U.S. shipments of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules (solar panels) rose to a record electricity-generating capacity of 28.8 million peak kilowatts (kW) in 2021, from 21.8 million peak kW in 2020, based on data from our Annual Photovoltaic Module Shipments Report. Continued demand for U.S. solar capacity drove this increase in solar panel shipments in 2021. […]
Category: Today in Energy
EIA expects U.S. ethane production to grow by 9% in the second half of 2022
Ethane production has been increasing in the United States for the past five years, and it reached a monthly record of 2.5 million barrels per day (b/d) in March. More than 2.4 million b/d of ethane has been produced in the United States every month since then. In our Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), we forecast […]
U.S. capacity to convert waste to energy declines after remaining steady since 1994
U.S. waste-to-energy (WTE) electric-generating capacity has recently started to decline after averaging around 2,219 megawatts (MW) for 24 years, according to our June 2022 Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory. From 2018 to 2022, 188 MW of WTE capacity retired, and another 36 MW is expected to retire by 2027. Low electricity prices, local opposition, and […]
2020 inflation-adjusted U.S. energy expenditures lowest since 2002
In 2020, the amount U.S. consumers spent on energy (energy expenditures) fell to $1 trillion, the least amount since 2002, according to our State Energy Data System (SEDS). U.S. energy expenditures are the total amount spent on all energy used in the residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation sectors combined. COVID-19 mitigation efforts and warmer weather […]
Crude oil production in Texas’s Eagle Ford region has been increasing since February 2022
According to our latest Drilling Productivity Report, we estimate that crude oil production in the Eagle Ford region in south Texas will average 1.2 million barrels per day (b/d) during September 2022. Despite recent increases, less crude oil is being produced in the Eagle Ford region than before the pandemic, 1.4 million b/d in April […]
Owners of coal-fired generating plants seek greater fuel flexibility
The amount of electric power produced from coal has been steadily declining in the United States over the past 10 years, falling to a 46-year low of 773,393 gigawatthours (GWh) in 2020. Although U.S. coal-fired generation increased by 16% to 898,679 GWh in 2021, we forecast a continued move away from coal. To be more […]
U.S. natural gas price saw record volatility in the first quarter of 2022
U.S. natural gas price volatility (a measure of daily price changes) reached its highest level in 20 years, hitting record highs in the first quarter (January—March) of 2022. The 30-day historical volatility of U.S. natural gas prices, which is based on the U.S. benchmark Henry Hub front-month futures price, averaged 179% in February compared with […]
Daily U.S. electricity generation from natural gas hit a record in mid-July
In the U.S. Lower 48 states, electric power generated by natural gas-fired power plants reached 6.37 million megawatthours on July 21, 2022, according to our Hourly Electric Grid Monitor. Despite relatively high natural gas prices, demand for natural gas for electricity generation has been strong throughout July as a result of above-normal temperatures, reduced coal-fired […]
Most U.S. fuel ethanol production capacity at the start of 2022 was in the Midwest
As of January 1, 2022, biofuel plant production capacity in the United States reached 21 billion gallons per year (gal/y) from 275 facilities. More than four-fifths of U.S. biofuel production capacity was for fuel ethanol. […]
EIA workshops explore international energy analysis improvements
In June, EIA hosted two workshops, where we invited energy experts to discuss ways we can improve our energy analysis in the International Energy Outlook (IEO). […]