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U.S. electricity generation 1950-2018
U.S. electricity generation 1950-2018
Total electricity net generation in the U.S. from 1950 to 2018 (in billion kilowatt hours)
by T. Wang,
last edited
Apr 23, 2019
This statistic represents the total electricity net generation in the United States between 1950 and 2018. In 2018, approximately 4.2 trillion kilowatt hours of electricity were generated in the United States.
U.S. electricity generation
In 2018, the United States generated some 4.2 petawatt hours of electricity. Broken down by energy source, this includes about 66.6 billion kilowatt hours from solar energy and 274.95 billion kilowatt hours from wind power. While the bulk of US electricity is produced by investor-owned electric utilities, municipal utilities, federal agencies and utility co-operatives, a growing fraction of electricity – especially from renewable sources – is generated by private homes and businesses. As renewable energy sources such as wind and solar are gaining in importance, large companies including Google and IKEA are starting to accelerate renewable energy installations in order to actually produce more power than they use. Between 2005 and 2015, U.S. renewable energy generation increased from 358 terawatt hours to 550 terawatt hours of electricity.
The residential sector was ranked as the largest consumer of electricity in the United States. Retail electricity sales of some 1.46 petawatt hours went to residential users in 2018. Residential consumers are also asked to pay the most for electricity. The average retail price of electricity stood at around 10.58 US dollar cents per kilowatt hour in 2018. Residential users paid the highest prices for electricity while the commercial industry paid about 9.46 U.S. cents per kilowatt hour in comparison.
Total electricity net generation in the U.S. from 1950 to 2018 (in billion kilowatt hours)
Loading statistic...
| Net generation in billion kilowatt hours | |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 4,178 |
| 2017 | 4,034 |
| 2016 | 4,077 |
| 2015 | 4,078 |
| 2014 | 4,094 |
| 2013 | 4,066 |
| 2012 | 4,048 |
| 2011 | 4,100 |
| 2010 | 4,125 |
| 2005 | 4,055 |
| 2000 | 3,802 |
| 1995 | 3,354 |
| 1990 | 3,038 |
| 1985 | 2,473 |
| 1980 | 2,290 |
| 1975 | 1,921 |
| 1970 | 1,535 |
| 1965 | 1,058 |
| 1960 | 759 |
| 1955 | 550 |
| 1950 | 334 |
| Net generation in billion kilowatt hours | |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 4,178 |
| 2017 | 4,034 |
| 2016 | 4,077 |
| 2015 | 4,078 |
| 2014 | 4,094 |
| 2013 | 4,066 |
| 2012 | 4,048 |
| 2011 | 4,100 |
| 2010 | 4,125 |
| 2005 | 4,055 |
| 2000 | 3,802 |
| 1995 | 3,354 |
| 1990 | 3,038 |
| 1985 | 2,473 |
| 1980 | 2,290 |
| 1975 | 1,921 |
| 1970 | 1,535 |
| 1965 | 1,058 |
| 1960 | 759 |
| 1955 | 550 |
| 1950 | 334 |
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by T. Wang,
last edited
Apr 23, 2019
This statistic represents the total electricity net generation in the United States between 1950 and 2018. In 2018, approximately 4.2 trillion kilowatt hours of electricity were generated in the United States.
U.S. electricity generation
In 2018, the United States generated some 4.2 petawatt hours of electricity. Broken down by energy source, this includes about 66.6 billion kilowatt hours from solar energy and 274.95 billion kilowatt hours from wind power. While the bulk of US electricity is produced by investor-owned electric utilities, municipal utilities, federal agencies and utility co-operatives, a growing fraction of electricity – especially from renewable sources – is generated by private homes and businesses. As renewable energy sources such as wind and solar are gaining in importance, large companies including Google and IKEA are starting to accelerate renewable energy installations in order to actually produce more power than they use. Between 2005 and 2015, U.S. renewable energy generation increased from 358 terawatt hours to 550 terawatt hours of electricity.
The residential sector was ranked as the largest consumer of electricity in the United States. Retail electricity sales of some 1.46 petawatt hours went to residential users in 2018. Residential consumers are also asked to pay the most for electricity. The average retail price of electricity stood at around 10.58 US dollar cents per kilowatt hour in 2018. Residential users paid the highest prices for electricity while the commercial industry paid about 9.46 U.S. cents per kilowatt hour in comparison.
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- Release date
- March 2019
- Region
- United States
- Survey time period
- 1950 to 2018
- Supplementary notes
- The values have been rounded to provide a better understanding of the statistic.
Source
- Show sources information
- Show publisher information
- Release date
- March 2019
More information
- Region
- United States
- Survey time period
- 1950 to 2018
- Supplementary notes
- The values have been rounded to provide a better understanding of the statistic.
Other statistics on the topic
Electricity Industry in the United States
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Statistics on "Electricity in the United States"
- Electricity generation and use
The most important statistics
- Total electricity net generation in the U.S. from 1950 to 2018 (in billion kilowatt hours)U.S. electricity generation 1950-2018
- Total U.S. electricity net generation from 1990 to 2018, by fuel (in billion kilowatt hours)*Electricity generation by fuel in the United States 1990-2018
- Electricity generation by electric utilities in the U.S. from 2004 to 2018 (in million megawatt hours)U.S. electricity generation: electric utilities 2004-2018
- U.S. electricity exports from 1999 to 2018 (in gigawatt hours)Energy in the U.S. - electricity exports 1999-2018
- U.S. electricity imports from 1999 to 2018 (in terawatt hours)Energy in the U.S. - electricity imports 1999-2018
- Total electricity end use in the U.S. from 1975 to 2018 (in billion kilowatt hours)Electricity end use in the U.S. 1975-2018
- U.S. industrial electricity use from 1980 to 2017, based on retail sales (in billion kilowatt hours)*Industrial electricity demand - United States 1980-2017
- U.S. retail electricity sales to commercial customers from 1980 to 2018 (in billion kilowatt hours)*Retail electricity sales - commercial customers in the U.S. 1980-2018
- Retail electricity prices
The most important statistics
- Average retail electricity prices in the U.S. from 1990 to 2018 (in U.S. cents per kilowatt hour)U.S. average retail electricity prices 1990-2018
- Average U.S. retail prices of electricity between 1998 and 2018, by sector (in cents per kilowatt hour)* Average retail electricity price in the U.S. by sector 1998-2018
- Projected annual growth in U.S. residential electricity prices from 2000 to 2020U.S. residential electricity price growth forecast 2020
- Retail electricity sales in the United States from 1980 to 2017 (in billion kilowatt hours)*U.S. retail sales of electricity 1980-2017
- U.S. states with the highest electricity prices in 2017 (in U.S. dollars per million British thermal units)*Highest U.S. electricity prices among key states 2017
- U.S. electricity industry
The most important statistics
- Revenue of the electric power industry in the United States from 1970 to 2018 (in billion U.S. dollars)U.S. electric power industry's revenue 1970-2018
- Number of U.S. electricity providers in 2018, by ownership typeU.S. electricity providers by type 2018
- Value added of the U.S. utility sector from 1998 to 2018 (in million U.S. dollars)U.S. utilities' value added 1998-2018
- Free cash flow for U.S. shareholder-owned electric utilities from 2002 to 2018 (in billion U.S. dollars)Free cash flow for shareholder-owned utilities: U.S. 2002-2018
- Net change in long-term debt of U.S. shareholder-owned electric utilities from 2002 to 2018 (in billion U.S. dollars)Long-term debt of shareholder-owned utilities: U.S. 2002-2018
- Value of property, plant and equipment in service for U.S. shareholder-owned electric utilities from 2010 to 2018 (in million U.S. dollars)Property, plant & equipment: U.S. shareholder-owned utilities 2010-2018
- Largest electric utilities in the U.S. as of April 2019, based on market value (in billion U.S. dollars)Largest U.S. electric utilities based on market value 2019
- Leading U.S. electric utilities based on the number of customers in 2018 (in 1,000s) Leading electric utilities based on number of consumers 2018
- Major U.S. utilities
The most important statistics
- Revenue of the American Electric Power Company from 2012 to 2018 (in million U.S. dollars)American Electric Power's revenue 2012-2018
- Operating revenue for Dominion Energy, Inc. from FY 2011 to FY 2018 (in million U.S. dollars)Dominion Energy's operating revenue 2011-2018
- Electricity sales of Duke Energy in FY 2018, by regulated utility (in gigwatt hours)Duke Energy's electricity sales by utility 2018
- Number of Edison International employees from FY 2010 to FY 2018Number of Edison International employees 2010-2018
- Number of customers of Southern Company in FY 2018, by sector (in 1,000s)Southern Company's customers by sector 2018
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Statistics
- U.S. electricity generation - independent power producers 1998-2015
- U.S. electric utilities - power net generation 1998-2015
- U.S. electric power plants by energy source 2016
- U.S. combined heat and power (CHP) plants by energy source 2010-2017
- U.S. electricity: number of power plants by sector 2010
- Electricity net generation in Newfoundland by fuel
- Wood and waste energy generation in California
- Electricity net generation in Saskatchewan by fuel
- Electricity net generation in New Brunswick by fuel
- Electricity net generation in Quebec by fuel
- Biomass as a percentage of total electricity generating capacity 2000-2015
- Electricity net generation in Manitoba by fuel
- Biomass energy capacity in Wisconsin 2003-2009
- Wind energy generation in Texas
- Total electricity generation forecast in China 2017-2050
- Industry revenue of »production of electricity« in Spain 2011-2023
- Average retail electricity prices by sector in Pennsylvania 1998-2015
- France: gross electricity generation from geothermal energy 2015 to 2050
- CHP electricity generated from fuel oil in the UK 2010-2018, by type
Statistics on "Electricity in the United States - Electricity generation and use"
- U.S. electricity generation 1950-2018
- Electricity generation by fuel in the United States 1990-2018
- U.S. electricity generation: electric utilities 2004-2018
- Energy in the U.S. - electricity exports 1999-2018
- Energy in the U.S. - electricity imports 1999-2018
- Electricity end use in the U.S. 1975-2018
- Industrial electricity demand - United States 1980-2017
- Retail electricity sales - commercial customers in the U.S. 1980-2018
- U.S. residential energy use - retail electricity sales 1999-2018
Statistics on "Electricity in the United States - Retail electricity prices"
Statistics on "Electricity in the United States - U.S. electricity industry"
- U.S. electric power industry's revenue 1970-2018
- U.S. electricity providers by type 2018
- U.S. utilities' value added 1998-2018
- Free cash flow for shareholder-owned utilities: U.S. 2002-2018
- Long-term debt of shareholder-owned utilities: U.S. 2002-2018
- Property, plant & equipment: U.S. shareholder-owned utilities 2010-2018
- Largest U.S. electric utilities based on market value 2019
- Leading electric utilities based on number of consumers 2018
Statistics on "Electricity in the United States - Major U.S. utilities"
Further related statistics
- U.S. electricity generation - independent power producers 1998-2015
- U.S. electric utilities - power net generation 1998-2015
- U.S. electric power plants by energy source 2016
- U.S. combined heat and power (CHP) plants by energy source 2010-2017
- U.S. electricity: number of power plants by sector 2010
- Electricity net generation in Newfoundland by fuel
- Wood and waste energy generation in California
- Electricity net generation in Saskatchewan by fuel
- Electricity net generation in New Brunswick by fuel
- Electricity net generation in Quebec by fuel
- Biomass as a percentage of total electricity generating capacity 2000-2015
- Electricity net generation in Manitoba by fuel
- Biomass energy capacity in Wisconsin 2003-2009
- Wind energy generation in Texas
- Total electricity generation forecast in China 2017-2050
- Industry revenue of »production of electricity« in Spain 2011-2023
- Average retail electricity prices by sector in Pennsylvania 1998-2015
- France: gross electricity generation from geothermal energy 2015 to 2050
- CHP electricity generated from fuel oil in the UK 2010-2018, by type
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