EIA: US power consumption will reach new highs by 2025 and 26.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) said Tuesday that the U.S. will reach record-high power consumption in 2025 and in 2026.

The EIA predicted that power demand would rise to 4,186 kilowatt hours (kWh) by 2025, and 4,284 kWh by 2026. This is up from the record 4,097 kWh of 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 1,515 billion kWh of electricity, commercial customers 1,476 billion, and industrial customers 1,051 billion.

These forecasts are compared to the all-time records of 1,509 billions kWh by residential customers in 2022; 1,434 trillions kWh by commercial customers in 2024; and 1,064 trillions kWh by industrial customers in 2000.

According to the EIA, natural gas' share in power generation will drop 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 24% by 2025, and to 26% by 2026. Nuclear power will decline from 19% to 18% between 2025 and 2026.

Gas sales for residential customers would increase to 13,1 billion cubic feet per a day (bcfd), while commercial and industrial customers would see a rise of 9.7 bcfd. Power generation, however, will 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 Paul Simao, Scott DiSavino)

(source: Reuters)