US Annual Average Retail Electricity Prices by State (1990-2020)
Annual average retail price of electricity by state, sector, and provider type from 1990 to 2020 in the United States.
Dataset Metrics
Data Format
Dataset Schema (9 features)
| Name | Type | Nullable | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | integer | No | The calendar year for which the electricity price data was recorded (range: 1990-2020). |
| State | string | No | Two-letter US state postal abbreviation (e.g., AK, CA, NY) or 'US' for the national average. |
| Industry Sector Category | categorical | No | The category of electricity provider, including 'Total Electric Industry', 'Full-Service Providers', and retail service types. |
| Residential | float | No | Average retail price of electricity for residential consumers, measured in cents per kilowatt-hour. |
| Commercial | float | No | Average retail price of electricity for commercial consumers, measured in cents per kilowatt-hour. |
| Industrial | float | No | Average retail price of electricity for industrial consumers, measured in cents per kilowatt-hour. |
| Transportation | float | No | Average retail price of electricity for the transportation sector, measured in cents per kilowatt-hour. |
| Other | float | No | Average retail price of electricity for other sectors (e.g., public lighting), measured in cents per kilowatt-hour. Phased out in recent years. |
| Total | float | No | Weighted average retail price of electricity across all consumer sectors, measured in cents per kilowatt-hour. |
License & Compliance
About This Dataset
This dataset provides comprehensive historical electricity pricing data across all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and the national average. It details retail prices in cents per kilowatt-hour (Cents/kWh) for various consumer sectors: Residential, Commercial, Industrial, and Transportation. The data is further segmented by industry sector categories such as 'Total Electric Industry', 'Full-Service Providers', 'Restructured Retail Service Providers', and others, offering a granular view of the evolving energy market landscape over three decades.
Data Quality
The dataset is highly complete for the main residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. Null values are present in the 'Transportation' and 'Other' columns, specifically in older records or regions where these specific sectors were not separately metered or reported. The 'Total' column provides a consistent aggregate across all rows. Data types are consistent throughout.
Use Cases
Economic research on regional energy price trends, comparative analysis of electricity costs for industrial site selection, policy impact studies on deregulation (restructuring) of the utility market, and longitudinal studies of household energy expenditure.
Limitations
Contains null values for 'Transportation' and 'Other' categories which may hinder specific sectoral analysis in early years. The 'Other' category was phased out in later reporting standards. Prices are nominal and not adjusted for inflation.
Methodology
Compiled by the EIA using data from Form EIA-861, 'Annual Electric Power Industry Report', and Form EIA-861S, 'Annual Electric Power Industry Report (Short Form)', which collect data from all electric utilities and retail providers in the United States.
Geographic Coverage
Source Information
Governance & Review
Usage & Restrictions
License: Public Domain — This dataset is licensed for use by the purchasing entity. Refer to the specific license terms for permitted use.
Access Control: Download links are time-limited and single-use. All access is logged for audit purposes.