Coal-fired electricity generating capacity in the United States is retiring, as tighter air emission standards and decreased cost-competitiveness relative to other power resources make coal-fired power plants less economical. From 2011 to mid-2020, 95 gigawatts (GW) of coal capacity was closed or switched to another fuel and another 25 GW is slated to shut down […]
Category: Today in Energy
More energy is used per person for transportation in states with low population density
According to the latest data estimates in the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) State Energy Data System (SEDS), people in geographically large states with small populations, such as Alaska, Wyoming, and North Dakota, used twice as much energy for transportation than the U.S. average on a per capita basis. States with higher population density, such […]
Changing demand for petroleum products has led to operational changes at U.S. refineries
Demand for transportation fuels in the United States has fallen since mid-March because of the spread of coronavirus and efforts to mitigate it. Demand for motor gasoline and jet fuel in particular has fallen to its lowest levels in years. In response, U.S. refineries reduced their operations to adjust to changing levels of overall demand […]
South Korea is one of the world’s largest nuclear power producers
As of August 2020, South Korea operates a fleet of 24 nuclear reactor units, representing 23.2 gigawatts (GW) of capacity, at four nuclear power complexes. In 2019, South Korea’s nuclear fleet generated 139 terawatthours (TWh) of electricity, making South Korea the fifth-largest nuclear power producer in the world and accounting for 26% of the country’s […]
The United States set record for daily natural gas power burn in late July
In the United States, natural gas consumed by electric power plants (power burn) set a daily record high of 47.2 billion cubic feet (Bcf) on Monday, July 27, according to S&P Global Platts estimates. Consequently, on the same day, natural gas-fired generation in the Lower 48 states also reached an all-time high of 316 gigawatts […]
EIA’s mapping system and data series show energy infrastructure near hurricanes, wildfires
Tropical Storms Marco and Laura are in or approaching the U.S. Gulf Coast region, home to key U.S. energy infrastructure, and several wildfires are affecting large areas of California and Colorado. Both the storms and fires could affect local energy supply and demand, especially for transportation fuels and electricity. The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) […]
In the first half of 2020, about 5 Bcf/d of natural gas pipeline capacity entered service
Between January and early July 2020, approximately 5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of new pipeline capacity entered service in the United States, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Natural Gas Pipeline Project Tracker. Several of these projects could increase deliverability to growing natural gas demand markets in North America. […]
Monthly U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions in April were the lowest in decades
Monthly U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions fell to 307 million metric tons (MMmt) in April 2020, the lowest value in the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) monthly series for CO2 emissions, which dates back to 1973. Travel restrictions and other measures to mitigate the spread of coronavirus in April resulted in sudden and significant […]
North Dakota crude oil production fell in May beyond natural declines
Between December 2019 and May 2020, crude oil output in North Dakota fell from an average of 1.5 million barrels per day (b/d) to 0.9 million b/d, a decline of more than 615,000 b/d (41.6%). This production decline is greater than it would have been if producers solely halted new drilling and allowed production from […]
U.S. shipments of solar photovoltaic modules increase as prices continue to fall
In 2019, U.S. shipments of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules, also referred to as solar panels, reached a record-high 16.4 million kilowatts (kW), 2.9 million kW more than the previous record of 13.5 million kW set in 2016. Solar PV module shipments include imports, exports, and modules produced and sold domestically, but they exclude modules shipped […]
