For the first time in almost 70 years, the U.S. will export more energy than it imports in 2020, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said.
The projection was part of the agency’s “Annual Energy Outlook 2019” report, released on Thursday.
The report, which based its findings on a “reference case” and six side cases, said the U.S. will become a net exporter of petroleum liquids in 2020 and will continue to be a net exporter of natural gas and coal through 2050.
“The United States has become the largest producer of crude oil in the world, and growth in domestic oil, natural gas and renewable energy production is quickly establishing the United States as a strong global energy producer for the foreseeable future,” said EIA Administrator Linda Capuano.
The “reference case” is designed to test certain key assumptions and forms a baseline for estimating the effects of new policy or technology changes in the future, the EIA said.
Other findings in the report include:
- Natural gas and renewable sources of energy — wind, solar and water — will have an increasing role in electric power generation.
- The U.S. will continue to see record-high levels of oil and natural gas production.
- Increasing energy efficiency will keep U.S. energy consumption relatively stable.
Stephen Huba is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Stephen at 724-850-1280, shuba@tribweb.com or via Twitter @shuba_trib.
