Table 4.3. Existing Capacity by Energy Source, 2023 (Megawatts)

Energy Source Facility Type Number of Generators Generator Nameplate Capacity Net Summer Capacity Net Winter Capacity
Coal Utility Scale 479 193,414.6 178,441.7 179,630.1
Petroleum Utility Scale 3,912 34,082.5 29,440.7 32,562.1
Natural Gas Utility Scale 6,664 572,319.3 507,535.8 543,072.2
Other Fossil Gas Utility Scale 73 2,031.3 1,866.8 1,871.5
Nuclear Utility Scale 93 100,674.6 95,712.2 98,063.2
Hydroelectric Conventional Utility Scale 3,999 79,969.5 79,985.3 79,385.7
Wind Utility Scale 1,540 148,039.8 147,444.7 147,467.4
Solar Photovoltaic Utility Scale 6,308 91,219.2 90,517.8 89,357.4
Solar Thermal Utility Scale 13 1,497.0 1,480.0 1,352.5
Wood and Wood-Derived Fuels Utility Scale 299 8,678.0 7,693.1 7,811.7
Geothermal Utility Scale 167 4,009.5 2,695.8 3,155.0
Other Biomass Utility Scale 1,635 4,698.0 4,133.2 4,184.2
Hydroelectric Pumped Storage Utility Scale 152 22,170.1 23,147.4 23,186.7
Other Energy Sources Utility Scale 676 17,739.9 17,450.9 17,490.8
Total Utility Scale 26,010 1,280,543.3 1,187,545.4 1,228,590.5
Small Scale Photovoltaic Small Scale -- -- 47,774.7 --
Estimated Total Photovoltaic Utility and Small Scale -- -- 138,292.5 --
Estimated Total Solar Utility and Small Scale -- -- 139,772.5 --

Notes: Coal includes anthracite, bituminous, subbituminous, lignite, and waste coal; coal synfuel and refined coal; and beginning in 2011, coal-derived synthesis gas. Prior to 2011, coal-derived synthesis gas was included in Other Fossil Gas.
Petroleum includes distillate fuel oil (all diesel and No. 1, No. 2, and No. 4 fuel oils), residual fuel oil (No. 5 and No. 6 fuel oils and bunker C fuel oil), jet fuel, kerosene, petroleum coke (converted to liquid petroleum, see Technical Notes for conversion methodology), waste oil, and beginning in 2011, synthetic gas and propane. Prior to 2011, synthetic gas and propane were included in Other Fossil Gas.
Other Fossil Gas includes gaseous propane, blast furnace gas, other manufactured and waste gases derived from fossil fuels other than hydrogen. Prior to 2011, waste heat was included in Natural Gas.
Hydroelectric Conventional capacity includes conventional hydroelectric power excluding pumped storage facilities.
Wood and wood-derived fuels include wood/wood waste solids (including paper pellets, railroad ties, utility poles, wood chips, bark, and wood waste solids), wood waste liquids (red liquor, sludge wood, spent sulfite liquor, and other wood-based liquids), and black liquor.
Other Biomass include municipal solid waste, landfill gas, sludge waste, agricultural byproducts, other biomass solids, other biomass liquids, and other biomass gases (including digester gases, methane, and other biomass gases).
Hydroelectric Conventional capacity includes conventional hydroelectric power excluding pumped storage facilities.
Other Energy Sources include hydrogen, non-biogenic municipal solid waste, batteries, purchased steam, sulfur, tire-derived fuel, and other miscellaneous energy sources.
Capacity by energy source is based on the capacity associated with the energy source reported as the most predominant (primary) one, where more than one energy source is associated with a generator.
In 2011, EIA corrected the NAICS codes of several plants which resulted in a net capacity shift from the electric utility sector to the commercial sector.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-860, 'Annual Electric Generator Report.'
Estimated small scale solar photovoltaic capacity is based on data from Form EIA-826, Form EIA-861M, Form EIA-861 and from estimation methods described in the technical notes.