Total U.S. energy production falls in 2016 after six consecutive years of increases

U.S. primary energy production totaled 84.1 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) in 2016, falling 4% from the 2015 level, the first annual decline in U.S. energy production since 2009. The decline in production coincided with an increase in both total energy imports and exports. More »

Increase in rail shipments of propane, butane to West Coast offsets decreasing production

Total U.S. production of propane and butanes—commonly referred to as liquefied petroleum gases (LPG)—increased to 2.1 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2016. Production increased in all regions of the country except for the West Coast (Petroleum Administration for Defense District, or PADD 5). More »

Coal production increases during second half of 2016, but still below 2015 levels

After falling in six out of seven quarters since mid-2014, coal production rose in the third and fourth quarters of 2016. Among the coal supply regions, the Powder River Basin in Montana and Wyoming saw the largest increases in the second half of 2016. More »

U.S. crude oil exports went to more destinations in 2016

In 2016, U.S. crude oil exports averaged 520,000 barrels per day (b/d), 55,000 b/d (12%) above the 2015 level, despite a year-over-year decline in domestic crude oil production. Even though oil exports have increased, growth in U.S. crude oil exports has slowed significantly from its pace from 2013 to 2015, when annual U.S. crude oil production grew rapidly. More »

Growing global liquefied natural gas trade could support market hub development in Asia

Asia is the world's largest consumer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), accounting for three-quarters of global LNG trade and one-third of total global natural gas trade. However, the region lacks a pricing benchmark that can reliably reflect supply and demand changes in Asia's natural gas markets. More »

Maryland increases renewable portfolio standard target to 25% by 2020

This February, Maryland increased the renewables generation target in its renewable portfolio standard (RPS) to 25% of retail electricity sales by 2020, replacing the earlier target of 20% by 2022. The change occurred as legislators in both houses of the state’s General Assembly voted to override the governor’s veto of legislation they had first passed in 2016. More »

Brazil has the third-largest electricity sector in the Americas

Brazil generates the third-highest amount of electricity in the Americas, behind only the United States and Canada. In 2016, Brazil had an installed generating capacity of 137 gigawatts (GW) and generated 560 billion kilowatt hours of electricity. More »

Precipitation and snowpack in California expected to increase hydro generation in 2017

For the first time since 2011, California’s drought is significantly weakening—a result of one of the wettest winters on record. More »

U.S. biomass-based diesel imports increase 65%, set new record in 2016

U.S. imports of biomass-based diesel, which include biodiesel and renewable diesel, increased by 65% in 2016 to reach a record level of 916 million gallons. More »

Despite growth late in the year, U.S. crude oil production decreased in 2016

Despite increasing crude oil prices throughout most of 2016, total U.S. crude oil production in 2016 was below its 2015 level. However, monthly production began growing in the fourth quarter of the year after declining over the first three quarters. More »

Increasing exports contribute to large draw on propane inventories this winter

U.S. propane inventories, which had been above historical norms since mid-2014, declined by 59 million barrels from the beginning of October 2016 through early March 2017, the largest decline on record for this period, despite unseasonably mild temperatures. More »

U.S. ethanol exports rise 26% in 2016 to second-highest level on record

U.S. exports of fuel ethanol in 2016, totaled more than 1 billion gallons (68,000 barrels per day), an increase of 26% from the 2015 level. U.S. imports of ethanol, which are relatively much smaller, decreased by 60% to 36 million gallons in 2016. More »

Midwest, Rocky Mountain regions' production of transportation fuels meeting more of demand

Changes in North American energy markets over the past decade have strengthened the supply of transportation fuels, including motor gasoline, distillates, and jet fuel, in the Midwest and Rocky Mountain regions, according to a new study commissioned by EIA. More »

U.S. coal exports and imports both decline in 2016 as U.S. remains net coal exporter

The United States remained a net exporter of coal in 2016, exporting 60.3 million short tons (MMst) and importing 9.8 MMst. U.S. coal exports fell for the fourth consecutive year, down 13.7 MMst from 2015, with 2016 exports less than half of the record volume of coal exported in 2012 (125.7 MMst). Slow growth in world coal demand combined with supplier competition were the primary factors contributing to the decline in U.S. coal exports. More »

Hydroelectric generators are among the United States’ oldest power plants

Conventional hydroelectric generators account for 7% of the operating electricity generating capacity in the United States and about 6% to 7% of U.S. electricity generation each year. Conventional hydroelectric plants are different from pumped-storage facilities, which produce electricity from water previously pumped to an upper reservoir. More »

Another type of crude oil to be included in calculation of the Brent price benchmark

The method for assessing the Brent global benchmark crude oil price is scheduled to change in 2018. The Brent price benchmark reflects transactions involving physical cargoes of several specific grades of crude oil in the North Sea, located between the United Kingdom and Norway. More »

Warm weather leads to first recorded natural gas storage injection in February

Warmer than normal weather throughout much of the United States resulted in the first recorded net natural gas injection during a week in February since weekly storage data has been collected. For the week ending February 24, the amount of natural gas in storage in the Lower 48 states increased 7 billion cubic feet (Bcf). More »

U.S. crude oil and natural gas production both fell in 2016

Several large natural gas interstate pipeline projects have come online in recent years to support the shifting geography of domestic natural gas production. The Marcellus and Utica shale plays in the Northeast, where production has grown and resources are abundant, are major drivers for pipeline development. More »

FERC certificates several new natural gas pipelines in 2017

Several large natural gas interstate pipeline projects have come online in recent years to support the shifting geography of domestic natural gas production. The Marcellus and Utica shale plays in the Northeast, where production has grown and resources are abundant, are major drivers for pipeline development. More »

U.S. wind generating capacity surpasses hydro capacity at the end of 2016

Installed wind electric generating capacity in the United States surpassed conventional hydroelectric generating capacity, long the nation’s largest source of renewable electricity, after 8,727 megawatts (MW) of new wind capacity came online in 2016. More »

California imports about a quarter of its electricity on average

In 2016, the California Independent Systems Operator (ISO), which coordinates most of the electricity used in California, imported a net daily average of 201 billion kilowatthours (kWh) throughout the year from other western regions, or about 26% of its average daily demand. More »

Projected carbon dioxide emissions are sensitive to factors driving fossil fuel use

The U.S. Energy Information Administration's Annual Energy Outlook 2017, released in January, explores several factors affecting projected fossil fuel use and the resulting level of energy-related CO2 emissions over the coming decades. More »

Canada is the United States’ largest partner for energy trade

Canada is the largest energy trading partner of the United States. Based on the latest annual data from the U.S. Census Bureau, energy accounted for about 5% of the value of all U.S. exports to Canada and more than 19% of the value of all U.S. imports from Canada in 2016. More »