Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the price shown different from my actual electric bill?

Our figure is a state average across every utility and rate plan the EIA tracks. Your bill depends on your specific utility, rate plan, time of use, and any fees or taxes added on top. Use our number to compare states, not to predict your bill.

Is the generation mix real-time?

No. The EIA reports annual generation data, so "current" mix on this site means the most recent full year EIA has published, not what's on the grid right now.

What counts as renewable here?

Wind, solar and hydro only. We don't count nuclear (zero-carbon but not renewable) or biomass (folded into "Other" for simplicity) as renewable.

Why does my state have no natural gas or gasoline price?

The EIA doesn't publish a residential natural gas price series for every state every year, and its weekly retail gasoline survey covers only nine states plus the national average. Where there's no published EIA figure, we show nothing rather than estimate one.

Where does the data come from?

The U.S. Energy Information Administration's public Open Data API — retail electricity sales, electric power operational data, and natural gas and gasoline prices.

Is EnergyAtlasUSA affiliated with the EIA or the Department of Energy?

No. It is an independent reference site. The data is public U.S. government information; the site is not endorsed by or affiliated with the EIA or the Department of Energy.

More detail on sources is on the About the Data page.