Energy Snapshot: What’s in Store for 2019
Prognostications on some key energy issues, such as coal, oil and natural gas. Find out how they all stack up.
The Balance Sheet compiled prognostications on some key energy issues:
Coal stays stable. After a two-year decline, global demand picked up in 2017 and 2018. China accounts for about half of the world’s consumption, and growing demand in India and Asian countries is offsetting declines in the U.S. and Western Europe. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts that the country’s electricity generation share from coal will average 26 percent in 2019, down from 30 percent in 2017.
Oil retreats. The International Energy Agency and OPEC cut their forecasts for global oil demand growth in 2019, reflecting lower economic growth assumptions. The last time world oil consumption fell was in 2008-09, driven by surging prices and the recession.
U.S.’s natural gas role grows. New liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants in Louisiana, Texas and Georgia are scheduled to come online, doubling U.S. LNG exporting capability. China is a key driver of demand as the world’s largest gas importer. EIA expects the share of U.S. total utility-scale electricity generation from natural gas-fired power plants to be 35 percent in 2019, up from 32 percent in 2017.
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