Generation & Resources
America's power grid is in the middle of a generational transition. Natural gas now provides roughly 44% of electricity, overtaking coal which has fallen to 15%. Renewables — wind, solar, and hydro — account for 22% and growing.
What powers the grid today?
The United States generated over 4 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2024. Natural gas has been the single largest source since 2016, but the full picture is more nuanced — nuclear still provides a fifth of all power, and wind has overtaken hydro as the leading renewable.
Electricity Generation by Source (2024)
Thousand megawatt-hours
Sources & methodology
Natural gas has overtaken coal as the dominant source of US electricity, while wind and solar have grown rapidly from a small base. Nuclear provides steady baseload power.
Generation values represent net generation at the plant level. "Other" includes biomass, geothermal, and other minor sources.
How fast is the energy mix changing?
The shift away from coal has been remarkably fast by the standards of energy systems. In absolute terms, natural gas generation has more than doubled since 2000, while coal has roughly halved. Wind and solar are growing from a smaller base but their trajectory is steep.
Generation Volume by Source Over Time
Thousand megawatt-hours, annual
Sources & methodology
While share data shows the relative shift, absolute generation volumes reveal the full picture. Coal generation has roughly halved since its peak, while natural gas has more than doubled. Wind and solar are growing rapidly but from a much smaller base.
Values represent net generation (thousand MWh). Note the large difference in scale between established sources (coal, gas, nuclear) and newer renewables (wind, solar).
Coal's share of US electricity has fallen from 50% to roughly 16% in under two decades — replaced mostly by natural gas and renewables.
Generation Share by Source Over Time
Percentage of total US generation
Sources & methodology
The share of coal in US electricity generation has fallen dramatically since 2008, replaced largely by natural gas (due to the shale gas revolution) and wind/solar (driven by falling costs and policy incentives).
Shares are calculated as percentage of total net generation. Hydro share fluctuates with annual precipitation. Solar includes both utility-scale and estimated distributed generation.
Fossil vs Nuclear vs Renewable Generation
Percentage of total US generation
Sources & methodology
The big-picture energy transition: fossil fuels still dominate US electricity but their share has fallen steadily since the mid-2000s as renewables have surged. Nuclear has held a remarkably stable ~20% share for decades, acting as a zero-carbon bridge. The Inflation Reduction Act (2022) is expected to accelerate the renewable buildout further.
Fossil includes coal, natural gas, and petroleum. Renewable includes wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal. Shares are computed from generation data and may not sum to exactly 100% due to minor "other" sources not categorized here.
Where are renewables growing fastest?
Renewable energy adoption varies enormously across the country. States with strong wind resources in the Great Plains and hydropower in the Pacific Northwest lead, while the Southeast still relies heavily on gas and nuclear. Policy, geography, and legacy infrastructure all shape the map.
Renewable Energy Share by State (2024)
Wind + Solar + Hydro as % of total generation
Sources & methodology
Renewable energy penetration varies dramatically by state. Washington and Oregon lead with hydropower, while Iowa and Kansas have high wind shares. Southern states lag due to greater reliance on natural gas and coal.
Renewables include wind, solar, and conventional hydroelectric. Nuclear is excluded despite being zero-carbon. Biomass is not included in this calculation.
Where do these fuels come from? Explore fossil fuel production →
How much capacity is being built?
Installed capacity tells a different story from generation. A gigawatt of wind or solar produces less electricity per year than a gigawatt of nuclear, because the wind doesn't always blow and the sun doesn't always shine. Capacity factors — the ratio of actual output to theoretical maximum — explain the gap.
Installed Generating Capacity by Source (2024)
Net summer capacity, megawatts
Sources & methodology
Natural gas dominates US installed capacity, followed by coal and wind. Wind capacity has grown rapidly and now exceeds nuclear. Solar capacity is growing fast but is not yet tracked in this dataset.
Capacity values represent net summer capacity and do not reflect actual generation, which depends on capacity factors. Note: EIA Form 860 reporting changed in 2008, causing an apparent doubling of some categories (especially natural gas) — this reflects reclassification, not real construction. Solar may be underrepresented due to distributed generation not included in utility-scale data.
Capacity Factors by Technology Over Time
Actual generation as % of theoretical maximum
Sources & methodology
Nuclear has the highest capacity factor (~90%), reflecting its role as always-on baseload power. Natural gas capacity factors have risen as gas displaced coal for baseload generation. Coal capacity factors have declined as plants run less frequently. Wind and hydro are lower and more variable, driven by weather.
Capacity factors are computed from annual generation and installed capacity data. Values above 100% are capped. Wind and hydro capacity factors vary with weather conditions. Solar is excluded because capacity data for solar is incomplete in this dataset.
What is being added and retired?
New power plants are overwhelmingly wind and natural gas. Meanwhile, coal retirements have accelerated — the fleet is aging and can't compete on cost. Battery storage, nearly nonexistent a decade ago, is scaling fast as costs plunge and states mandate grid-scale storage to back up intermittent renewables.
Net Capacity Additions by Source
Year-over-year change in installed capacity, MW
Sources & methodology
Wind and natural gas have dominated new capacity additions since the mid-2000s. Coal has seen consistent net retirements since 2011 as older plants close. Nuclear capacity has been roughly flat, with new builds barely offsetting closures.
Values represent net change in installed capacity (additions minus retirements). Negative values indicate net retirements. Solar is not shown because it is tracked under a separate energy source category in the EIA capability dataset.
US Battery Storage Capacity
Net summer capacity, megawatts
Sources & methodology
US battery storage capacity has grown exponentially, from just 28 MW in 2010 to over 27,000 MW in 2024. Growth accelerated sharply after 2020 as lithium-ion costs fell and states adopted clean energy mandates requiring grid-scale storage to complement intermittent wind and solar.
Capacity values represent net summer capacity of battery storage systems reported to EIA. Small-scale behind-the-meter residential storage may not be fully captured. Includes all battery chemistries (primarily lithium-ion).
Is the grid getting cleaner?
Carbon intensity — the CO₂ emitted per unit of electricity — is the bottom-line metric for grid decarbonization. It has fallen steadily since the mid-2000s as gas displaced coal and renewables grew. The shale gas revolution and the Inflation Reduction Act mark the two biggest inflection points.
Carbon Intensity of US Electricity
kg CO₂ per MWh
Sources & methodology
The carbon intensity of US electricity has declined steadily as natural gas (which emits roughly half the CO₂ per MWh as coal) has replaced coal-fired generation, and as wind and solar have grown to meaningful shares of the generation mix.
Carbon intensity is calculated as total CO₂ emissions from the electric power sector divided by total net generation. It does not account for upstream methane emissions from natural gas production or lifecycle emissions from renewable energy manufacturing.