Strong demand for diesel leads to high prices and tight inventories going into winter
Strong demand for ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) in October, combined with reduced global production, has resulted in lower ULSD inventories in the United States. ULSD is the most widely consumed form of distillate fuel oil.
EIA now expects U.S. natural gas prices to average above $6.00/MMBtu this winter
In our November Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), we forecast that natural gas spot prices at the U.S. benchmark Henry Hub will average $6.09 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) this winter (November 2022–March 2023), the highest real price since winter 2009–10. Our forecast reflects natural gas storage levels that are 4% below average heading into […]
Most U.S. coal is mined in the West, but most coal mining jobs are in the East
In 2021, 60% of the country’s coal was produced in the western United States, but only 28% of workers in the coal mining industry worked there, based on data from our Annual Coal Report. This difference is related to the technologies used in the East and West; surface mines in the West can use massive […]
Nearly a quarter of the operating U.S. coal-fired fleet scheduled to retire by 2029
Due to continued competition from natural gas and renewable resources, 23% of the 200,568 megawatts (MW) of coal-fired capacity currently operating in the United States has reported plans to retire by the end of 2029, according to our Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory.
U.S. electric-generating capacity for combined-cycle natural gas turbines is growing
Eight new natural gas-fired combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plants have come online or will come online in the United States this year. These new plants will add 7,775 megawatts (MW) of electric-generating capacity to the U.S. electric grid, based on our estimates and data from our latest Monthly Electric Generator Inventory. These eight projects […]
Average U.S. construction costs drop for solar, rise for wind and natural gas generators
Construction costs for solar photovoltaic systems continued to decrease in the United States in 2020; the capacity-weighted average fell 8% compared with 2019, according to the latest data in our Annual Electric Generator Report on newly constructed utility-scale electric generators. By contrast, average construction costs for both wind turbines and natural gas-fired generators increased compared […]
High natural gas production and storage injections in September drove U.S. prices down
Injections into U.S. working natural gas storage in the Lower 48 states during the 2022 injection season (April through October) have brought storage levels back near historical averages. The overall increase in natural gas storage was driven primarily by five consecutive triple-digit increases in September and early October. U.S. natural gas injections totaled 427 billion […]
Norway remains a significant natural gas supplier to the European Union
Norway is among the top 10 natural gas-producing nations in the world and has always been an important source of natural gas to the European Union (EU). Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine at the end of February 2022 resulted in significant declines in natural gas imports to the EU, particularly starting in June 2022, increasing […]
Product Highlight: EIA’s Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update
Each Monday, we publish our Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update (GDFU), which tracks the latest retail prices of certain petroleum products. Readers can explore current trends in fuel prices as well as historical data. The GDFU provides U.S. average retail prices for regular-grade motor gasoline, dating back to August 1990, and on-highway diesel fuel prices, […]
In 2021 U.S. natural gas-fired power generation declined for the first time in four years
According to our recently released Natural Gas Annual, natural gas consumption in all sectors in the United States was effectively flat between 2020 and 2021, down by only 0.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d). U.S. natural gas consumption reached a record 85.3 Bcf/d in 2019 and has declined annually since then. Reduced economic activity […]