News & Events

03
Oct

National Energy Awareness Month

Did you know that renewable energy is the fastest growing source of energy? However, petroleum and natural gas remain the most-consumed sources of energy throughout the U.S., according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the U.S. Department of Energy’s statistical and analytical agency.

As energy consumers, it’s important to understand and acknowledge the energy we use daily and understand where the United States is headed regarding energy consumption. The U.S. Department of Energy officially recognizes the month of October as National Energy Awareness Month. This annual designation serves as a reminder of the indispensable role that energy plays in every facet of our lives, encouraging us to be conscious of our energy consumption throughout the entire year, but especially now as we prepare for fall and winter. 

RESA recently published its annual press release outlining competitive and monopoly energy price trends from data provided by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). In 2022, over 13.2 million residential customers received their power from competitive retail suppliers. This represents 45.0% of the residential consumer’s load who reside in energy choice states and jurisdictions and who are eligible to choose their retail supplier. The data also shows that retail suppliers provided  83.7% of the power to Commercial and Industrial customers within the states/jurisdictions, enabling retail power competition. Meanwhile, since 2008, the average power price for all customers in the competitive states/jurisdictions rose by 10.6%, while the rates for this same customer group in the monopoly states increased significantly more, by 40.3%.

Today, only 13 states and Washington D.C. allow consumers to choose how they heat their homes or power their businesses, equating to only 28% of states. RESA encourages consumers residing in a choice state to exercise their right to choose and shop for a plan that meets their energy needs.

To learn more about energy options in your state, visit our webpage: https://www.resausa.org/energy-by-state/.