EIA: STRONG EL NINO HELPS REDUCE U.S. WINTER HEATING DEMAND AND FUEL PRICES

摘要

Above-normal temperatures during the 2015-16 winter were a key factor in lowering heating demand and winter fuel expenditures. Compared with the 2014-15 winter, propane and heating oil demand decreased by 16% and 45%, respectively, and residential electricity demand decreased by 6%. The 2015-16 winter season (October through March) was 15% warmer than last winter, driven in part by one of the strongest El Nino events in decades.