Wholesale electricity prices at several major hubs were generally lower in 2019 than in 2018, except in Texas. Record-high electricity demand in the summer led to much higher 2019 wholesale electricity prices in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) electricity market. […]
Category: Today in Energy
Natural gas prices in 2019 were the lowest in the past three years
In 2019, natural gas spot prices at the national benchmark Henry Hub in Louisiana averaged $2.57 per million British thermal units (MMBtu), about 60 cents per MMBtu lower than in 2018 and the lowest annual average price since 2016. Lower natural gas prices in 2019 supported higher consumption—particularly in the electric generation sector—and higher natural […]
U.S. average retail gasoline prices in 2019 were slightly lower than in 2018
U.S. regular retail gasoline prices averaged $2.60 per gallon (gal) in 2019, 11 cents/gal (4%) lower than in 2018. Gasoline prices rose steadily during the first quarter of the year, rising from $2.24 on January 7 to $2.90/gal on May 6, before gradually declining through the rest of the year. Because the cost of crude […]
Crude oil prices were generally lower in 2019 than in 2018
The price of Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, averaged $64 per barrel (b) in 2019, $7/b lower than its 2018 average. The price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil, the U.S. benchmark, averaged $57/b in 2019, $7/b lower than in 2018. […]
Energy commodity prices rose more than other goods in 2019
The energy portion of the S&P Goldman Sachs Commodity Index (GSCI) ended 2019 22% higher than it began the year. Price indexes for other commodity types also increased in 2019, but not as much as the energy commodity index. […]
Product Highlight: U.S. Energy Mapping System
Throughout 2019, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) continued to update its U.S. Energy Mapping System to include several new map layers. The U.S. Energy Mapping System is an interactive, comprehensive visual reference for energy infrastructure in the United States that shows the locations of energy infrastructure. […]
EIA Product Highlight: Plant-level biodiesel production capacity
Earlier this year, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its first annual U.S. Biodiesel Plant Production Capacity Report. The report includes the total biodiesel production capacity for all operating plants in both million gallons per year (gal/y) and barrels per day (b/d) as of January 1, 2019. The names of the reporting plants are […]
EIA Product Highlight: Liquids Pipeline Projects database
Earlier this year, EIA launched a liquids pipeline projects database that tracks more than 200 crude oil, hydrocarbon gas liquids (HGL), and petroleum products pipeline projects. EIA based the database on the latest public information from company documents, government filings, and trade press. […]
EIA Product Highlight: STEO regional electricity generation and wholesale price forecasts
Earlier this year, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) added forecasts of wholesale electricity prices at hubs in 11 electricity supply regions in the Lower 48 states to its Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO). EIA also began to forecast average peak-period wholesale electricity prices for each of these STEO electricity supply regions. In addition to the […]
EIA Product Highlights: State Energy Portal and State Energy Data System
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) made it easier to access and use state-level energy information in 2019. The first improvement came with the release of the State Energy Portal, which provides greater access to state-level U.S. energy data with interactive, customizable views of more than 150 charts, tables, and maps that display more than […]
