Energy
Energy and commodity updates.
Source-linked updates with publication dates, publisher context, and verifiable facts.
Battery storage accompanies over 16% of new US utility-scale solar capacity
The share through 2026-09 compares with 2% in 2017. Plans point to further growth, giving developers more flexibility over when to sell electricity.
Read update →US hybrids gain share as battery-electric vehicles fall to 6% of new sales
The combined sales share masks a shift toward vehicles that use liquid fuels without grid charging, a year after federal EV credits expired.
Read update →US refineries run above 95% as diesel tightness meets a smaller capacity base
EIA reports the strongest May–September utilization since 1998. Reduced capacity and seasonal maintenance complicate the signal for fuel supply and refining earnings.
Read update →U.S. small-scale solar generation rose from 18,812 to 92,979 GWh in a decade
EIA estimated that U.S. generation from small-scale or rooftop solar photovoltaic systems (smaller than 1 megawatt of capacity) has increased from 18,812 gigawatthours (GWh) to 92,979 GWh over the last decade. The four states with the highest generation of small-scale solar in the country—California, Arizona, Texas, and Florida—are in regions with more abundant solar resources. Even though it is in a region with lower solar resources, New York ranks as the fifth-largest rooftop solar generation producer as a result of capacity growth supported by technology improvements and state incentives.
Read update →PJM, ERCOT, and SWPP all set peak load records this summer
Three regional transmission organizations (RTOs) set records for peak hourly load this past summer, according to data reported on Form EIA-930 and presented in the Hourly Electric Grid Monitor:
Read update →Monthly wind generation in ISO-NE is about 68% higher than last year
Monthly wind generation in the first nine months of 2026 was an average of 68% higher compared with the same period in 2025 in ISO New England (ISO-NE):
Read update →Mixed outlook for energy expenditures this winter
EIA expected energy expenditures this winter to vary because of diverging trends in energy prices among fuels and regional variation in forecast temperatures. EIA expected that lower prices for natural gas and propane will drive decreases in expenditures this year for the half of U.S. households heating with those fuels. Higher prices for electricity and heating oil drive increased expenditures for households heating with those fuels in EIA’s forecast.
Read update →U.S. exports of propane reached records in the first half of 2026
U.S. propane exports increased to 2 million barrels per day (b/d) in the first half of 2026, 11% more than during the same period in 2025. Increased U.S. propane production and changing trade flows, particularly increased exports to India and other countries in South Asia, drove propane exports to a record high of 2.1 million b/d in April 2026. Since then, total propane exports, including exports to India, have continued at levels well above the five-year average.
Read update →U.S. natural gas production reached a record high in July 2026
U.S. natural gas production hit an all-time high in July 2026, driven primarily by increased output in the Permian Basin, according to EIA’s latest Natural Gas Monthly.
Read update →U.S. electricity use for electric vehicles increasing at a slower pace in 2026
EIA estimated light-duty electric vehicles in the United States consumed 8% more electricity during the first six months of 2026 than in the last half of 2025 (2H25) in EIA’s Monthly Energy Review, down from the 13–24% growth seen in six-month periods in recent years. The slowing electric vehicle electricity consumption growth followed a decline in sales after U.S. federal tax credits expired in September 2025. Overall, U.S. light-duty electric vehicle electricity use has more than doubled since 1H23, totaling nearly 14 billion kilowatthours in 1H26.
Read update →Public companies produce most U.S. crude oil and natural gas
This article has been reposted to correct a data point related to production per well.
Read update →Henry Hub natural gas prices this summer were 6% lower than last summer
The Henry Hub natural gas spot price averaged $2.93 per million British thermal units from June through August, 6% less than the same period last year. Prices were lower this summer despite exceptionally hot weather that increased electricity demand for air conditioning. Natural gas-fired power plants often help meet higher demand during such periods.
Read update →Corpus Christi LNG expansion makes facility the second-largest in the United States
On August 28, 2026, Cheniere Energy, Inc., completed its Corpus Christi Liquefaction Stage 3 Project (CCL Stage 3) in Texas, taking custody and control of the seventh and last liquefied natural gas (LNG) train in the project.
Read update →What goes into diesel prices?
The price of distillate fuel oil, often sold as diesel, is driven by the price of crude oil, retail margins, distribution costs, taxes, and crack spreads, the indicator EIA uses for refining margins. Tight global supplies of distillate fuel oil and elevated crude oil prices have driven prices higher in recent months.
Read update →New England natural gas prices have been trading near record discounts to Henry Hub
Low-cost Appalachian and Canadian natural gas supplies coupled with lower-than-usual regional consumption have pushed down natural gas prices at a major New England pricing hub in recent months to trade at a discount to the widely cited U.S. benchmark, Henry Hub.
Read update →United States on track for record crude oil production in 2026
EIA forecast U.S. crude oil production will average 13.8 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2026, surpassing the previous record of 13.7 million b/d set in 2025, in EIA’s latest Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO).
Read update →U.S. LNG exports rose 23% in the first half of 2026 because of higher capacity
U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports averaged 17.4 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in the first six months of the year, 23% more than the same period in 2025, according to EIA’s Natural Gas Monthly. In EIA’s latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, EIA estimated U.S. LNG exports will average 17.3 Bcf/d in the second half of 2026 (2H26) before rising to 18.7 Bcf/d in 1H27.
Read update →Weekly average load in ERCOT continues near record high
Sustained high temperatures have contributed to persistently high electricity demand in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the regional transmission organization for most of the state:
Read update →Elevated crack spreads and crude oil prices contribute to higher prices at the pump
What are crack spreads and why are they elevated? Crack spreads are indicators of the profitability of refining crude oil into petroleum products such as gasoline and diesel. One common crack spread is calculated by subtracting the spot market price of a gallon of crude oil from the wholesale price of a gallon of refined product. Since May, the gasoline crack spread in New York Harbor has averaged about $1 per gallon (gal) higher than in 2025, when the crack spread peaked around 60 cents/gal. Gasoline crack spreads are elevated primarily because of tight gasoline supplies globally.
Read update →Eight petroleum liquids pipeline projects have been completed since the start of 2025
In the 2026 release of EIA’s Liquids Pipeline Projects Database, EIA tracked the completion of 8 liquid fuels pipeline projects since the start of 2025, and an additional 14 new projects have been announced.
Read update →U.S. uranium production more than tripled in 2025 and was the highest since 2017
In 2025, uranium concentrate production in the United States totaled 2.1 million pounds of triuranium octoxide (U 3 O 8 ), the base component of nuclear reactor fuel. U.S. U 3 O 8 production in 2025 was the most since 2017 and more than triple the volume produced in 2024.
Read update →Dangote refinery drives increase in petroleum shipments from Nigeria
Seaborne petroleum product exports from Nigeria have grown seven-fold since 2023, playing an increasing role in the international market for petroleum products at a time when supplies from other areas have been constrained.
Read update →Longer wells boost Permian crude oil and natural gas production
Well operators in the Permian region of western Texas and eastern New Mexico are getting more oil and gas out of the ground by drilling longer, horizontal wells and increasingly incorporating so-called super-lateral wells that exceed 15,000 feet.
Read update →Waterborne shipments from the U.S. Gulf Coast increased in April and May
Waterborne shipments of crude oil and petroleum products from the U.S. Gulf Coast (PADD 3) to the West Coast (PADD 5) more than quadrupled year-on-year in April and May following a waiver that permitted a broader group of ships to travel between U.S. ports. Shipments from the U.S. Gulf Coast to the East Coast (PADD 1) also increased.
Read update →United States on track for record natural gas production in 2026
EIA forecast U.S. marketed natural gas production will average 122.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2026, surpassing the previous record of 118.5 Bcf/d set in 2025, in EIA’s August 2026 Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO).
Read update →Battery storage capacity averaged 70% growth over the last three years
Utility-scale battery storage capacity in the United States increased significantly during the last three years, with an annual average growth rate of 70%. By the end of 2025, the U.S. power system had operational battery storage capacity of 43.6 gigawatts (GW). During the first six months of 2026, operators added another 8.3 GW of battery storage capacity, reaching nearly 52 GW of nameplate battery storage capacity, based on EIA’s latest Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory.
Read update →Duration of power outages in Puerto Rico not caused by major events increased 19% in 2025
In 2025, customers in Puerto Rico experienced an average of 36 hours of power interruptions that were not caused by major events such as hurricanes, 19% more than in 2024. On average, between 2021 and 2025, Puerto Rican customers experience 29 hours of power loss each year. By comparison, electricity customers in the mainland United States generally experience about two hours of electricity interruptions per year without major events.
Read update →EIA May electricity data: generation up 3.1%, coal stocks up 2.9%
EIA’s archived May 2026 update reported higher electricity generation and coal stockpiles; year-over-year output and monthly inventories measure different things.
Read update →