Muntin Cost Index · Open data CC-BY reads CC0 raw · US EIA

The Energy Backdrop

The cost of the energy the food system runs on — diesel under freight, natural gas under greenhouse heat, electricity under refrigeration. Each carrier is read only against its own multi-decade range, so three incommensurable units become comparable. A coincident, site-wide backdrop — never a driver of any one ingredient's price, and never a forecast.

Energy Backdrop — latest derived read per carrier, each measured only against its own multi-decade range. Levels are public wholesale/retail energy prices, not any delivered food price. Source: Muntin Cost Index reads (CC-BY) over US EIA series (CC0). As of 2026-06.
Carrier What it powers Latest Own-range position Time percentile vs a year ago vs 5-yr avg Temperament
Diesel freight & reefer trucks $5.024/gal 85% of range 98th pctile +39.6% +21.1% Shock — median 0.47× max
Natural gas greenhouse heat & processing $3.15/MMBTU 14% of range 45th pctile +4.3% −16.6% Spike — median 0.26× max
Electricity refrigeration & cold storage 13.88¢/kWh 94% of range 98th pctile +6.0% +9.0% Ratchet — median 0.71× max