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本周，美国天然气发电量大幅增长，而周一风力发电量创下 33 个月以来的最低水平，夏季制冷需求不断上升。

路透社援引美国能源信息署（EIA）的初步数据，7月22日，美国本土48个州的风电发电量降至2021年10月4日以来的最低水平 。尽管过去三年风电装机容量不断增加，但情况仍然如此。

夏季炎热，风速较低，导致风力发电量低，这促使电力生产商增加天然气发电量以满足夏季的电力需求。

据路透社估计，今年迄今为止，风力发电量最低的 10 个日子中，有 6 个发生在 7 月份。而去年，风力发电量最低的 10 个日子中，只有 2 个发生在 7 月份。

美国能源信息署 (EIA) 今年早些时候表示，尽管 2023 年新增风电装机容量为 6.2 吉瓦 (GW)，但去年风速低于正常水平，导致美国风力涡轮机发电量出现自 1990 年代中期以来的首次年度下降。2023  年美国风电发电总量为 425,235 吉瓦时 (GWh)，与 2022 年的 434,297 吉瓦时相比下降 2.1%。

美国能源信息署指出，“2023 年风力发电量的下降表明，风力发电作为发电源经过数十年的快速增长后正在走向成熟”。

为了抵消风力发电量的下降，美国发电厂启动了更多的天然气发电厂，以便在风速较低时提供可靠的能源。

 由于气温升高和数据中心需求增加导致总电力需求上升，今年迄今美国的天然气发电量 与去年同期相比大幅增长。

多年来，天然气一直占据美国发电的最大份额，约占所有发电力来源的40%。

 根据美国能源信息署的数据，今年天然气预计将提供美国约 42% 的电力，与去年类似，因为总消费量将在 2024 年增长 3%，2025 年再增长 2%。 

作者：Charles Kennedy，Oilprice.com

主图（来源：路透社）

Oil Price

U.S. natural gas-fired power generation jumped this week amid the lowest wind power output in 33 months seen on Monday while demand for cooling is rising in the summer.

On July 22, wind power output in the Lower 48 states was at its lowest level in the country since October 4, 2021, per preliminary data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) cited by Reuters. This was despite constantly rising wind power capacity installations over the past three years.

The hot summer with low wind speeds has led to low wind power generation, which has prompted power producers to boost natural gas-powered generation to keep up with the summer electricity demand.

So far this year, six of the 10 lowest days for wind power have occurred in July, according to Reuters estimates. Last year, just two of the 10 lowest wind power output days were in the month of July.

Last year, slower wind speeds than normal led to the first annual drop in U.S. electricity generation from wind turbines since the mid-1990s, despite the addition of 6.2 gigawatts (GW) of new wind capacity in 2023, the EIA said earlier this year. U.S. wind generation in 2023 totaled 425,235 gigawatthours (GWh), down by 2.1% compared to the 434,297 GWh generated in 2022.

“The 2023 decline in wind generation indicates that wind as a generation source is maturing after decades of rapid growth,” the EIA noted.

To offset lower wind power output, U.S. electricity generators have fired up more natural gas plants which can provide reliable energy when wind speeds are low.

Natural gas-fired electricity generation in the United States has jumped year-to-date compared to the same period last year, as total power demand rose with warmer temperatures and demand from data centers.

For years, natural gas has accounted for the largest share of U.S. power generation, at around 40% of all electricity-generating sources.

This year, natural gas is expected to provide around 42% of America’s electricity, similar to last year, as total consumption is set to grow by 3% in 2024 and another 2% in 2025, per data from the EIA.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

Lead image (Credit: Reuters)