The United States generated ***** terawatt-hours of electricity in 2024, one of the largest figures recorded in the indicated period. In comparison to the previous year, power generation decreased by *** terawatt-hours. U.S. electricity market and the role of renewables Unlike the use of fossil fuels, U.S. renewable electricity generation has increased in recent years, amounting to more than *** terawatt-hours in 2023. Wind power has become the main renewable source of electricity generation in the North American country, having surpassed conventional hydroelectric power in 2019. Who are the main consumers of electricity? The residential sector was ranked as the largest consumer of electricity in the United States in 2023. Electricity retail sales to residential users have grown by almost *** terawatt-hours since the beginning of the century.
In the United States, electricity derived from coal has decreased over the past two decades, with the annual output declining by almost 65 percent between 2010 and 2024. In contrast, there has been a rise in natural gas and renewable sources within the energy mix. How is electricity generated in the U.S.? Most electricity in the U.S. is generated from steam turbines, which can be powered by fossil and nuclear fuels, biomass, geothermal, and solar thermal energy. Other systems such as gas turbines, hydro turbines, wind turbines, and solar photovoltaics are also major generation technologies. Electric utilities in the U.S. generated more than 2,241 terawatt hours in 2024, accounting for just over half of the power output in the country that year. Growing renewable capacity Renewable sources have become more prominent in the U.S. over the past years, particularly wind, hydro, and solar energy. The former has overtaken conventional hydropower, becoming the leading renewable energy source in the U.S. since 2019. Wind and solar power have also accounted for the largest share of electricity capacity additions in the country in recent years.
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Key information about United States Electricity Production
The electricity generation capacity in the United States reached *** terawatts in 2023, a rise of ** percent compared to the value recorded in 2000. Power capacity in the U.S. is forecast to continue growing in the next decades, doubling between 2022 and 2050. Electricity sources in the U.S. In 2023, fossil fuels were still the main source of electricity generation in the country. Natural gas surpassed coal as the single leading power source in 2016 and accounted for over ** percent of the electricity produced in the U.S. in 2023. However, renewable electricity generation has been growing, primarily driven by wind energy and hydropower. Capacity additions and retirements in the U.S. As of 2024, solar and wind power accounted for about ** percent of planned capacity additions in the North American country. By comparison, fossil fuels had the most planned capacity retirements in the U.S.. Natural gas was the only fossil fuel with planned capacity additions that year, amounting to *** gigawatts.
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United States Total Energy Consumption data was reported at 93.691 BTU qn in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 94.812 BTU qn for 2022. United States Total Energy Consumption data is updated yearly, averaging 92.977 BTU qn from Dec 1980 (Median) to 2023, with 44 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 98.965 BTU qn in 2007 and a record low of 70.489 BTU qn in 1983. United States Total Energy Consumption data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by U.S. Energy Information Administration. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.EIA.IES: Energy Production and Consumption: Annual.
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United States US: Electricity Production From Coal Sources: % of Total data was reported at 34.233 % in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 39.651 % for 2014. United States US: Electricity Production From Coal Sources: % of Total data is updated yearly, averaging 51.846 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2015, with 56 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 57.679 % in 1988 and a record low of 34.233 % in 2015. United States US: Electricity Production From Coal Sources: % of Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: Energy Production and Consumption. Sources of electricity refer to the inputs used to generate electricity. Coal refers to all coal and brown coal, both primary (including hard coal and lignite-brown coal) and derived fuels (including patent fuel, coke oven coke, gas coke, coke oven gas, and blast furnace gas). Peat is also included in this category.; ; IEA Statistics © OECD/IEA 2014 (http://www.iea.org/stats/index.asp), subject to https://www.iea.org/t&c/termsandconditions/; Weighted average; Electricity production shares may not sum to 100 percent because other sources of generated electricity (such as geothermal, solar, and wind) are not shown. Restricted use: Please contact the International Energy Agency for third-party use of these data.
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United States US: Electricity Production From Oil Sources: % of Total data was reported at 0.904 % in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.923 % for 2014. United States US: Electricity Production From Oil Sources: % of Total data is updated yearly, averaging 4.834 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2015, with 56 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 17.167 % in 1977 and a record low of 0.774 % in 2012. United States US: Electricity Production From Oil Sources: % of Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: Energy Production and Consumption. Sources of electricity refer to the inputs used to generate electricity. Oil refers to crude oil and petroleum products.; ; IEA Statistics © OECD/IEA 2014 (http://www.iea.org/stats/index.asp), subject to https://www.iea.org/t&c/termsandconditions/; Weighted average; Electricity production shares may not sum to 100 percent because other sources of generated electricity (such as geothermal, solar, and wind) are not shown. Restricted use: Please contact the International Energy Agency for third-party use of these data.
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Graph and download economic data for Total Revenue for Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution, Establishments Subject to Federal Income Tax (REV2211TMSA) from Q1 2010 to Q2 2025 about power transmission, distributive, revenue, establishments, electricity, tax, federal, income, and USA.
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United States US: Electricity Production From Hydroelectric Sources: % of Total data was reported at 5.842 % in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 6.054 % for 2014. United States US: Electricity Production From Hydroelectric Sources: % of Total data is updated yearly, averaging 9.342 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2015, with 56 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 18.881 % in 1962 and a record low of 4.904 % in 2001. United States US: Electricity Production From Hydroelectric Sources: % of Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: Energy Production and Consumption. Sources of electricity refer to the inputs used to generate electricity. Hydropower refers to electricity produced by hydroelectric power plants.; ; IEA Statistics © OECD/IEA 2014 (http://www.iea.org/stats/index.asp), subject to https://www.iea.org/t&c/termsandconditions/; Weighted average; Electricity production shares may not sum to 100 percent because other sources of generated electricity (such as geothermal, solar, and wind) are not shown. Restricted use: Please contact the International Energy Agency for third-party use of these data.
The electricity production in the United States peaks in the summer and winter months, the latter season being when the electricity demand of the country is at its highest. The U.S. produced ****** terawatt-hours of electricity in April 2025. By comparison, in the same month the previous year, the U.S. produced ****** terawatt-hours of electricity.
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Graph and download economic data for Total Revenue for Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution, All Establishments, Employer Firms (REVEF2211ALLEST) from 2009 to 2022 about power transmission, distributive, employer firms, accounting, revenue, establishments, electricity, services, and USA.
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US energy production measures total energy production by nuclear, coal, crude oil and natural gas plant liquids, renewables and dry natural gas. Total energy production includes direct-use energy, energy derived from refined products and electricity generated from nuclear, coal, renewables and gas power plants. Data is sourced from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) and is measured in quadrillions of British thermal units (BTUs).
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United States US: Electricity Production From Natural Gas Sources: % of Total data was reported at 31.942 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 26.888 % for 2014. United States US: Electricity Production From Natural Gas Sources: % of Total data is updated yearly, averaging 17.344 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2015, with 56 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 31.942 % in 2015 and a record low of 9.464 % in 1988. United States US: Electricity Production From Natural Gas Sources: % of Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: Energy Production and Consumption. Sources of electricity refer to the inputs used to generate electricity. Gas refers to natural gas but excludes natural gas liquids.; ; IEA Statistics © OECD/IEA 2014 (http://www.iea.org/stats/index.asp), subject to https://www.iea.org/t&c/termsandconditions/; Weighted average; Electricity production shares may not sum to 100 percent because other sources of generated electricity (such as geothermal, solar, and wind) are not shown. Restricted use: Please contact the International Energy Agency for third-party use of these data.
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Graph and download economic data for Industrial Production: Utilities: Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution (NAICS = 2211) (IPG2211S) from Jan 1972 to Aug 2025 about power transmission, distributive, electricity, IP, production, industry, indexes, and USA.
In 2024, petroleum consumption for electricity generation in the United States hit its lowest value since at least 1990, amounting to approximately 29.78 million barrels of petroleum. Overall, petroleum consumption for electricity in the North American country has been on a downward trend since the beginning of the century.
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Graph and download economic data for Industrial Production: Energy, Total (IPB50089S) from Jan 1967 to Aug 2025 about materials, energy, IP, production, industry, indexes, and USA.
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United States - Total Revenue for Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution, Establishments Subject to Federal Income Tax was 151292.00000 Mil. of $ in January of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Total Revenue for Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution, Establishments Subject to Federal Income Tax reached a record high of 167054.00000 in July of 2022 and a record low of 100605.00000 in April of 2010. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Total Revenue for Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution, Establishments Subject to Federal Income Tax - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on September of 2025.
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United States US: Electricity Production From Renewable Sources: Excluding Hydroelectric: % of Total data was reported at 7.176 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 6.900 % for 2014. United States US: Electricity Production From Renewable Sources: Excluding Hydroelectric: % of Total data is updated yearly, averaging 0.471 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2015, with 56 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.176 % in 2015 and a record low of 0.015 % in 1960. United States US: Electricity Production From Renewable Sources: Excluding Hydroelectric: % of Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Energy Production and Consumption. Electricity production from renewable sources, excluding hydroelectric, includes geothermal, solar, tides, wind, biomass, and biofuels.; ; IEA Statistics © OECD/IEA 2014 (http://www.iea.org/stats/index.asp), subject to https://www.iea.org/t&c/termsandconditions/; Weighted Average; Restricted use: Please contact the International Energy Agency for third-party use of these data.
Monthly data since January 1973 and annual data since 1949 on U.S. primary and total energy consumption by end-use sector (residential, commercial, industrial, transportation) and electric power sector.
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United States Total Energy Production data was reported at 102.782 BTU qn in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 98.584 BTU qn for 2022. United States Total Energy Production data is updated yearly, averaging 69.317 BTU qn from Dec 1980 (Median) to 2023, with 44 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 102.782 BTU qn in 2023 and a record low of 61.640 BTU qn in 1983. United States Total Energy Production data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by U.S. Energy Information Administration. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.EIA.IES: Energy Production and Consumption: Annual.
The United States generated ***** terawatt-hours of electricity in 2024, one of the largest figures recorded in the indicated period. In comparison to the previous year, power generation decreased by *** terawatt-hours. U.S. electricity market and the role of renewables Unlike the use of fossil fuels, U.S. renewable electricity generation has increased in recent years, amounting to more than *** terawatt-hours in 2023. Wind power has become the main renewable source of electricity generation in the North American country, having surpassed conventional hydroelectric power in 2019. Who are the main consumers of electricity? The residential sector was ranked as the largest consumer of electricity in the United States in 2023. Electricity retail sales to residential users have grown by almost *** terawatt-hours since the beginning of the century.