U.S. ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION
WASHINGTON DC 20585
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 19, 2000
Electricity Prices Down Six Years in a Row.
Sales in Restructured
Markets Triple.
The average price of electricity in the United States decreased in 1999 for the sixth consecutive year to the lowest rates since 1990. The total decline in rates since 1994 is 3.6 percent according to information released today by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) in Electric Sales and Revenue 1999.
The price of electricity decreased for all major consumer sectors in 1999 including the residential sector, which decreased for the second consecutive year. At the national level, average monthly residential bills declined by 1 percent while sales increased by 1.2 percent and average monthly electricity consumption increased to 866 kilowatthours from 864 kilowatthours.
Additional highlights from the report include:
- The average price for electricity customers in traditional markets (markets where customers do not choose their supplier) in the United States was 6.66 cents per kilowatthour in 1999. Hawaii, unable to share the economies available to grid-connected utilities, and which produces most of its generation from petroleum, was highest at 11.97 cents per kilowatthour, followed by New Hampshire, whose utilities depend on high-cost nuclear and nonutility power contracts, at 11.75 cents per kilowatthour. New York prices were the third highest at 10.40 cents per kilowatthour, due to high-cost generation and non-utility contracts (see Figure).
- Idaho, whose utilities rely entirely on low-cost hydroelectric generation, had the lowest average price for all electricity customers at 3.98 cents per kilowatthour, followed by Washington at 4.10 cents and Kentucky at 4.17 cents per kilowatthour.
- Sales by competitive energy service providers in State-level restructured markets tripled in 1999 to over 76 billion kilowatthours (approximately 2.3 percent of total national sales). Further information concerning sales in State "customer choice" programs is available in Appendix C of the report.
kWh = Kilowatthour. Note: The average revenue per kilowatthour of electricity sold is calculated by dividing revenue by sales. Source: Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861, "Annual Electric Utility Report."
An electronic version of Electric Sales and Revenue 1999 is available on EIA's Internet site at: http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/esr/esr_sum.html. Printed copies of the report will be available on or before October 31, 2000, from the U.S. Government Printing Office, 202/512-1800 or through EIA's National Energy Information Center, 202/586-8800.
| The report described in this press release was prepared by the Energy Information Administration, the independent statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. The information contained in the report and the press release should be attributed to the Energy Information Administration and should not be construed as advocating or reflecting any policy position of the Department of Energy or any other organization. |
EIA Program Contact: Robert Schnapp, 202/426-1211
EIA Press Contact: National Energy Information Center, 202/586-8800, infoctr@eia.doe.gov
EIA-2000-18
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