Frequently Asked Questions
How much electricity is used for cooling in the United States?
EIA estimates that in 2010, about 480 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity were used for cooling by the residential and commercial sectors, or about 12% of total U.S. electricity consumption.
Of that, about 317 billion kWh were used for cooling by the residential sector, which was about 22% of total residential electricity consumption, and 8% of total U.S. electricity consumption in 2010. About 164 billion kWh were used by the commercial sector for cooling, which was about 12% of total commercial sector electricity consumption, and 4% of total U.S. electricity consumption in 2010.
EIA does not have an estimate of electricity consumption for cooling in manufacturing facilities.
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Last updated: September 4, 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.?