Electricity Monthly Update – EIA

General

The Electricity Monthly Update is a report prepared by the Electric Power Operations Team, Office of Electricity, Renewables and Uranium Statistics, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), U.S. Department of Energy. The data used in this report are compiled from various sources including the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-826, “Monthly Electric Utility Sales and Revenues with State Distributions Report,” Form EIA-923, “Power Plant Operations Report,” fuel spot prices from Bloomberg Energy, electric power prices from SNL Energy, electric system demand data from Ventyx Energy Velocity Suite, and weather data and imagery from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The survey data for this report are collected monthly using multiple-attribute cutoff sampling of power plants and electric retailers. The purpose of this data collection is to estimate various data elements (generation, stocks, revenue, etc.) for different categories such as geographic regions. The nominal sample sizes for the data collection are approximately 450 electric utilities and other energy service providers for Form EIA-826, and approximately 1900 plants for Form EIA-923. Regression-based methodologies are used to estimate totals from the sample. The Electric Power Monthly (EPM) collects essentially complete samples, including State-level values. However, the Electricity Monthly Update is based on an incomplete sample and only includes regional estimates and ranges for state values where applicable. Estimates and variances can still be made using prediction based on the incomplete EPM sample.

For complete documentation on EIA monthly electric data collection and estimation, please refer to the Technical Notes PDF to the Electric Power Monthly. The values displayed in the Electric Monthly Update may differ from values published in the Electric Power Monthly due to additional data collection and revisions that occur between the releases of these two publications.

To access the data, you can download it via the “Download the data” icon above the navigation pane. Please note that some missing data are proprietary and non-public. For a guide that describes the electricity data collected by EIA and how it is made available to the public, refer to the Guide to EIA Electric Power Data.

Key Indicators

The Key Indicators in the table located in the “Highlights” section of this report are defined as follows:

• Total Net Generation: Reflects the total electric net generation for all reporting sectors.
• Residential Retail Price: Reflects the average retail price for residential customers.
• Retail Sales: Reflects the reported volume of electricity delivered to customers.
• Degree-Days: Reflects the total population-weighted United States degree-days as reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
• Natural Gas Henry Hub: Reflects the average price of natural gas at Henry Hub for the month.
• Coal Stocks: Reflects the total coal stocks for the Electric Power Sector.
• Coal Consumption: Reflects the total coal consumption.
• Natural Gas Consumption: Reflects the total natural gas consumption.
• Nuclear Outages: Reflects the average daily outage amount for the month.

Sector Definitions

The Electric Power Sector includes electricity-only and combined heat and power (CHP) plants within the North American Industrial Classification System 22 category. These plants primarily sell electricity, or electricity and heat, to the public. The All Sectors totals include the Electric Power Sector and the Commercial and Industrial Sectors.

Degree Days

Degree-days are relative measurements of outdoor air temperature used as an index for heating and cooling energy requirements. Heating degree-days are the number of degrees that the daily average temperature falls below 65° F, while cooling degree-days are the number of degrees that the daily average temperature rises above 65° F.

Per Capita Retail Sales

The per capita retail sales statistics use population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau and monthly data collected by the Energy Information Administration. The volume of electricity delivered to end users for all sectors is divided by the population estimate for each state.

Composition of Fuel Categories

Net generation statistics are grouped according to regions by generator type and fuel type. Generator type categories include Fossil Steam, Combined Cycle, Other Fossil, Nuclear Steam, Hydroelectric, Wind, Other renewables, and Other. Fuel type categories include Coal, Natural Gas, Nuclear, Hydroelectric, Other Renewable, Other Fossil, and Other.

Relative Fossil Fuel Prices

Relative fossil fuel prices are daily averages of fossil fuel prices by month, displayed in dollars per million British thermal units. These prices are also adjusted for operating efficiency at electric power plants to convert to dollars per megawatthour.

Average Days of Burn

Average Days of Burn is defined as the average number of days remaining until coal stocks reach zero if no further deliveries of coal are made. These data are calculated using the population of coal plants present in the monthly Form EIA-923. Average Days of Burn is computed by dividing the end of month stocks for the current month by the average burn per day, which is the average of the three previous years’ consumption.

Coal Stocks vs. Days of Burn Stocks

The coal stocks data presented at the top of the Fossil Fuel Stocks section (“Coal Stocks”) may differ from the coal stocks presented in the Days of Burn section (“DOB Stocks”) at the bottom of the Fossil Fuel Stocks section. This is because Coal Stocks include the entire population of coal plants that report on both the annual and monthly Form EIA-923, while DOB Stocks only include coal plants that report on the monthly Form EIA-923 and have a primary fuel of bituminous or subbituminous coal.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Identified in the Article

Explanation and Analysis

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

The article addresses several issues related to SDG 7, which focuses on ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. The specific targets under this SDG that can be identified based on the article’s content are:

1. Target 7.1: By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services.
2. Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
3. Target 7.3: By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.
4. Target 7.a: By 2030, enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology, including renewable energy, energy efficiency, and advanced and cleaner fossil-fuel technology, and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology.

The indicator mentioned in the article that can be used to measure progress towards these targets is “Total Net Generation,” which reflects the total electric net generation for all reporting sectors.

SDG 13: Climate Action

The article also relates to SDG 13, which focuses on taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. The specific targets under this SDG that can be identified based on the article’s content are:

1. Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.
2. Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning.

The indicator mentioned in the article that can be used to measure progress towards these targets is “Coal Consumption,” which reflects the total coal consumption as collected via the Form EIA-923.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Identified in the Article

Source: eia.gov