Energy Information Administration - Electric Generation Capacity

Prof. Robert B. Laughlin
Department of Physics
Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305

http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epa/epat2p2.html
(Copied 12 Aug 09)



Existing Capacity by Energy Source
  Electric Power Annual with data for 2007
  Report Released: January 21, 2009
  Next Release Date: October 2009

Table 2.2.  Existing Capacity by Energy Source, 2007
(Megawatts)
Energy Source Number of Generators Generator Nameplate Capacity Net Summer Capacity Net Winter Capacity
Coal[1] 1,470 336,040 312,738 314,944
Petroleum[2] 3,743 62,394 56,068 60,528
Natural Gas[3] 5,439 449,389 392,876 422,184
Other Gases[4] 105 2,663 2,313 2,292
Nuclear 104 105,764 100,266 101,765
Hydroelectric Conventional[5] 3,992 77,644 77,885 77,369
Wind 389 16,596 16,515 16,541
Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic 38 503 502 422
Wood and Wood Derived Fuels[6] 346 7,510 6,704 6,745
Geothermal 224 3,233 2,214 2,362
Other Biomass[7] 1,299 4,834 4,134 4,214
Pumped Storage 151 20,355 21,886 21,799
Other[8] 42 866 788 814
Total 17,342 1,087,791 994,888 1,031,978
  [1] Anthracite, bituminous coal, subbituminous coal, lignite, waste coal, and synthetic coal.
  [2] 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), and waste oil.
  [3] Includes a small number of generators for which waste heat is the primary energy source.
  [4] Blast furnace gas, propane gas, and other manufactured and waste gases derived from fossil fuels.
  [5] The net summer capacity and/or the net winter capacity may exceed nameplate capacity due to upgrades to and overload capability of hydroelectric generators.
  [6] 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.
  [7] Biogenic 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).
  [8] Batteries, chemicals, hydrogen, pitch, purchased steam, sulfur, tire-derived fuels and miscellaneous technologies.
  Notes: 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. Totals may not equal sum of components because of independent rounding. In some reporting of capacity data, such as for wind, solar and wave energy sites, the capacity for multiple generators is reported in a single generator record and is presented as a single generator in the count of number of generators.
  Source: Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-860, "Annual Electric Generator Report."