Introduction

No Sunset and Extended Policies cases
The AEO2012 Reference case is best described as a "current laws and regulations" case, because it generally assumes that existing laws and regulations will remain unchanged throughout the projection period, unless the legislation establishing them sets a sunset date or specifies how they will change.…

Oil price and production trends in AEO2012
The oil price in AEO2012 is defined as the average price of light, low-sulfur crude oil delivered in Cushing, Oklahoma, which is similar to the price for light, sweet crude oil, West Texas Intermediate (WTI), traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange....

Potential efficiency improvements and their impacts on end-use energy demand
In 2010, the residential and commercial buildings sectors used 20.4 quadrillion Btu of delivered energy, or 28 percent of total U.S. energy consumption. The residential sector accounted for 57 percent of that energy use and the commercial sector 43 percent....

Energy impacts of proposed CAFE standards for light-duty vehicles, model years 2017 to 2025
In response to environmental, economic, and energy security concerns, EPA and NHTSA in December 2011 jointly issued a proposed rule covering GHG emissions and CAFE standards for passenger cars and light-duty trucks in MY 2017 through MY 2025 [42]....

Impacts of a breakthrough in battery vehicle technology
The transportation sector's dependence on petroleum-based fuels has prompted significant efforts to develop technology and alternative fuel options that address associated economic, environmental, and energy security concerns...

Heavy-duty natural gas vehicles
Environmental and energy security concerns, together with recent optimism about natural gas supply and recent lower natural gas prices, have led to significant interest in the potential for fueling heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) with natural gas produced domestically....

Changing structure of the refining industry
Petroleum-based liquid fuels represent the largest source of U.S. energy consumption, accounting for about 37 percent of total energy consumption in 2010....

Changing environment for fuel use in electricity generation
The AEO2012 Reference case shows considerable change in the mix of generating technologies over the next 25 years. Coal remains the dominant source of electricity generation in the Reference case, with a 38-percent share of total generation in 2035, but that is down from shares of 45 percent in 2010 and nearly 50 percent in 2005....

Nuclear power in AEO2012
In the AEO2012 Reference case, electricity generation from nuclear power in 2035 is 10 percent above the 2010 total. The nuclear share of overall generation, however, declines from 20 percent in 2010 to 18 percent in 2035, reflecting increased shares for natural gas and renewables....

Potential impact of minimum pipeline throughput constraints on Alaska North Slope oil production
Alaska's North Slope oil production has been declining since 1988, when average annual production peaked at 2.0 million barrels per day. In 2010, about 600,000 barrels per day of oil was produced on the North Slope....