The February 2010 Energy Trend Data for Hawaii are just released.
”Following are highlights:”
*1. Crude oil price at the New York Mercantile Exchange averaged $76.45 per barrel in February 2010 which was 94.7% higher compared to the same month last year. Crude oil price decreased $1.95 or 2.6% from January 2010.
*2. Hawaii’s total import of foreign crude oil was down 1.1% in calendar year 2009 as compared with 2008. In comparing the foreign imports of 2009 to the 2008 calendar year, jet fuel kero decreased 57.5%, residual fuel oil decreased 60.2%, propane decreased 44.2%. Fuel ethanol, however, showed an increase of 16.7%. Hawaii did not import distillates in 2009.
*3. In February 2010, the national average price for regular gasoline was $2.651 per gallon, which represented a 37.8% increase from the same month a year ago. Hawaii’s February 2010 price for regular gasoline averaged $3.429, which was about $0.778 or 22.73% higher than the national average for the same month. Hawaii’s February 2010 price for regular gasoline increased $0.047 or 1.4% from January 2010. Among the prices of regular gasoline for Honolulu, Wailuku, and Hilo, as reported by the American Automobile Association, Wailuku had the highest price for regular gasoline at $3.795. Wailuku’s price for regular gasoline increased $0.045 or 1.2% from the previous month (January 2010). The price of regular gasoline for Honolulu was $3.326 and Hilo was $3.469.
*4. Hawaii’s demand for gasoline, as measured by gasoline tax base, increased 22.6% in December 2009 from the same month a year ago. For the calendar year of 2009 the State’s total demand for gasoline was up 1.1%. The City and County of Honolulu’s demand for gasoline increased 0.8%, Maui County increased 3.2%, Hawaii County increased 1.3% and Kauai County decreased 1.9%.
*5. In February 2010, the national average price for diesel was $2.844 which was an increase of 22.8% from the same month a year ago. In Hawaii, the average price for diesel in January 2010 was $3.925 which was $1.081 or 38.0% higher than the national average. In February 2010, Wailuku’s market had the highest average price of diesel, at $4.178, among Hawaii’s market. In 2009, Hawaii’s demand for diesel, highway use, as measured by the diesel oil tax base, decreased 16.9% compared to 2008.
*6. As of February 2010, there were 914,617 registered taxable gasoline passenger vehicles in the state, 1.8% decrease from the same period last year (February 2009). There were 21,601 registered taxable diesel freight vehicles, 0.4% decrease from the same period last year. There were 177 registered taxable electric passenger vehicles or a 3.8% decrease from February 2009.
*7. In 2009, the electric utilities generated 6,887 GWh of electricity, a decrease of 2.8% from 2008. The electric utilities purchased 4,150 GWh from independent power producers, a decrease of 3.0% from the previous year. Also in 2009, the electric utilities generated 36.6 GWh from hydro and wind sources which represented an increase of 43.3% from the previous year.
*8. In 2009, the electric utilities consumed 8.6 million barrels of fuel oil, a decrease of 3.9% from 2008. The total cost of the fuel oil consumed was $519 million or a decrease of 47% from the previous year. However, the electric utilities consumed 2.6 million barrels of diesel oil at a total cost of $204.8 million. Although the total barrels of diesel oil consumed in 2009 was 3.2% higher than in 2008, 2009’s total cost of diesel oil was lower by 41.2% from 2008.
*9. Electricity sales totaled 10,126 GWh in 2009 or a 2.5% decrease from 2008. Electricity sales to the commercial sector showed a drop of 3.2% from last year. The utility showing the largest decrease of electricity sales was MECO for the island of Lanai which had a decrease of 12.1% from the previous year. The other islands also showed decreases in electricity sales in 2009 from 2008 to the commercial sector as follows: Oahu – 2.8%; Maui – 4.8%; Molokai