Background

The Cost and Quality of Fuels for Electric Plants 2007 and 2008 is prepared by the Electric Power Division; Office of Coal, Nuclear, Electric and Alternate Fuels (CNEAF); U. S. Energy Information Administration (EIA); U.S. Department of Energy. This publication provides information concerning the quality, quantity, and cost of fossil fuels used by electric power generating plants in the United States. These plants are comprised of regulated utility power plants and independent power producers, including combined heat and power producers in the commercial and industrial sectors. This publication continues the coverage of fuel cost and quality data presented in the publication Cost and Quality of Fuels for Electric Plants 2006 and 2007.

Coverage of Sources

The information contained in this publication is compiled from three separate forms: the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Form 423, “Monthly Report of Cost and Quality of Fuels for Electric Plants”; the EIA Form EIA-423, “Monthly Cost and Quality of Fuels for Electric Plants Report”, and the new EIA Form EIA-923, “Power Plant Operations Report”. In 2008, EIA made significant changes to its data collection vehicles: the 423 forms were subsumed under the new form EIA-923. In this publication, 2007 data are provided by the FERC Form 423 and Form EIA-423, and 2008 data are provided by the EIA-923 form. The geographic coverage of all three surveys includes the contiguous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and the District of Columbia.

For 2007 data, both 423 surveys collected data monthly from steam-electric and combined-cycle fossil-fueled plants with a total generator nameplate capacity of 50 or more megawatts. Data for gas turbines and internal combustion units were not collected on the FERC Form 423 survey, nor was their generating capacity used to determine the 50-megawatt threshold. However, on the Form EIA-423, data were collected for gas turbines and internal combustion units and the capacity of those generators was used to determine the 50-megawatt threshold. The Form EIA-923 collects receipts, cost, and quality data from plants above the 50-megawatt threshold. Additionally, commencing in 2008, the receipts, cost, and quality data are imputed for plants between 1 and 50 megawatts. Therefore, there may be a notable increase in fuel receipts beginning with 2008 data. Imputed receipts have unclassified purchase type and coal mine information, and therefore the Unclassified columns in these tables contain more data for 2008 than in 2007. The amount of imputed receipts data for 2008 is summarized in the table below.

Please note that the cost data from unregulated plants on the Forms EIA-423 and EIA-923 survey are considered sensitive. This may result in the appearance of a 'W' (for withheld) in a State where suppression rules apply. (See suppression rules methodology: "Policy on the Disclosure of Individually Identifiable Energy Information in the Possession of the EIA" [45 Federal Register 59812, 1980].)

Display of Average Fuel Cost Information

For most of the 2007 data tables presented in the Cost and Quality of Fuels for Electric Plants 2007 and 2008, costs expressed as a “Total” are reflective of the average delivered costs of fuel as submitted via both the Form EIA-423 and the FERC Form 423. As such, State- and national-level aggregations are published if sufficient data are available to avoid disclosure of individual company plant-level costs. Due to the detailed nature of some of the information presented in the Cost and Quality of Fuels for Electric Plants 2007 and 2008 tables (i.e., where fuel rank, mine type or purchase type are presented), the sensitivity of the cost information dictates that a significant amount of information be withheld. Therefore, in order to provide as much meaningful cost information as possible, the average costs presented for these levels of detail are reflective only of the costs submitted via the FERC Form 423. Notes have been provided for each table to assist with the interpretation of the information presented.

For 2008 data, the data presentation is similar to that described above: in order to provide as much meaningful cost information as possible, average costs presented in detailed tables (i.e., where fuel rank, mine type or purchase type are presented), are reflective only of the costs provided by regulated plants. State- and national-level aggregations reflect data provided by all plants, both regulated and unregulated.

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