How to Read EIA's Monthly Energy Review — U.S. Primary Energy Production, Trade and Consumption
EIA Monthly Energy Review, U.S. primary energy, July 2026 (October 29 edition, preliminary): production 9.455 and consumption 8.335 quadrillion Btu; net exports 1.131 quadrillion Btu.
Key figures (Monthly Energy Review, October 2026 edition, data through July)
As of 31 October 2026, 00:44 KST; most recently published edition: Monthly Energy Review (MER), October 2026, from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), release date October 29, 2026, with Table 1.1 monthly data through July 2026. The report page lists the next release as November 2026, and cell A7 of the Excel file reads "Next Update: November 30, 2026"; neither gives a time of day. Primary source: https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/[1][4]
| Indicator (United States, quadrillion Btu) | Previous (June 2026, as revised in the October edition; cell) | Current (July 2026; cell) | Change vs previous | Change vs year ago (July 2025; cell) | Evidence type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total primary energy production | 9.126 (E654) | 9.455 (E655) | +3.6% (calculated) | +2.7% (calculated) from 9.208 (E643) | levels: EIA primary statistical record (Table 1.1 cells); percentage changes: this page's calculation from the unrounded cell values |
| Total primary energy consumption | 7.707 (M654) | 8.335 (M655) | +8.1% (calculated) | -0.6% (calculated) from 8.383 (M643) | levels: EIA primary statistical record (Table 1.1 cells); percentage changes: this page's calculation from the unrounded cell values |
| Primary energy exports | 2.999 (G654) | 2.838 (G655) | -5.4% (calculated) | +11.2% (calculated) from 2.552 (G643) | levels: EIA primary statistical record (Table 1.1 cells); percentage changes: this page's calculation from the unrounded cell values |
| Primary energy net imports (imports minus exports) | -1.383 (H654) | -1.131 (H655) | net exports smaller by 0.252 (calculated) | net exports larger by 0.324 (calculated) from -0.807 (H643) | levels: EIA primary statistical record (Table 1.1 cells); percentage changes: this page's calculation from the unrounded cell values |
| Total renewable energy consumption | 0.830 (L654) | 0.809 (L655) | -2.5% (calculated) | +6.2% (calculated) from 0.762 (L643) | levels: EIA primary statistical record (Table 1.1 cells); percentage changes: this page's calculation from the unrounded cell values |
Comparison basis: values are in quadrillion Btu, read by program from the Excel file with cell addresses (monthly sheet; column A holds Excel date serials, 46204 = July 2026) and rounded here to three decimals as in the printed table. The October edition marks June 2026 consumption as revised (R) in the printed table; it is used as the previous value. All changes are this page's calculation from the unrounded cell values, rounded to one decimal. The Excel file, PDF table, notes and report page are all from EIA and count as one source.[1][2]
In three lines
1. The MER's Table 1.1 is the U.S. primary energy balance: production, imports, exports, stock change and consumption of fossil fuels, nuclear and renewable energy, monthly and annually, for the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
2. In July 2026, U.S. primary energy production was 9.455 quadrillion Btu and consumption 8.335, with net imports of -1.131 (net exports).
3. For January-July 2026, production totaled 63.607 quadrillion Btu, 3.1% above the same months of 2025 (this page's calculation).[1][2]
What the tables say (in EIA's words)
What the totals add up. "Total primary energy production is the sum of the production values for fossil fuels, nuclear electric power, and renewable energy." "Total primary energy consumption is the sum of the consumption values for fossil fuels, nuclear electric power, and renewable energy, plus electricity net imports."[3]
Trade. "Net imports equal imports minus exports." A negative value means the United States exported more primary energy than it imported. The stock change and other column is calculated by EIA as consumption minus production and net imports, so it absorbs stock changes, balancing items and losses.[2]
Preliminary vs revised. "These data are usually preliminary (and sometimes estimated or forecasted) and likely to be revised the following month." "The first dissemination of most annual data is also preliminary." "In addition, EIA may revise historical data when a major revision in a source publication is needed, when new data sources become available, or when estimation methodologies are improved."[4]
Reading in pairs
Month to month vs year to year. July 2026 consumption was 8.1% above June but 0.6% below July 2025 (this page's calculation from cells M655, M654 and M643). How this page reads it (not an EIA statement): because monthly energy use varies with the season, the year-ago comparison is the more like-for-like of the two. The tables do not attribute the changes to specific causes.[1]
Production vs consumption. U.S. primary energy production (9.455) exceeded consumption (8.335) in July 2026; the difference shows up as net exports and stock change and other, which EIA calculates as the residual.[1][2]
One month vs year to date. January-July 2026 production was 63.607 quadrillion Btu and consumption 55.989, against 61.673 and 56.348 for January-July 2025 in the printed table: production up 3.1% and consumption down 0.6% (this page's calculation).[2]
Renewables share. Total renewable energy consumption was 0.809 of 8.335 quadrillion Btu in July 2026, or 9.7% (this page's calculation from cells L655 and M655).[1]
Verified facts
Each fact is labelled with its evidence typeEach fact in this section carries its evidence type — either cross-checked against independent sources, or confirmed from a single authoritative record.
U.S. primary energy production was 9.455 quadrillion Btu in July 2026, according to the October 2026 Monthly Energy Review.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
U.S. primary energy consumption was 8.335 quadrillion Btu in July 2026, compared with 8.383 in July 2025.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
U.S. primary energy exports were 2.838 quadrillion Btu and net imports -1.131 quadrillion Btu in July 2026.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
U.S. primary energy production totaled 63.607 quadrillion Btu in January-July 2026, compared with 61.673 in January-July 2025.[2] 1 source · authoritative record
EIA lists the next Monthly Energy Review release as November 2026.[4] 1 source · authoritative record
Statements and readings
Not counted as facts — each item shows what kind of statement it isFrom here on: statements not counted as facts — single-source reports, the issuing body’s own statements, and this page’s own readings, each labeled.
U.S. primary energy consumption in July 2026 was 0.6% below July 2025 and 8.1% above June 2026.[1] This page’s own calculation or reading · This page's calculation from Table 1.1 cells
U.S. primary energy production in January-July 2026 was 3.1% above January-July 2025.[2] This page’s own calculation or reading · This page's calculation from the printed Table 1.1
Timeline
What this page could not establish
These are questions this page tried to answer and could not. The gaps are left open rather than filled with a guess.- How much will the July 2026 figures be revised in the November edition?
- Why was July 2026 consumption below July 2025?
- Model
- claude-opus-5
- Time
- 10/31/2026, 00:46
- Body characters
- 5,149
- Sources
- 4 sources adopted
- Model
- ChatGPT (checked sources on the web)
- Time
- 10/31/2026, 00:59
- Verdict
- Revision required
Show revision history (3)
| 10/31/2026, 09:00 | First authored (claude-opus-5) | Created |
| 10/31/2026 | First version. Read in full the October 2026 Monthly Energy Review Table 1.1 PDF page and Section 1 notes, the report page, and the Table 1.1 Excel cells cited by address; quotations are complete sentences matched against the source text. | Updated |
| 10/31/2026 | Revised after review: the Excel source note records the retrieval time, file hash, that cited cells were read by program, and that the printed Table 1.1 shows the same three-decimal values; the next-update date is quoted as printed in cell A7; the seasonal reading is marked as this page's reading rather than an EIA statement; the summary gives the unit for net exports. | Updated |
Frequently asked
How much primary energy did the United States produce in July 2026?
9.455 quadrillion Btu (Table 1.1 cell E655), 2.7% above July 2025 by this page's calculation; the value is preliminary.[1]
How much primary energy did the United States consume in July 2026?
8.335 quadrillion Btu (cell M655), 0.6% below July 2025 and 8.1% above June 2026 by this page's calculation.[1]
What does negative U.S. primary energy net imports of -1.131 quadrillion Btu in July 2026 mean?
Net imports equal imports minus exports, so -1.131 means exports (2.838) exceeded imports (1.707) in July 2026.[1][2]
Are the July 2026 U.S. Monthly Energy Review figures final?
No: EIA says new monthly data are usually preliminary (sometimes estimated or forecast) and likely to be revised the following month; the October 2026 edition marks some 2026 values as revised.[4]
What does U.S. total primary energy consumption include in Table 1.1 for July 2026?
Fossil fuels, nuclear electric power and renewable energy, plus electricity net imports; total consumption was 8.335 quadrillion Btu in July 2026.[3]
Official links
Sources
- [1] Monthly Energy Review, Table 1.1 Primary Energy Overview, monthly (EIA, Excel) primary
- [2] Monthly Energy Review October 2026, Table 1.1 (EIA, PDF page) primary
- [3] Monthly Energy Review October 2026, Section 1 notes (EIA, PDF) primary
- [4] Monthly Energy Review report page (EIA, page as current on 2026-10-31) primary