U.S. distribution operators now support 118 million smart meters across the system, yet peak hour stress still climbs, with summer demand reaching 763 GW in 2022. Retail electricity use totals 3,944 billion kWh, but the load is anything but evenly split, from residential at 38 percent to transportation at just 17 billion kWh. From grid reliability to generation mix and investment pressures, the statistics behind Electric Power Industry performance reveal where demand is growing and what it costs to keep the lights on.
Key Takeaways
- U.S. retail electricity sales totaled 3,944 billion kWh in 2022
- Residential sector consumed 1,485 billion kWh in U.S. 2022, 38% of total
- Commercial sector U.S. electricity use: 1,374 billion kWh in 2022, 35% share
- In 2022, U.S. distribution lines totaled 7.3 million miles, serving 170 million customers
- Distribution transformers in U.S.: over 60 million units in service in 2022
- U.S. distribution losses averaged 5-6% of electricity delivered in 2022
- In 2022, U.S. electric utility revenues totaled $1.2 trillion, with generation 40% share
- Global power sector investment hit $1.1 trillion in 2022
- U.S. renewable energy capacity additions cost averaged $1,100/kW for solar in 2022
- In 2022, U.S. electric power plants generated 4,243 billion kWh of electricity, a 2% increase from 2021
- Natural gas accounted for 42.7% of U.S. utility-scale electricity generation in 2022, producing about 1,730 billion kWh
- Coal generated 19.7% of U.S. electricity in 2022, down from 20.6% in 2021, totaling 828 billion kWh
- In 2022, the U.S. high-voltage transmission network spanned 240,000 miles
- U.S. transmission losses averaged 5% of generated electricity in 2022, totaling 208 billion kWh
- There were 600,000 miles of transmission lines rated 230 kV or higher in the U.S. in 2022
In 2022 the US used 3,944 billion kWh of electricity as prices rose, peak demand hit 763 GW, and renewables expanded.
Related reading
01 · Category
Consumption25 stats
01
U.S. retail electricity sales totaled 3,944 billion kWh in 2022
02
Residential sector consumed 1,485 billion kWh in U.S. 2022, 38% of total
03
Commercial sector U.S. electricity use: 1,374 billion kWh in 2022, 35% share
04
Industrial sector consumed 986 billion kWh in U.S. 2022, 25% of total sales
05
Transportation sector electricity: 17 billion kWh in U.S. 2022, up 8%
06
Average U.S. residential electricity use: 10,791 kWh per household in 2022
07
U.S. peak demand hit 763 GW in summer 2022
08
Global electricity demand grew 2.6% to 26,369 TWh in 2022
09
Air conditioning drove 18% of U.S. residential summer peak in 2022
10
Data centers consumed 4% of U.S. electricity in 2022, projected to 8% by 2030
11
EVs accounted for 1% of U.S. electricity consumption in 2022
12
Average commercial building electricity use: 15 kWh/sq ft annually in U.S. 2022
13
Industrial electricity intensity fell 1.2% in U.S. 2022
14
U.S. electricity price averaged 12.41 cents/kWh in 2022 for retail
15
Residential prices up 13.6% to 15.12 cents/kWh in 2022 U.S.
16
Time-of-use rates adopted by 20 million U.S. customers in 2022
17
Demand response programs reduced U.S. peak by 30 GW in 2022
18
Global residential electricity share: 27% of total demand in 2022
19
U.S. summer peak hour demand grew 2% to 750 GW in 2022
20
Electricity for lighting: 9% of U.S. residential use in 2022
21
Appliances and electronics: 34% of residential electricity in U.S. 2022
22
Heating/cooling: 46% of U.S. residential electricity end-use in 2022
23
U.S. total end-use consumption: 3,630 billion kWh after losses in 2022
24
Global final electricity consumption: 22,900 TWh in 2022
25
U.S. revenue from electricity sales: $488 billion in 2022
Interpretation
Consumption Interpretation
America's homes, businesses, and industries guzzle over 3.9 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, proving that while we might argue about the future of energy, our current appetite for it is a shockingly expensive and climate-controlled habit we simply cannot power down.
02 · Category
Distribution20 stats
01
In 2022, U.S. distribution lines totaled 7.3 million miles, serving 170 million customers
02
Distribution transformers in U.S.: over 60 million units in service in 2022
03
U.S. distribution losses averaged 5-6% of electricity delivered in 2022
04
Overhead distribution lines make up 83% of U.S. total mileage
05
Average U.S. distribution voltage is 12-35 kV for primary feeders
06
Smart meters deployed: 118 million in U.S. by end-2022, 72% of customers
07
Distribution automation reduced outage duration by 20% in equipped U.S. utilities in 2022
08
U.S. residential distribution service drops: 150 million in 2022
09
Volt/VAR optimization implemented on 40% of U.S. distribution feeders by 2022
10
Distribution system hosting capacity for DERs averaged 15% of peak load in 2022
11
U.S. underground distribution cables: 1.2 million miles in 2022
12
Annual distribution O&M costs: $50 billion in U.S. utilities in 2022
13
Fault indicators on U.S. distribution lines: over 1 million devices in 2022
14
Microgrids connected to distribution: 500+ in U.S. by 2022
15
Distribution management systems (DMS) in use by 70% of large U.S. utilities in 2022
16
EV charger impacts on distribution: 1.4 million Level 2 chargers by end-2022
17
Rooftop solar penetration reached 5% of distribution load in California in 2022
18
U.S. distribution reliability: SAIDI averaged 120 minutes/year in 2022
19
Capacitor banks on U.S. distribution: 500,000+ units for voltage control in 2022
20
Global distribution losses: 8-10% average, with U.S. at 5%
Interpretation
Distribution Interpretation
While America's sprawling, 7.3 million-mile distribution network—with its army of 60 million transformers and 118 million smart sentinels—heroically delivers power with relatively low losses and improving reliability, its 50-billion-dollar upkeep and modest 15% readiness for a solar and EV revolution reveal a grid that is brilliantly patched for the 20th century but nervously eyeing the 21st.
03 · Category
Economics20 stats
01
In 2022, U.S. electric utility revenues totaled $1.2 trillion, with generation 40% share
02
Global power sector investment hit $1.1 trillion in 2022
03
U.S. renewable energy capacity additions cost averaged $1,100/kW for solar in 2022
04
Average U.S. wholesale electricity price: $42/MWh in 2022
05
Natural gas price correlation: 70% of U.S. wholesale power price variance in 2022
06
U.S. utility capex: $120 billion in 2022, 30% for renewables
07
Global clean energy investment: $1.1 trillion, twice fossil fuels in 2022
08
U.S. residential electricity bills averaged $1,550/year in 2022
09
Capacity markets cleared 200 GW at average $50/kW-year in PJM 2022
10
U.S. power plant decommissioning: 10 GW coal retired in 2022
11
Levelized cost of new solar PV: $36/MWh unsubsidized in U.S. 2022
12
Offshore wind LCOE: $72-140/MWh in U.S. 2022 projections
13
U.S. energy efficiency saved $800 billion in electricity costs 2012-2022
14
Retail competition in 17 U.S. states served 40 million customers in 2022
15
Global power market size: $3.5 trillion revenue in 2022
16
U.S. IOU distribution revenues: $300 billion in 2022
17
Carbon pricing covered 23% of global power emissions in 2022
18
U.S. renewable tax credits claimed: $15 billion under ITC/PTC in 2022
19
Electricity trade value: $50 billion in U.S. imports/exports 2022
20
Utility net income: $50 billion for U.S. investor-owned in 2022
Interpretation
Economics Interpretation
While America's power grid is a staggering $1.2 trillion colossus, it’s currently being rewired at great cost, proving that the transition from fossil fuels is less a gentle switch and more a heart-pounding, multi-trillion-dollar relay race where the baton keeps getting heavier.
More related reading
04 · Category
Generation30 stats
01
In 2022, U.S. electric power plants generated 4,243 billion kWh of electricity, a 2% increase from 2021
02
Natural gas accounted for 42.7% of U.S. utility-scale electricity generation in 2022, producing about 1,730 billion kWh
03
Coal generated 19.7% of U.S. electricity in 2022, down from 20.6% in 2021, totaling 828 billion kWh
04
Nuclear power provided 18.2% of U.S. net electricity generation in 2022, equating to 775 billion kWh from 93 reactors
05
Renewables (including hydro, wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal) made up 21.0% of U.S. electricity generation in 2022
06
Wind power generated 434 billion kWh in the U.S. in 2022, representing 10.3% of total generation
07
Utility-scale solar photovoltaic plants generated 205 billion kWh in 2022, or 4.9% of U.S. total electricity generation
08
Hydropower accounted for 5.9% of U.S. electricity generation in 2022, producing 248 billion kWh
09
Globally, electricity generation reached 28,466 TWh in 2022, up 2.5% from 2021
10
Coal-fired power plants generated 36% of global electricity in 2022
11
In the EU, renewable sources generated 44% of electricity in 2022, led by wind and hydro
12
China added 76 GW of solar PV capacity in 2022, bringing total to 392 GW
13
U.S. battery storage capacity reached 7.4 GW by end of 2022, up 64% from 2021
14
Geothermal power plants in the U.S. produced 15.8 billion kWh in 2022
15
Biomass power generated 63.6 billion kWh in the U.S. in 2022, 1.5% of total
16
U.S. net summer capacity totaled 1,187,555 MW in 2022
17
Onshore wind capacity in U.S. was 141 GW at end of 2022
18
Utility-scale solar capacity reached 71 GW in U.S. by end-2022
19
Natural gas combined-cycle plants had capacity factor of 56% in 2022
20
Coal plant capacity factor averaged 40.3% in U.S. in 2022
21
Nuclear plants operated at 92.7% capacity factor in 2022
22
Global solar PV generation grew 24% to 1,050 TWh in 2022
23
Wind generation worldwide increased 9% to 2,001 TWh in 2022
24
U.S. small-scale solar generated 38 billion kWh in 2022
25
Pumped-storage hydropower capacity was 22.9 GW in U.S. in 2022
26
Concentrating solar power generated 1.5 billion kWh in U.S. in 2022
27
U.S. electricity generation from petroleum was 15.8 billion kWh in 2022
28
Other gases contributed 28.8 billion kWh to U.S. generation in 2022
29
Global hydropower generation fell 1% to 4,240 TWh in 2022 due to droughts
30
U.S. net generation from renewables excluding hydro was 13.6% of total in 2022
Interpretation
Generation Interpretation
America is trying to pivot to a cleaner future, but with natural gas still holding court at 42.7% and coal stubbornly powering over a third of the globe, it currently looks like we're energetically stuck in a doorway, with one foot in the wind farm and the other still in the fossil-fueled past.
05 · Category
Transmission26 stats
01
In 2022, the U.S. high-voltage transmission network spanned 240,000 miles
02
U.S. transmission losses averaged 5% of generated electricity in 2022, totaling 208 billion kWh
03
There were 600,000 miles of transmission lines rated 230 kV or higher in the U.S. in 2022
04
High-voltage direct current (HVDC) lines in U.S. totaled about 2,000 miles in 2022
05
U.S. grid operators managed 1,200 GW of peak load through transmission in 2022
06
Investment in U.S. transmission infrastructure reached $22.7 billion in 2022, up 11%
07
Average transmission line length in U.S. is 300 miles for 500 kV lines
08
Congestion costs on U.S. transmission grids totaled $7.3 billion in 2021 (latest detailed)
09
U.S. has 10 major transmission interconnections, including Eastern, Western, and ERCOT
10
Dynamic line rating technology could increase U.S. transmission capacity by 40%, per DOE studies
11
U.S. transmission capacity utilization averaged 45% in 2022
12
Advanced conductors installed on 1,000 miles of U.S. lines by 2022
13
Global HVDC transmission capacity reached 200 GW in 2022
14
In Europe, 50 GW of new transmission lines planned by 2030
15
U.S. transformer manufacturing lead time averaged 120 weeks in 2022
16
Interregional transmission transfers in U.S. averaged 10% of load in 2022
17
U.S. bulk power system reliability was maintained with 99.9% uptime in 2022
18
Overhead transmission lines comprise 80% of U.S. high-voltage infrastructure
19
Underground transmission is 20% more costly per mile than overhead in U.S.
20
U.S. transmission projects approved totaled 5,000 circuit-miles in 2022
21
Fault rates on U.S. 345 kV lines averaged 1.2 per 100 miles/year in 2022
22
Phasor measurement units (PMUs) deployed: over 2,000 in U.S. grid by 2022
23
Transmission vegetation management prevented 8.6% of outages in 2022
24
U.S. extra-high voltage (765 kV+) lines total 2,500 miles
25
Cross-border transmission capacity U.S.-Canada: 20 GW
26
U.S. transmission R&D funding: $250 million in FY2022
Interpretation
Transmission Interpretation
The U.S. power grid is a sprawling, aging, and remarkably reliable beast, but its chronic congestion, modest utilization, and slow-moving upgrades reveal a system trying to modernize a continent-sized network with the urgency of someone waiting 120 weeks for a transformer.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Isabelle Moreau. (2026, February 13). Electric Power Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/electric-power-industry-statistics
MLA
Isabelle Moreau. "Electric Power Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/electric-power-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Isabelle Moreau. 2026. "Electric Power Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/electric-power-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
25 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level