Oil for Electric Power

When someone mentions oil, you probably think of cars, ships, planes, or plastic. But what about electric power? This episode explores where and why oil is used for electricity in the United States through a few case studies and will get you up to speed on some basic industry terms.

Timestamps:

• 0:00-Intro
• 01:00-What States Use Oil for Electric Power?
• 04:30-Petroleum Basics
• 07:00-Crude Oil Characteristics
• 08:15-Oil for Electric Power
• 09:15-New York Oil for Electricity
• 10:00-Issues with Oil for Power
• 12:00-EIA Data Trends

Sources:

• Fossil Fuel Consumption for Electricity Generation by Year, Industry Type and State (EIA-906, EIA-920, and EIA-923) - https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/state/
• Miranda Wilson, E&E News, New England clean energy goals slam into oil reality (January 18, 2023)
• PSE Health Energy, MA Peaker Power Plants (May, 2020)
• Potomac Economics, 2023 State of the Market Report for the New York ISO Markets, (May 2024)
• New York City Council, Council Votes to Expedite Phasing Out Fuel Oil Grade No. 4 in Boilers Across the City, Resulting in Cleaner Air, Especially in Environmental Justice Communities (February 2023)
• EIA, ⁠Heating oil explained⁠