We Are the Energy That Powers America

Investor-owned electric companies power the lives of nearly 3 in 4 Americans by building critical energy infrastructure, providing reliable energy for customers as affordably as possible, and strengthening U.S. national and economic security.

Learn how our industry is:

Industry Overview

  • The electric power industry is a key economic driver, supporting more than 7 million American jobs (1 in 20 jobs nationwide) and 5 percent of U.S. GDP.
    • Our members serve nearly 3 in 4 Americans.
    • Every day, we connect more than 3,200 new residential customers and nearly 200 new businesses to the grid.
    • The industry will fill as many as 30 million energy jobs in the next 10 years.

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Grid Investments

  • EEI’s member companies will invest more than $1.1 trillion during the next five years.
    • EEI’s member companies will invest a record $208 billion this year to make the grid smarter, stronger, more dynamic, and more secure.
  • They have invested more than $1.3 trillion during the past decade.
  • Investments in generation as a share of the industry’s total capital expenditures have risen for four straight years.

Data Centers

  • Data center demand has tripled during the past decade, and some reports show that it could triple again by 2028.
  • According to Cushman & Wakefield, U.S. data centers currently have an operational capacity of 20.6 gigawatts (GW) (49 percent of the global capacity).
    • Another 6.4 GW of U.S. data center capacity is under construction (online within 5 years), a 31 percent increase.
    • An additional 46 GW of new data center capacity is planned (224 percent growth). The rest of the world is planning to build an additional 20 GW of new data center capacity (92 percent growth).

Capacity and Demand

  • Electricity generation in the United States increased 3 percent in 2024—the largest annual increase in five years—and is projected to continue growing steadily.
  • We added more than 52 GW of new generation capacity to the grid last year, which is enough to power more than 39 million homes.
    • Today, 91 GW of new capacity is currently under construction and nearly 488 GW is planned or has been proposed for the next five years. For comparison, the grid currently has about 1,250 GW of capacity.
    • In 2024, nearly 37 GW of renewable technologies went online in the
      United States      .

Household Expenditures

  • The relative amount customers pay for electricity is at the lowest level in six decades.
  • For every dollar Americans spend, 1.3¢ is for electricity
    • 16.7¢ goes toward healthcare
    • 15.6¢ for housing
    • 7.5¢ for groceries
  • Electricity prices have largely tracked overall inflation in recent years.
    • While everything costs more, the power sector is still keeping costs down compared to other personal consumption expenditures.
    • However, we recognize the financial hardships many customers are facing and are working around the clock to manage costs, protect customers, and invest in the communities we serve.

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Emissions Reductions

  • EEI’s member companies have reduced carbon emissions 41 percent below 2005 levels and continue to invest in reliable, affordable generation sources tailored to the unique needs of their regions and customers.
    • Carbon emissions from the U.S. power sector are as low as they were nearly 50 years ago, while electricity use has more than doubled since.
  • Today, 42 percent of all U.S. power generation comes from carbon-free sources, including nuclear energy, hydropower, wind, and solar energy.
    • Since 2016, the electric power industry has emitted less carbon dioxide than the transportation sector, the nation’s leading source of carbon dioxide emissions.

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Additional Resources