Imagine a world where solar power capacity can almost double in a single year and our phones can download data nearly four times faster, all while the average household still uses enough electricity to power a small village—welcome to the surprisingly dynamic landscape of modern utilities.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, U.S. utility-scale solar photovoltaic capacity increased by 84% to 71 GW
- Global utility-scale battery storage capacity reached 28 GW by end of 2022, with China leading at 11 GW
- U.S. residential electricity consumption averaged 10,791 kWh per household in 2021
- U.S. public water utilities serve 86% of the population, delivering 39 billion gallons daily
- Average daily per capita water use in U.S. households is 82 gallons
- U.S. public water systems total 149,702, with 52,316 community systems
- U.S. natural gas production hit 36.4 Tcf in 2022
- U.S. residential natural gas consumption was 12.8 Tcf in 2022
- LNG exports from U.S. reached 11.9 Bcf/day in 2022
- U.S. municipal solid waste generation was 292 million tons in 2018
- U.S. landfills number 2,463 active municipal solid waste landfills in 2021
- Recycling rate for municipal solid waste was 32.1% in 2018
- U.S. broadband penetration reached 89% of households by 2022
- Fixed broadband average download speed was 242 Mbps in U.S. Q4 2022
- U.S. fiber broadband connections grew to 45 million by end 2022
U.S. utilities are rapidly shifting to more solar, wind, and natural gas for electricity generation.
Electricity
- In 2022, U.S. utility-scale solar photovoltaic capacity increased by 84% to 71 GW
- Global utility-scale battery storage capacity reached 28 GW by end of 2022, with China leading at 11 GW
- U.S. residential electricity consumption averaged 10,791 kWh per household in 2021
- Wind power provided 10.1% of U.S. total electricity generation in 2022 at 434 TWh
- Utility-scale hydropower generated 238 TWh in the U.S. in 2022, accounting for 6% of total generation
- Coal-fired utility plants produced 828 TWh in the U.S. in 2022, down 8% from 2021
- Natural gas accounted for 40.3% of U.S. electricity net generation in 2022 at 1,718 TWh
- U.S. nuclear power plants generated 775 TWh in 2022, 18.2% of total utility-scale generation
- Utility-scale geothermal capacity in the U.S. was 1,715 MW in 2022, producing 15.9 TWh
- Biomass fueled 64 TWh of U.S. electricity in 2022, 1.5% of total generation
- U.S. electricity end-use sector consumption was 3,970 TWh in 2021
- Average U.S. retail electricity price was 15.12 cents/kWh in 2022 for all sectors
- Texas ERCOT grid peak demand hit 85,509 MW on August 14, 2023
- PJM Interconnection managed 185 GW of peak load in 2022
- California ISO peak demand was 52,061 MW in 2022
- U.S. transmission line miles totaled 240,000 circuit-miles at 230 kV and above in 2021
- Distribution transformers in U.S. utilities number over 60 million units
- Smart meter installations reached 118 million in U.S. by 2022
- Utility-scale solar costs fell to $24/MWh LCOE in 2022
- Onshore wind LCOE averaged $40/MWh for U.S. utilities in 2022
- U.S. data center electricity use was 4% of total, 200 TWh in 2022
- Offshore wind capacity in U.S. pipeline exceeds 30 GW as of 2023
- Pumped storage hydropower capacity is 22.6 GW in U.S.
- U.S. microgrids numbered 584 operational in 2023
- EV charging ports in U.S. reached 168,000 by end 2023
- Demand response programs reduced U.S. peak load by 9,800 MW in 2022
Electricity Interpretation
The American power grid is undergoing a messy but heroic metamorphosis, where natural gas still reigns as king, solar is the ambitious young heir sprinting onto the stage, batteries are the new lieutenants reporting for duty, and wind and nuclear form the steadfast backbone—all while our houses keep guzzling electricity, our data centers silently siphon a growing share, and engineers desperately try to keep the lights on when Texas bakes and everyone cranks their AC.
Natural Gas
- U.S. natural gas production hit 36.4 Tcf in 2022
- U.S. residential natural gas consumption was 12.8 Tcf in 2022
- LNG exports from U.S. reached 11.9 Bcf/day in 2022
- Interstate natural gas pipeline mileage totaled 306,000 miles in 2022
- Average U.S. wellhead natural gas price was $6.45/MMBtu in 2022
- Henry Hub spot price averaged $6.45/MMBtu in 2022
- U.S. natural gas storage working capacity is 4,100 Bcf as of 2023
- Shale gas accounted for 82% of U.S. dry gas production in 2022
- Permian Basin produced 20.9 Bcf/day of natural gas in 2022
- Marcellus shale output was 32.4 Bcf/day in Dec 2022
- U.S. gas utility customers number 72 million residential
- Pipeline safety incidents averaged 300 major events yearly 2018-2022
- Biogas from landfills injected 150 Bcf into U.S. gas grids in 2022
- RNG production capacity hit 3 Bcf/day potential in U.S. 2023
- Europe imported 57 Bcm LNG from U.S. in 2022
- Haynesville shale gas output 14.5 Bcf/day in 2022
Natural Gas Interpretation
America's home fires are now sharing their domestic warmth with the world, as our prolific shale wells feed a vast pipeline web that transforms yesterday's waste into tomorrow's energy exports, all while we try to keep the price and the pressure from rising too high.
Telecommunications
- U.S. broadband penetration reached 89% of households by 2022
- Fixed broadband average download speed was 242 Mbps in U.S. Q4 2022
- U.S. fiber broadband connections grew to 45 million by end 2022
- Cable broadband held 55% market share of U.S. fixed broadband in 2022
- 5G connections in U.S. reached 189 million by Q3 2023
- U.S. average mobile download speed was 58.4 Mbps in Q4 2022
- Rural U.S. broadband access gap affects 14.5 million people lacking 100/20 Mbps
- FCC universal service fund disbursed $8.5 billion in 2022 for telecom subsidies
- U.S. wireline telecom revenue $173 billion in 2022
- Mobile subscriptions in U.S. 455 million in 2022
- Satellite broadband users 2.5 million in U.S. 2023
- VoIP connections overtook traditional 60% market share 2022
- Spectrum auctions raised $233 billion since 1994 for U.S. telecom
- Median fixed broadband latency 20 ms in U.S. 2022
Telecommunications Interpretation
America's broadband landscape is a tale of two countries, where impressive averages and booming revenues mask a persistent digital divide, proving that in the race for connectivity, we're still waiting for the last mile to catch up with the first.
Waste Management
- U.S. municipal solid waste generation was 292 million tons in 2018
- U.S. landfills number 2,463 active municipal solid waste landfills in 2021
- Recycling rate for municipal solid waste was 32.1% in 2018
- U.S. wastewater biosolids production totals 8.8 million dry tons annually
- Hazardous waste generated in U.S. was 35.2 million tons in 2020
- U.S. incinerators process 12.6% of MSW, combusting 34 million tons yearly
- Composting facilities in U.S. handle 4.1% of MSW, about 12 million tons/year
- U.S. construction and demolition debris totaled 600 million tons in 2018
- Landfill methane emissions from utilities sector were 104.3 MMT CO2e in 2021
- U.S. MSW recycling diverted 94 million tons from landfills in 2018
- E-waste generated 6.9 million tons in U.S. 2019, recycled 15%
- Anaerobic digesters at wastewater plants produce 1.2 Bcf biogas daily
- U.S. zero-waste facilities number 4,500 certified
- Food waste in U.S. households 40% of total food, 325 lbs/person/year
- Plastic packaging recycling rate 5% in U.S. 2022
Waste Management Interpretation
The staggering reality is that America's "throwaway culture" has created a monumental mess of 292 million tons of annual waste, yet with a paltry 32% recycling rate and dismal 5% plastic packaging recycling, we're still mostly just digging, burning, or burying our problems—quite literally into 2,463 active landfills and 600 million tons of construction debris—while letting precious resources like food and energy literally rot away in our homes and wastewater plants.
Water
- U.S. public water utilities serve 86% of the population, delivering 39 billion gallons daily
- Average daily per capita water use in U.S. households is 82 gallons
- U.S. public water systems total 149,702, with 52,316 community systems
- Wastewater treatment plants in U.S. number 16,000, treating 34 billion gallons daily
- U.S. water utility revenue was $57.9 billion in 2021
- Average residential water bill in U.S. was $48/month in 2022
- Lead service lines in U.S. water utilities estimated at 6.1 million
- PFAS detected in 45% of U.S. public water systems per 2023 EPA data
- U.S. irrigation withdrawals totaled 118 billion gallons/day in 2015
- Thermoelectric power plants withdrew 133 billion gallons/day for cooling in 2015
- Global desalination capacity is 104 million m³/day, U.S. 25 million m³/day
- U.S. combined sewer overflows discharged 850 billion gallons in 2021
- Bottled water consumption in U.S. averaged 45 gallons per capita in 2022
- Drought affected 40% of U.S. water utilities in 2022
- U.S. water main breaks average 240,000 annually
- Reclaimed water use in U.S. totals 1.9 billion gallons/day
- Hayneville aquifer supplies 60% of Southeast U.S. water utilities
Water Interpretation
America's water story is a high-wire act of monumental scale, where we miraculously deliver billions of gallons daily to most homes for the cost of a streaming service, yet we're simultaneously patching a quarter-million leaks a year, wrestling with lead, 'forever chemicals,' and droughts, while irrigation and power plants guzzle enough water to fill great lakes every few days, all precariously balanced atop an ancient aquifer.
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