EIA has cautious optimism for U.S. energy

WASHINGTON, April 27 (UPI) -- U.S. reliance on domestic energy resources like shale gas should increase while carbon dioxide emissions related to energy should grow slowly, the EIA said.

The Energy Information Agency, part of the U.S. Department of Energy, in a study found that U.S. reliance on imported liquid fuels like petroleum is expected to decline in part because of an increase in domestic production and greater fuel efficiency.

The EIA said it expected consumption of liquid fuels to rise from 18.8 million barrels per day in 2009 to nearly 22 million bpd by 2035 in its study. Imports, however, fall from 51 percent in 2009 to around 42 percent in 2035.

Meanwhile, the agency said it expected energy-related carbon dioxide emissions to increase slowly as renewable energy and less carbon-intensive fuel sources like natural gas make up more of the domestic energy mix.

EIA Administrator Richard Newell said his agency projected a strong growth in the production of shale gas, more use of natural gas and declining energy imports across the board.

"But variations in key assumptions can have a significant impact on the projected outcomes," he cautioned in his statement.