Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to generate electricity with different types of power plants?
EIA has historical data on the average annual operation, maintenance, and fuel costs for existing power plants by major fuel/energy source types. The data are presented in Mills per kilowatthour (kWh); to convert Mills to cents per kWh, divide the values by 10.
EIA also forecasts electricity generation costs in the Annual Energy Outlook (AEO). The most recent available for different types of power plants are those in the AEO 2012; see Levelized Cost of New Generation Resources in the Annual Energy Outlook 2012, which includes estimated costs in dollars per Megawatthour assuming a 20-year financial life for various types of power plants that begin operation in 2017. Related to the levelized-cost analysis is the Updated Capital Cost Estimates for Electricity Generation Plants used for the AEO 2011 and 2012.
Details of the AEO forecast, including estimated capital, operation, maintenance, and other costs for most types of new power plants are provided in the Electricity Market and the Renewable Fuels modules of the Assumptions to the Annual Energy Outlook. Details on the methodology used in the forecast for the Electricity Market Module and Renewable Fuels Module are available in the National Energy Modeling System — Model Documentation Reports for the Electricity Market Module and Renewable Fuels Module.
Last updated: June 27, 2012
Other FAQs about Electricity
- Can I choose the electricity supplier where I live?
- Can I generate and sell electricity to an electric utility?
- Does EIA have city or county-level energy consumption and price data?
- Does EIA have county-level energy production data?
- Does EIA have data on peak and hourly electricity demand?
- Does EIA have electricity prices by state?
- Does EIA have information on the service territories of U.S. electric utilities?
- Does EIA have maps or information on the location of electric power plants and transmission lines?
- Does EIA publish electric utility rate, tariff, and demand charge data?
- How is electricity used in U.S. homes?
- How many and what kind of power plants are there in the United States?
- How many nuclear power plants are in the U.S. and where are they located?
- How many smart meters are installed in the U.S. and who has them?
- How much coal, natural gas, or petroleum is used to generate a kilowatt-hour of electricity?
- How much does it cost to build different types of power plants in the United States?
- How much does it cost to generate electricity with different types of power plants?
- How much electricity does a typical nuclear power plant generate?
- How much electricity does an American home use?
- How much electricity is lost in transmission and distribution in the United States?
- How much electricity is used for cooling in the United States?
- How much electricity is used for lighting in the United States?
- How much energy is consumed in the world by each sector?
- How much of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions are associated with electricity generation?
- How old are U.S. power plants?
- What is U.S. electricity generation by energy source?
- What is a capacity factor?
- What is the difference between electricity generation capacity and electricity generation?
- What is the efficiency of different types of power plants?
- What is the outlook for home heating fuel prices this winter?
- What percentage of world energy consumption and electricity generation comes from renewable energy?
- What types and amounts of energy are produced in each state?
- Where can I find information on individual power plants in the U.S.?