This feature layer contains four sublayers, one for the source boundaries – Electrical Retail Service Territories, and three hexagon layers created from Uber’s H3 hexagons<\/a> in order to show a more granular level of scale.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2951112,"id":2951112,"title":"USA_Electricity_Rates_Item_Summary","filename":"USA_Electricity_Rates_Item_Summary.png","filesize":121346,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USA_Electricity_Rates_Item_Summary.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-living-atlas\/mapping\/how-data-centers-and-ai-are-shaping-the-future-of-u-s-electricity-rates-insights-from-new-arcgis-living-atlas-layer\/usa_electricity_rates_item_summary","alt":"Item Details Page summary of USA Electricity Rates feature layer.","author":"134231","description":"","caption":"","name":"usa_electricity_rates_item_summary","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2949360,"date":"2025-12-09 22:34:40","modified":"2025-12-09 22:35:04","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1070,"height":290,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USA_Electricity_Rates_Item_Summary-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USA_Electricity_Rates_Item_Summary.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":126,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USA_Electricity_Rates_Item_Summary.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":208,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USA_Electricity_Rates_Item_Summary.png","large-width":1070,"large-height":290,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USA_Electricity_Rates_Item_Summary.png","1536x1536-width":1070,"1536x1536-height":290,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USA_Electricity_Rates_Item_Summary.png","2048x2048-width":1070,"2048x2048-height":290,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USA_Electricity_Rates_Item_Summary-826x224.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":224,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USA_Electricity_Rates_Item_Summary.png","wide_image-width":1070,"wide_image-height":290}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/home\/item.html?id=3f717719a01b45dc84e6a1dff6e031fc"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" This layer was created using data sourced from the U.S. Energy Information Administration\u2019s (EIA) Form 861 <\/a>– Sales to Ultimate Customers tables for years 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. These data tables were joined to a Electric Retail Service Territories boundaries layer that are used to show where each utility operates.<\/p>\n Electric Retail Service Territories boundaries are difficult to visualize due to a number of reasons:<\/p>\n H3 Resolution 5 hexagons grids<\/strong> from the Generate Grids and Hexagons (Business Analyst) tool<\/a> in ArcGIS Pro were created to show a more granular level of scale with a consistent-size grid area of 252.9 km\u00b2 (97.6 miles\u00b2). Since H3 hexagons never change their geometries and contain unique grid ids, they can be used to compare over time without worry of boundary changes and can be easily joined with other H3 hexagons created layers.<\/p>\n The descriptive statistics of median, mean and max were used to show the middle, average, and max blended electricity rates values derived from the Electric Retail Service Territories.\u00a0 Resolution 5 hexagons were chosen as good fit for visualizing areas sizes between cities and county unties, although any hexagon resolution can be used in place of resolution 5.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2951157,"id":2951157,"title":"USA_Electricity_H3Res5_Median","filename":"USA_Electricity_H3Res5_Median.png","filesize":685282,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USA_Electricity_H3Res5_Median.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-living-atlas\/mapping\/how-data-centers-and-ai-are-shaping-the-future-of-u-s-electricity-rates-insights-from-new-arcgis-living-atlas-layer\/usa_electricity_h3res5_median","alt":"USA (Median) Electricity Rates by H3 Resolution 5 Hexagons","author":"134231","description":"","caption":"","name":"usa_electricity_h3res5_median","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2949360,"date":"2025-12-10 04:53:56","modified":"2025-12-10 04:54:29","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1148,"height":578,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USA_Electricity_H3Res5_Median-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USA_Electricity_H3Res5_Median.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":234,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USA_Electricity_H3Res5_Median.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":387,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USA_Electricity_H3Res5_Median.png","large-width":1148,"large-height":578,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USA_Electricity_H3Res5_Median.png","1536x1536-width":1148,"1536x1536-height":578,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USA_Electricity_H3Res5_Median.png","2048x2048-width":1148,"2048x2048-height":578,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USA_Electricity_H3Res5_Median-826x416.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":416,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USA_Electricity_H3Res5_Median.png","wide_image-width":1148,"wide_image-height":578}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USA_Electricity_H3Res5_Median.png"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" While nominal electricity rates (without accounting for inflation) have generally increased over the past two decades, and especially in the years since AI have gained popularity, inflation-adjusted rates present a more nuanced picture. Nationally, we see from the EIA that residential electricity rates have outpaced inflation (Consumer Price Index). In some regions, real (inflation-adjusted) rates have either stagnated or even decreased.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2949371,"id":2949371,"title":"EIA_Electricity_Rates_CPI","filename":"EIA_Electricity_Rates_CPI.png","filesize":280331,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/EIA_Electricity_Rates_CPI.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-living-atlas\/mapping\/how-data-centers-and-ai-are-shaping-the-future-of-u-s-electricity-rates-insights-from-new-arcgis-living-atlas-layer\/eia_electricity_rates_cpi","alt":"","author":"134231","description":"","caption":"","name":"eia_electricity_rates_cpi","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2949360,"date":"2025-11-19 17:25:01","modified":"2025-11-19 17:25:01","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1980,"height":990,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/EIA_Electricity_Rates_CPI-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/EIA_Electricity_Rates_CPI.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":232,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/EIA_Electricity_Rates_CPI.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":384,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/EIA_Electricity_Rates_CPI.png","large-width":1920,"large-height":960,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/EIA_Electricity_Rates_CPI-1536x768.png","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":768,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/EIA_Electricity_Rates_CPI.png","2048x2048-width":1980,"2048x2048-height":990,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/EIA_Electricity_Rates_CPI-826x413.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":413,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/EIA_Electricity_Rates_CPI-1920x960.png","wide_image-width":1920,"wide_image-height":960}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/todayinenergy\/detail.php?id=65284#"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" This trend is important because it reflects the broader economic forces at play, such as shifts in energy production, changes in energy efficiency, and government regulations. For example:<\/p>\n Nominal Rate Increases<\/strong>: Overall, many areas have seen consistent increases in the cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity, reflecting the growing costs of energy production, infrastructure maintenance, and the rising demand for electricity across various sectors.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Inflation-Adjusted Decreases<\/strong>: In some regions, the increase in nominal electricity rates has been outpaced by inflation, meaning that electricity in real terms is actually cheaper than it was in the early 2000s. This could be attributed to the adoption of more energy-efficient technologies, renewable energy sources, and market competition, all of which have helped mitigate price increases over time.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" In addition to a residential electricity rates web map<\/a>, we\u2019ve also created maps to show percentage point changes<\/strong> in electricity rates from 2022 to 2024, as well as cents per kWh changes<\/strong> during the same period. These maps provide a detailed view of where electricity costs are rising most rapidly and where they have remained relatively stable. Each set of web maps has a nominal and inflation-adjusted version in to see how trends compare relative to inflation.<\/p>\n These maps highlight the regions that have seen the largest percent increases in electricity rates. These areas could be under pressure from rising demand, particularly from new industries like data centers and AI research facilities.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Areas with the highest growth may see shifts in residential electricity affordability, which could influence decisions for consumers and businesses alike.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n View web maps:<\/strong><\/p>\n These maps display the exact increase (or decrease) in cents per kWh over the last two years. These values show how specific regions have been impacted by local factors such as energy source availability, grid stability, and demand fluctuations.<\/p>\n View web maps:<\/strong><\/p>\n The new ArcGIS Living Atlas layer provides essential context for understanding how data centers, AI infrastructure, and grid modernization efforts intersect with electricity costs. These insights can help:<\/p>\n Policy makers<\/strong> evaluate regional affordability challenges<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Energy planners<\/strong> assess where demand growth may require new investment<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Utilities<\/strong> understand long-term rate trends and communicate impacts to customers<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Researchers<\/strong> explore the spatial patterns of energy pricing over time<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n As electricity demand continues to rise, especially from AI and data centers, having a clear picture of these trends is more important than ever.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" Explore the USA Electricity Rates \u2013 Electric Retail Service Territories and Hexagons layer<\/strong><\/a> in ArcGIS Living Atlas<\/strong><\/a> to analyze rates across space and time, compare nominal and inflation-adjusted values, and understand the evolving U.S. electricity landscape.<\/p>\n"}],"related_articles":[{"ID":1902372,"post_author":"314022","post_date":"2023-04-17 08:00:48","post_date_gmt":"2023-04-17 15:00:48","post_content":"","post_title":"Use H3 to create multiresolution hexagon grids in ArcGIS Pro 3.1","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"use-h3-to-create-multiresolution-hexagon-grids-in-arcgis-pro-3-1","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-25 15:48:38","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-25 23:48:38","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=1902372","menu_order":0,"post_type":"blog","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2270682,"post_author":"78361","post_date":"2024-03-05 05:11:34","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 13:11:34","post_content":"","post_title":"An authoritative guide to hexagons in Business Analyst: The basics","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"hexagons-guide-basics","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-07 10:06:53","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-07 18:06:53","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=2270682","menu_order":0,"post_type":"blog","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1905222,"post_author":"78361","post_date":"2025-07-31 15:00:48","post_date_gmt":"2025-07-31 22:00:48","post_content":"","post_title":"Got five minutes? Get to know hexagons","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"five-minutes-hexagons","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2026-01-09 13:12:36","post_modified_gmt":"2026-01-09 21:12:36","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=1905222","menu_order":0,"post_type":"blog","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"5","filter":"raw"}],"authors":[{"ID":134231,"user_firstname":"Steven","user_lastname":"Aviles","nickname":"Steven Aviles","user_nicename":"saviles","display_name":"Steven Aviles","user_email":"saviles@esri.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2020-12-01 21:32:42","user_description":"Steven is a Product Engineer on ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World's Policy Maps team. He is interested in transportation, housing, and demography. Steven enjoys a good chicken wing or 12.","user_avatar":"Understanding the Feature Layer:<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Source Data<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Why use H3 Hexagons?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n
Nominal and Inflation-Adjusted Electricity Rates Attributes<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n
Highlighting Key Trends in Residential Electricity Rates:<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Visualize Electricity Rate Changes (2022-2024):<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Percentage Point Change Maps (2022-2024)<\/strong>:<\/h4>\n
\n
\n
Cents per kWh Change Maps (2022-2024)<\/strong>:<\/h4>\n
\n
\n
\n
What This Means for Energy Planning<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Explore the Layer<\/strong><\/h2>\n
"}],"show_article_image":false,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ElectricityRates_Blog_Card.png","wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ElectricityRates_Blog_Banner.png"},"yoast_head":"\n