In October 2013, exactly 40 years after the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) announced that the US produced more crude oil than it imported. According to EIA, estimated domestic crude oil output averaged 7.7 million barrels per day in October – the highest in 25 years – while oil imports were 7.6. Big deal? Perhaps not as big a deal as some news media made it, but certainly big enough to deserve a lead article in this month’s newsletter.
Source: EIA Annual Energy Outlook 2013
The Nov release of IEA’s Short Term Energy Outlook attributed the increase in US coal consumption in 2013 to the electric power sector, which burned more coal because of higher natural gas prices. Other highlights:
- US electricity generation from non-hydro renewables now accounts for 6% of total generation, considerably higher in some states such as California where renewables including hydropower, supplied 19.1% of total electricity generation in the first 8 months of 2013, up from 12.2% only 5 years ago.
- US wind generation is forecast to grow by 17% in 2013 and 4% in 2014, accounting for more than 4% of total US electricity generation next year.
More impressive is the continued growth of solar power, which increased 82% in 2013 and is projected to grow 84% in 2014, mostly from distributed generation.
