The newly expanded Panama Canal will be able to accommodate 90% of the world’s current liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers with LNG-carrying capacity up to 3.9 billion cubic feet (Bcf). Prior to the expansion, only 30 of the smallest LNG…
Month: June 2016
Oil stripper wells accounted for 10% of U.S. oil production in 2015
Stripper wells, or wells that produce small volumes, represent an important but decreasing share of total U.S. oil and natural gas production. These wells are characterized as producing no more than 15 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) over…
Extended policies case shows reduced energy use, emissions, more renewables, efficiency
Tax credits and efficiency standards for appliances and vehicles have been key drivers for increasing renewable energy use and energy efficiency in the United States. Extending these policies and increasing the stringency of the Clean Power Plan beyond 2030 would…
Proposed standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles would reduce diesel consumption
Proposed fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards would increase fuel economy and reduce diesel consumption in medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. The first phase of medium- and heavy-duty vehicle standards was recently implemented, starting with model year 2014. The proposed…
Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative auction prices decline
Prices of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission allowances in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) have fallen for the second auction in a row, to $4.53 per metric ton (mt) of CO2. The auction prices on June 1 were 40% below…
Panama Canal expansion unlikely to significantly change crude oil, petroleum product flows
On June 26, the Panama Canal Authority, the body that operates the Panama Canal, will inaugurate a third set of locks, which will allow for the transit of larger ships. This is the first such expansion since the canal was…
U.S. crude oil storage capacity utilization rises even as storage capacity grows
Weekly U.S. commercial crude oil inventories have increased by more than 71 million barrels (15%) since the end of September, pushing crude oil storage capacity utilization to a near record high of 73% for the week ending June 10. …read…
Clean Power Plan implementation decisions affect CO2 emissions and electricity prices
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Power Plan (CPP) regulates carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions at existing fossil-fueled electric power plants, but the ultimate energy-related emissions effect depends to an important extent on how the rule will be implemented by…
EIA launches data add-on tool for Google Sheets
The U.S. Energy Information Administration has released a free data add-on for Google Sheets. Similar to EIA’s Microsoft Excel extension, the new Sheets add-on allows users to browse EIA’s energy API data categories or search keywords to find domestic and…
Clean Power Plan accelerates the growth of renewable generation throughout United States
EIA’s “Annual Energy Outlook 2016” (AEO2016) Reference case projects that natural gas-fired electricity generation will exceed coal-fired electricity generation by 2022, while generation from renewables-driven by wind and solar-will overtake coal-fired generation by 2029. The shift away from coal-fired generation…
