Know Your Power: Arkansas’s Energy Balance

What’s the difference between energy and electricity? Think of “Energy” in Arkansas as the broad umbrella: it covers all fuel types such as gasoline or natural gas, and includes electricity. “Electricity” is one of the many types of energy.

Energy vs. Electricity

Energy (measured in British Thermal Units - Btu)

In 2023, Arkansas produced about 671 trillion Btu of energy and consumed about 1 trillion Btu of energy. This means Arkansas uses nearly 60% more energy than it produces. Arkansas is a net importer of energy because it brings in petroleum, natural gas, and other fuels to meet transportation demand and support energy-intensive industries such as manufacturing and agriculture.

Electricity (measured in Megawatt hours - MWh)

In 2024, Arkansas produced about 61.4 million MWh of electricity and consumed about 50 million MWh of electricity (EIA, 2026). This means Arkansas uses less energy than it produces. Arkansas is a net exporter of electricity. In 2024, approximately 81% of electricity stayed in-state and 19% served regional electricity needs through interstate power flows.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) publishes state-level data on total primary energy production vs. total energy consumption. All EIA data reflects the most recently available reporting year and are subject to revision due to standard federal data collection and validation timelines.