U.S. petroleum refinery capacity continues to increase

As of January 1, 2017, U.S. operable atmospheric crude distillation capacity reached 18.6 million barrels per calendar day (b/cd), 1.6% higher than at the beginning of 2016, according to EIA's annual Refinery Capacity Report. This increase in operable capacity was slightly lower than last year’s increase of 2.0%. More »

EIA adds small-scale solar photovoltaic forecasts to its monthly Short-Term Energy Outlook

For the first time, EIA's Short-Term Energy Outlook, to be released later today, includes forecasts for small-scale solar photovoltaic capacity and electricity generation. EIA forecasts that total U.S. small-scale solar PV capacity will grow from 14.3 gigawatts (GW) at the end of April 2017 to 21.9 GW at the end of 2018. More »

Florida’s Sabal Trail pipeline and associated natural gas pipeline projects begin service

On July 3, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authorized Phase I of the Sabal Trail pipeline to begin full operation. Sabal Trail is a 515-mile interstate natural gas pipeline transporting natural gas from an interconnection with the Transco pipeline in Tallapoosa County, Alabama, to the Central Florida Hub in Osceola County, Florida. More »

Energy commodity prices declined more than other commodities in the first half of 2017

The energy component of the Standard and Poor’s Goldman Sachs Commodity Index (GSCI) fell 11% during the first half of 2017, the largest decline for any commodity group in the index. Other components of the index—livestock, industrial metals, precious metals, and agriculture—had end-of-June prices that were higher than at the beginning of the year. More »

Construction costs for most power plant types have fallen in recent years

Based on EIA survey data for new, utility-scale electric generators (those with a capacity greater than one megawatt), capacity-weighted average construction costs for many generator types have fallen in recent years. Annual changes in construction costs include the effects of differences in the geographic distribution of installed capacity between years, differences in technology types, and other changes in capital and financing costs. More »

Even as renewables increase, fossil fuels continue to dominate U.S. energy mix

Fossil fuels have provided more than 80% of total U.S. energy consumption for more than 100 years. Since 1928, when consumption of natural gas surpassed that of biomass, the three fossil fuels—petroleum, natural gas, and coal—have been the three most consumed fuels in the United States. More »