EIA: US power consumption will reach new highs by 2025 and 26.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration stated in its short-term outlook for energy on Tuesday that the U.S. will reach record levels of power consumption in 2025 and in 2026.
The EIA predicted that the power demand would rise to 4,189 kilowatt-hours in 2025, and 4,278 kWh by 2026. This is up from 4,097 kWh at a record in 2024.
These increases are due to the data centers that focus on artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency and homes and businesses using more electricity for heating and transportation and less fossil fuels.
EIA estimates that by 2025, residential customers will consume 1,517 billion kWh of electricity. Commercial customers will consume 1,474 billion and industrial customers 1,052 billion.
These forecasts are compared to the all-time records of 1,509 billions kWh for residential customers in 2022; 1,434 trillions kWh for commercial customers in 2024 and 1,064 trillions kWh for industrial consumers in 2000.
According to the EIA, natural gas will lose its share in power generation from 42% by 2024 to 40 % in 2025 and in 2026. Coal's share of power generation will increase from 16% to 17% by 2025, before slipping to 15% by 2026 due to the rise in renewable energy.
According to the outlook, renewable energy will increase from 23% to 25% by 2025, and to 26% by 2026. Nuclear power will decline from 19% to 18% between 2024 and 2025.
Gas sales for 2025 were projected to rise to 13.1 billion cubic feet daily for residential customers, 9.8 billion cubic foot per day for commercial customers, and 23.5 billion cubic feet for industrial customers. However, gas sales for power generation would fall to 35.8 BCFD.
This compares to all-time records of 14.3 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in 1996 for residential customers, 9.6 billion cubic feet per day in 2019 for commercial clients, 23.8 bcfd for industrial customers in 1973 and 36.9 Bcfd for power generation in 2024. (Reporting and editing by Rod Nickel; Scott DiSavino)
(source: Reuters)
