New infrastructure connects West Texas natural gas-producing areas to demand markets

Recently completed pipeline projects in Texas and Mexico have increased natural gas transportation capacity from the Waha Hub—located near Permian Basin production activities in West Texas—to the U.S. Gulf Coast and Mexico. Since October 2020, two completed projects in Texas and two completed projects in Mexico have increased the Waha Hub's connectivity to demand markets and, in turn, reduced the price difference between natural gas at the Waha Hub and the Henry Hub. More »

In 2020, natural gas exports and natural gas for electricity reached record highs

In 2020, both natural gas consumption by the U.S. electric power sector and natural gas exports reached record highs, despite a 2% annual decline in domestic dry natural gas production. Dry natural gas production doesn't include natural gas plant liquids (NGPL), such as ethane and propane. In 2020, NGPL production grew to a record-high 2.7 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), up 7% from 2019. Our U.S. natural gas flow diagram shows the volume of U.S. natural gas supply (production, imports, and withdrawals from storage) and disposition (consumption, exports, and additions to storage) in 2020. More »

U.S. energy consumption in 2020 increased for renewables, fell for all other fuels

We recently updated our U.S. energy consumption by source and sector chart with 2020 data. All sources for U.S. energy consumption totaled 92.9 quadrillion British thermal units (quads) in 2020, a record 7% decrease from 2019. Consumption decreased for all fuels compared with 2019 except renewable energy, which increased by 2%. Petroleum consumption decreased 13%, natural gas decreased 2%, coal decreased 19%, and nuclear electric power decreased 2%. More »

U.S. natural gas storage capacity has remained flat over the past eight years

Underground natural gas working storage capacity in the Lower 48 states has remained relatively flat since 2012. We measure natural gas working storage capacity in two ways: design capacity and demonstrated peak capacity. Both measures of capacity were relatively unchanged in 2020 compared with 2019: design capacity increased 0.1% and demonstrated peak capacity decreased 0.2%. The largest regional year-over-year change was a decrease in demonstrated peak capacity in the Pacific region. More »

Agricultural feedstock costs drive RIN prices to all-time highs

The prices of renewable identification number (RIN) credits—the compliance mechanism used for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—sharply increased through April of this year, and they are now higher than at any time during the 13-year history of the RFS program. Rising global demand for the agricultural feedstocks used to make corn fuel ethanol and biomass-based diesel fuels has driven fuel ethanol and biomass-based diesel prices higher in 2021, pushing their corresponding RIN prices to new highs. More »

Vietnam's latest power development plan focuses on expanding renewable sources

In February 2021, the government of Vietnam released a draft of the country's latest national power development plan, Power Development Plan 8 (PDP 8), for 2021 to 2030. The draft PDP 8 expands wind and solar capacity and increases their shares of the country's generation mix. The draft PDP 8 also prioritizes enhancing grid infrastructure to ensure stable operation with a higher share of renewables. More »