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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Regional electric utility fuel markets: gulf, central south and southeast states. Final report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5316292
This report examines the markets for natural gas, residual oil, and coal as they relate to electric utility fuel procurement and planning in a broad region along the Gulf Coast from Texas to Florida. Special attention is given to interfuel competition, particularly between oil and gas. The report discusses the decline in electric utility oil and gas use as new capacity is added, and then analyzes the outlook for their price and availability in the context of a declining market. The use of oil and gas as boiler fuels continues to decrease as the use of coal, the dominant fuel, continues to grow. Residual oil is shown to be moving toward an equilibrium path of supply and price through refinery closings and conversions that will reduce oversupply and bring residual oil prices closer to the price of crude oil by 1990. Gas prices for utilities under deregulation are shown to be related closely to residual oil prices and also sensitive to the abundance or scarcity of gas. This report stresses the uncertainties of fuel markets and the importance of flexible planning to allow for these uncertainties.
Research Organization:
Charles River Associates, Inc., Boston, MA (USA)
OSTI ID:
5316292
Report Number(s):
EPRI-EA-3210; ON: DE84920103
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English