The U.S. average retail price for gasoline was $2.24 per gallon (gal) on May 23, 50 cents per gallon (cents/gal) lower than at the same time last year, and the lowest average price just before Memorial Day weekend (the start…

Month: May 2016
Industrial and electric power sectors drive projected growth in U.S. natural gas use
U.S. consumption of natural gas is projected to rise from 28 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) in 2015 to 34 Tcf in 2040, an average increase of about 1% annually, according to EIA’s Annual Energy Outlook 2016 (AEO2016) Reference case. The…
Southern states lead growth in biomass electricity generation
Over the past five years, U.S. electricity generation from biomass across all sectors grew from 56 gigawatthours (GWh) in 2010 to 64 GWh in 2015. Much of this growth occurred in southern states such as Virginia, Florida, and Georgia. In…
Germany’s renewables electricity generation grows in 2015, but coal still dominant
Renewable electricity generation in Germany increased to 194 billion kilowatthours (kWh) in 2015, representing 31% of the country’s gross electricity generation. The renewables electricity growth in 2015, was the largest in both percentage and absolute terms (19% and 32 billion…
United States remains largest producer of petroleum and natural gas hydrocarbons
The United States remained the world’s top producer of petroleum and natural gas hydrocarbons in 2015, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates. U.S. petroleum and natural gas production first surpassed Russia in 2012, and the United States has been…
Hydropower conditions improve as West Coast drought eases
The western United States, particularly California, has experienced drought over the past several years, but there are now signs of improvement. Since June 2013, most of California has been in a severe, extreme, or exceptional drought, the worst three drought…
Many natural gas-fired power plants under construction are near major shale plays
Natural gas-fired power generation increased 19% in 2015, because of low natural gas prices, increased gas-fired generation capacity, and coal power plant retirements. EIA’s May 2016 Short-Term Energy Outlook forecasts that this year, natural gas-fired generation will exceed coal generation…
Future power sector carbon dioxide emissions depend on status of Clean Power Plan
Trends in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from electricity generation through 2040 depend significantly on whether or not the Clean Power Plan (CPP) rule issued last August by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is implemented. Analysis in EIA’s Annual Energy…
EIA’s Annual Energy Outlook is a projection, not a prediction
The U.S. Energy Information Administration provides a long-term outlook for energy supply, demand, and prices in its Annual Energy Outlook (AEO). This outlook is centered on the Reference case, which is not a prediction of what will happen, but rather…
Projected growth in CO2 emissions driven by countries outside the OECD
Global energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are projected to increase by one-third between 2012 and 2040 in EIA’s International Energy Outlook 2016 (IEO2016) Reference case, largely driven by increased energy use in countries outside of the Organization for Economic Cooperation…