EIA forecasts that US electricity consumption will continue to grow in 2026 and 2027

LootboxPhobia · 2026-02-13T22:13:05+00:00

The U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts that electricity consumption will reach a record high in 2025, followed by continued growth in 2026 and 2027, primarily driven by demand for artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies. The share of renewable energy will gradually increase, expected to reach 27% by 2027.

LootboxPhobia

2026-02-13 22:13:05

Abstract generation in progress

Investing.com – According to the Short-Term Energy Outlook report released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Tuesday, U.S. electricity consumption has reached a record high for the second consecutive year in 2025 and is expected to continue growing in 2026 and 2027.

The EIA forecasts that electricity demand will increase from a record 419.5 billion kilowatt-hours in 2025 to 426.8 billion kilowatt-hours in 2026, and further rise to 437.2 billion kilowatt-hours in 2027.

This surge in demand is partly attributed to data centers supporting artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency operations, as well as households and businesses gradually reducing fossil fuel use for heating and transportation, leading to increased electricity consumption.

For 2026, the EIA predicts electricity sales will reach 154.1 billion kilowatt-hours for residential consumers, 152.0 billion kilowatt-hours for commercial customers, and 106.3 billion kilowatt-hours for industrial customers.

These forecasts follow the record highs set in 2025: 151.7 billion kilowatt-hours for residential consumers and 148.6 billion kilowatt-hours for commercial customers. The highest industrial consumption was 106.4 billion kilowatt-hours in 2000.

As renewable energy production increases, it is expected that natural gas will account for 40% of electricity generation in 2025 and 2026, then decrease to 39% in 2027. Coal’s contribution will decline from 17% in 2025 to 16% in 2026 and 15% in 2027.

Renewable energy is projected to grow from approximately 24% in 2025 to 25% in 2026 and 27% in 2027. Nuclear power’s contribution is expected to remain steady at 18% through 2027.

Regarding natural gas consumption, the EIA predicts that sales will stay at 13.1 billion cubic feet per day for residential consumers in 2026, decrease to 9.7 billion cubic feet per day for commercial customers, and 23.3 billion cubic feet per day for industrial customers, while electricity generation will increase to 36.2 billion cubic feet per day.

This article was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence. For more information, please see our Terms of Use.

View Original

This page may contain third-party content, which is provided for information purposes only (not representations/warranties) and should not be considered as an endorsement of its views by Gate, nor as financial or professional advice. See Disclaimer for details.