The Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently released U.S electricity data through a new application programming interface (API) with hopes of sparking innovation in the energy industry. While searching for insights in such an exhaustive data set can be like looking for a needle in a haystack if you don't know what you want, Utility Dive plugged in and pulled out seven vital facts that help paint a picture of power in the U.S.

1. Solar's rising but wind generates 30 times more power

Despite solar's recent uptick as solar energy production has nearly quadrupled in the last two years, solar still generates 30 times less than wind. As can be seen in the chart, wind generation has increased the most out of all the renewables -- from a mere 6.7 million megawatthours in 2001 to a more formidable 140 million megawatthours in 2012.

2. America consumed 3.69 trillion kilowatthours of electricity in 2012

Although America as a country consumed 3.69 trillion kilowatthours of electricity last year, that's actually less than America consumed in both 2011 and 2010. True to consumption trends for the last decade, residential and commercial use (1.4 and 1.3 trillion kilowatthours, respectively) outpaced industrial consumption (980 billion kilowatthours). 

3. Residential end-users pay above average, industries pay less

Transportation (10.05 cents per kilowatthour) and commercial (10.12 cents) sector end-users paid slightly more the average price for electricity last year (9.87 cents). Residential end-users paid the most (11.88 cents) while the industrial sector paid the least (6.7 cents). 

4. Middle America pays less, coasts pay most

Other than the Pacific Noncontiguous region (26.9 cents per kilowatthour), comprised of the two outlying and high-paying states of Hawaii and Alaska, New England and the Middle Atlantic pay the most for their electricity (14.11 and 12.78 cents per kilowatthour, respectively). On the other side of the spectrum, the heartland — West South Central (8.16 cents), West North Central (8.51 cents) and East South Central (8.54 cents) — pays the least. 

5. Idaho has cheapest electricity, Hawaii's is most expensive

It's nearly impossible to distinguish the states in the chart below, but the stats don't lie. By far, Hawaiians paid the most for electricity at  33.98 cents per kilowatthour, followed by Alaska (16.24 cents), Connecticut (15.58 cents) and New York (15.2 cents). At the bottom of the barrel, ratepayers in Idaho (6.89 cents), Louisiana (6.9 cents) and Washington (6.93) paid the least for their electricity. 

6. Large amounts of revenue in South Atlantic region

EIA statistics revealed the South Atlantic region was a big earner for utilities, yielding $75.8 billion in revenue from retail electricity sales last year. On the flip side, while New England's electricity prices are among the highest in the country, the amount of revenue earned was low — only $16.9 billion last year. 

7. Most revenue found in California, least in Vermont

Unsurprisingly, sizable and populous states such as California, Texas, New York and Florida earned the most revenue for utilities while less populous states such as Vermont, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Alaska provided the least. 

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