Times a-changing for China’s thermal coal market on increased hydro flow
The thermal coal market for China now has to contend with a rival: a low-cost source of power generation that is growing each year.
Demand trends, prices, and policies drive recent electric generation capacity additions
(Fri, 18 Mar 2016) The combination of slower electricity demand growth, low natural gas prices, and policies that encourage renewables-sourced electricity generation is changing the type and the amount of generating capacity added each year.
2012 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey: Energy Usage Summary
(Fri, 18 Mar 2016) EIA has released summary tables providing energy consumption estimates from the 2012 CBECS. The data show that despite a 14% increase in total buildings and a 22% increase in total floorspace since 2003, energy use in the estimated 5.6 million U.S. commercial buildings was up just 7% during the same period. Slower growth in commercial building energy demand since 2003 is explained in part by newer construction that is built to higher energy performance standards, occupied by less energy intensive building activities, and more often built in temperate regions.
State Energy Data System: Nuclear energy for 2014
(Fri, 18 Mar 2016) Annual state-level estimates of nuclear energy consumption, prices, and expenditures.
High production, low prices mean little change in natural gas storage capacity
(Thu, 17 Mar 2016) High levels of natural gas production and relatively low natural gas prices are affecting markets for seasonal natural gas storage, including the value of additional storage capacity. For the second year in a row, no new natural gas storage facilities were added, and the slight changes, both positive and negative, at existing storage fields caused national storage capacity to remain essentially flat for the year.
Post-sanctions Iran: enthusiastic about steel expansion
Platts editors discuss Iran's announcement that it plans to more than double steelmaking capacity to 55 million mt/year by 2025, which would make it one of the world's top ten steelmaking nations.
APW wheat lower on weaker Australian dollar, CBOT corn futures
A slight dip in the Australian dollar March 16 made wheat exports marginally more competitive and most traders adjusted down their offers by $1-$2/mt from the day before.
US crude refiners ask for more specifications as shale shifts oil at Cushing
US refiners are once again calling for a domestic crude benchmark that covers more than the standard specs offered by the existing NYMEX contract.
Short-Term Outlook for Hydrocarbon Gas Liquids
(Wed, 16 Mar 2016) U.S. liquid fuels production increased from 7.43 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2008 to 13.75 million b/d in 2015. However, the Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) expects liquid fuels production to decline to 12.99 million b/d in 2017, mainly as a result of prolonged low oil prices.
Natural gas expected to surpass coal in mix of fuel used for U.S. power generation in 2016
(Wed, 16 Mar 2016) For decades, coal has been the dominant energy source for generating electricity in the United States. EIA's Short-Term Energy Outlook is now forecasting that 2016 will be the first year that natural gas-fired generation exceeds coal generation in the United States on an annual basis. Natural gas generation first surpassed coal generation on a monthly basis in April 2015, and the generation shares for coal and natural gas were nearly identical in 2015, each providing about one-third of all electricity generation.