Although the Northeast consumes a lower percentage of naturalgas than does the rest of the nation, gas ranks as the most popularenergy fuel in households, according to a new study by the EnergyInformation Agency (EIA).

Natural gas accounted for 23%, or 3.27 quadrillion Btus (quads),of the 14 quads of energy that the region consumed in 1997, themost recent figures available, reported the Department of Energy’sEIA in its “Regional Energy Profile: Northeast Data Abstract.” Thiscompares to natural gas’ share of 24% of the total U.S. energyconsumption (94 quads) in 1997.

However, of the 20 million households in the Northeast region,natural gas was used in 9.2 million homes as the main heating fuel,and was followed by fuel oil in 7.1 million homes, and electricityin 2.3 million homes, said Barbara Fichman, an EIA energy industryspecialist who wrote the report. At the same time, about 45% of thecommercial floor space was heated with natural gas, and 34% withfuel oil.

In contrast, the EIA study revealed that the demand rate forfuel oil (distillate, residual and home heating oil) as a heatingfuel was significantly greater in the Northeast than in otherregions, accounting for 15.4% of total Northeast regional energyconsumption in 1997, or 2.2 quads, compared to 9.7% nationwide in1997. The study tracks energy demand in the Northeast CensusRegion, which includes the six New England states and three MiddleAtlantic states (New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania).

Overall, the study estimated that household energy consumptionin the Northeast region was 2.4 quads, with the key sources listedas electricity (0.1 trillion kWh), natural gas (1 Tcf) and fuel oil(5.8 billion gallons). Significantly, it pointed out that while gaswas used in more households, the region’s consumption ofelectricity was greater. Also, Northeast households paid more forelectricity in 1997 ($17 billion), with natural gas coming insecond at $9 billion and fuel oil next at $6 billion.

The unit costs for electricity, natural gas and liquefiedpetroleum gas (LPG) are higher in the Northeast than in the rest ofthe nation, according to EIA, but the average cost of energy,$13.64 per MMBtu, is similar because of the region’s heavydependency on fuel oil, which is the least expensive fuel on a Btubasis.

The EIA put the commercial energy demand in the Northeast at 1quad in 1995, compared to 5.3 quads nationwide. Of that market,electricity accounted for 128 billion kWh, natural gas’ share was289 Bcf, and fuel oil’s demand was 1.2 billion gallons. Annualexpenditures by commercial customers for electricity were $13billion, far exceeding those for gas ($2 billion) and fuel oil($0.8 billion).

The study pegged energy demand by the Northeast manufacturingsector at 1,964 trillion Btu in 1994. EIA’s Fichman conceded thefigure was very low because it didn’t include energy feedstocks fora number of industries, including forestry, mining, construction,agriculture, and fisheries. Also, it didn’t factor in the energydemand (distillate, residual and gas) for public transportationfleets, railroads, aircraft, barges and gas pipelines.

Of the 1,964 trillion Btu demand figure, however, the EIAreported natural gas accounted for 518 trillion Btu; coal 458trillion Btu; electricity 321 trillion Btu; residual fuel oil 152trillion Btu; distillate fuel oil 42 trillion Btu; and LPG 34trillion Btu. Again, the biggest annual expenditures were forelectricity ($6 billion), followed by natural gas ($2 billion), andcoal ($0.08 billion).

©Copyright 2000 Intelligence Press Inc. All rights reserved. Thepreceding news report may not be republished or redistributed, inwhole or in part, in any form, without prior written consent ofIntelligence Press, Inc.