Table 8.4. Average Power Plant Operating Expenses for Major U.S. Investor-Owned Electric Utilities, 2001 through 2011 (Mills per Kilowatthour)

  Operation Maintenance
Year Nuclear Fossil Steam Hydro-electric
Gas Turbine and Small Scale		 Nuclear Fossil Steam Hydro-electric
Gas Turbine and Small Scale
2001 8.44 2.47 4.27 3.65 5.02 2.61 2.89 3.33
2002 9.00 2.59 3.71 3.26 5.04 2.67 2.62 2.38
2003 9.12 2.74 3.47 3.50 5.23 2.72 2.32 2.26
2004 8.97 3.13 3.83 4.27 5.38 2.96 2.76 2.14
2005 8.26 3.21 3.95 3.69 5.27 2.98 2.73 1.89
2006 9.03 3.57 3.76 3.51 5.69 3.19 2.70 2.16
2007 9.54 3.63 5.44 3.26 5.79 3.37 3.87 2.42
2008 9.89 3.72 5.78 3.77 6.20 3.59 3.89 2.72
2009 10.00 4.23 4.88 3.05 6.34 3.96 3.50 2.58
2010 10.50 4.04 5.33 2.79 6.80 3.99 3.81 2.73
2011 10.89 4.02 5.13 2.81 6.80 3.99 3.74 2.93

 

  Fuel Total
Year Nuclear Fossil Steam Hydro-electric
Gas Turbine and Small Scale		 Nuclear Fossil Steam Hydro-electric
Gas Turbine and Small Scale
2001 4.67 18.15 -- 43.55 18.13 23.23 7.16 50.53
2002 4.60 16.09 -- 31.84 18.65 21.36 6.33 37.47
2003 4.60 17.29 -- 43.89 18.95 22.75 5.79 49.66
2004 4.58 18.21 -- 45.18 18.93 24.31 6.60 51.59
2005 4.63 21.69 -- 55.52 18.15 27.88 6.68 61.10
2006 4.85 23.09 -- 53.89 19.57 29.85 6.46 59.56
2007 4.99 23.88 -- 58.75 20.32 30.88 9.32 64.43
2008 5.29 28.43 -- 64.23 21.37 35.75 9.67 70.72
2009 5.35 32.30 -- 51.93 21.69 40.48 8.38 57.55
2010 6.68 27.73 -- 43.21 23.98 35.76 9.15 48.74
2011 7.01 27.08 -- 38.80 24.70 35.09 8.88 44.54

Hydroelectric category consists of both conventional hydroelectric and pumped storage.
Gas Turbine and Small Scale category consists of gas turbine, internal combustion, photovoltaic, and wind plants.
Notes: Expenses are average expenses weighted by net generation. A mill is a monetary cost and billing unit equal to 1/1000 of the U.S. dollar (equivalent to 1/10 of one cent).
Total may not equal sum of components due to independent rounding.
Sources: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC Form 1, "Annual Report of Major Electric Utilities, Licensees and Others via Ventyx Global Energy Velocity Suite.