State Energy Profile - AlaskaEnergy Information Administration - State Energy Profileshttp://www.eia.gov/state |
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Last Update: October 28, 2010 Next Update: November 4, 2010 |
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OverviewResources and ConsumptionAlaska has vast energy resources with major oil and gas reserves found in the Alaska North Slope (ANS) and Cook Inlet basins. The ANS contains 14 of the 100 largest oil fields in the United States, and five of the 100 largest natural gas fields. The North Slope’s Prudhoe Bay field is the largest oil field in the country, producing an average of 264,000 barrels per day. Substantial coal deposits are found in Alaska’s bituminous, subbituminous, and lignite coal basins. Alaska’s numerous rivers offer some of the highest hydroelectric power potential in the Nation, and large swaths of the Alaskan coastline offer wind and geothermal energy potential. The oil and gas industry dominates the Alaskan economy, and production activities drive State energy demand. Although Alaska has a low absolute energy demand compared to the U.S. average, its per capita energy consumption is the highest in the country – more than three times the U.S. average. PetroleumAlaska is the second-ranked oil-producing State after Texas, when output from the Federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) is excluded from the State totals. Nearly all of Alaska’s oil production takes place on the North Slope. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) transports crude oil from the frozen North Slope to the warm-water Port of Valdez, on Alaska’s southern coast. From Valdez, tankers ship the ANS crude oil primarily to refineries along the West Coast. Those refineries are designed to process the intermediate, sour (high-sulfur) crude oil from the ANS. Alaskan crude oil production has been in decline since 1988, when output peaked at over 2 million barrels per day. However, experts believe that large oil and gas reserves in the State remain untapped, and some have called for the Federal government to open more public lands, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, for oil exploration and drilling. Demand for finished petroleum products in Alaska is low. Although Alaska has six refineries, most of them are “topping” plants that strip away lighter products from the TAPS heavy crude oil stream for internal refinery use. State motor gasoline demand is primarily met by refineries in Kenai and near Fairbanks. By a wide margin, Alaska has the highest per-capita jet fuel consumption in the United States. Due to harsh weather conditions that persist throughout most of the year, Alaska’s oil infrastructure is particularly vulnerable to weather-related accidents and disruptions. The worst accident occurred in March 1989, when the tank vessel Exxon Valdez struck Bligh Reef and spilled 260,000 barrels of oil into the Prince William Sound. Natural GasAlaska has substantial marketed natural gas production, most of which takes place in the Cook Inlet, where output is in decline. Although large volumes of natural gas are extracted during oil production on the ANS, this supply has no way of reaching consumption markets and is subsequently pumped back into the ground for repressurization or used as lease fuel to operate equipment at oil production facilities. It has not been considered commercially feasible to build a natural gas pipeline linking ANS natural gas with markets in the Lower 48 States, although two separate consortia have filed project applications with the State of Alaska. Most of Alaska’s marketed natural gas is consumed at the production site as lease fuel or plant fuel. Only about one-fourth of Alaska’s marketed natural gas production is delivered to customers. Of these customers, the electric power sector is the largest. Since Alaskan natural gas is abundant and cheap, the State has attracted a petrochemicals industry that produces ammonia and urea fertilizer. In addition, the Kenai liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in the Cook Inlet exports LNG, primarily to Japan. Kenai is the only LNG export terminal in the United States. Coal, Electricity, and RenewablesAlaska’s electricity infrastructure differs from that of the lower 48 States because most Alaskan consumers are not linked to large, interconnected grids through transmission and distribution lines. An interconnected grid exists in the populated areas from Fairbanks to south of Anchorage; however, that grid is isolated from those in Canada and the 48 contiguous States. Rural communities rely on their own power sources, almost exclusively using diesel electric generators. Natural gas fuels almost three-fifths of Alaska’s electricity generation, and hydroelectric power supplies about one-fifth. Petroleum and coal each account for approximately one-tenth of net electricity generation. While Alaska does not currently produce energy from nuclear sources, plans are being considered for small nuclear reactors near Fairbanks and in Galena, a village on the Yukon River. More than 50 hydroelectric power plants supply Alaskan communities, and three of those plants are among the ten largest generators in the State. Alaska’s renewable energy sources also include a 200-kilowatt geothermal plant at Chena Hot Springs and 14 small wind energy projects with a total of about 3 megawatts of capacity. Alaskans also operate one of the Nation's largest fuel cell systems, in Anchorage, and the world's largest battery storage system. |
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| Economy | ||||
| Population and Employment | Alaska | U.S. Rank | Period | |||||||
| Population | 0.7 million | 47 |
2009 | |||||||
| Civilian Labor Force | 0.4 million | 48 |
Sep-10 | |||||||
| Per Capita Personal Income | $44,395 | 9 |
2008 | |||||||
| Industry | Alaska | U.S. Rank | Period | |||||||
| Gross Domestic Product by State | $47.9 billion | 45 | 2008 | |||||||
| Land in Farms | 0.9 million acres | 44 |
2007 | |||||||
| Market Value of Agricultural Products Sold | $0.1 billion | 50 |
2007 | |||||||
| Prices | ||||
| Petroleum | Alaska | U.S. Avg. | Period | ||||||||
| Domestic Crude Oil First Purchase | $68.51/barrel (North Slope) | $71.37/barrel | Jul-10 | ||||||||
| No. 2 Heating Oil, Residential | $2.88/gal | $2.58/gal | Jul-10 | ![]() |
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| Regular Motor Gasoline Sold Through Retail Outlets (Excluding Taxes) | $3.11/gal | $2.23/gal | Jul-10 | ![]() |
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| State Tax Rate on Motor Gasoline (other taxes may apply) |
$0.08/gal | $0.22/gal | Jan-10 | ||||||||
| No. 2 Diesel Fuel Sold Through Retail Outlets (Excluding Taxes) | NA | $2.38/gal | Jul-10 | ![]() |
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| State Tax Rate on On-Highway Diesel (other taxes may apply) |
$0.08/gal | $0.23/gal | Jan-10 | ||||||||
| Natural Gas | Alaska | U.S. Avg. | Period | ||||||||
| Wellhead | $7.39/thousand cu ft | $7.96/thousand cu ft | 2008 | ||||||||
| City Gate | $6.89/thousand cu ft | $6.13/thousand cu ft | Jul-10 | ||||||||
| Residential | $9.89/thousand cu ft | $15.45/thousand cu ft | Jul-10 | ![]() |
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| Coal | Alaska | U.S. Avg. | Period | ||||||||
| Average Open Market Sales Price | W | $32.06/short ton | 2008 | ||||||||
| Delivered to Electric Power Sector | W | $ 2.27 /million Btu | Jul-10 | ||||||||
| Electricity | Alaska | U.S. Avg. | Period | ||||||||
| Residential | 17.13 cents/kWh | 12.01 cents/kWh | Jul-10 | ![]() |
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| Commercial | 14.61 cents/kWh | 10.70 cents/kWh | Jul-10 | ||||||||
| Industrial | 13.81 cents/kWh | 7.31 cents/kWh | Jul-10 | ||||||||
| Reserves & Supply | ||||
| Reserves | Alaska | Share of U.S. | Period | ||||||||
| Crude Oil | 3,507 million barrels | 18.3% | 2008 | ||||||||
| Dry Natural Gas | 7,699 billion cu ft | 3.1% | 2008 | ||||||||
| Natural Gas Liquids | 312 million barrels | 3.4% | 2008 | ||||||||
| Recoverable Coal at Producing Mines | W | W | 2008 | ||||||||
| Rotary Rigs & Wells | Alaska | Share of U.S. | Period | ||||||||
| Rotary Rigs in Operation | 8 | 0.7% | 2009 | ||||||||
| Crude Oil Producing Wells | 1,769 | 0.3% | 2009 | ||||||||
| Natural Gas Producing Wells | 261 | 0.1% | 2008 | ||||||||
| Production | Alaska | Share of U.S. | Period | ||||||||
| Total Energy | 1,933 trillion Btu | 2.6% | 2008 | ![]() |
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| Crude Oil | 17,627 thousand barrels | 10.5% | May-10 | ![]() |
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| Natural Gas - Marketed | 398,442 million cu ft | 1.9% | 2008 | ![]() |
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| Coal | 1,477 thousand short tons | NA | 2008 | ![]() |
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| Capacity | Alaska | Share of U.S. | Period | ||||||||
| Crude Oil Refinery Capacity (as of Jan. 1) | 393,980 barrels/calendar day | 2.3% | 2010 | ||||||||
| Electric Power Industry Net Summer Capability | 1,995 MW | 0.2% | 2008 | ||||||||
| Net Electricity Generation | Alaska | Share of U.S. | Period | ||||||||
| Total Net Electricity Generation | 535 thousand MWh | 0.1% | Jul-10 | ![]() |
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| Petroleum-Fired | 71 thousand MWh | 2.4% | Jul-10 | ||||||||
| Natural Gas-Fired | 292 thousand MWh | 0.3% | Jul-10 | ||||||||
| Coal-Fired | 48 thousand MWh | 0.0% | Jul-10 | ||||||||
| Nuclear | — | — | Jul-10 | ||||||||
| Hydroelectric | 124 thousand MWh | 0.5% | Jul-10 | ||||||||
| Other Renewables | NM | NA | Jul-10 | ||||||||
| Stocks | Alaska | Share of U.S. | Period | ||||||||
| Motor Gasoline (Excludes Pipelines) | 693 thousand barrels | 1.5% | Jul-10 | ||||||||
| Distillate Fuel Oil (Excludes Pipelines) | 975 thousand barrels | 0.7% | Jul-10 | ||||||||
| Natural Gas in Underground Storage | — | — | Jul-10 | ||||||||
| Petroleum Stocks at Electric Power Producers | W | W | Jul-10 | ||||||||
| Coal Stocks at Electric Power Producers | W | W | Jul-10 | ||||||||
| Production Facilities | Alaska | ||||||||||
| Major Coal Mines | None | ||||||||||
| Petroleum Refineries | BP Exploration Alaska Inc (Prudhoe Bay) • ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc (Prudhoe Bay) • Flint Hills Resources Alaska LLC (North Pole) • Petro Star Inc (North Pole) • Petro Star Inc (Valdez) • Tesoro Petroleum Corp (Kenai) | ||||||||||
| Major Non-Nuclear Electricity Generating Plants | Beluga (Chugach Electric Assn Inc) • George M Sullivan Generation Plant 2 (Anchorage Municipal Light and Power) • Southcentral Power Plant (Chugach Electric Assn Inc) • North Pole (Golden Valley Elec Assn Inc) • Bradley Lake (Homer Electric Assn Inc) | ||||||||||
| Nuclear Power Plants | None | ||||||||||
| Distribution & Marketing | ||||
| Distribution Centers | Alaska | |||||||||
| Oil Seaports/Oil Import Sites | Anchorage • Valdez. | |||||||||
| Natural Gas Market Centers | None | |||||||||
| Major Pipelines | Alaska | |||||||||
| Crude Oil | Alyeska • Cook Inlet • Kenai • Kuparuk • Milne Point | |||||||||
| Petroleum Product | None | |||||||||
| Liquefied Petroleum Gases | None | |||||||||
| Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines | None | |||||||||
| Fueling Stations | Alaska | Share of U.S. | Period | |||||||
| Motor Gasoline | 442 | 0.3% | 2008 | |||||||
| Liquefied Petroleum Gases | 9 | 0.4% | 2010 | |||||||
| Compressed Natural Gas | 1 | 0.1% | 2010 | |||||||
| Ethanol | 0 | 0.0% | 2010 | |||||||
| Other Alternative Fuels | 1 | 0.1% | 2010 | |||||||
| Consumption | ||||
| per Capita | Alaska | U.S. Rank | Period | ||||||||
| Total Energy | 946 million Btu | 2 | 2008 | ![]() |
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| by Source | Alaska | Share of U.S. | Period | ||||||||
| Total Energy | 651 trillion Btu | 0.7% | 2008 | ||||||||
| Total Petroleum | 49.1 million barrels | 0.7% | 2008 | ||||||||
| Motor Gasoline | 6.7 million barrels | 0.2% | 2008 | ||||||||
| Distillate Fuel | 12.9 million barrels | 0.9% | 2008 | ||||||||
| Liquefied Petroleum Gases | 0.3 million barrels | 0.0% | 2008 | ||||||||
| Jet Fuel | 23.8 million barrels | 4.2% | 2008 | ||||||||
| Natural Gas | 341,895 million cu ft | 1.5% | 2008 | ||||||||
| Coal | W | W | 2009 | ||||||||
| by End-Use Sector | Alaska | Share of U.S. | Period | ||||||||
| Residential | 54,747 billion Btu | 0.3% | 2008 | ||||||||
| Commercial | 63,278 billion Btu | 0.3% | 2008 | ||||||||
| Industrial | 317,925 billion Btu | 1.0% | 2008 | ||||||||
| Transportation | 214,808 billion Btu | 0.8% | 2008 | ||||||||
| for Electricity Generation | Alaska | Share of U.S. | Period | ||||||||
| Petroleum | 123 thousand barrels | 2.3% | Jul-10 | ||||||||
| Natural Gas | 3,308 million cu ft | 0.4% | Jul-10 | ||||||||
| Coal | 41 thousand short tons | 0.0% | Jul-10 | ||||||||
| for Home Heating (share of households) | Alaska | U.S. Avg. | Period | ||||||||
| Natural Gas | 46% | 51.2% | 2000 | ||||||||
| Fuel Oil | 36% | 9.0% | 2000 | ||||||||
| Electricity | 10% | 30.3% | 2000 | ||||||||
| Liquefied Petroleum Gases | 2% | 6.5% | 2000 | ||||||||
| Other/None | 6% | 1.8% | 2000 | ||||||||
| Environment | ||||
| Special Programs | Alaska | ||||||||||
| Clean Cities Coalitions | Arkansas | ||||||||||
| Alternative Fuels | Alaska | Share of U.S. | Period | ||||||||
| Alternative-Fueled Vehicles in Use | 2,379 | 0.3% | 2008 | ||||||||
| Ethanol Plants | 0 | 0.0% | 2008 | ||||||||
| Ethanol Plant Capacity | 0 million gal/year | 0.0% | 2008 | ||||||||
| Ethanol Consumption | 495 thousand barrels | 0.2% | 2008 | ||||||||
| Electric Power Industry Emissions | Alaska | Share of U.S. | Period | ||||||||
| Carbon Dioxide |
4,366,541 metric tons | 0.2% | 2008 | ![]() |
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| Sulfur Dioxide |
3,525 metric tons | 0.0% | 2008 | ||||||||
| Nitrogen Oxide |
14,733 metric tons | 0.4% | 2008 | ||||||||
| — = No data reported.
* = Number less than 0.5 rounded to zero.
NA = Not available.
NM = Not meaningful due to large relative standard error or excessive percentage change.
W = Withheld to avoid disclosure of individual company data. Click the icon next to a data series to see State rankings for that series. |
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