Khabar Sembilan

Electric power sector consumption of fossil fuels at lowest level since 1994 U.S. electric power sector consumption of fossil fuels, as explained in the article text Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Monthly Energy Review Fossil fuel consumption in the electric power sector declined to 22.5 quadrillion British thermal units (quads) in 2017, the lowest level since 1994. The declining trend in fossil fuel consumption by the power sector has been driven by a decrease in the use of coal and petroleum with a slightly offsetting increase in the use of natural gas. Changes in the fuel mix and improvements in electricity generating technology have also led the power sector to produce electricity while consuming fewer fossil fuels. In 2017, coal consumption by the electric power sector reached its lowest level since 1982, and petroleum consumption in the power sector was the lowest on record, based on data since 1949. Recent natural gas consumption in the power sector ha...

Natural Gas. The Affordable Energy Option. Abundance Driving Affordability Throughout the last decade, domestic development of natural gas increased by 36 percent, enabling the U.S. to become the world’s leading producer. But how did the nation increase its production so drastically in only 10 years? It is a revolution fueled entirely by two factors – innovation and shale. Breakthroughs in hydraulic fracturing (fracking), horizontal drilling and other well stimulation technologies are unlocking natural gas that was trapped in shale and other tight rock formations for millions of years. The U.S. can now access more energy resources efficiently, safely, and ultimately cost effectively. This newfound energy abundance at home translates into real benefits for the American consumer and the entire economy. The surge in natural gas caused prices to drop dramatically. Since 2008 alone, the average national price of natural gas delivered to residential consumers decreased by almost t...

Increasing America’s Energy Security From daily commutes to keeping homes warm in the winter, Americans rely on energy each day. Because of its importance in everyday life, it is crucial that energy resources remain readily available and affordable. The ability for the U.S. to access reliable energy is known as its energy security. When a country is in control of its access to energy, and doesn’t need to rely on other countries, it’s more secure. For over 60 years, the U.S. couldn’t produce enough natural gas to meet its energy needs, instead relying on imports from other countries – until now. In 2017, the U.S. became a net exporter of natural gas. This remarkable transformation means that, because more natural gas was produced than needed, we can now export more to other countries than we import. Why? Hydraulic fracturing, horizontal drilling and a number of innovative technologies enabled the nation to extract more natural gas at an affordable price, making the U.S. the wo...

HOUSTON (Reuters) - China’s proposed tariffs on U.S. petroleum imports, part of a mounting trade war between the two countries, would crimp sales to the shale industry’s largest customer, adding new pressure on U.S. crude prices, energy executives and analysts said in interviews this week. China has said it would slap a 25 percent tariff on imports of U.S. crude, natural gas and coal on July 6 if Washington went ahead, as planned, with its own tariffs on Chinese goods that day. Energy would be added for the first time to a burgeoning trade dispute that has hit imports of Chinese metals and solar panels, and exports of U.S. medical equipment and soybeans. Targeting petroleum puts the Trump administration’s “energy dominance” agenda in Beijing’s cross-hairs as U.S. shale has grabbed share from Middle East suppliers in Asia. China is the largest customer for U.S. crude, importing about 363,000 barrels a day in the six months ended in March. Thomson Reuters shipping data shows...

City and county officials from California to New York have filed suits against oil and gas companies alleging their fossil fuel production and promotion creates a public nuisance, citing the effects of rising sea levels on coast lines and infrastructure. The states and the suits are below. California: San Francisco, Oakland in September 2017 separately sued Chevron Corp, Exxon Mobil Corp, BP Plc, ConocoPhillips and Royal Dutch Shell Plc alleging public nuisance and seeking damages to pay for seawalls and other infrastructure to guard against rising sea levels. A U.S. district court judge dismissed the suits on June 25. The cases are People of California vs. Chevron and others, 17-561370, Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco; People of California vs. BP and others, RG 17875889, Superior Court of California, County of Alameda Richmond in January filed a public nuisance claim against Chevron, Exxon Mobil, BP, Royal Dutch Shell and 25 other oil and gas compan...

Thailand is expected to increase the share of electricity generated by coal to diversify its fuel mix for power generation, the country’s energy minister said. “The share of coal in our power generation mix is very low at slightly less than 20 percent,” Energy Minister Siri Jirapongphan said on the sidelines of the International Energy Forum late on Wednesday. “We need to diversify the sources of fuel for our power generation. Having a reasonable percentage of coal to be used for power generation would be a necessity in considering the security of fuel supply to our generation system.” Thailand relies mainly on natural gas to generate power, but domestic demand is falling behind consumption, requiring the country to import more piped gas from Myanmar and more liquefied natural gas (LNG). A plan by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) to build coal-fired power plants in the southern Thailand tourist destinations of Krabi and Songkhla has been delayed for ...

Increasing America’s Energy Security From daily commutes to keeping homes warm in the winter, Americans rely on energy each day. Because of its importance in everyday life, it is crucial that energy resources remain readily available and affordable. The ability for the U.S. to access reliable energy is known as its energy security. When a country is in control of its access to energy, and doesn’t need to rely on other countries, it’s more secure. For over 60 years, the U.S. couldn’t produce enough natural gas to meet its energy needs, instead relying on imports from other countries – until now. In 2017, the U.S. became a net exporter of natural gas. This remarkable transformation means that, because more natural gas was produced than needed, we can now export more to other countries than we import. Why? Hydraulic fracturing, horizontal drilling and a number of innovative technologies enabled the nation to extract more natural gas at an affordable price, making the U.S. the wo...

Spending on electricity distribution systems by major U.S. electric utilities—representing about 70% of total U.S. electric load—has risen 54% over the past two decades, from $31 billion to $51 billion annually. This increase has been largely driven by increases in capital investment. From 1996 to 2017, annual capital investment by these utilities for electric distribution systems nearly doubled, which was similar to increases in transmission investment over the same time period. Annual spending on customer expenses and operations and maintenance by these utilities also increased slightly. This information is based on reports to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) from major utilities. The electricity distribution system works to decrease voltage from high-power transmission lines and to deliver electricity to homes and businesses. Electric distribution spending is affected by the number of customers served, the amount of electricity sold, the number of miles of...