EIA electricity data · 2024
What does electricity cost in your state?
Compare residential, commercial, and industrial electricity rates across all 50 states using current Energy Information Administration filings, refreshed as new monthly releases land.
Compare electricity rates by state/sector, generation mixes, and trends using official EIA data with rankings.
Electricity Prices by State
View all →Alabama
AL
residential
Alaska
AK
residential
Arizona
AZ
residential
Arkansas
AR
residential
California
CA
residential
Colorado
CO
residential
Connecticut
CT
residential
Delaware
DE
residential
District of Columbia
DC
residential
Florida
FL
residential
Georgia
GA
residential
Hawaii
HI
residential
What this data tells you
U.S. residential electricity prices vary by roughly a factor of three across states, driven by fuel mix, regulatory structure (regulated vs. deregulated markets), transmission constraints, and climate-driven demand. States with abundant hydropower and natural gas (Washington, Idaho, Louisiana) consistently sit at the low end; import-dependent island and isolated grids (Hawaii, Alaska) sit at the high end. Renewable share has risen across most states since 2015, but the relationship between higher renewable penetration and retail price is non-linear: rapid build-out can pressure prices upward in the short term while delivering long-run savings as fuel costs fall away.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electricity (Retail Sales of Electricity to Ultimate Customers; State Electricity Profiles). See our methodology for how we transform EIA tables into the views above.
About RateWatt
RateWatt provides electricity price data and energy generation statistics for every US state, sourced directly from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Compare residential, commercial, and industrial rates. See how your state generates electricity, from coal and natural gas to wind and solar. Data updated annually.
Energy Guides
Learn how electricity pricing works and what drives differences.
Electricity Rates Explained
What cents per kWh means and how bills are calculated.
Why Prices Vary
What makes electricity cheap or expensive by state.
Energy Sources Explained
Gas, coal, nuclear, wind, solar, how each powers the grid.
Cheapest States for Electricity
All 50 states ranked by cents per kWh and why costs differ.
Renewable vs. Fossil Fuel Costs
How solar, wind, gas, and coal compare on LCOE.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does RateWatt get its energy price data?
All data comes from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), part of the Department of Energy. EIA collects electricity and natural gas price data from utilities across all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
How often are energy prices updated?
EIA publishes monthly state-level electricity and natural gas price data, typically with a 2-3 month lag. We update our database when new EIA releases become available.
Is RateWatt free?
Yes, RateWatt is completely free. You can look up energy prices for any state, view price trends, and compare rates across states without any account or payment.
Why do energy prices vary so much between states?
State energy prices are influenced by fuel sources (coal, natural gas, nuclear, renewables), local regulations, transmission costs, climate-driven demand, and market structure. States with abundant hydropower or natural gas typically have lower rates.
Guides & Analysis
Editorial research and plain-language explainers from our team. Every guide is written to help you read the underlying public data correctly.
The 10 cheapest states (2024)
Residential price, cents per kWh, from EIA Form 861.
- North Dakota
North Dakota
11.51 ¢/kWh
- Idaho
Idaho
11.52 ¢/kWh
- Nebraska
Nebraska
11.53 ¢/kWh
- Louisiana
Louisiana
11.73 ¢/kWh
- Washington
Washington
11.9 ¢/kWh
- Utah
Utah
12.22 ¢/kWh
- Oklahoma
Oklahoma
12.24 ¢/kWh
- Arkansas
Arkansas
12.32 ¢/kWh
- Tennessee
Tennessee
12.42 ¢/kWh
- Wyoming
Wyoming
12.47 ¢/kWh
What this shows Every state here sits well below the 16.48¢/kWh national residential average, driven by cheap hydro, in-state natural gas, or both.
The US electricity bill keeps climbing
National average residential rate, 2016 to 2024.
Up 31% since 2016, EIA Electric Power Monthly. See the full trend →