Market news

New England’s competitive electricity markets lead to less price volatility

(Wed, 31 Oct 2018) Of the six states that comprise New England, all but Vermont have deregulated electricity markets that allow customers to choose among competitive suppliers to provide their electricity. Retail electricity prices paid by customers in New England who choose a competitive supplier are much less volatile than wholesale electricity prices, but temporary increases in competitive retail electricity prices occur at about the same time as the largest increases in wholesale electricity prices.

October 30, 2018 By 0 Comments Read more...

Resumption of Iran sanctions adds uncertainty to crude oil and gasoline price forecasts

(Wed, 24 Oct 2018) EIA’s October 2018 <em>Short-Term Energy Outlook</em> (STEO) forecasts Brent crude oil spot prices, which averaged $79 per barrel (b) in September, to average $81/b in the fourth quarter of 2018, before falling to an average of $75/b in 2019. However, the effects of the U.S. withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the re-imposition of sanctions on Iran, and the potential response from members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other countries pose significant uncertainty to the forecast.

October 23, 2018 By 0 Comments Read more...

U.S. manufacturers’ short-term capability to switch fuels continues to decline

(Fri, 19 Oct 2018) Some manufacturing plants can take advantage of relative price differences and cope with supply shortages by switching the fuels used in their furnaces, boilers, ovens, and other combustors. In the United States, the capability of the manufacturing sector to switch the fuels it uses has declined in recent decades, as described in a new report from EIA’s 2014 Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS).

October 18, 2018 By 0 Comments Read more...

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