Where does your electricity come from?

The electric grid brings power to every corner of the U.S., but the electricity flowing through the wires doesn’t come from the same sources everywhere. 

Depending on where you live and the plan you choose, your electricity could come from multiple different sources––from fossil fuels like coal and natural gas to renewables like hydroelectric power, biomass, solar, and wind power. Your electricity's source has a big impact on how much you pay for electricity, and how much you contribute to climate change. 

We'll help you figure out where your electricity comes from, and how you can lower your bills. 

Some amount of electricity from the grid powers everything in our homes, from small devices to internet connections, lights, refrigerators, and even electric vehicles. Most people may not even think about the source of this energy after signing up for the utility provider that services their area. However, learning where your electricity comes from is not only easy, it is an important way to be responsible about making more environmentally friendly choices in your life. Here are a few ways to find where your energy comes from.

1. Contact your utility

Finding out how your electricity is generated can be as easy as researching your provider. Some utilities publish the mix of energy sources they draw from online, saving you the step of having to call. 

Sometimes it is not so straightforward, though. Many utilities don’t publish this information because they aren’t vertically integrated, meaning they don't generate their own power. If your utility company is only an electricity distributor, meaning it sells energy generated by separate companies, you might not be able to find out where the electricity comes from as easily.

2. Use energy industry and regulatory data

If you get your energy from a non-vertically integrated utility or you otherwise can’t find the mix of energy sources from your provider, there are many resources that can help out.  

With this map from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), you can find out if your energy comes from a regional transmission organization (RTO) or an independent system operator (ISO). If you live in an area served by either one of these types of entities, you can simply look up the name of the entity near you and follow the same process that you would if finding the energy mix from your utility. You can also determine if your electricity is generated near you or if it's traveling long distances to power your home.

3. Use local data from energy data aggregators

If you live in an area not served by either an RTO or an ISO and your utility can’t give you exact information on where your electricity comes from, there are also databases and renewable energy resources with highly specific local information.

• The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has a comprehensive list of tools and resources that details where energy comes from by state and source.

• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a tool called the Power Profiler, which allows you to put in your zip code to see where energy comes from in your area.

The American Cities Climate Challenge Renewables Accelerator, a renewable energy program sponsored by Bloomberg, has their own tool where you can see state-level information about where electricity comes from.

The electrical grid is a complex network of thousands of individual electrical power generators (aka power plants), transmission lines, and distribution power lines. They dynamically respond to shifts in electrical supply and demand to ensure electricity is always supplied reliably. Electrical generators can be anything from coal-fired power plants and natural gas plants to clean energy power stations, like solar farms and nuclear power plants. From generators, electricity goes to substations, which convert high-voltage power to lower voltages using transformers. 

Keeping the grid functioning requires a delicate balance between supply and demand, as well as a highly integrated series of components throughout the country. Grid operators, such as the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) and the Pennsylvania-Jersey-Maryland Regional Transmission Operator (PJM RTO), maintain this balance through a mix of market awareness and insights, and forecasts of weather, demand, and supply. Their goal is to provide low-cost and reliable high-voltage electricity service.

Some states run almost entirely on fossil fuels, while others support a lot more renewable energy sources like solar and wind. Here's a quick breakdown of electricity generation sources by state:

How electricity is generated by state

These data are from the EIA from 2022.

Electricity demand and generation vary significantly by state. But most states still get their largest chunk of electricity from natural gas at 43.1%

U.S. electricity generation by generating source

These data are from the EIA from 2023.

Small-scale solar includes everything from rooftop systems on homes to community solar farms––large solar projects that you can subscribe to in exchange for electric bill credits. 

The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that small-scale solar panel systems provide about 73.62 billion kWh of electricity generation as the most recent 2023 data. That's about 45% of the amount of utility-scale solar. 

If you can't install rooftop solar but want to support the construction of local, small-scale solar, consider subscribing to a community solar farm. Community solar isn't available in every state yet, but if you live in an area with active projects, you could save 5-20% annually on electricity by signing up.

Over 25 years, you'll probably spend tens or sometimes even hundreds of thousands of dollars on electricity. Installing solar panels can cut these costs significantly. In fact, most homeowners who go solar save between $20,000 and $96,000 on electricity over the lifetime of their solar panel system (typically at least 25 years). 

Your exact savings will depend on how much electricity costs in your area, how much solar costs, and how much space you have for solar. But as long as your roof is a good fit, solar is worth it for most homeowners. 

Try our Solar Calculator for a quick estimate of how much you can save with solar. Or, if you're ready to get quotes, check out the EnergySage Marketplace. We provide free, custom quotes from vetted installers, which you can easily compare them side-by-side.