Daily Total Generation by Energy Source (MWh)

How to Read This Chart

This stacked bar chart shows daily total electricity generation in the United States, grouped into broad energy categories and measured in megawatt-hours (MWh). Each bar represents a single day, and each colored segment represents a generation category: Fossil Fuels, Renewables, Nuclear, Storage, and Other/Unknown. The height of each bar reflects total electricity generated on that day, while the relative size of each segment shows how much each category contributed. Viewing the bars sequentially allows comparison of both total daily generation levels and changes in the composition of the generation mix over time.

Why This Matters

Grouping generation into high-level categories makes it easier to see how the U.S. electricity mix shifts day to day without the complexity of individual fuel types. The chart highlights the continued dominance of fossil fuels in meeting daily demand, the steady contribution from nuclear, and the growing role of renewables and energy storage in supporting system flexibility. This perspective is especially useful for understanding grid balance and reliability, as it shows how different resource types collectively respond to daily demand and operational conditions. For policymakers, grid operators, and researchers, these category-level trends help evaluate progress toward diversification, decarbonization goals, and the increasing importance of storage in managing variability across the power system.

Key Insights

The following highlights are derived directly from the most recent available data in this dataset using standardized calculations. Metrics reflect aggregate U.S. electricity generation across all reported sources and are computed from the underlying daily time series. Unless otherwise noted, comparisons are based on the most recent complete reporting day and the prior day. These highlights provide a concise snapshot of current U.S. electricity generation by source.

Definitions