New data series show more detail for crude oil stocks, storage by region

In an effort to better present crude oil storage capacity and use across the United States, EIA has prepared new tables as part of the semiannual Working and Net Available Shell Storage Capacity Report. The new series show crude oil stocks held in tanks and underground storage in each Petroleum Administration for Defense District (PADD). Previously, this information was only available at the national level. More »

Proposed Clean Power Plan would accelerate renewable additions and coal plant retirements

EIA's analysis of the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed Clean Power Plan shows that renewables play a critical role under a range of different market conditions and policy assumptions. The key difference across the scenarios analyzed involves the timing and extent that wind and solar electric generating capacity additions occur, as well as retirements of some generation capacity, mainly coal-fired units and relatively inefficient plants that use natural gas or oil-fired boilers to run steam turbines. More »

Increases in U.S. crude oil production are predominantly light, sweet crude

U.S. crude oil production has grown rapidly in recent years, primarily from light, sweet crude (less dense, lower sulfur content) from tight resource formations. Roughly 90% of the nearly 3.0 million barrel per day (b/d) growth in production from 2011 to 2014 consisted of light, sweet grades, meaning they have an API gravity of 40 or above and a sulphur content of 0.3% or less. More »

Levelized cost comparisons help explain value of various electric generation technologies

When power plants are built, several factors influence the choice of fuels and technologies that will ultimately generate electricity. Cost is one of the most difficult factors to compare, as technologies can have vastly different capital, fuel, maintenance, and financing costs, as well as different utilization rates and access to fuel resources. Two measures, the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) and the levelized avoided cost of electricity (LACE), are widely used to make cost comparisons across technologies. More »

Crude oil adjustment balances independently developed supply and disposition components

The crude oil adjustment is perhaps the most frequently misunderstood component of the U.S. crude oil balance published in EIA's Weekly Petroleum Status Report. This adjustment reflects the combined uncertainty around each of the crude oil data elements that EIA uses to assess the balance between U.S. crude oil supply and its disposition. More »

EIA conference on current energy issues is two weeks away

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) will hold its 2015 Energy Conference on June 15 and 16 in Washington, DC. This two-day event provides the opportunity to meet and network with energy analysts, decision makers, and EIA staff. Last year more than 900 people from industry, government, and academia attended EIA's conference. More »