Updated April 2026 · EIA data
EnergyProfile Blog
Deep dives into the data behind U.S. electricity rates and the state-level generation mix. Backed by 51 state profiles, an average residential rate of 17.92¢/kWh, and federal source data from EIA, EPA, and NREL. The cheapest residential power in the country is in North Dakota (11.81¢/kWh); the most expensive is in Hawaii (40.59¢/kWh).
Latest Articles
Why State Electricity Rates Vary by 3x
U.S. residential electricity rates range from under 12 cents per kWh in low-cost states to over 35 cents in Hawaii. The drivers are generation mix, fuel costs, and transmission overhead.
8 minFive States Leading the U.S. Renewable Energy Transition
Iowa, Texas, California, Oklahoma, and Kansas now generate substantial shares of their electricity from wind and solar. The EIA data tells the story.
8 minReading the EIA State Electricity Profile: A Practical Guide
The EIA State Electricity Profile is the federal authoritative source for state-level electricity data. This guide walks through how to read it.
7 minThe Coal-to-Gas Transition at the State Level
U.S. coal-fired electricity generation has fallen by more than half since 2007. The state-by-state pattern reveals the underlying story.
7 minResidential vs Commercial vs Industrial Electricity Rates
Residential rates are typically 30-50 percent higher than industrial rates in the same state. The structural reasons explain why.
7 minWhat the Blog Will Cover
The blog focuses on four recurring threads in the U.S. electricity data. The first is rate variation — why a kilowatt-hour costs roughly 11.81¢ in some states and 40.59¢ in others, and how that gap is shaped by fuel mix, regulatory structure, geography, and policy. The second is the energy transition: which states are actually moving fastest on renewables (today, that is Vermont at 99.8% of generation), what the federal datasets say about the pace, and where the bottlenecks sit.
The third recurring thread is grid economics — capacity factors, transmission, and the difference between in-state generation and consumed electricity. Most state-level conversations confuse the two, and the federal data lets us pull them apart cleanly. The fourth is policy: how state renewable portfolio standards, federal tax credits, and Clean Air Act compliance shape the mix over multi-year windows. Posts always link back to the underlying federal datasets so readers can verify the numbers directly.
Editorial Approach
Every post starts with the federal source data and works backward to the question. For rate analysis, the primary source is the EIA State Electricity Profiles series; for generation mix, it is the EIA Electric Power Monthly data. Emissions and clean-energy program references go to the EPA Energy and the Environment hub. Resource-potential and technology-cost references go to the NREL publications archive.
Where the federal data and popular intuition disagree — for example, on the relationship between renewable share and retail rates, or on the role of natural gas in the transition — posts side with the data and explain the gap. Posts do not endorse specific utilities, electric retail providers, or rooftop solar installers. Treat the blog as a research companion to the underlying datasets, not as a buying guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the EnergyProfile blog cover?
The blog publishes data-driven analysis of U.S. electricity rates, the state-level generation mix, and the policy and technology trends that move them. Every post is grounded in the same EIA, EPA, and NREL data that powers the rest of the site — currently covering 51 states with a national average residential rate of 17.92¢/kWh.
How often are new posts published?
New analysis posts appear when the underlying federal data refreshes or when a notable trend shows up across the state-level series. EIA updates retail-rate and generation data monthly on a roughly two-month lag, so blog cadence tracks that release schedule. The current dataset was refreshed April 2026.
Where can I read the underlying federal source data directly?
The U.S. Energy Information Administration at eia.gov publishes the source rates (Form EIA-861) and generation series (Form EIA-923) that the blog draws on. The EPA at epa.gov/energy publishes emissions and clean-energy program data. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory at nrel.gov publishes resource potential and technology cost analysis. All three are federal public-domain sources.
Are blog posts the same as the in-depth Guides?
No. The Guides section publishes evergreen explainers — long-form walkthroughs of how electricity pricing works, what drives state-by-state variation, and how the renewable share connects to grid economics. Blog posts are more topical: a single dataset refresh, a notable state-level move, or a policy change worth tracking. Guides update slowly; blog posts cycle with the news.
Can I cite the blog's analysis in research?
Yes — every figure links back to its federal source so the underlying number is verifiable. For academic or policy citation, prefer the original EIA, EPA, or NREL dataset; the blog functions as a plain-English layer on top of that source data, useful for journalists, students, and policy staff who need context but should always trace back to the federal record for primary citation.
Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Renewable Energy Laboratory. All federal datasets are public domain.
Last updated 2026-04-12 · 51 states tracked.