How To Save Money on Electricity: An Easy Guide to Cut Your Electricity Bill.
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| How To Save Money on Electricity: An Easy Guide to Cut Your Electricity Bill. | The sources of electricity. |
Section 1: The history of electricity in the US.
In the history of the United States, it has been theorized that it was the power generated by various sources that were used to light, move and heat. Electric utilities were first formed as private companies in 1885.
1885-1897: The primary power source used in the US was hydroelectricity.
1897-1914: Coal-fired electricity generation grew slowly.
1914-1937: Gas-fired electricity generation grew rapidly.
1937-1955: Conventional fossil fuel-fired electricity generation grew slowly.
1955-1999: The number of coal plants declined as natural gas plants grew in size.
1999-2011: Natural gas-fired electricity generation began to grow rapidly, but the other primary sources of electricity generation did not grow quickly enough to keep pace.
The sources of electricity.
Natural gas is often cited as an alternative to coal in the electricity generation industry. Natural gas, unlike coal, is abundant and relatively inexpensive. Natural gas is widely available in the US and there are natural gas production facilities throughout the country. Natural gas is also an important raw material for the manufacture of many chemical products, and chemical companies have a large presence in the US. The problem with natural gas is that it is often less expensive to generate electricity from coal than from natural gas.
Wind, solar, hydroelectric, and nuclear power are other sources of electricity generation. Wind and solar are also forms of electricity generation which do not generate greenhouse gases.
How to save on electricity.
Now, I know it sounds kind of like splitting hairs. A few years back, the cheapest electricity you could get in most cities was power generated by burning coal or natural gas.
However, that's no longer the case. A variety of things — from an abundance of cheap natural gas to the rapid growth of solar and wind power — have made coal power significantly less efficient.
You might say that the American energy landscape is now more like the electricity grid of the late 19th century, when Edison and Westinghouse developed the first practical incandescent lighting and electric motor.
From an efficiency perspective, electricity is both the cheapest and most abundant energy source on Earth.
Conclusion
The United States Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that the United States uses 19,000 TW·h (Gigawatt-hour-equivalent) of electricity each year.
A Gigawatt is a billion watts.
If the United States each generated 100 Gigawatt hours of electricity per year, the total would be 1,000 Gigawatt hours.
Based on the EIA report, 1,000 Gigawatt hours is equivalent to about 3,900,000,000 kWh, or approximately 3,900,000,000 kWh per year.
If the United States was generating 3,900,000,000 kWh per year, each person in the United States would use about 17,500 kWh per year.
Each American also uses about 54,400 kWh each year.
Thus, the average annual per capita electricity consumption in the United States is 52,400 kWh per year.
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