U.S. power consumption will rise to record highs in 2024 and 2025, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in its Short Term Energy Outlook (STEO) on Tuesday.
EIA projected power demand will rise to 4,093 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2024 and 4,163 billion kWh in 2025.
That compares with 4,000 billion kWh in 2023 and a record 4,067 billion kWh in 2022.
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With growing demand from artificial intelligence and data centers and as homes and businesses use more electricity for heat and transportation, EIA forecast 2024 power sales would rise to 1,503 billion kWh for residential consumers, 1,412 billion kWh for commercial customers and 1,033 billion kWh for industrial customers.
That compares with all-time highs of 1,509 billion kWh for residential consumers in 2022, 1,391 billion kWh in 2022 for commercial customers and 1,064 billion kWh in 2000 for industrial customers.
EIA said natural gas’ share of power generation would hold at 42 per cent in 2024, the same as 2023, before sliding to 39 per cent in 2025. Coal’s share will ease from 17 per cent in 2023 to 16 per cent in 2024 and 2025 as renewable output rises.
The percentage of renewable generation will rise from 21 per cent in 2023 to 23 per cent in 2024 and 25 per cent in 2025, while nuclear power’s share will hold at 19 per cent in 2024 and 2025, the same as 2023.
EIA projected 2024 gas sales would ease to 12.2 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) for residential consumers and 23.3 bcfd for industrial customers, but rise to 9.2 bcfd for commercial customers and 36.4 bcfd for power generation.
That compares with all-time highs of 14.3 bcfd in 1996 for residential consumers, 9.6 bcfd in 2019 for commercial customers, 23.8 bcfd in 1973 for industrial customers and 35.4 bcfd in 2023 for power generation.
(Reporting by Scott DiSavino)
