EnergyBiz - November/December 2007 - (Page 74)

» metRICs Global energy Snapshot unitEd StAtES Strong in CoAl, ruSSiA And irAn doMinAtE gAS The United States clearly is the Saudi Arabia of coal, commanding more than 28 percent of the proved recoverable coal reserves in the world at the end of 2005, according to a newly released report by the World Energy Council. The report, called the 2007 Survey of Energy Resources, clearly identifies United States vulnerability in its reliance on the world for natural gas. Indeed, the United States’ domestic gas reserves stand at about 3 percent of global reserves, the report said. Yet the United States consumes 22 percent of the natural gas used each year. That points to the growing importance of future imports of liquefied natural. And it underscores our energy vulnerability. Two countries that this country has troubled relations with, Russia and Iran, sit astride 42 percent of the world’s proved natural gas reserves, the report said. Russia also places second behind the United States in coal reserves. The report documents China’s surging energy appetite. It used more than 36 percent of the coal consumed around the world in 2005, double the consumption levels of the United States. World: 6,231,692 (billion of cubic feet) World: 847,488 (million of tons) World: 98,769 (billion of cubic feet) World: 5,850 (million of tons) United Arab Emirates 214.397 Russia 1,688,763 Saudi Arabia 241,837 Qatar 905,240 Iran 944,323 Australia 76,600 Russia 157,010 United 242,721 States United States 207,170 China 114,500 India 56,498 Germany 3,546 Russia 14,161 United States 21,861 United 1,021 States Iran 3,637 United 3,517 Kingdom sourcE: tHE World EnErgy council. Low-Income energy Help rising Low-income Americans lately have been receiving less federal assistance shouldering home heating costs. Congress funded the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program with $1.98 billion for the last fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2007. An additional $181 million in emergency funds were made available. These funds, coupled with state and local government funds and utility and charitable contributions, amounted to a total of $2.365 billion for lowincome energy programs. The previous year, total assistance reached $6.095 billion as communities wrestled with problems the winter of 2005-2006 tied to a disastrous hurricane season in the fall of 2005. The American Gas Association recently reported that low-income households now spend 33 percent more on home energy than in 1998 even while using 20 percent less energy. YeAr* LIHeAP FUNDING** emerGeNcY FUNDING** 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 $1,319 $900 $1,000 $1,000 $1,100 $1,100 $1,400 $1,700 $1,800 $1,789 $1,885 $2,480 $1,980 Germany 246 Russia 198 $100 $180 $215 $160 $180 $744 $456 $100 $200 $99 $277 $680 $181 *FeDerAL FIScAL YeAr eNDING SePT. 30 **IN mILLIoNS sourcE: liHEaP clEaringHousE, aMErican gas association 74 E n E rgyB i z November/December 2007 China 2,145 India 450

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of EnergyBiz - November/December 2007

EnergyBiz - November/December 2007 Contents Continental Grid Vision Needed Readers’ Views and Opinions Next for National Grid Clearing the Air The Need for Nuclear Energy Trade Status Report The Innovators California On The Leading Edge FERC Sparks Change Getting Coal Right Leadership in Times of Turmoil Innovation Delivers Return A Tale of Two IPOs LNGs Bright Prospects Generation Techologies The Age of Superconductors Leaders with Vision Get Ready for Plug-in Hybrids Betting on Batteries Cost of Decarbonizing Nuclear Helmsman – A chat with Dale Klein, Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Global Energy Snapshot; Low-Income Energy Help; IT Spending Robust; The Greening of State Regulators; Generating Support Simplifying Offshore Wind Regs Chasing Construction Costs Energy Agency Sets New Course Deregulation Means Higher Rates Go-To Staffer Nightmare in Manhatten

EnergyBiz - November/December 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.