Which energy source is responsible for generating the most electricity in the United States?

The primary energy source responsible for generating the most electricity in the United States is burning fossil fuels, primarily natural gas and coal. This is because the infrastructure for fossil fuel power generation has been established for many decades, leading to a significant capacity for electricity generation. Fossil fuel power plants convert the chemical energy in fossil fuels into thermal energy, which is then used to produce steam that spins turbines to generate electricity.

Natural gas has increasingly become the dominant fossil fuel used for electricity generation due to its abundant supply and lower emissions compared to coal. While renewable sources like solar and wind energy are growing rapidly and significantly contributing to the energy mix, they still do not generate as much electricity in total as fossil fuels at this time.

Nuclear power also plays a substantial role in the energy landscape of the U.S., contributing a large amount of electricity with low carbon emissions. However, it still does not surpass the combined output from fossil fuel sources.