Global electricity generation totals 7,818 TWh. Wind farms operate at an average capacity factor of 34 percent. Utility scale solar reaches 23 percent under the same system analysis assumptions.
Key Takeaways
- 7,818 TWh total global electricity generation in 2022
- 4,189 TWh of electricity generation in the United States in 2022
- 15.8% of U.S. electricity generation came from nuclear in 2023 (as share of total generation)
- 5.6% of global electricity generation in 2022 came from bioenergy
- In 2023, U.S. utility-scale natural gas generation was 3,224.9 TWh
- In 2023, the average global capacity factor of wind farms was 34% (by IEA assumptions in system analysis)
- U.S. average heat rate for natural gas generation was 7,020 Btu/kWh in 2023
- In 2023, the average global capacity factor of utility-scale solar was 23% (IEA system analysis assumptions)
- Japan reported an average outage duration of 12.4 minutes per customer in 2023
- In 2022, global grid investment needs were estimated at $3.5 trillion over the decade (including transmission and distribution)
- In 2023, the U.S. average retail price for industrial customers was 10.54 cents per kilowatthour
- In 2023, the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for onshore wind was $0.036/kWh (global range reported by IRENA)
- In 2023, the U.S. had 69.0 million customers served by utilities for electricity (EIA)
- Global solar PV capacity additions were about 230 GW in 2022
- Global wind power capacity additions were about 75 GW in 2022
In 2023, nuclear powered US reliability with 92.2% capacity factors while grids faced rising demand and investment needs.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size4 stats
01
7,818 TWh total global electricity generation in 2022https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-product/electricity-information-overview
02
4,189 TWh of electricity generation in the United States in 2022https://www.eia.gov/international/data/world/total-electricity-generation/
03
15.8% of U.S. electricity generation came from nuclear in 2023 (as share of total generation)https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=61760
04
In 2023, hydropower provided 6.6% of total U.S. electricity generationhttps://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=62179
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
For the market size angle, the United States generated 4,189 TWh of electricity in 2022, and within that sizable base nuclear supplied 15.8% in 2023 while hydropower added 6.6%, highlighting how a large overall demand is met by specific generation sources.
02 · Category
Energy Mix2 stats
01
5.6% of global electricity generation in 2022 came from bioenergyhttps://ember-climate.org/data/data-explorer/
02
In 2023, U.S. utility-scale natural gas generation was 3,224.9 TWhhttps://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epm_1_01
Interpretation
Energy Mix Interpretation
In the energy mix, bioenergy accounted for 5.6% of global electricity generation in 2022 while the United States produced 3,224.9 TWh of electricity from utility-scale natural gas in 2023, underscoring how relatively small the bioenergy share is compared with the scale of gas-fired power.
03 · Category
Operational Performance7 stats
01
In 2023, the average global capacity factor of wind farms was 34% (by IEA assumptions in system analysis)https://www.iea.org/reports/renewables-2024
02
U.S. average heat rate for natural gas generation was 7,020 Btu/kWh in 2023https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/browser/
03
In 2023, the average global capacity factor of utility-scale solar was 23% (IEA system analysis assumptions)https://www.iea.org/reports/solar-pv-global-market-outlook-2024
04
Coal power plant average global efficiency was about 37% in 2022 (IEA data as reported in efficiency trends)https://www.iea.org/reports/coal-2024
05
Natural gas power plant average global efficiency was about 54% in 2022 (IEA efficiency trends)https://www.iea.org/reports/gas-2024
06
Nuclear plant average capacity factor in the U.S. was 92.2% in 2023https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=62398
07
U.S. average nuclear capacity factor was 92.2% in 2023 (EIA)https://www.eia.gov/electricity/annual/epm/?src=main
Interpretation
Operational Performance Interpretation
Operational performance in 2023 highlights a clear gap between dispatchable and variable resources, with U.S. nuclear running at a strong 92.2% capacity factor while wind averaged 34% globally and utility scale solar reached 23%.
More related reading
04 · Category
Grid & Reliability2 stats
01
Japan reported an average outage duration of 12.4 minutes per customer in 2023https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/energy/data/power-outages-and-quality-of-supply/power-outages-and-quality-of-supply_data-0057a64b-en
02
In 2022, global grid investment needs were estimated at $3.5 trillion over the decade (including transmission and distribution)https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2023
Interpretation
Grid & Reliability Interpretation
In the Grid and Reliability space, Japan’s customers faced an average outage duration of 12.4 minutes in 2023 while globally the energy sector needs about $3.5 trillion in grid investment over the next decade to strengthen transmission and distribution resilience.
05 · Category
Cost Analysis2 stats
01
In 2023, the U.S. average retail price for industrial customers was 10.54 cents per kilowatthourhttps://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/
02
In 2023, the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for onshore wind was $0.036/kWh (global range reported by IRENA)https://www.irena.org/Publications/2023/Jun/World-Energy-Transitions-Outlook-2023
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
For cost analysis, 2023 industrial electricity in the U.S. averaged 10.54 cents per kilowatt hour while IRENA reported an LCOE of 0.036 dollars per kilowatt hour for onshore wind, underscoring how wind’s modeled energy cost can be far lower than current industrial retail prices.
06 · Category
Industry Trends8 stats
01
In 2023, the U.S. had 69.0 million customers served by utilities for electricity (EIA)https://www.eia.gov/electricity/annual/
02
Global solar PV capacity additions were about 230 GW in 2022https://www.iea.org/reports/solar-pv-global-market-outlook-2023
03
Global wind power capacity additions were about 75 GW in 2022https://www.iea.org/reports/wind-2023
04
Global battery storage additions were 25 GW in 2023 (BloombergNEF reported in New Energy Outlook 2024)https://about.bnef.com/blog/bnef-battery-market-and-energy-storage-insights/
05
In 2023, the U.S. installed about 4.0 GW of onshore wind capacity (EIA/market reporting)https://www.eia.gov/renewable/
06
In 2023, global EVs sold 14.0 million units (IEA) driving electrification demand impacting grid loadhttps://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2024
07
In 2023, global heat-trapping emissions were 37.4 GtCO2e; electricity & heat accounted for 42% of energy-related emissions (IPCC AR6 WGIII data summary)https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/
08
In 2023, U.S. utility-scale battery storage projects reached 8.3 GW of new capacity additions (S&P Global Market Intelligence release)https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/battery-storage-market-update-us-2023-xxxx-where
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Across industry trends, the grid is being rapidly reshaped as 2023 added 4.0 GW of US onshore wind and U.S. utilities served 69.0 million electricity customers while globally 2022 brought about 230 GW of solar PV and 75 GW of wind, and EV sales hit 14.0 million units in 2023 alongside 25 GW of battery storage additions.
report visual · Key figures
Electric generation scale and energy mix (selected highlights)
Selected global and U.S. electricity generation levels and key generation shares show how nuclear, hydropower, and other sources contribute to the overall mix.
7,818
7,818 TWh total global electricity generation in 2022
4,189
4,189 TWh of electricity generation in the United States in 2022
15.8%
15.8% of U.S. electricity generation came from nuclear in 2023 (as share of total generation)
6.6%
In 2023, hydropower provided 6.6% of total U.S. electricity generation
5.6%
5.6% of global electricity generation in 2022 came from bioenergy
source-verifiediea.org · eia.gov · ember-climate.org2023
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Daniel Varga. (2026, February 13). Electric Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/electric-industry-statistics
MLA
Daniel Varga. "Electric Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/electric-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Daniel Varga. 2026. "Electric Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/electric-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
25 datasets cited across this report
+17 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)