Graph and download economic data for Average Price: Electricity per Kilowatt-Hour in Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX (CBSA) (APUS37B72610) from Nov 1978 to Dec 2024 about Houston, electricity, energy, urban, retail, TX, price, and USA.

The statistic shows Texas' average retail price for electricity between 1998 and 2015, by sector. In 2015, the average retail price for electricity in the residential sector was 11.56 cents per kilowatt hour.

Graph and download economic data for Average Price: Electricity per Kilowatt-Hour in U.S. City Average (APU000072610) from Nov 1978 to Apr 2025 about electricity, energy, retail, price, and USA.

Retail residential electricity prices in the United States have mostly risen over the last decades. In 2023, prices registered a year-over-year growth of 6.3 percent, the highest growth registered since the beginning of the century. Residential prices are projected to continue to grow by two percent in 2024. Drivers of electricity price growth The price of electricity is partially dependent on the various energy sources used for generation, such as coal, gas, oil, renewable energy, or nuclear. In the U.S., electricity prices are highly connected to natural gas prices. As the commodity is exposed to international markets that pay a higher rate, U.S. prices are also expected to rise, as it has been witnessed during the energy crisis in 2022. Electricity demand is also expected to increase, especially in regions that will likely require more heating or cooling as climate change impacts progress, driving up electricity prices. Which states pay the most for electricity? Electricity prices can vary greatly depending on both state and region. Hawaii has the highest electricity prices in the U.S., at roughly 43 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour as of May 2023, due to the high costs of crude oil used to fuel the state’s electricity. In comparison, Idaho has one of the lowest retail rates. Much of the state’s energy is generated from hydroelectricity, which requires virtually no fuel. In addition, construction costs can be spread out over decades.

A table listing the average electricity rates (kWh) of all 50 U.S. states as of March 2025.

Hawaii is the state with the highest household electricity price in the United States. In September 2024, the average retail price of electricity for Hawaiian residences amounted to 41.27 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour. California followed in second, with 30.221 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour. Meanwhile, Utah registered the lowest price in the period, at around 11.4 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour. Why is electricity so expensive in Hawaii? Fossil fuels, and specifically oil, account for approximately 80 percent of Hawaii’s electricity mix, so the electricity price in this state can be roughly brought down to the price of oil in the country. Oil was by far the most expensive fossil fuel used for electricity generation in the country. As Hawaii depends on oil imports, the cost of transportation and infrastructure must be added to the oil price. Electricity prices worldwide The U.S. retail price for electricity increased almost every year since 1990. In 2023, it stood at 12.7 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour, almost double the charge put on electricity back in 1990. However, household electricity prices are around 25 U.S. dollar cents per kilowatt-hour lower in the U.S. when compared to European countries reliant on energy imports, such as Germany and Italy.

In 2022, the average end-use electricity price in the United States stood at around 12.2 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour. This figure is projected to decrease in the coming three decades, to reach some 11 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour by 2050.

Natural gas distributors have benefited mainly from the enormous outburst of natural gas availability in the United States since the early 2000s because of the growing prevalence of advanced drilling techniques employed by upstream producers in the Oil Drilling and Gas Extraction industry. Natural gas is used to generate electricity, produce useful thermal output and as an industrial feedstock. Many end users, mainly electric power plants, have been pressed to transition to using this energy source at the expense of others because of its increased affordability and comparatively lower environmental impact. Despite the rising popularity of renewable energy like wind and solar, natural gas already has years of historical infrastructure built, making the supply chain much easier to navigate, leading the country to rely on it for most of its energy needs. Revenue is set to swell at a CAGR of 4.6% through the end of 2025 to $199.3 billion, including a 9.5% dip in 2025, as gas prices will rebound. Despite revenue growing swiftly as the need for gas overwhelmingly expanded during the current period, distributors have also endured wild swings in revenue because of highly volatile market conditions. For example, the price of natural gas fell in 2020 amid shutdowns as excess supply was built. Prices then spiked in 2021 and 2022 before falling again in 2023 as the industry stabilized following economic turmoil. Despite all this, the residential sector has been a saving grace, as prices have continued to climb yearly despite outside factors. Even so, overall profit has been pushed down as distributors lowered their selling prices. Natural gas production will climb marginally, while infrastructure investments will boost pipeline and export capacity. Thanks to global tensions, total domestic consumption is set to strengthen. Even so, consumption may be constrained growth as some markets slowly switch to renewable energy, constraining growth. Prices are also set to remain stagnant, which may prevent significant revenue spikes. Overall, revenue is set to climb at a CAGR of 0.7% through the end of 2030 to $205.9 billion.

In the first quarter of 2024, solar PPA prices in North America declined in comparison to the previous quarter, reaching some 51.52 U.S. dollars per megawatt hour. However, North American wind PPA prices increased in comparison with the last quarter of 2023, surpassing 61.5 U.S. dollars per megawatt hour. Generally, the price of power purchase agreements in North America has presented an increasing trend over the last year. The rise of inflation, as well as interconnection queues in the country have contributed to the recent increase in PPA prices.
U.S. regional PPA pricing Regionally, wind PPA prices were the lowest in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), reaching 40 and 42 U.S. dollar per megawatt hours in the last quarter of 2023, respectively. By comparison, wind PPA prices in the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) stood at 75 U.S. dollars per megawatt hour. Regarding solar, the Southwest Power Pool and the California Independent System Operator registered the lowest PPA prices among U.S. electricity system operators.
Corporate PPA landscape in the U.S. In total, more than 17 gigawatts of wind and solar capacity was contracted in the United States through corporate purchase agreements in 2023. Solar energy dominated the market during the last four years, accounting for roughly 80 percent of the contracted capacity annually. Technology companies were the largest buyers of renewable energy through PPAs that year in the U.S., with Amazon and Meta ranking first and second, respectively.