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| **Home>Electricity>Electricity Publications> Inventory of Electric       Utility Power Plants in the United States 2000** |

| ** This report has       been discontinued; summary 2001 data are available in the new Electric       Power Annual 2001; detailed data will be available in database files       on the Internet.***Inventory         of Electric Utility Power Plants in the        United States 2000****Available Formats**                   PDF(3.37 Meg)                   HTML Tables**Back Issues****Database Files**Summary
In 2000, the existing capacity1 of U.S. electric utilities totaled                  604,514 megawatts (Table 1), a net change of -34,810                  megawatts (-5.4 percent) from the total reported in 1999.                  This was mainly due to the sale/transfer of 42,974 megawatts                  of capacity during 2000 to nonutilities. Based on primary                  energy source, coal-fired capacity represented 43 percent                  (260,990 megawatts) of the Nation's existing capacity                  (Figure 1). Gas-fired capacity accounted for 19 percent                  (117,845 megawatts); nuclear, 14 percent (86,163 megawatts);                  renewable energy sources,2 12                  percent (74,575 megawatts); petroleum, 7 percent (41,017                  megawatts); and pumped storage hydroelectric, 3 percent                  (18,020 megawatts). The distribution of capacity by State for                  the various energy sources is shown in Figures 3 through 7.                  Figure 8 shows the distribution of total U.S. capacity by                  State.

Of the existing                  capacity, conventional steam-electric units accounted for 59                  percent (357,537 megawatts). Nuclear units accounted for 14                  percent; hydroelectric (conventional), 12 percent; gas                  turbine, 8 percent; pumped storage hydroelectric, 3 percent;                  combined cycle, 3 percent; and internal combustion,                  geothermal, solar, wind and other, 1 percent (Figure 2).                  Figure 9 shows the amount of existing capacity by prime mover                  and time period of initial commercial                  operation.

Of the 357,537                  megawatts of conventional steam-electric capacity, 72,244                  megawatts were in dual-fired generators, which are capable of                  using petroleum and gas; 34,562 megawatts of the 68,710                  megawatts combined capacity for gas turbine, combined cycle,                  and internal combustion units were dual-fired.

In 2000, 7,991                  megawatts in new units started commercial operation-4,300                  megawatts more than the capacity in new units that started                  commercial operation in 1999 (Table 2). Eighty-four percent                  of this new capacity is in gas-fired combustion turbine and                  combined cycle units. The remaining 16 percent of new                  capacity is in petroleum-fired combustion turbine and                  internal combustion units, one coal-fired unit, and several                  solar, wind, and hydroelectric units (Table 18). Electric                  utility capacity additions by energy source for the past 10                  years are shown in Figures 10 and 11.

Electric                  utilities reported 248 megawatts of capacity retired in 2000                  (Table 2). Forty-four percent of the retired capacity is                  coal-fired and gas-fired steam-electric units.                  Petroleum-fired steam-electric and internal combustion units                  account for 55 percent of the capacity retired in 2000 and                  the remaining 1 percent is in hydroelectric, solar, and                  biomass steam-electric units. Detailed data about electric                  generating units retired from service in 2000 are shown in                  Table 19.

During 2000,                  nearly 43,000 megawatts of electric utilities' generating                  assets were sold to nonutilities or transferred to                  nonregulated affiliates. Nuclear generation assets were part                  of electric utilities' power plant divestitures in 2000.                  The nuclear plants sold are the 1,675-megawatt Calvert plant                  (Maryland), the 2,188-megawatt Susquehanna plant                  (Pennsylvania), the 619-megawatt Oyster Creek plant (New                  Jersey), the 1,031-megawatt Hope Creek plant (New Jersey),                  the 2,212-megawatt Salem plant (New Jersey), the 970-megawatt                  Indian Point 3 plant (New York) and the 820-megawatt James A                  FitzPatrick plant (New York). During 2001, an additional                  28,186 megawatts (generator nameplate capacity) of electric                  utility generating assets were sold to nonutilities or                  transferred to nonregulated affiliates.
Five-Year                  Summary
For the 2001 through 2005 forecast                  period, electric utilities reported plans to add 44,726                  megawatts of generating capacity in new units to their                  systems. Ninety-one percent of this total is gas-fired                  capacity.

In addition to adding new generators to                  their capacity, electric utilities reported several types of                  proposed changes to existing generating units for the 5-year                  period, 2001-2005. They proposed 55 electric generating units                  (19,300 megawatts) for either a fuel change, a rerating in                  capability, a repowering or life extension, or a combination                  of these. There are also plans to retire 5,247 megawatts of                  capacity. Projections of electric utility generating                  capacity, based on utilities' reported 5-year outlook of                  new generator additions and existing generating unit changes                  are presented in Figure 12.
Endnotes1 In all cases,               capacity is net summer capability, unless noted otherwise.2 Renewable energy sources include               water (conventional hydroelectric), geothermal, biomass, solar               and wind.-  **Contact:** 
-   Kenneth McClevey kenneth.mcclevey@eia.doe.gov            Phone: (202) 287-1732 |
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