despite this increase in total emissions, in 2021, they were 274 MMmt (5%) lower than their pre-pandemic level in 2019 and 1,143 MMmt (19%) lower than their 2007 historical peak. More »

Natural gas consumed by U.S. electric power sector sets January record in 2022

In January 2022, natural gas consumed for electric power in the United States averaged 31.6 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), the highest January average on record and the highest amount for any winter month. Natural gas consumed for electric power this past January was higher than in previous Januaries because of high demand for electricity throughout a colder-than-average January combined with less coal-fired electric power generation. More »

East Coast jet fuel prices remain higher than other spot price hubs

The spot jet fuel price in New York Harbor traded at record-high levels for several weeks in April. The price has since declined, but it has remained higher than the prices at both the U.S. Gulf Coast and the Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Antwerp (ARA) trading hubs. The high jet fuel prices coincide with record-low jet fuel inventory levels on the East Coast and rising demand for air travel. A confluence of supply and demand factors has contributed to increased price volatility in the East Coast jet fuel market. More »

U.S. ammonia prices rise in response to higher international natural gas prices

The U.S. price of ammonia, the primary source of nitrogen fertilizer, has risen by a factor of six in the past two years, and most of these increases have occurred since March 2021. Ammonia prices generally follow natural gas prices because ammonia is produced primarily from natural gas. U.S. ammonia prices closely follow international ammonia prices because approximately 14% of total U.S. ammonia consumption is met by imports. Generally, prices of commodity chemicals (ammonia) closely correlate with prices of feedstock (natural gas). Because the global ammonia market is highly interconnected, the U.S. price of ammonia closely follows international ammonia prices rather than only U.S. natural gas prices. Compared with natural gas prices in the United States, which have remained relatively steady, international natural gas prices have risen rapidly over the past 12 months, pulling ammonia prices higher. More »

In 2021, value of energy trade between the United States and Canada rose from 2020 lows

In 2021, the value of U.S. energy imports from Canada totaled $102 billion, which is 76% higher compared with 2020. The value of U.S. energy exports to Canada totaled $21.9 billion, 40% higher compared with 2020, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. More »

In 2021, the value of energy trade between the U.S. and Mexico reached a nine-year high

In 2021, the value of energy trade between the United States and Mexico reached a nine-year high. This energy trade value represents the combined value of energy imports and exports between the two countries. In 2021, energy accounted for 15% of the value of all U.S. exports to Mexico. The value of U.S. energy exports to Mexico totaled $42 billion in 2021—the highest value in the U.S. Census Bureau data, which started in 1996. More »

U.S. oil producers increased capital expenditures and cash from operations in late 2021

In response to higher crude oil prices, financial results for 42 U.S. exploration and production (E&P) companies showed large increases in both cash from operations and capital expenditures in the fourth quarter of 2021 (4Q21). Cash from operations for the E&P companies reached $27.5 billion in 4Q21, the largest amount in any quarter since 3Q14. Compared with 3Q21, capital expenditures increased 60% to $15 billion. However, despite higher capital spending and increasing crude oil prices, crude oil production by the E&P companies was still 10% below pre-pandemic levels. More »

About 20% of U.S. electric power generating capacity can operate on multiple fuels

As of January 2021, the United States had almost 200 gigawatts (GW) of electric generating capacity that could functionally switch fuels, or about 18% of the total 1,116 GW of utility-scale electric generating capacity. About two-thirds, or 745 GW, of all utility-scale generating capacity involved technologies that could potentially use multiple energy sources, such as combustion turbines and steam turbines, as opposed to 371 GW of capacity that are single-source technologies such as wind turbines, hydroelectric dams, and nuclear reactors. More »

More than half of U.S. homes used a streaming device with their TVs in 2020

According to the most recent results from the Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS), 56% of U.S. homes used at least one internet streaming device with a TV in 2020—an increase from 29% in 2015. An equal percentage of U.S. homes, 56%, used at least one set-top box with a TV in 2020, which is a decline from 76% in 2015. About 27% of homes used both a streaming device and a set-top box in 2020, up from 21% in 2015. More »

As of 2021, China imports more liquefied natural gas than any other country

In 2021, China imported more liquefied natural gas (LNG) than any other country, according to data from Global Trade Tracker and China’s General Administration of Customs. Prior to 2021, Japan had been the world’s largest LNG importer for decades, according to data from Cedigaz. More »