From January to June 2020, the electric power sector consumed 184.8 million short tons (MMst) of coal, 30% less than during the same period in 2019. After setting an annual record of 1,045 MMst in 2007, coal consumption in the electric power sector has been declining. This decline is happening as many coal-fired power plants […]
Category: Today in Energy
In 2019, the U.S. imported $13 billion of energy goods from Mexico, exported $34 billion
In every year since 2015, the value of U.S. energy exports to Mexico has exceeded the value of energy imports from Mexico. In 2019, the value of selected energy imports-crude oil, petroleum products, and natural gas-fell to $13 billion, and the value of energy exports remained nearly equal to the 2018 value of $34 billion. […]
OPEC members’ net oil export revenue in 2020 expected to drop to lowest level since 2002
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts that members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will earn about $323 billion in net oil export revenues in 2020. If realized, this forecast revenue would be the lowest in 18 years. Lower crude oil prices and lower export volumes drive this expected decrease in […]
EIA forecasts more residential natural gas consumption this winter than last
In the October 2020 Short-Term Energy Outlook, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts that residential natural gas consumption for the 2020–21 winter season (October–March) will average 21.1 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), 5% more than last winter. EIA expects more residential natural gas consumption because of forecasts for colder temperatures this winter and […]
U.S. biodiesel production capacity declined slightly in 2019
According to the most recent data, annual U.S. biodiesel production capacity decreased by 2%, or 49 million gallons, between January 2019 and January 2020. As of January 2020, biodiesel production capacity in the United States totaled 2.5 billion gallons (gal) per year, or 164,000 barrels per day (b/d), according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s […]
Natural gas prices and renewable capital costs affect the generation mix in China
In the International Energy Outlook 2020 (IEO2020), the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects that electricity generation in Asia will more than double between 2019 and 2050. EIA analyzed the impacts of changing the price of natural gas and the capital costs associated with adding renewable energy power plants on the future electricity generation mix […]
Crude oil tanker rates are likely to remain low until global petroleum demand increases
In March and April 2020, reduced demand for crude oil and petroleum products in response to COVID-19 mitigation efforts led to a sharp increase in global crude oil inventories. As onshore inventories increased, market participants turned to using oil tankers to store oil, which is typically more expensive than onshore storage. […]
Residential heating oil prices this winter are 28% lower than last winter
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Heating Oil and Propane Update (HOPU), prices during the first two weeks of the current winter heating season (October 1 through March 31) were 28% lower for heating oil than during the 2019–2020 winter. This decrease is the largest price decrease between the start of two seasons […]
Residential propane prices so far this winter are similar to last winter’s prices
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Heating Oil and Propane Update (HOPU), propane prices during the first two weeks of the current winter heating season (October 1 through March 31) were 4% lower than during the same time last winter. Lower residential propane prices are the result of inventories that are near the […]
Utility-scale battery storage costs decreased nearly 70% between 2015 and 2018
The average energy capacity cost of utility-scale battery storage in the United States has rapidly decreased from $2,152 per kilowatthour (kWh) in 2015 to $625/kWh in 2018. Battery storage systems store electricity produced by generators or pulled directly from the electric power grid and redistribute the power later as needed. At the end of 2018, […]
