EIA Codes Documentation
EIA 860M Reference Codes
This API uses standardized codes from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) to represent balancing authorities, energy sources, and prime movers. These codes are derived from official EIA forms and documentation. Use these codes to filter or interpret results in API responses.Official EIA Documentation:
- EIA Form 860 Data (Annual Electric Power Industry Report)
- EIA Form 860M Data (Monthly Generator Inventory - source of our API data)
Example Queries
-
To find all solar projects in CAISO, filter using:
energy_source_code = "SUN"andbalancing_authority_code = "CISO" -
To find planned combined cycle plants in ERCOT, filter using:
prime_mover_code = "CC"andbalancing_authority_code = "ERCO"
Balancing Authority Codes
Balancing authority codes in EIA Form 860M data are standardized by NERC (North American Electric Reliability Corporation). These codes may not match current corporate names due to mergers, acquisitions, or other business changes. The codes used in our API data come from the EIA Form 860M monthly generator inventory reporting.
Most common balancing authorities
Below are the most common balancing authorities that represent the 7 major RTOs and ISOs in the US:| Code | Name |
|---|---|
| CISO | California Independent System Operator |
| ERCO | Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. |
| MISO | Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. |
| ISNE | ISO New England Inc. |
| NYIS | New York Independent System Operator |
| PJM | PJM Interconnection, LLC |
| SWPP | Southwest Power Pool |
All balancing authority codes
| Code | Balancing authority name |
|---|---|
| AEC | PowerSouth Energy Cooperative |
| AECI | Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc. |
| AMPL | Anchorage Municipal Light & Power |
| AVA | Avista Corporation |
| AVRN | Avangrid Renewables LLC |
| AZPS | Arizona Public Service Company |
| BANC | Balancing Authority of Northern California |
| BPAT | Bonneville Power Administration |
| CEA | Chugach Electric Assn Inc |
| CHPD | Public Utility District No. 1 of Chelan County |
| CISO | California Independent System Operator |
| CPLE | Duke Energy Progress East |
| CPLW | Duke Energy Progress West |
| CSTO | Constellation Energy Control and Dispatch, LLC |
| DEAA | Arlington Valley, LLC - AVBA |
| DOPD | PUD No. 1 of Douglas County |
| DUK | Duke Energy Carolinas |
| EEI | Electric Energy, Inc. |
| EPE | El Paso Electric Company |
| ERCO | Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. |
| FMPP | Florida Municipal Power Pool |
| FPC | Duke Energy Florida Inc |
| FPL | Florida Power & Light Company |
| GCPD | Public Utility District No. 2 of Grant County, Washington |
| GLHB | Gridforce Energy Management, LLC |
| GRID | GridLiance |
| GRIF | Griffith Energy, LLC |
| GRIS | Gridforce South |
| GVL | Gainesville Regional Utilities |
| GWA | NaturEner Power Watch, LLC (GWA) |
| HECO | Hawaiian Electric Co Inc |
| HGMA | New Harquahala Generating Company, LLC - HGBA |
| HST | City of Homestead |
| IID | Imperial Irrigation District |
| IPCO | Idaho Power Company |
| ISNE | ISO New England Inc. |
| JEA | JEA |
| LDWP | Los Angeles Department of Water and Power |
| LGEE | LG&E and KU Services Company as agent for Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities |
| MISO | Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc. |
| NA | No balancing authority |
| NA - AK | No balancing authority - AK |
| NA - HI | No balancing authority - HI |
| NA - PR | No balancing authority - PR |
| NBSO | New Brunswick System Operator |
| NEVP | Nevada Power Company |
| NSB | New Smyrna Beach, Utilities Commission of |
| NWMT | NorthWestern Energy (NWMT) |
| NYIS | New York Independent System Operator |
| OVEC | Ohio Valley Electric Corporation |
| PACE | PacifiCorp - East |
| PACW | PacifiCorp - West |
| PGE | Portland General Electric Company |
| PJM | PJM Interconnection, LLC |
| PNM | Public Service Company of New Mexico |
| PSCO | Public Service Company of Colorado |
| PSEI | Puget Sound Energy |
| SC | South Carolina Public Service Authority |
| SCEG | South Carolina Electric & Gas Company |
| SCL | Seattle City Light |
| SEC | Seminole Electric Cooperative |
| SEPA | Southeastern Power Administration |
| SOCO | Southern Company Services, Inc. - Trans |
| SPA | Southwestern Power Administration |
| SRP | Salt River Project |
| SWPP | Southwest Power Pool |
| TAL | City of Tallahassee |
| TEC | Tampa Electric Company |
| TEPC | Tucson Electric Power Company |
| TIDC | Turlock Irrigation District |
| TPWR | City of Tacoma, Department of Public Utilities, Light Division |
| TVA | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| WACM | Western Area Power Administration - Rocky Mountain Region |
| WALC | Western Area Power Administration - Desert Southwest Region |
| WAUW | Western Area Power Administration UGP West |
| WWA | NaturEner Wind Watch, LLC |
| YAD | Alcoa Power Generating, Inc. - Yadkin Division |
Energy Source Codes
Energy source codes are defined by the EIA for Form 860M monthly generator inventory reporting. The EIA Form 860M includes a codes spreadsheet that defines energy sources and prime movers for generators with 1 MW or greater combined nameplate capacity. These are the codes used in our API data.
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| SUN | Solar |
| WND | Wind |
| MWH | Electricity used for energy storage (megawatt hour) |
| NUC | Nuclear |
| WAT | Water (Hydro) |
| GEO | Geothermal |
| NG | Natural gas |
| ANT,BIT,LIG,SUB,WC,RC | All coal-related codes |
All energy sources codes
Here is EIA’s full list of energy source codes and groupings:| Group | Code | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Fossil Fuels | ||
| Coal | ANT | Anthracite Coal |
| Coal | BIT | Bituminous Coal |
| Coal | LIG | Lignite Coal |
| Coal | RC | Refined Coal (A coal product that is created when impurities and/or moisture are removed to improve heat content and reduce emissions. Includes any coal which meets the IRS definition of refined coal. Does not include coal processed by coal preparation plants.) |
| Coal | SGC | Coal-Derived Synthesis Gas |
| Coal | SUB | Subbituminous Coal |
| Coal | WC | Waste/Other Coal (including anthracite culm, bituminous gob, fine coal, lignite waste, waste coal) |
| Petroleum Products | DFO | Distillate Fuel Oil (including diesel, No. 1, No. 2, and No. 4 fuel oils) |
| Petroleum Products | JF | Jet Fuel |
| Petroleum Products | KER | Kerosene |
| Petroleum Products | PC | Petroleum Coke |
| Petroleum Products | PG | Propane, gaseous |
| Petroleum Products | RFO | Residual Fuel Oil (including No. 5 and No. 6 fuel oils, and bunker C fuel oil) |
| Petroleum Products | SGP | Petroleum Coke Derived Synthesis Gas |
| Petroleum Products | WO | Waste/Other Oil (including crude oil, liquid butane, liquid propane, naphtha, oil waste, re-refined motor oil, sludge oil, tar oil, or other petroleum-based liquid wastes) |
| Natural Gas and Other Fossil Gas | BFG | Blast Furnace Gas |
| Natural Gas and Other Fossil Gas | NG | Natural Gas |
| Natural Gas and Other Fossil Gas | OG | Other Gas |
| Renewable Fuels | ||
| Solid Renewable Fuels | AB | Agricultural By-products |
| Solid Renewable Fuels | MSW | Municipal Solid Waste |
| Solid Renewable Fuels | OBS | Other Biomass Solids |
| Liquid Renewable (Biomass) Fuels | WDS | Wood/Wood Waste Solids (including paper pellets, railroad ties, utility poles, wood chips, bark, and wood waste solids) |
| Liquid Renewable (Biomass) Fuels | BLQ | Black Liquor |
| Liquid Renewable (Biomass) Fuels | OBL | Other Biomass Liquids |
| Liquid Renewable (Biomass) Fuels | SLW | Sludge Waste |
| Liquid Renewable (Biomass) Fuels | WDL | Wood Waste Liquids excluding Black Liquor (includes red liquor, sludge wood, spent sulfite liquor, and other wood-based liquids) |
| Gaseous Renewable (Biomass) Fuels | LFG | Landfill Gas |
| Gaseous Renewable (Biomass) Fuels | OBG | Other Biomass Gas (includes digester gas, methane, and other biomass gasses) |
| Renewables | ||
| All Other Renewable Fuels | GEO | Geothermal |
| All Other Renewable Fuels | SUN | Solar |
| All Other Renewable Fuels | WAT | Water at a Conventional Hydroelectric Turbine, and water used in Wave Buoy Hydrokinetic Technology, Current Hydrokinetic Technology, and Tidal Hydrokinetic Technology |
| All Other Renewable Fuels | WND | Wind |
| All Other Fuels | ||
| All Other Fuels | H2 | Hydrogen |
| All Other Fuels | MWH | Electricity used for energy storage |
| All Other Fuels | NUC | Nuclear Uranium, Plutonium, Thorium |
| All Other Fuels | PUR | Purchased Steam |
| All Other Fuels | TDF | Tire-derived Fuels |
| All Other Fuels | WAT | Pumping Energy for Reversible (Pumped Storage) Hydroelectric Turbine |
| All Other Fuels | WH | Waste heat not directly attributed to a fuel source |
| All Other Fuels | OTH | Other |
Prime Mover Codes
Prime mover codes identify the equipment that converts energy into electricity at power plants. These codes are standardized by the EIA for Form 860M monthly generator inventory reporting. Prime movers represent the mechanical equipment that drives the electrical generator (e.g., steam turbine, wind turbine, photovoltaic cells).
| Prime mover codes | Description |
|---|---|
| BA | Energy Storage, Battery |
| BT | Turbines Used in a Binary Cycle (including those used for geothermal applications) |
| CA | Combined-Cycle – Steam Part |
| CE | Energy Storage, Compressed Air |
| CP | Energy Storage, Concentrated Solar Power |
| CS | Combined-Cycle Single-Shaft (Combustion Turbine and Steam Turbine share a single generator) |
| CT | Combined-Cycle Combustion Turbine Part |
| ES | Energy Storage, Other (Specify on Schedule 9, Comments) |
| FC | Fuel Cell |
| FW | Energy Storage, Flywheel |
| GT | Combustion (Gas) Turbine (including Jet Engine design) |
| HA | Hydrokinetic, Axial Flow Turbine |
| HB | Hydrokinetic, Wave Buoy |
| HK | Hydrokinetic, Other |
| HY | Hydraulic Turbine (including turbines associated with delivery of water by pipeline) |
| IC | Internal Combustion (diesel, piston, reciprocating) Engine |
| PS | Energy Storage, Reversible Hydraulic Turbine (Pumped Storage) |
| OT | Other |
| ST | Steam Turbine (including Nuclear, Geothermal, and Solar Steam; excludes Combined Cycle) |
| PV | Photovoltaic |
| WT | Wind Turbine, Onshore |
| WS | Wind Turbine, Offshore |
Status Detailed Codes
Status codes track the operational and development status of generators throughout their lifecycle. These codes are defined in EIA Form 860M monthly generator inventory reporting. The status field helps distinguish between operating, planned, under construction, and retired generators.
status_detailed field provides granular information about a generator’s lifecycle stage and operational status. These codes help distinguish between various states of development, operation, and retirement.
Lifecycle Stages and Status Details
| Lifecycle Stage | Status Code | Status Details | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating / Active | OP | Operating | Currently in commercial operation. |
| SB | Standby/Backup: available for service but not normally used | Generator is available but not normally used. | |
| OA | Out of service but expected to return to service in next calendar year | Temporarily offline but expected to return soon. | |
| OS | Out of service and NOT expected to return to service in next calendar year | Offline with no expected return. | |
| OT | Other | Does not fit standard categories. | |
| Construction / Development | U | Under construction, less than or equal to 50 percent complete | Construction started, ≤ 50% complete. |
| V | Under construction, more than 50 percent complete | Construction underway, > 50% complete. | |
| TS | Construction complete, but not yet in commercial operation | Construction done, not yet operating. | |
| Planned / Proposed | P | Planned for installation, but regulatory approvals not initiated | Early planning stage, no approvals yet. |
| L | Regulatory approvals pending. Not under construction | Approvals in progress; construction not started. | |
| T | Regulatory approvals received. Not under construction | Approvals complete, awaiting construction. | |
| Inactive / Canceled | CN | Canceled or Postponed | Project was canceled or indefinitely delayed. |
| RE | Retired | Generator permanently removed from service. |