1999 electricity sales, prices dip

Total revenue from US electricity sales decreased 1.3% to $215 billion in 1999 from $218 billion in 1998, according to a new government study, while full-service sales of electricity to 'bundled' ultimate consumers decreased slightly to 3,236 billion kw-hr. The Energy Information Administration also said sales by competitive energy service providers in states with restructured markets tripled in 1999 to more than 76 billion kw-hr.
Oct. 20, 2000
2 min read


Total revenue from US electricity sales decreased 1.3% to $215 billion in 1999 from $218 billion in 1998, according to a new government study, while full-service sales of electricity to "bundled" ultimate consumers decreased slightly to 3,236 billion kw-hr.

Prices also fell. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) says average revenue per kw-hr of electricity sold to ultimate US consumers in 1999 was 6.66�, down from 6.74� in 1998.

Sales to the residential sector in 1999 increased 1.2% from the 1998 level, to 1,141 billion kw-hr, while residential revenue remained flat at $93 billion in 1999. Average revenue decreased 1.2%, to 8.16�/kw-hr in 1999 from 8.26�/kw-hr in 1998.

Sales to the commercial and industrial sectors fell 1% to 1,988 billion kw-hr in 1999 and revenue decreased 2.3%, to $116 billion in 1999. Average revenue decreased 1.4%, from 5.89�/kw-hr in 1998 to 5.81�/kw-hr in 1999.

Average revenue in the "other" category was flat at $7 billion in 1999 on sales of 107 billion kw-hr. Average revenue in the category was 6.35�/kw-hr in 1999.

Investor-owned electric utilities sales decreased 1.2% to 2,398 billion kw-hr, while sales by municipal utilities increased 2.7% to 499 billion kw-hr. Cooperative utility sales increased 2.8% to 288 billion kw-hr. Federal utility sales increased 10.6%to 52 billion kw-hr.

EIA said all ownership classes, except investor-owned, reported increased revenue from sales of electricity to ultimate consumers in 1999 compared with 1998. Investor-owned electric utilities' revenue declined 2.9% to $163.7 billion in 1999, down from $168.5 billion in 1998.

Municipal electric utilities' revenue rose 4.4%, to $31 billion; cooperatives, up 2.6%, to $19 billion; and federal electric utilities, up 13.7% to $1.3 billion.

In 1999, investor-owned electric utilities average revenue was 6.83�/kw-hr, a decrease from 6.94�/kw-hr in 1998. Municipal electric utilities average revenue rose to 6.30�/kw-hr from 6.20�/kw-hr. EIA attributed the large increase to the full year takeover of Long Island Lighting Co.'s consumers by the Long Island Power Authority in mid-1998.

Cooperative electric utilities average revenue was flat at 6.65�/kw-hr, and federal electric utilities average revenue rose slightly to 2.45�/kw-hr from 2.38�/kw-hr in 1998.

The EIA said sales by competitive energy service providers in states with restructured markets tripled in 1999 to more than 76 billion kw-hr.

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