Consolidated Edison gets approval for natural gas demand response pilot program
In August 2018, the New York Public Service Commission approved a petition by Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. (Con Edison) for a $5 million, three-year natural gas demand response pilot program, one of the first demand response projects for natural gas.
Tags: electricity, natural gas, demand response
U.S. monthly crude oil production exceeds 11 million barrels per day in August
U.S. crude oil production reached 11.3 million barrels per day (b/d) in August 2018, according to EIA’s latest Petroleum Supply Monthly, up from 10.9 million b/d in July. This is the first time that monthly U.S. production levels surpassed 11 million b/d. U.S. crude oil production exceeded the Russian Ministry of Energy’s estimated August production of 11.2 million b/d, making the United States the leading crude oil producer in the world.
New England’s competitive electricity markets lead to less price volatility
Of the six states that comprise New England, all but Vermont have deregulated electricity markets that allow customers to choose among competitive suppliers to provide their electricity. Retail electricity prices paid by customers in New England who choose a competitive supplier are much less volatile than wholesale electricity prices, but temporary increases in competitive retail electricity prices occur at about the same time as the largest increases in wholesale electricity prices.
Tags: prices, electricity, New England
Low Rhine River water levels disrupt petroleum product shipments to parts of Europe
Historically low water levels on the Rhine River in Europe have resulted in transportation disruptions for shipments of petroleum products by barge, which in turn have resulted in higher freight costs and higher prices in markets upriver, such as in southern Germany. These disruptions are occurring at a time when markets along the Rhine River typically build inventories of distillate fuel for space heating ahead of the winter.
Tags: map, oil/petroleum, liquid fuels, international
Carbon dioxide emissions from the U.S. power sector have declined 28% since 2005
U.S. electric power sector carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) have declined 28% since 2005 because of slower electricity demand growth and changes in the mix of fuels used to generate electricity. EIA has calculated that CO2 emissions from the electric power sector totaled 1,744 million metric tons (MMmt) in 2017, the lowest level since 1987.
Most utility-scale fixed-tilt solar photovoltaic systems are tilted 20 degrees-30 degrees
Nearly 40%, or 10.4 gigawatts (GW), of utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) systems operating in the United States at the end of 2017 were fixed-tilt PV systems rather than tracking systems. Of the utility-scale fixed-tilt solar PV systems, 76% of the capacity was installed at a fixed angle between 20 degrees and 30 degrees from the horizon.
Tags: generation, electricity, solar
Europe’s liquefied natural gas imports have increased lately, but remain below 2011 peak
Imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the 28 countries that make up the European Union (EU-28) averaged 5.1 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2017, increasing for the third consecutive year but remaining below their 2011 peak. In 2017, imports of LNG into EU-28 accounted for 13% of the global total. LNG import capacity in EU-28 currently stands at 20 Bcf/d, or almost one-fifth of the global total, but utilization of EU-28 LNG import facilities has declined from about 50% in 2010 to between 20% and 25% in recent years as expansions in regasification capacity far exceeded demand for LNG imports.
Resumption of Iran sanctions adds uncertainty to crude oil and gasoline price forecasts
EIA’s October 2018 Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) forecasts Brent crude oil spot prices, which averaged $79 per barrel (b) in September, to average $81/b in the fourth quarter of 2018, before falling to an average of $75/b in 2019. However, the effects of the U.S. withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the re-imposition of sanctions on Iran, and the potential response from members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other countries pose significant uncertainty to the forecast.
Iran has produced and exported less crude oil since sanctions announcement
Note: Liquid fuels production includes crude oil, lease condensate, hydrocarbon gas liquids, biofuels, and refinery processing gain.
Iran's crude oil exports and production have declined since the May 2018 announcement by the United States that it would withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and reinstate sanctions against Iran.
Tags: exports/imports, liquid fuels, crude oil, oil/petroleum, Iran
Hurricane Michael caused 1.7 million electricity outages in the Southeast United States
Hurricane Michael resulted in outages for up to 1.7 million electricity customers across six states, according to situation reports from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response. On Wednesday, October 10, 2018, the storm made landfall as a Category 4 storm near Mexico Beach in the Florida panhandle. During the following two days, Hurricane Michael traveled through Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia with heavy rainfall and up to 65 mile-per-hour winds.
Tags: electricity, weather, outages, map