The Energy Information Agency: Packed with Powerful Resources

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) is a low profile, high impact government agency with the responsibility of providing official energy statistics.

A look at the EIA homepage quickly reveals the vastness of this mission. A visitor will find updated crude oil prices, the cost of a gallon of fuel, energy outlooks for petroleum, reports on greenhouse gas emissions and details on alternative fuels such as solar, wind power and biodiesel.

And this is just scratching the surface.

Five major energy sources are covered by EIA, and reflect the industries that the EIA serves. They include coal, petroleum, natural gas, electric and nuclear energy,

Public and private sector interests can obtain reports, surveys, projections, outlooks, efficiency ratings, system documentation, refinery yields and data on exports and imports along with pipelines.

Within these major industries, the EIA furnishes specific details on a diverse number of topics including coal, a monthly energy review, surveys on the energy expenditure of commercial buildings, a comprehensive breakdown of energy use by sector, and a Monthly Energy Review of Electricity, which includes an analysis of current retail prices.

Information is also available for other broad industry areas. EIA compiles forecasts on energy sources, including supply and demand numbers; it posts an Annual Energy Review with data going back to 1949; and, it keeps watch on environmental trends and their effect on the energy industry.

Members of the various energy industries herald the EIA as a source of independent information. In addition to serving the industries which manufacture and distribute energy, the EIA is also a rich source of detail for the average citizen, who wonders whether his light bill will escalate or the student who is researching coal production in the state of Kentucky.

In the aftermath of the devastating Hurricane Katrina, the EIA was lauded for its timely status reports on supplies from the oil-rich Gulf region. Merchants as worldly as the Deutsche Bank to British Petroleum to Wall Street respond to the authoritive reports from this agency, giving it the status of "The energy source" and the "Gold standard" when it comes to energy data.

The EIA is an entity within the Department of Energy. It was created by President Jimmy Carter in 1977 when Earth Day was a novelty, environmentalists were those accursed tree-huggers and the first wave of gas shortages appeared at the fuel pump. Its original mission was to supply information to the general public. In introducing the new agency, Carter saw it as the vehicle to provide "a clear direction and focus to carry out our national energy plan." To watch a video celebrating the 30 anniversary of the EIA, click here.