Increased emphasis on reducing costs associated with producing cotton has focused attention on the ginning process. Changes in energy rate structures and costs have dramatically increased energy costs for gins in the last decade. A survey questionnaire for current information on electrical energy and petroleum fuel energy as well as number of bales ginned, production rate,fin charges, etc. was mailed to 558 Midsouth gins. Responses were received from 251 gins but only 235 were used in the analysis, The electrical and fuel energy used in 1987 was substantially less than that used in the 1979 season, possibly because of the reduced need for drying as well as more efficient use of the ginning process. Energy requirements were 44.4 kwh, 2.33 gallons of LP gas or 247.8 cubic feet of natural gas per bale. Costs associated with these energy requirements were $4.13, $1.17, and $1.16, respectively, for electricity, LP has and natural gas. Considerable differences were evident for energy costs and fuel consumption between the states. Electricity and fuel energy comprise about 14% of the cost of ginning cotton in the Midsouth. Previous research indicated that cleaning, ginning, packaging and materials handling functions required about 19, 14, 8 and 59%, respectively, of the electrical energy consumed per bale, and those same functions represented 21, 12, 16 and 51% of the connected horsepower.