The United States consumes more energy than any other country on the planet. So the U.S. Department of Energy announcement that the U.S. actually exported more fuel in 2011 than it imported was striking — and very, very welcome.
Shipments abroad of petroleum products exceeded imports by 439,000 barrels a day, the department said today in the Petroleum Supply Monthly report. In 2010, daily net imports averaged 269,000 barrels. U.S. refiners exported record amounts of gasoline, heating oil and diesel to meet higher global fuel demand while U.S. fuel consumption sank.
The U.S. will ship abroad 350,000 barrels a day more petroleum products that it imports in 2012 and 320,000 barrels daily in 2013, according to the department’s Short-Term Energy Outlook report released on Feb. 7.
Gasoline demand in the U.S. sank 2.9 percent to 8.736 million barrels a day last year as pump prices averaged $3.521 a gallon, the highest in records dating back to 1919.
Harry Truman was president the last time America was a net energy exporter — more than 60 years ago. So what’s behind this massive surge in energy production?
Sure, a big part of it is global demographic shifts (exploding economies in the developing world means more and more folks are driving), and part of it is broader economic conditions (the recession meant less energy usage here in the U.S.). Some is technological advancement and successful new energy exploration has made a big difference as well.
But a big part of it is the sheer force of will of our nation’s workforce and energy companies like yours.
Rising demand for energy production means rising demand on your industrial machinery. Simply put, companies are going to be asking more and more of their workers and equipment than ever before. When it comes to industrial clutch and transmission sales and service, K&L Clutch will be here to make sure your equipment is up to the task.
We’re proud to offer a full range of industrial clutch and transmission parts, including:
- Allison Torque Converter
- Clark Torque Converter
- Twin Disc Torque Converter
- Twin Disc PTOs
- Clutch Assemblies
- And more..
Plus, we maintain one of the most innovative, well-stocked service departments anywhere in the U.S. So contact us to learn more — our expert repair teams are ready to make sure your project (and this unprecedented boom) keeps on rolling.
[…] As we mentioned last month, the U.S. — the largest energy consumer in the world by a longshot — is on pace to become a net energy exporter in 2012. It’s a pretty amazing feat, and one that will require our nation’s energy companies to be operating at peak performance for long stretches of time. […]