U.S. electricity sales revenue 1970-2020

In 2020, retail sales of electricity in the United States generated a revenue of 390.7 billion U.S. dollars, a year-over-year decrease of around three percent. In comparison to the beginning of the century, the sector's revenue increased by nearly 70 percent.

Electricity demand in the U.S.

Annual retail electricity sales in the U.S. have increased by more than 80 percent in the past forty years, recently surpassing 3.8 petawatt hours. In 2020, following lockdown measures imposed amidst the coronavirus pandemic, electricity sales in the country registered the lowest figure in over a decade. That year, the industrial sector's electricity demand – which accounted for around 25 percent of the country's sales – dropped by around eight percent. In contrast, sales to residential consumers increased when compared to 2019.

How is electricity generated in the U.S.?

Fossil fuels are vital resources in the United States' electricity mix. For many decades, coal was the largest source of electricity in the North American country, accounting for more than two petawatt hours generated in 2005. Since then, however, the contribution of coal has continually decreased, losing its leading position to natural gas. In the last decade, the participation of renewable sources has also increased, surpassing that of coal for the first time in 2020. In addition, renewable sources accounted for 100 percent of electricity capacity additions in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2021.