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Yahoo!Currently (employing both meanings of current) in the U.S., our electricity comes from these sources: Coal (45.4%), natural gas (21%), nuclear (21%), hydroelectric (7.5%), renewable forms (4.2%), and petroleum (1.2%).
Within the renewables, the percentages are: Wind (45.6%), wood and wood-derived fuels (29%), other biomass (13%), geothermal (11.5%), solar (less than 1% of renewables).
These numbers reflect positive changes in the mix of the last few years, e.g. less coal, more renewables.
The power that comes to us from our local grid is determined by the utility that is providing it, and their sources vary widely. California requires utilities to supply a “power content label,” so customers can find out the sources of the electricity that comes to their homes. Natural gas currently supplies the largest amount of energy to California, at 46.5%. Nuclear and coal supply similar amounts, around 15% each. Large hydroelectric plants supply close to 10%. Renewable energy provides 13.5%, compared to the national average of 4.2%. Of that, most comes from geothermal and wind. Even though California leads in solar production, it remains at less than 1% of total. Of the 29 states that have Renewable Portfolio Standards (an RPS requires utilities to provide a certain minimum amount of renewable energy) California's is the most ambitious, with a goal of 20% by the year 2010. (California currently imports 27% of its energy from other states, by the way.)
Indiana, on the other end of the spectrum, is a big manufacturing state with plentiful coal, getting 89% of its electricity from coal and ess than 0.1% from renewables. Indiana is one of the few states in the northern half of the country that does not have a Renewable Portfolio Standard. Most southern states also do not have them.
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