⚡ Electricity Demand & Infrastructure Forecast Report
📋 Forecast Input Parameters
⚡ Peak Electricity Demand Forecasting
Interactive calculator for US electricity demand, generation capacity, and infrastructure planning
Peak Demand by Component
Generation Mix — New Capacity (effective allocation)
Land Footprint by Technology (sq mi)
Recommended Siting Regions (US) & Land Acquisition Notes
| Technology | Primary US Regions | Key Siting Factors | Typical CF | Land Use | Land Cost Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | Southeast (GA, SC, FL), Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest | Cooling water source, seismic stability, NRC exclusion zone, proximity to load | 90–93% | ~500 ac/GW (NRC exclusion + cooling pond) | $10,000/ac — regulated/industrial corridor land. Model includes land in Plant CAPEX. |
| Solar | Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, CA), Texas, Southeast | High GHI (>5.5 kWh/m²/day), flat terrain, water access, grid proximity | 22–35% | 5 ac/Megawatt (single-axis tracking) | $3,000/ac — rural agricultural/desert land. Model includes land in Plant CAPEX. |
| Wind | Great Plains (TX, KS, IA, OK, WY), Mountain West, Midwest | Wind speed >7 m/s, low population density, transmission corridor access | 35–50% | 0.3 ac/Megawatt footprint; ~5 ac/Megawatt leased from landowners | $2,000/ac — farmland lease/easement. Model includes land in Plant CAPEX. |
| Natural Gas | Gulf Coast (TX, LA), Permian Basin, Appalachia, industrial corridors | Gas pipeline access, cooling water, proximity to load centers | 30–55% | ~50 ac/500 Megawatt plant | $5,000/ac — industrial/commercial zoned land. Model includes land in Plant CAPEX. |
⚠️ Land acquisition costs shown above are included in Plant CAPEX and the LCOE figures throughout this tool. The "Grid Modernization" sidebar slider covers regional transmission build-out beyond these direct site costs. Actual site costs vary significantly by state, proximity to load, and permitting requirements.
US Generation Siting Map
Circle size represents estimated land footprint per site, proportional to model output for each technology. Click any circle for site details.
⚠️ Locations shown are representative deployment zones based on resource quality, transmission access, and regulatory precedent — not definitive project sites. Bubble area ∝ land required per site (total model land ÷ number of representative sites shown). Nuclear sites shown near existing NRC-licensed corridors; solar in southwest high-GHI zones; wind in Great Plains resource belt; gas along Gulf Coast pipeline infrastructure.
Capital costs calibrated to EIA AEO 2025 and NREL ATB 2024. IRA tax credits (30% ITC for solar/wind, PTC for nuclear) are not applied here — they reduce effective solar/wind capital by ~30%, lowering those LCOEs by ~$10–15/MWh.
Comprehensive Cost Analysis (30-Year Lifecycle)
All-In LCOE by Technology
Detailed Cost Breakdown by Technology
| Technology | Alloc % | Installed Megawatts | Equip+Const | Land Acq. | T&D CAPEX | Storage CAPEX | Total CAPEX | Ann. Debt Svc | LCOE/Megawatt-hour | ¢/kWh |
|---|
LCOE Cost Components (weighted avg)
Financing Scenarios
Pre-Built Scenarios (same demand forecast)
| Scenario | Total CAPEX | LCOE/Megawatt-hour | Cost ¢/kWh | Land (sq mi) | Nuclear | Solar | Wind | Gas |
|---|