
Power plant efficiency since 1900
The efficiency of a thermal power plant is the ratio of the electricity output to the energy input, taking into account the heat losses. Over the years, the average efficiency of thermal power plants using fossil fuels in the United States has significantly increased, from 4% in 1900 to 43% in 2023. This improvement is attributed to reducing heat loss in the three main energy conversion processes: fuel combustion, steam generation, and electricity generation.