EIA expects U.S. ethane production to grow by 9% in the second half of 2022

Ethane production has been increasing in the United States for the past five years, and it reached a monthly record of 2.5 million barrels per day (b/d) in March. More than 2.4 million b/d of ethane has been produced in the United States every month since then. In our Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), we forecast ethane production in the second half of 2022 to grow by 9% compared with the first half of 2022, averaging over 2.6 million b/d. We expect that production in 2022 will exceed production in 2021 by 16%, or 340,000 b/d. More »

U.S. capacity to convert waste to energy declines after remaining steady since 1994

U.S. waste-to-energy (WTE) electric-generating capacity has recently started to decline after averaging around 2,219 megawatts (MW) for 24 years, according to our June 2022 Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory. From 2018 to 2022, 188 MW of WTE capacity retired, and another 36 MW is expected to retire by 2027. Low electricity prices, local opposition, and continued policy concerns about emissions have pressured WTE plant owners to close in recent years. More »

2020 inflation-adjusted U.S. energy expenditures lowest since 2002

In 2020, the amount U.S. consumers spent on energy (energy expenditures) fell to $1 trillion, the least amount since 2002, according to our State Energy Data System (SEDS). U.S. energy expenditures are the total amount spent on all energy used in the residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation sectors combined. COVID-19 mitigation efforts and warmer weather contributed to a record 7% decrease in energy consumption between 2019 and 2020, and when combined with the 10% decrease in average energy prices during that period (when adjusted for inflation), U.S. energy expenditures also declined. More »

Crude oil production in Texas’s Eagle Ford region has been increasing since February 2022

According to our latest Drilling Productivity Report, we estimate that crude oil production in the Eagle Ford region in south Texas will average 1.2 million barrels per day (b/d) during September 2022. Despite recent increases, less crude oil is being produced in the Eagle Ford region than before the pandemic, 1.4 million b/d in April 2020, and much less than the all-time high of 1.7 million b/d in March 2015. More »

Owners of coal-fired generating plants seek greater fuel flexibility

The amount of electric power produced from coal has been steadily declining in the United States over the past 10 years, falling to a 46-year low of 773,393 gigawatthours (GWh) in 2020. Although U.S. coal-fired generation increased by 16% to 898,679 GWh in 2021, we forecast a continued move away from coal. To be more competitive in the electric power market, some coal-fired plants are adding natural gas-fired generation to their coal-fired capacity (a fuel-flexible plant). More »

U.S. natural gas price saw record volatility in the first quarter of 2022

U.S. natural gas price volatility (a measure of daily price changes) reached its highest level in 20 years, hitting record highs in the first quarter (January—March) of 2022. The 30-day historical volatility of U.S. natural gas prices, which is based on the U.S. benchmark Henry Hub front-month futures price, averaged 179% in February compared with 57% during the first quarter of 2021. More »

Daily U.S. electricity generation from natural gas hit a record in mid-July

In the U.S. Lower 48 states, electric power generated by natural gas-fired power plants reached 6.37 million megawatthours on July 21, 2022, according to our Hourly Electric Grid Monitor. Despite relatively high natural gas prices, demand for natural gas for electricity generation has been strong throughout July as a result of above-normal temperatures, reduced coal-fired electricity generation, and recent additions to natural gas capacity. More »

Most U.S. fuel ethanol production capacity at the start of 2022 was in the Midwest

As of January 1, 2022, biofuel plant production capacity in the United States reached 21 billion gallons per year (gal/y) from 275 facilities. More than four-fifths of U.S. biofuel production capacity was for fuel ethanol. More »

EIA workshops explore international energy analysis improvements

In June, EIA hosted two workshops, where we invited energy experts to discuss ways we can improve our energy analysis in the International Energy Outlook (IEO). More »

U.S. natural gas exports to Mexico are increasing at the West Texas border

Natural gas pipeline exports from West Texas to Mexico averaged 1.6 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) during May 2022—the most pipeline exports from West Texas on record, according to our most recent monthly data. Compared with 2021, U.S. pipeline exports from West Texas increased by 12% from January through May 2022 to average 1.4 Bcf/d. More »

EIA expects production of global liquid fuels to outpace consumption in 2022

Changes to both production and consumption of global liquid fuels have changed our forecast for balances between the two for the rest of 2022 and 2023. For most of 2021, more liquid fuels were consumed globally than produced. Starting in the second quarter of 2022, global liquid fuels production rose above consumption. According to our August Short-Term Energy Outlook, we expect that during 2023, global supply and demand will be very closely matched. We forecast production in 2023 to average 101.3 million barrels per day (b/d) and consumption to average 101.5 million b/d. More »

EIA expects renewables to account for 22% of U.S. electricity generation in 2022

U.S. electricity generation from renewable sources, such as hydropower, wind, and solar, accounted for 20% of electricity generation both in 2020 and in 2021. We expect that share to increase to 22% in 2022 and to 24% in 2023 as more generating capacity from wind and solar come online and other generation sources, such as coal and nuclear, are retired. More »

In 2020, most U.S. households prepared at least one hot meal a day at home

In 2020, 79% of U.S. households prepared at least one hot meal at home each day, according to our 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS). Households in the Pacific Census Division and the New England Census Division were generally more likely to cook hot meals at home daily. For example, in Washington (in the Pacific Census Division), 88% of households prepared at least one hot meal each day, and in Maine (New England Census Division), the share was 86%. Households in the South, such as Alabama (69%) and Louisiana (68%), were less likely to cook hot meals daily. More »

Conflict in Libya since 2011 civil war has resulted in inconsistent crude oil production

Libya’s crude oil production averaged nearly 1.2 million barrels per day (b/d) during 2021. In late December 2021, armed militants shut in an estimated 0.4 million b/d of crude oil production. In April 2022, protesters across the country began to blockade several major ports and oil fields in Libya, causing production to fall to around 0.5 million b/d by July 2022. According to our Libya Country Analysis Brief, Libya’s crude oil production has continually fluctuated because of armed conflict and political instability since Libya’s first civil war, which began in 2011. More »

Utility-scale solar projects report delays

Power plant developers plan to install 17.8 gigawatts (GW) of utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) generating capacity in 2022, according to our June 2022 Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory. Over the first six months of 2022, 4.2 GW of that capacity came online, less than half of what the industry had planned to install in those months. From January through June 2022, about 20% of planned solar photovoltaic capacity was delayed. More »

EIA's Weekly Petroleum Status Report provides a snapshot of petroleum balances

EIA's Weekly Petroleum Status Report (WPSR) provides our most comprehensive data for weekly U.S. crude oil and refined petroleum product balances. Each week, WPSR provides detailed regional and national supply information on crude oil and major petroleum products used in the United States, including motor gasoline, distillate fuel oil, jet fuel, residual fuel, and propane. Our weekly estimates of inventories, refinery operations, and consumption are some of the most timely data series available anywhere to assess physical U.S. crude oil and petroleum product markets. More »

Russia's natural gas pipeline exports to Europe decline to almost 40-year lows

Russia's natural gas exports by pipeline to the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) declined by almost 40% during the first seven months of 2022 compared with the same period in 2021 and by almost 50% compared with the previous five-year (2017—21) average, according to data from Refinitiv Eikon. In mid-July 2022, exports declined to 1.2 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), the lowest level in nearly 40 years. Between 2016 and 2020, Russia had accounted for about one-third of the EU's and the UK's supply of natural gas via pipeline, according to Eurostat. More »

Energy production declined by record amounts in several states in 2020

In 2020, energy production in the United States fell by record amounts compared with 2019, mostly as a result of decreased economic activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Wyoming had the largest drop in total energy production among the states, decreasing by 1,264 trillion British thermal units, mostly due to decreased coal production. Seven states saw their largest annual energy production decline in at least 60 years, as reported in our State Energy Data System. More »

U.S. propane spot prices have declined from multiyear highs

After reaching multiyear highs in March, propane spot prices at the Mont Belvieu distribution hub in Texas have steadily declined. Propane prices reached $1.64 per gallon (gal) for the week ending March 11, 2022, the highest inflation-adjusted price since February 2014. Propane prices have declined by 32% since March to $1.14/gal for the week ending July 29, according to data from Refinitiv, an LSEG business. More »

Pipeline projects announced to expand Permian natural gas capacity

Our latest Natural Gas Pipeline Project Tracker includes five new projects—four newly announced projects and one project under construction—since the last update in April 2022. Of the four new projects, three will expand capacity for existing pipelines, and one will be a new pipeline. If completed as planned, these five projects together would increase takeaway capacity out of the Permian Basin by a combined 4.18 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) over the next two years. More »

The U.S. power grid added 15 GW of generating capacity in the first half of 2022

According to our latest inventory of electric generators, 15 gigawatts (GW) of new utility-scale electric generating capacity came online in the United States during the first half of 2022. Based on the most recently reported plans, developers could add another 29 GW of capacity in the second half of the year. More »

Several refining projects are scheduled in Asia and the Middle East

In Asia and the Middle East, at least nine refinery projects are beginning operations or are scheduled to come online before the end of 2023. At their current planned capacities, they will add 2.9 million barrels per day (b/d) of global refinery capacity once fully operational. More »

California natural gas storage levels are much lower in the north than in the south

Working natural gas inventories at storage facilities operated by the two largest natural gas distributors in California-Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) in the north and Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) in the south-totaled 100.6 billion cubic feet (Bcf) as of June 30, 2022, according to publicly available company data. Although total California inventories are 4% higher than they were one year ago, storage operation and capacity utilization vary significantly by region. More »