Nonfossil fuel energy sources accounted for 21% of U.S. energy consumption in 2022

Primary energy consumption in the United States was 100.4 quadrillion British thermal units (quads) in 2022, a 3% increase from 2021. About 21% of U.S. energy consumption in 2022 came from nonfossil fuel sources such as renewables and nuclear—a tie with 2020 as the highest share since the early 1900s, according to data in our Monthly Energy Review. Fossil fuels—petroleum, natural gas, and coal—accounted for 79% of total U.S. energy consumption in 2022. More »

Energy trade between Mexico and the United States reached a record $81.9 billion in 2022

In 2022, energy trade between the United States and Mexico increased substantially from 2021 because high commodity prices drove up the value of the trade. Energy trade in 2022 between the United States and Mexico totaled $81.9 billion in real prices, an all-time high. Energy trade value is the combined value of energy imports and exports between two countries. Trade value is driven by both commodity prices and the commodity volumes imported and exported. More »

LNG-exporting Gulf Coast states drove U.S. natural gas demand growth

U.S. natural gas demand (domestic consumption plus gross exports) increased 43%, or 34.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), from 2012 to 2022. Demand in the Gulf Coast states of Louisiana and Texas grew by 116%, or 16.0 Bcf/d, driven largely by increased demand for feedgas for liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. U.S. LNG exports began in 2016 with the startup of the Sabine Pass LNG export terminal in Louisiana. Other terminals in both states began exporting LNG soon after, prompting most of the growth in natural gas demand. More »

Two-thirds of North America is at risk of energy shortfalls in high summer heat NERC says

If temperatures spike this summer, parts of the United States could face electricity supply shortages as demand for cooling increases, according to analysis by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC). The latest summer reliability report from NERC warns that two-thirds of North America is at risk of energy shortfalls this summer during periods of extremely high electricity demand. More »

EIA's weekly natural gas products provide timely natural gas information

We provide daily and weekly information on natural gas market activity and drivers in three weekly products: the Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report, the Natural Gas Storage Dashboard, and the Natural Gas Weekly Update. More »

As solar capacity grows duck curves are getting deeper in California

As more solar capacity has come online in California, grid operators at the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) have observed a drop in net load (or the demand remaining after subtracting variable renewable generation) in the middle of the day when solar generation tends to be highest. When graphed for a typical day, the pattern created by the midday dip in the net load curve, followed by a steep rise in the evenings when solar generation drops off, looks like the outline of a duck, so this pattern is often called a duck curve. As solar capacity in California continues to grow, the midday dip in net load is getting lower, presenting challenges for grid operators. More »

U.S. diesel prices have fallen below prices from before Russia's invasion of Ukraine

U.S. ultra-low sulfur diesel front-month futures prices have declined each month since January 2023 and, as of May, averaged $0.50 per gallon (gal) lower than prices in February 2022, just before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. For over a year, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the reaction to it, has disrupted global crude oil and petroleum product markets. More »

Nigeria was the top crude oil producer in Africa but disruptions threaten production

For many years, more crude oil was produced in Nigeria than in any other country in Africa. However, unplanned production outages—or disruptions—in Nigeria have, at times, resulted in its crude oil production falling below that of Angola, the second-highest producing country in Africa. Disruptions remain a significant and persistent downside risk to Nigeria’s crude oil production, according to our updated Country Analysis Brief: Nigeria. More »

U.S. electric power sector continues water efficiency gains

As the country's generation mix moves away from the most water-intensive sources of generation, U.S. electric power sector water withdrawals for power plant cooling remained relatively constant in 2021, increasing by just 0.3% from 2020 to 47.7 trillion gallons of water. The slight increase compares to a 2.5% rise in U.S. electricity generation in 2021. More »

Natural gas production in the Permian region established a new record in 2022

Gross natural gas withdrawals in the Permian region set an annual record high in 2022 at 21.0 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), 14% above the 2021 average, according to our Drilling Productivity Report. Annual gross natural gas production in the Permian region, which extends across western Texas and eastern New Mexico, has been rising steadily for over a decade and continued to grow in the first four months of 2023. More »

U.S. ethane exports set a monthly record in March 2023

U.S. ethane exports averaged 537,000 barrels per day (b/d) in March 2023, an all-time high since the United States began exporting ethane nearly a decade ago, according to our May 2023 Petroleum Supply Monthly. Increased export capacity in recent years has allowed more ethane to be exported. More »

Increased U.S. renewable and natural gas generation likely to reduce summer coal demand

We forecast that the largest increases in U.S. electricity generation this summer (June, July, and August) will come from solar, wind, and natural gas-fired power plants because of new generating capacity coming online, according to our June Short-Term Energy Outlook. The rising generation from these sources will likely be offset by reduced generation from coal-fired power plants. More »

U.S. electricity generation from natural gas was highest on record this past winter

According to our Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), U.S. electricity generation from natural gas reached a record-high 619 billion kilowatthours (BkWh) during the most recent winter heating season (November 1–March 31), averaging more than 120 BkWh per month and accounting for 38% of the country's electricity generation mix. Electricity generation from natural gas increased in the United States this past winter due to increased demand for electricity and continued reductions in electricity generation from coal. More »

The largest coal-fired power plant in Pennsylvania will close by July 2023

After 54 years of providing power to Pennsylvania and New York, the Homer City Generating Station in Pennsylvania will close by July 2023, according to the plant's owner. The 1,888 megawatt coal plant began generating electricity in 1969, when Units 1 and 2 entered service. Unit 3 was added in 1977. More »

China’s natural gas consumption and LNG imports declined in 2022, amid zero-COVID policies

In 2022, annual natural gas consumption in China declined by 1%, or 0.4 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), from 2021, according to data from S&P Global Commodity Insights—the first decline in annual consumption since 1990, according to our International Energy Statistics. Slower economic growth, mainly resulting from widespread lockdowns associated with China’s zero-COVID policies, prompted the drop in natural gas consumption. Government policies also reprioritized energy supply security, including growth in coal production, over emissions targets. More »