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July 16, 2012
EIA Lowers Regular Gas Retail Price Forecast for Third Quarter

WASHINGTON — And natural gas prices to average $2.58 per MMBtu in 2012

WASHINGTON — With crude oil prices falling over the last month, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) has lowered the average regular gasoline retail price forecast for the third quarter of 2012 to $3.39 per gallon, according to the agency’s latest Short-Term Energy Outlook.

EIA expects these prices, which averaged $3.53 per gallon in 2011, to average $3.49 per gallon in 2012 and $3.28 per gallon in 2013.

U.S. total crude oil production is expected to average 6.3 million barrels per day (bbl/d) in 2012, an increase of 0.6 million bbl/d from last year, and the highest level of production since 1997.

EIA projects the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil spot price to average about $88 per barrel over the second half of 2012 and the U.S. refiner acquisition cost (RAC) of crude oil to average $93 per barrel, both about $7 per barrel lower than last month’s Outlook.

March 28, 2012
StatShot: Dry Cleaning Sales Take Shine to Mild Winter

CHICAGO — The Northeast leads healthy gains across the country in February

CHICAGO — What a difference a year makes.

Heavy winter storms affected every region of the nation in February 2011, plunging dry cleaning sales to bone-chilling depths. But thanks to an unseasonably warm, dry winter in most parts of the country this February, sales rebounded in a big way, according to results of this month’s AmericanDrycleaner.com StatShot survey.

Every region posted healthy gains in February compared to February 2011, with the Northeast’s 8.7% increase leading the way. Next was the Midwest with a 7.8% gain, followed by the South at 6.6% and the West at 4.3%.

Nationally, 76.2% of respondents posted year-to-year sales increases.

“The mild winter produced better-than-expected sales in 2012,” says an operator in the Northeast. “Last winter was so harsh on the East Coast, we lost almost 10 days of work between blizzards and power outages, that this winter season was a breeze. Although there was much less heavy-coat and winter-garment cleaning, we did pick up volume just because we were able to stay open and people were able to get to work.”

November 17, 2011
Natural Gas Prices Continue to Fall in October

WASHINGTON — The Henry Hub spot price for natural gas averaged $3.56 per MMBtu in October, 34 cents lower than the September average, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Short-Term Energy Outlook report released Nov. 8.

This month’s Outlook lowers the 2011 forecast by 6 cents to $4.09 per MMBtu and lowers the 2012 forecast by 19 cents to $4.13 per MMBtu compared with last month’s report.

Even while the delivered cost of natural gas continues to decline, EIA expects the cost of coal delivered to electric generators to increase by 6.4% during 2011. The net effect will be relatively modest growth in retail electricity prices over the forecast horizon, the report says.

For route drivers, EIA forecasts that the annual average regular-grade gasoline retail price, which averaged $2.78 per gallon in 2010, will increase to an average of $3.54 per gallon in 2011, before declining to an average $3.46 per gallon in 2012. The agency expects that on-highway diesel fuel retail prices, which averaged $2.99 per gallon in 2010, will average $3.84 per gallon in 2011 and $3.79 per gallon in 2012.

October 31, 2011
Natural Gas Spot Price Falls Again in September

WASHINGTON — The Henry Hub spot price for natural gas averaged $3.90 per MMBtu in September, 15 cents lower than the August average, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Short-Term Energy Outlook report released Oct. 12. EIA expects that Henry Hub spot prices will fall further in October, before rising above $4 per MMBtu in December.

The report lowers the 2011 forecast by 5 cents to $4.15 per MMBtu, 24 cents less than the 2010 average. Although the average 2011 spot natural gas price is lower than the 2010 average, the forecast price over winter 2011-12 is higher than last winter’s average.

EIA expects this winter’s heating season will start with an average Henry Hub spot price of $3.78 per MMBtu in October, and that the price in 2012 will average $4.32 per MMBtu.

June 22, 2011
Energy Prices Remain High

WASHINGTON — The Henry Hub spot price averaged $4.31 per MMBtu in May, six cents higher than the April average and 11 cents higher than forecast in the agency’s previous report. This increase is reported amid growing consumption, even though inventories remain robust and the production forecast was “revised upward significantly.”

April 28, 2011
Energy/Fuel Outlook: Stability And Volatility

WASHINGTON — The prices for natural gas and electricity remain stable, while regular-grade gasoline continues to climb, according to the most recent U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) short-term energy outlook.

Natural gas working inventories ended March 2011 at 1.6 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), slightly below the 2010 end-of-March level. EIA expects that working gas inventories will remain relatively high throughout 2011.

March 16, 2011
Rising Gasoline Costs Taking Center Stage

WASHINGTON — With winter ending and natural-gas prices holding steady, operators are focusing on the skyrocketing cost required to drive their routes.

Motorists currently experiencing a jump in pump prices will likely see further increases from now through spring since the recent increase in crude oil has not yet been fully passed through to gasoline prices, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) latest short-term energy outlook.

February 21, 2011
Natural-Gas Inventories Remain High

WASHINGTON — Natural-gas inventories are expected to remain high through 2011, resulting in an average Henry Hub natural-gas spot price of $4.16 per million Btu (MMBtu) for the year, $0.22 per MMBtu lower than the 2010 average, according to the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) latest short-term energy outlook.

December 15, 2010
Natural-Gas Prices Expected to be Lower in 2011

WASHINGTON — While 2010 natural-gas prices will end up slightly higher than 2009 prices, 2011 prices are trending just a bit lower than this year’s prices, according to the latest Energy Information Administration (EIA) short-term energy outlook.

The projected Henry Hub natural-gas spot price should average $4.37 per million Btu (MMBtu) for 2010, a $0.42-per-MMBtu increase over the 2009 average. EIA expects the Henry Hub spot price to average $4.33 per MMBtu in 2011.

September 22, 2010
Lower Economic Expectations Fuel Natural Gas Price Projections

WASHINGTON — As fall nears, laundry owners may be looking at slightly lower-than-expected costs for natural gas, according to the most recent U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Short-Term Energy Outlook.

The government projections reflect updated expectations for economic activity, with forecasted U.S. real gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 2.8% in 2010 and 2.3% in 2011, down from the previous growth projections of 3.1% and 2.7%, respectively.

June 30, 2010
Natural Gas: Weather A 'Wild-Card' Pricing Factor

WASHINGTON — While total natural-gas consumption is slightly up from last month’s forecast, prices are holding steady, and next year’s prices have been revised down a bit, according to the latest U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) short-term energy outlook.

September 29, 2009
EIA Projects Lowest Natural Gas Prices Since 2001

WASHINGTON — The Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects the monthly "Henry Hub" natural-gas spot price to average $2.32 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf) in October, the lowest monthly average spot price since September 2001, according to the most recent Short-Term Energy Outlook.

November 17, 2008
EIA Energy Outlook Predicts Lower Natural Gas Prices

WASHINGTON — The Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) short-term energy outlook for November indicates that the current economic downturn has led to a decrease in energy demand and a reduction in crude oil and other energy prices. As a result, projections for both energy demand and prices are much lower than last month’s outlook.

August 20, 2008
EIA’s Short-Term Energy Outlook Shows Decrease in Natural Gas Prices

WASHINGTON — The Energy Information Administration (EIA), the government's energy statistical arm, released its short-term energy outlook Aug. 12, reporting a slight decrease in the price of natural gas as well as gasoline and diesel fuel.

August 11, 2008
EIA Weekly Update Shows Decrease in Natural Gas Spot Prices

June 23, 2008
Natural Gas Prices Set to Jump 52%, EIA Says

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The government released a short-term energy outlook last week, revising projections for natural-gas prices upward. According to a report from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), natural gas will cost a whopping 52% more this year than last year.

October 3, 2007
Higher Energy Costs Ahead, Government Says

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Consumers may pay record prices for heating oil and natural gas this winter, according to a report from the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association (NEADA).

Heating-oil consumers will see the worst price increases, with an expected 10.5% rise from last winter. Natural-gas customers can expect to pay 5% more, and those who use electric power to heat their homes and businesses are likely to see a 7% increase.