Explore what you need to know about how we get our electricity and how renewable and non-renewable electricity is generated.
For Americans, electricity use is a major component of our ecological footprint, but we tend to pay little attention to it. But if you understand how the power grid works, there are opportunities to save and save money.
Some people may have the tens of thousands of dollars needed to convert their home to solar power, but that doesn’t mean they can afford an internet provider or other power company. That’s why we turn off the lights when we leave the room and try to focus most of our attention on recycling and buying environmentally friendly products. But even though it may seem like you can’t do anything about the energy you use, it’s important to understand where your electricity comes from and how it affects your environmental footprint.
Knowing your own energy sources and their ecological costs will help you decide where to focus your actions to make the biggest difference.
power structure
Your electricity bill may be paid by the city, but yours is not. The power plants that generate electricity and the power companies that distribute it to users are mostly investor-owned businesses. Inside the generator, nuclear power plant Almost everything is privately owned – like most things coal fired power plant and natural gas producers. of most of the damThe companies that produce hydroelectric power are also private, but the largest companies belong to the federal government.
public power company — A community-owned, non-profit electric utility — generates only about 10% of the electricity in the United States and distributes 15% of the electricity used. There are some joint venture companies, but the majority are corporations, often the same company that owns the power plant.
Power companies act as power wholesalers and purchase power from multiple generators. This means that the electricity you use in your home does not come from a single power source. for example, washington state It is famous for its hydropower exports. Grand Coulee Dam. However, the largest proportion of energy used by Washingtonians is natural gas.
type of electricity
The term “clean energy” is a little confusing. Once on a power line, all electricity is the same. However, the power source makes a big difference in whether the energy is “clean” or “dirty”, even if the end product is not obvious. Few people in the United States rely on a single source of energy, and its composition varies widely by state and region. As of 2022, overall power mix In the United States, it consists of:
| natural gas | 38.9% |
| coal | 19.7% |
| nuclear | 18.2% |
| Non-hydro renewable energy | 15.3% |
| Hydroelectric power (conventional) | 6.0% |
| oil and other resources | 0.8% |
Each power source has its own environmental impact. All of these use non-renewable resources, produce pollution and hazardous waste, or destroy sensitive habitats. In this series, we take a closer look at where Americans derive their power from and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each of these sources.
your energy source
Provided by the U.S. Energy Information Administration Detailed information There is data on the state’s electricity generation and consumption, which the New York Times translated as follows: useful graphics It’s easier to understand.
To get a clear picture of your own energy usage, check out the EPA’s power profiler Enter your postal code and average monthly electricity usage (found on your most recent electricity bill) to get a customized calculation of your home’s emissions. It also tells you how many trees you would have to plant to offset the carbon produced by that much electricity.
what you can do
If, like most people, you can’t plant enough trees to offset the carbon your electricity produces, there are steps you can take to reduce your impact. The most environmentally friendly thing you can do is to ditch commercially supplied electricity and generate your own solar power. This is more affordable than you might think.
But even if your home’s solar power system is out of reach, you may be able to make your energy more environmentally friendly. Many power companies offer green power portfolios. Let’s go back to the Washington state example. Even though Washington’s basic energy mix is one of the greenest in the country, Seattle’s green up This program gives residents the option to support new renewable energy sources through a premium on their electricity bills. Check with your local utility company to find out if a similar program is available where you live.
While programs like Green Up are somewhat rare, energy efficiency programs are much more common. Utility companies offer rebates and incentives on everything from home energy audits to insulation and programmable thermostats. But even if your utility company doesn’t help you at all, you can still save money by reducing your household usage with some simple energy hacks.
What difference does it make?
Reducing energy usage is always a good idea. But if you live in a state that relies most on renewable energy, such as Vermont, Idaho, or Washington, you may prioritize other issues. Driving less and switching to an electric car will have a bigger impact than turning down your thermostat.
But if you live in Delaware, Ohio, or New Jersey, where renewable energy makes up less than 3% of your energy portfolio, the math may be a little different. Electric cars are environmentally friendly Even when powered by a coal-fired power plant, it’s still better than a regular car. But if your electricity is dirty, the room for improvement may not be worth the cost when compared to home efficiency improvements such as insulation or triple-glazed windows.
There is no such thing as an energy source with no environmental impact, but not all electricity is created equal. Individuals do not always have sufficient control over where their electricity comes from. But knowing the environmental costs of your energy mix can help you make better environmental decisions. Even if that means just turning off the lights every time you leave the room.
Read part 2 of this series.What you need to know about renewable energy.
Editor’s note: This article was first published on December 23, 2019 and updated in December 2024.
