Author Archives: U.S. Energy Information Administration

US Home Energy Use Shift (Charts)

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Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Residential Energy Consumption Survey. Note: Amounts represent the energy consumption in occupied primary housing units.

For decades, space heating and cooling (space conditioning) accounted for more than half of all residential energy consumption. Estimates from the most recent Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS), collected in 2010 and 2011 and released in 2011 and 2012, show that 48% of energy consumption in U.S. homes in 2009 was for heating and cooling, down from 58% in 1993. Factors underpinning this trend are increased adoption of more efficient equipment, better insulation, more efficient windows, … Read More

Daily Energy Prices On “Today In Energy” Webpage

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daily energy prices

The U.S. Energy Information Administration has begun posting a set of key energy commodity spot and futures prices on the Today in Energy webpage. These prices provide a daily snapshot of energy markets in the United States. This report (available on the Prices tab in the navigation bar above) will typically be updated between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. each weekday (excluding federal holidays). This article was originally published on the website of the U.S. Energy … Read More

US Wind Industry Raises 5,300 MW Of Capacity In December

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Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual Electric Generator Report (Form EIA-860) and U.S. Energy Information Administration, Monthly Update to the Annual Electric Generator Report (Form EIA-860M). Note: Data are preliminary.

Approximately 40% of the total 2012 wind capacity additions (12,620 MW) came online in December, just before the scheduled expiration of the wind production tax credit (PTC). During December 2012, 59 new wind projects totaling 5,253 MW began commercial operation, the largest-ever single-month capacity increase for U.S. wind energy. About 50% of the total December wind capacity additions were installed in three states: Texas (1,120MW), Oklahoma (794 MW), and California (730 MW). Wind plant developers reported … Read More

Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) — What Are They?

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renewable energy standards

Renewable portfolio standards (RPS) are policies designed to increase electricity generation from renewable resources, including wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass. While there is no national-level renewable portfolio standard, many states have established their own. What Are Renewable Portfolio Standards? Renewable portfolio standards (RPS), also referred to as renewable electricity standards (RES), are policies designed to increase generation of electricity from renewable resources. These policies require or encourage electricity suppliers within a given jurisdiction to supply … Read More

Renewable Energy Consumption & Electricity Trends (2006–2010)

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figure data

  Summary U.S. renewable energy consumption grew by 6 percent, from 7.600 quadrillion Btu in 2009 to 8.090 quadrillion Btu in 2010. The relative share of renewable energy to total energy consumption has grown to 8 percent in 2010. Of the major renewable fuel categories, biomass accounted for over half (53 percent) of total renewable energy consumption in 2010, while hydroelectric power accounted for nearly a third (31 percent). Wind was the source of 11 … Read More

Wind Energy Tax Credit Set To Expire At End Of 2012: Details

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Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual and Monthly Electric Generator Report. Note: Click to enlarge. Note: Data for 2012 planned additions are based on industry data submissions and monthly updates on planned wind facilities. Left-hand axis plots current capacity of existing generators by their initial date of operation. Capacity may change over time as generators are altered. For recent years, these data are synonymous with capacity additions. Early in the time period, this data series may be missing generators that have since retired.

  The wind energy production tax credit (PTC), along with state-level policies, has boosted the growth of the U.S. wind industry over the past decade, but the PTC is set to expire at year-end unless legislation extending its provisions is approved. This tax credit was first implemented in 1992, when the United States had less than 1.5 gigawatts (GW) of installed wind capacity. By the end of 2011, wind capacity stood at more than 45 … Read More

High Nuclear Power Outages In 2012 (Driven By Global Warming–Fueled Sandy, Flooding, & Repair)

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ource: U.S. Energy Information Administration, based on data from the Form EIA-923, Power Plant Operations Report, and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Power Reactor Status Reports. Note: Nuclear capacity in outage is estimated based on monthly generation data collected by EIA and daily availability data from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

  Outages at U.S. nuclear power plants so far in 2012 are generally higher than in recent years because of extended forced outages at four nuclear power plants. U.S. nuclear reactor operators typically schedule refueling and maintenance outages during the spring and fall to help ensure that reactors are available to meet higher electric demand levels in the summer and winter. The increase in outages at the end of October came as some nuclear power reactors along the East … Read More

Utility-Scale Installations Lead US Solar PV Growth

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Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 Annual Electric Power Industry Report, and Form EIA-860, Annual Electric Generator Report. Note: EIA collects data on the electric power industry in alternating-current megawatts (MWAC), while the PV industry in general discusses PV capacity in direct-current megawatts (MWDC), because solar panels produce DC power.

  According to EIA’s new survey-based estimate of total solar capacity, total on-grid photovoltaic (PV) capacity nearly doubled in 2011, led by particularly strong growth in both utility-scale PV and commercial sector PV capacity. Although 2011 was a record year for solar PV growth, solar PV capacity has consistently grown over the past few years. The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) reports that total grid-connected PV capacity quadrupled between 2008 and 2011. The recent growth in utility-scale PV … Read More

Total Grid-Connected US Solar PV Capacity Unveiled in New EIA Data — Over 3.5 GW

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Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 Annual Electric Power Industry Report and Form EIA-860 Annual Electric Generator Report Note: While photovoltaic capacity is typically discussed in direct-current megawatts (MWDC), EIA collects data on the electric power industry in alternating-current megawatts (MWAC). See the AC vs DC section below.

  Using new information, EIA combines data on utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity with customer-sited PV capacity, as reported in the graphic.  EIA’s utility-scale electric generator survey has a threshold of 1 MW for reporting and, thus, does not capture most customer-sited installations. However, in 2010, electric utilities started reporting to EIA the capacity of their customers’ behind-the-meter generation, which is larger than utility-scale capacity. National solar PV capacity is growing rapidly. Tracking this rapid growth is … Read More

ENERGY STAR Homes = 26% of New Construction in 2011

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Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, based on ENERGY STAR. Note: Percentages represent number of ENERGY STAR single-family homes as a percentage of single-family housing completions reported by the Census Bureau.

  Homes built to voluntary ENERGY STAR® specifications made up about 26% of all new homes constructed in the United States during 2011. Under the latest update of the specifications that went into effect earlier this year, ENERGY STAR homes consume at least 15% less energy than those built to the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). There is currently no national building energy code. States have adopted a variety of codes with different levels of … Read More