Today in Energy
Intensity of U.S. energy use in manufacturing decreases as output outpaces fuel use
The energy intensity of U.S. manufacturing has continued to decrease, according to the latest data from EIA’s Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS). From 2010 to 2014, manufacturing fuel consumption increased by 4.7%, while real gross output increased by 9.6%—or more than twice that rate—resulting in a 4.4% decrease in energy intensity.
Crude oil and petroleum product exports reach record levels in the first half of 2017
Crude oil exports in the first half of 2017 increased by more than 300,000 barrels per day (b/d) from the first half of 2016, reaching a record high of 0.9 million b/d. Petroleum product exports also grew over the same period with propane and distillate exports reaching record highs of 0.9 million b/d and 1.3 million b/d, respectively.
U.S. coal production fell in first half of 2017 after increasing in late 2016
U.S. coal production averaged 192 million short tons (MMst) per quarter in the first half of 2017, a slight decrease from the second half of 2016 but still above levels reached in the first half of 2016. The recent decline in production was a result of weaker demand for steam coal, about half of which is mined in Wyoming and Montana. Production of metallurgical coal, which is used in steel manufacturing and makes up about 8% of total U.S. coal production, increased for the third consecutive quarter.
Tags: China, coal, production/supply
U.S. crude oil production expected to increase through end of 2017, setting up record 2018
EIA forecasts that U.S crude oil production will average 9.4 million barrels per day (b/d) in the second half of 2017, 340,000 b/d more than in the first half of 2017. Production in 2018 is expected to average 9.9 million b/d, surpassing the previous high of 9.6 million b/d set in 1970, based on projections in EIA’s Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO).
Spark and dark spreads indicate profitability of natural gas, coal power plants
Relative profits for some natural gas- and coal-fired generators in several Midwestern and Mid-Atlantic states may have decreased since 2016 because of higher natural gas and coal prices and lower wholesale electricity prices. A common measure of profitability for power plants within a region is the difference between their input fuel costs, such as the cost of coal or natural gas, and their wholesale power price.
Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions expected to fall in 2017 but rise in 2018
Energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions fell in both 2015 and 2016, and they are expected to fall again in 2017, based on forecasts in EIA’s Short-Term Energy Outlook. However, EIA forecasts a 2.2% increase in energy-related CO2 emissions in 2018. An annual increase is not without recent precedent; annual emissions rose in 2010, 2013, and 2014, although U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions have generally been declining since reaching their peak in 2007.
Winter heating costs likely to be higher this winter than last winter
Note: Propane price is the weighted average of Midwest and Northeast prices. All other fuels reflect national averages.
Most U.S. households can expect higher heating expenditures this winter (October through March) than the last two winters according to EIA's Winter Fuels Outlook. Higher expected winter heating expenditures are the result of both more heating demand because of relatively colder weather and, to a lesser extent, higher fuel prices.
Buildings energy consumption in India is expected to increase faster than in other regions
EIA’s International Energy Outlook 2017 (IEO2017) projects that among all regions of the world, the fastest growth in buildings energy consumption through 2040 will occur in India. In the IEO2017 Reference case, delivered energy consumption for residential and commercial buildings in India is expected to increase by an average of 2.7% per year between 2015 and 2040, more than twice the global average increase.
U.S. household spending for gasoline is expected to remain below $2,000 in 2017
The average U.S. household expenditure on gasoline in 2017 is expected to total $1,977, or approximately 2.4% of mean incomes of households, according to projections in EIA’s most recent Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO). The most recent peak for household gasoline expenditures was $2,715, or 4.0% of household income, in 2008. More recently, average household gasoline expenditures in 2015 and 2016 were near or below $2,000, or 2.5% of total household income.
Tags: gasoline, liquid fuels, oil/petroleum, prices, transportation
Renewable natural gas increasingly used to meet part of EPA’s renewable fuel requirements
Note: 2018 values reflect final requirements for biomass-based diesel and proposed requirements for other fuels.
Updated October 5, 2017, 1:10 p.m. to correct the graph of RFS volume requirements.
Renewable natural gas (RNG), which is derived from biogas collected at landfills and other facilities, is increasingly used to meet government targets for renewable fuel production. In 2016, about 189 million gallons of RNG were used to meet about 82% of federal targets set specifically for cellulosic biofuel.
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