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LITTLETON, Colorado, June 4 (Reuters) – U.S. power producers have lifted output from both fossil fuels and clean energy sources to new highs so far in 2025, on the back of steadily rising energy demand from data centers, businesses and households.
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Average retail electricity prices have risen in tow, and are hovering near record highs in a majority of U.S. states.
Below are five charts on U.S. power generation and electricity prices to help keep track of these key trends.
POWERING UP
Over the first five months of 2025, U.S. power producers lifted total output by 2% from the same months in 2024 to a new record of 69.3 million megawatt hours (MWh), according to data from LSEG.
Generation from both clean and fossil fuel energy sources has scaled new highs so far this year, with clean power output rising by 3% and fossil fuel output by 2% from the same months a year ago.
The slightly faster growth pace of clean power production has lifted the clean power share of the U.S. generation mix to a new high of 45%, up from 44% for the same months last year.
US power generators boost both clean & fossil fuel output to record highs so far in 2025
Natural gas remains the primary power source within the U.S. system, and accounted for around 37% of total power production so far this year.
However, a sharp jump in gas prices to two-year highs during the opening months of the year spurred generators to cut back on gas use in some areas, leaving overall gas output roughly 4% lower so far this year.
To offset lower gas-powered supplies, power firms cranked coal-fired production 18% higher from the January to May 2024 period to the highest in three years.
On the clean energy side, output from solar firms jumped by 34% from the same period in 2024 while wind output climbed 2%. Output from both hydro dams and nuclear plants was roughly 1% lower, LSEG data shows.
Electricity production trends from January through April broadly matched those of power generation, although clean electricity output outpaced clean power production thanks to a large swell in utility solar generation.
Change in US electricity generation by power source during January to April from year before
Coal and hydro-powered electricity output have also posted strong year-over-year increases so far in 2025, data from Ember shows.
PRICE PULL
Average commercial retail electricity prices climbed to new highs across several parts of the country during the opening quarter of the year.
Of all U.S. states, Hawaii posted the highest average commercial retail electricity price during January to March, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Hawaii’s average of 37.6 cents per kilowatt hour (KWh) during the opening quarter of 2025 was actually 9% less than during the same months of 2024 due to lower crude oil prices, but was still more than twice the national average.
The lowest electricity prices this year were recorded in North Dakota, which averaged 7.3 cents/KWh during January to March.
Commercial electricity costs vary widely across the US, with businesses in North Dakota paying over 80% less per KWh than businesses in Hawaii
The U.S. average commercial retail electricity price during the first quarter of 2025 was around 13 cents/KWh, which was around 4% more than in the same quarter in 2024.
The state with the largest year-over-year rise in retail electricity costs was Rhode Island (+24% to 25.3 cents/KWh), followed by Connecticut (+22% to 25.15 cents/KWh).
RISING TIDE
Climbing electricity costs are not just a recent phenomenon, as average U.S. retail prices have posted increases every year since 2021.
However, the extent of cost increases varies widely across the country.
California, which has ambitious climate policies and faces a sprawling generation network exposed to floods, wildfires and desert conditions, has seen the steepest climb in electricity costs among all states since 2019.
Average electricity costs in California during the first quarter of this year were 62% more than during the opening quarter of 2019, EIA data shows.
However, several other major U.S. states have also recorded double-digit electricity price hikes over the same period, including New York (+56%), Pennsylvania (+36%) and Florida (+23%), which all have very different power generation markets.
While commercial electricity costs vary by state, they are all trending higher and most have risen notably since 2019
And nearly all U.S. states can expect to see further increases in average retail electricity costs in the months ahead, as electricity prices and demand both tend to hit their annual peaks during the summer air conditioning season.
US electricity prices and demand tend to peak during the summer when use of power-hungry air conditioners peaks
Many states may see a minor retreat in electricity prices again once the summer is over.
But with most U.S. utilities on the hook to upgrade transmission networks and boost power generation to keep up with rising energy demand, electricity consumers across the country can expect further increases in their power bills going forward.
The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters.
Reporting by Gavin Maguire; Editing by Jamie Freed
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