The U.S. produces over 90 billion cubic feet of natural gas every day. The average home uses about 200 cubic feet per day.

Energy prices are heavily influenced by supply and demand.

No matter where you are, it’s important to know your local power provider(s) and the state regulator that oversees power price changes.

Some of these national governments are heavily reliant on revenue from oil and therefore have formed groups – such as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) – to try to maintain prices at a level that will bring them plenty of profit, but that is not so high that it will depress the economies of consuming countries.

Biofuels are made out of (recently) living organisms – such as plants and animals. Traditional biofuels are ethanol made out of sugar cane or corn, and biodiesel is made of soy, animal fat, or palm oil. Cellulosic biofuels are the next generation: produced en masse from vegetable waste.

The largest refining hub in the U.S. is located in the Texas-Louisiana coast, but there are smaller hubs all over the country.

The way of life in communities all over the U.S. is being transformed by new techniques in oil drilling.

You may come across different kinds of crude (i.e. crude oil) in your reporting, such as Brent Crude or West Texas Intermediate.