Preface
The Annual Energy Outlook 2011 (AEO2011), prepared by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), presents long-term projections of energy supply, demand, and prices through 2035, based on results from EIA's National Energy Modeling System (NEMS). EIA published an "early release" version of the AEO2011 Reference case in December 2010.
The report begins with an Executive summary that highlights key aspects of the projections. It is followed by a Legislation and regulations section that discusses evolving legislative and regulatory issues, including a summary of recently enacted legislation and regulations, such as a recently announced (October 13, 2010) EPA waiver, which allows the use of motor gasoline blends containing 15 percent ethanol in newer vehicles (model year 2007 or later), or the 7-year moratorium on offshore drilling in the Atlantic and Pacific that was announced by the U.S. Department of the Interior on December 1, 2010. The Issues in focus section contains discussions of selected energy topics, including a discussion of the results in two cases that adopt different assumptions about the future course of existing policies: one case assumes the extension of a selected group of existing public policies—corporate average fuel economy standards, appliance standards, production tax credits, and the elimination of sunset provisions in existing energy policies; the other case assumes only the elimination of sunset provisions. Other discussions include: a look at evolving environmental regulations that affect the power sector; the economics of carbon capture and storage; prospects for shale gas production, including cost uncertainty and its impact on decisions for new power plant builds, fuel use, and emissions; and the basis for world oil price and production trends in AEO2011.
The Market trends section summarizes the projections for energy markets. The analysis in AEO2011 focuses primarily on a Reference case, Low and High Economic Growth cases, and Low and High Oil Price cases. Results from a number of other alternative cases also are presented, illustrating uncertainties associated with the Reference case projections for energy demand, supply, and prices. Complete tables for the five primary cases are provided in Appendixes A through C. Major results from many of the alternative cases are provided in Appendix D. Complete tables for all the alternative cases are available on EIA's website in a table browser at www.eia.gov/oiaf/aeo/tablebrowser/.
AEO2011 projections are based generally on Federal, State, and local laws and regulations in effect as of the end of January 2011. The potential impacts of pending or proposed legislation, regulations, and standards (and sections of existing legislation that require implementing regulations or funds that have not been appropriated) are not reflected in the projections. In certain situations, however, where it is clear that a law or regulation will take effect shortly after the AEO is completed, it may be considered in the projection.
AEO2011 is published in accordance with Section 205c of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Organization Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-91), which requires the EIA Administrator to prepare annual reports on trends and projections for energy use and supply.
Projections by EIA are not statements of what will happen but of what might happen, given the assumptions and methodologies used for any particular scenario. The Reference case projection is a business-as-usual trend estimate, given known technology and technological and demographic trends. EIA explores the impacts of alternative assumptions in other scenarios with different macroeconomic growth rates, world oil prices, and rates of technology progress. The main cases in AEO2011 generally assume that current laws and regulations are maintained throughout the projections. Thus, the projections provide policy-neutral baselines that can be used to analyze policy initiatives.
While energy markets are complex, energy models are simplified representations of energy production and consumption, regulations, and producer and consumer behavior. Projections are highly dependent on the data, methodologies, model structures, and assumptions used in their development. Behavioral characteristics are indicative of real-world tendencies rather than representations of specific outcomes.
Energy market projections are subject to much uncertainty. Many of the events that shape energy markets are random and cannot be anticipated. In addition, future developments in technologies, demographics, and resources cannot be foreseen with certainty. Many key uncertainties in the AEO2011 projections are addressed through alternative cases.
EIA has endeavored to make these projections as objective, reliable, and useful as possible; however, they should serve as an adjunct to, not a substitute for, a complete and focused analysis of public policy initiatives.