Electricity
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U.S. households forecast to use more heating fuels this winter compared with last winter ›
EIA's latest Short-Term Energy Outlook for electricity ›
EIA's latest monthly electricity analysis ›
Participation in green pricing and net metering programs rises›
State Electricity Profiles ›
Energy in Brief articles
What is the electric power grid?
The grid of electric power lines has evolved into three large interconnected systems that move electricity around the country. Standards have been developed by the electric power industry to ensure coordination for the linked operations.
How much of our electricity is generated from renewable sources?
U.S. power plants used renewable energy sources — water (hydroelectric), wood, wind, organic waste, geothermal, and sun — to generate about 13% of our electricity in 2011.
See all Energy In Brief articles ›
Electricity Explained
Electricity in the United States
Most of the electricity in the United States is produced using steam turbines. Coal is the most common fuel for generating electricity in the United States. In 2011, 42% of the country's nearly 4 trillion kilowatthours of electricity used coal as its source of energy.
Use of electricity
Electricity consumption totaled nearly 3,856 billion Kilowatthours (kWh) in 2011. U.S. electricity use in 2011 was more than 13 times greater than electricity use in 1950.
Features
Short-Term Energy and Winter Fuels OutlookReleased October 10, 2012 | Next Release: November 6, 2012
EIA's monthly energy projections through 2013. Includes supply, consumption, and price projections for oil and liquid fuels, natural gas, coal, electricity, and renewable energy. The Market Prices and Uncertainty Report is a regular monthly supplement to the Short-Term Energy Outlook.
Green Pricing and Net Metering Programs
Released September 24, 2012
This report provides detailed information on the number of electric industry participants and their customers in these programs for 2010. The number of customers in green pricing programs grew by 8 percent in 2010. The number of net metering customers was 61 percent more than in 2009.
Released September 24, 2012
Electric Power MonthlyProvides monthly statistics at the state, Census division, and U.S. levels for net generation, fossil fuel consumption and stocks, quantity and quality of fossil fuels, cost of fossil fuels, electricity sales, revenue, and average revenue per kilowatthour of electricity sold.
Released September 24, 2012
Electricity Monthly UpdateThe Electricity Monthly Update is a new EIA product that replaces the Monthly Flash Estimates for Electric Power Data, containing the most recently monthly data.
What's New in Electricity
Combined heat and power technology fills an important energy niche
October 4, 2012
Electricity Wholesale Market Data
October 4, 2012
2011 Annual State historical spreadsheets
October 2, 2012
Survey Forms, Changes & Announcements
How is electricity consumed in U.S. homes? ›
Electricity-Related Maps
