Electricity in the U.S. - U.S. Energy Information Administration ...

The three major categories of energy for electricity generation are fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and petroleum), nuclear energy, ... Electricityexplained ElectricityintheUnitedStates Basics +Menu Whatisenergy? Unitsandcalculators U.S.energyfacts Useofenergy Energyandtheenvironment Close Whatisenergy? 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Thethreemajorcategoriesofenergyforelectricitygenerationarefossilfuels(coal,naturalgas,andpetroleum),nuclearenergy,andrenewableenergysources.Mostelectricityisgeneratedwithsteamturbinesusingfossilfuels,nuclear,biomass,geothermal,andsolarthermalenergy.Othermajorelectricitygenerationtechnologiesincludegasturbines,hydroturbines,windturbines,andsolarphotovoltaics. Clicktoenlarge Fossilfuelsarethelargestsourcesofenergyforelectricitygeneration Naturalgaswasthelargestsource—about40%—ofU.S.electricitygenerationin2020.Naturalgasisusedinsteamturbinesandgasturbinestogenerateelectricity. Coalwasthethird-largestenergysourceforU.S.electricitygenerationin2020—about19%.Nearlyallcoal-firedpowerplantsusesteamturbines.Afewcoal-firedpowerplantsconvertcoaltoagasforuseinagasturbinetogenerateelectricity. Petroleumwasthesourceoflessthan1%ofU.S.electricitygenerationin2020.Residualfueloilandpetroleumcokeareusedinsteamturbines.Distillate—ordiesel—fueloilisusedindiesel-enginegenerators.Residualfueloilanddistillatescanalsobeburnedingasturbines. Clicktoenlarge Nuclearenergyprovidesone-fifthofU.S.electricity Nuclearenergywasthesourceofabout20%ofU.S.electricitygenerationin2020.Nuclearpowerplantsusesteamturbinestoproduceelectricityfromnuclearfission. RenewableenergysourcesprovideanincreasingshareofU.S.electricity Manyrenewableenergysourcesareusedtogenerateelectricityandwerethesourceofabout20%oftotalU.S.electricitygenerationin2020. Clicktoenlarge Hydropowerplantsproducedabout7.3%oftotalU.S.electricitygenerationandabout37%ofelectricitygenerationfromrenewableenergyin2020.1Hydropowerplantsuseflowingwatertospinaturbineconnectedtoagenerator. Windenergywasthesourceofabout8.4%oftotalU.S.electricitygenerationandabout43%ofelectricitygenerationfromrenewableenergyin2020.Windturbinesconvertwindenergyintoelectricity. Biomasswasthesourceofabout1.4%oftotalU.S.electricitygenerationin2020.Biomassisburneddirectlyinsteam-electricpowerplants,oritcanbeconvertedtoagasthatcanbeburnedinsteamgenerators,gasturbines,orinternalcombustionenginegenerators. Solarenergyprovidedabout2.3%oftotalU.S.electricityin2020.Photovoltaic(PV)andsolar-thermalpowerarethetwomaintypesofsolarelectricitygenerationtechnologies.PVconversionproduceselectricitydirectlyfromsunlightinaphotovoltaiccell.Mostsolar-thermalpowersystemsusesteamturbinestogenerateelectricity. Geothermalpowerplantsproducedabout0.5%oftotalU.S.electricitygenerationin2020.Geothermalpowerplantsusesteamturbinestogenerateelectricity. 1Includesconventionalhydropowerplants. Lastupdated:March18,2021 Electricity Thescienceofelectricity Magnetsandelectricity Batteries,circuits,andtransformers Measuringelectricity Howelectricityisgenerated ElectricityintheUnitedStates Generation,capacity,andsales Deliverytoconsumers Useofelectricity Pricesandfactorsaffectingprices Electricityandtheenvironment ElectricPowerMonthly ElectricSales,Revenue,andAveragePrice ElectricPowerAnnual U.S.EnergyMappingSystem PowerProfiler Electricitydata,analysis,andprojections Articlesonelectricity U.S.energyfacts Useofenergy Renewableenergytypesandusages U.S.nuclearindustry Whatisthedifferencebetweenelectricitygenerationcapacityandelectricitygeneration? WhatisU.S.electricitygenerationbyenergysource? HowmanypowerplantsarethereintheUnitedStates? DoesEIAhavemapsorinformationonthelocationofelectricpowerplantsandtransmissionlinesintheUnitedStates?