Natural Gas Average Annual Prices in Nebraska by Sector
The price of natural gas changed significantly from 1999 to 2009 reflecting its volatility or instability. The average annual price increased $1.26 from 1999 to 2000 and then increased another $1.72 from 2000 to 2001. Over the next year from 2001 to 2002, the price decreased nearly $2. But over the next three years, the price had steady increases: $1.62 from 2002 to 2003, $0.86 from 2003 to 2004, and $1.58 from 2004 to 2005. In 2006, the average annual price experienced an end to the large increases by rising only $0.01 from 2005. In 2007, the average annual price actually had a decrease of $0.33 from 2006. In 2008, the average annual price again increased—this time $0.59—from 2007. In 2009, the price decreased a whopping $2.46 from 2008.
From 2008 to 2009, the price of natural gas in the electric power sector decreased $2.84 or 39 percent, the industrial sector price decreased $2.99 or 34 percent, the commercial sector price decreased $2.10 or 23 percent, and the residential sector decreased $1.72 or 16 percent.
In 2009, the residential sector paid the highest price at $8.98 per billion cubic feet. The commercial sector's price was the next highest at $7.16, the industrial sector's price was $5.79 per billion cubic feet, and the electric power sector's price was $4.40.
The prices are in nominal dollars to provide a better comparison.
| Year | Sectors | Annual Average |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| End–Use Sectors | Electric Power |
||||
| Commercial | Industrial | Residential | |||
| 1970 | $0.51 | $0.31 | $0.82 | $0.26 | $0.49 |
| 1971 | $0.57 | $0.35 | $0.89 | $0.30 | $0.54 |
| 1972 | $0.56 | $0.47 | $0.95 | $0.37 | $0.60 |
| 1973 | $0.73 | $0.42 | $1.00 | $0.41 | $0.61 |
| 1974 | $0.78 | $0.52 | $1.10 | $0.48 | $0.70 |
| 1975 | $0.97 | $0.67 | $1.25 | $0.61 | $0.87 |
| 1976 | $1.13 | $0.83 | $1.33 | $0.79 | $1.05 |
| 1977 | $1.36 | $1.00 | $1.75 | $0.94 | $1.32 |
| 1978 | $1.50 | $1.08 | $1.92 | $1.08 | $1.46 |
| 1979 | $1.96 | $1.22 | $2.25 | $1.41 | $1.78 |
| 1980 | $2.27 | $2.15 | $2.71 | $1.77 | $2.34 |
| 1981 | $2.94 | $2.77 | $3.43 | $2.33 | $3.03 |
| 1982 | $3.47 | $3.52 | $4.13 | $2.94 | $3.73 |
| 1983 | $4.18 | $3.69 | $4.91 | $3.17 | $4.30 |
| 1984 | $4.24 | $3.61 | $5.05 | $3.31 | $4.34 |
| 1985 | $4.18 | $3.57 | $4.97 | $3.49 | $4.31 |
| 1986 | $3.85 | $3.19 | $4.49 | $3.12 | $3.97 |
| 1987 | $3.66 | $2.74 | $4.31 | $2.50 | $3.62 |
| 1988 | $3.71 | $2.82 | $4.42 | $2.62 | $3.71 |
| 1989 | $3.72 | $2.88 | $4.42 | $2.30 | $3.73 |
| 1990 | $3.82 | $2.94 | $4.55 | $1.96 | $3.83 |
| 1991 | $3.83 | $2.73 | $4.59 | $1.92 | $3.83 |
| 1992 | $3.97 | $2.90 | $4.79 | $2.32 | $4.00 |
| 1993 | $4.26 | $3.09 | $4.96 | $2.66 | $4.14 |
| 1994 | $4.19 | $3.08 | $4.96 | $2.00 | $4.08 |
| 1995 | $3.94 | $2.77 | $4.81 | $1.61 | $3.79 |
| 1996 | $4.32 | $3.18 | $4.71 | $2.01 | $4.11 |
| 1997 | $4.76 | $3.76 | $5.55 | $2.80 | $4.66 |
| 1998 | $4.13 | $3.17 | $4.98 | $2.36 | $3.93 |
| 1999 | $4.04 | $3.30 | $4.93 | $2.74 | $4.01 |
| 2000 | $5.29 | $4.48 | $6.23 | $4.48 | $5.27 |
| 2001 | $7.15 | $5.62 | $8.34 | $4.16 | $6.99 |
| 2002 | $4.93 | $4.10 | $5.97 | $4.16 | $5.00 |
| 2003 | $6.67 | $5.66 | $7.57 | $5.50 | $6.62 |
| 2004 | $7.33 | $6.44 | $8.74 | $6.42 | $7.48 |
| 2005 | $9.11 | $8.08 | $10.30 | $7.96 | $9.06 |
| 2006 | $9.25 | $8.05 | $10.87 | $7.08 | $9.07 |
| 2007 | $8.76 | $7.62 | $10.66 | $8.60 | $8.74 |
| 2008 | $9.26 | $8.78 | $10.70 | $7.24 | $9.32 |
| 2009 | $7.16 | $5.79 | $8.98 | $4.40 | $6.86 |
Sources: State Energy Price and Expenditure Report. Energy Information Administration, Washington, DC. Nebraska Energy Office, Lincoln, NE.
Note: The price of natural gas delivered to electric utility consumers includes all steam electric utility generating plants with a combined capacity of 50 MW or greater.
The table and graph were updated on December 1, 2011. Typically, there are one to two years between updates.