(Tue, 13 Dec 2016) On November 23, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its final rule for the 2017 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program year, with higher targets than those initially proposed in May. EPA increased both the advanced biofuels and total renewable fuel targets while keeping the cellulosic biofuel and biomass-based diesel targets unchanged.
Western sanctions against Moscow have hurt the Russian economy and restricted some energy projects, but they have failed their main objective.
(Mon, 12 Dec 2016) EIAâs <em>Short-Term Energy Outlook</em> (STEO) projects that the average residential customer will consume 4% more electricity over December through March compared with the same period last winter. However, this forecast is highly dependent on winter temperatures. If temperatures are warmer than expected, as they have been the past two months, average electricity use could be slightly below that of the previous winter.
(Mon, 12 Dec 2016) This is the first Densified Biomass Fuel Report resulting from a new EIA survey launched in January 2016. The survey collects information on wood pellet and other densified biomass fuel production, sales, and inventory levels from approximately 90 operating pellet fuel manufacturing facilities in the United States. Facilities with an annual capacity of 10,000 tons or more per year are required to report monthly.
(Fri, 09 Dec 2016) In EIAâs December <em>Short-Term Energy Outlook</em> (STEO), both the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Brent crude oil 2017 price forecasts increased by about $1 per barrel (b) from the November STEO, with prices expected to average $51/b and $52/b, respectively.
(Fri, 09 Dec 2016) Mexico is a major producer of petroleum and other liquids and is among the largest sources of U.S. oil imports, accounting for 9% of U.S. crude oil imports in 2015. While Mexicoâs oil production has steadily decreased since 2005, they remain the fourth largest producer in the Americas after the United States, Canada and Brazil. While the petroleum sectorâs role has significantly decreased in recent years, it still generated 6% of the countryâs export earnings in 2015.
(Thu, 08 Dec 2016) EIAâs U.S. Energy Mapping System and related interactive state maps now include two new layers showing population density to complement layers that already display energy infrastructure, energy resources, storm tracks, and flood hazard areas.
2020 is the shipping industry’s Y2K: lowering the marine fuel sulfur limit to 0.5% will be a big, costly affair. But the change has been a long time coming.
(Wed, 07 Dec 2016) Distributed solar capacity in the United States, which includes all solar power capacity other than utility-scale installations 1 MW or larger, totaled 12.3 gigawatts (GW) as of September. About 30% of that amount (3.7 GW) was owned by third-party owners. Third-party owners are private companies that provide either solar electricity or equipment to generate it to building owners or tenants, typically with little or no upfront costs.
(Tue, 06 Dec 2016) Spectra Energy Corporation has almost completed the first two natural gas pipeline projects in New England since 2010. On November 1, Spectra placed part of the Algonquin Incremental Market (AIM) project into service, following the late-October approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The remainder of the project is expected to be completed this month.
