US power use to beat record highs in 2026 and 2027, EIA says
Source: Reuters
January 13, 2026 5:01 PM EST Updated 11 hours ago
NEW YORK, Jan 13 (Reuters) - U.S. power consumption, which hit its second straight record high in 2025, will rise further in 2026 and 2027, the Energy Information Administration said in its Short-Term Energy Outlook on Tuesday.
The EIA projected power demand will rise from a record 4,198 billion kWh in 2025 to 4,256 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2026 and 4,364 billion kWh in 2027. Demand is surging in part due to data centers dedicated to artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, and as homes and businesses use more electricity and less fossil fuel for heat and transportation.
The EIA forecast power sales in 2026 will rise to 1,519 billion kWh for residential consumers, 1,522 billion kWh for commercial customers, and 1,069 billion kWh for industrial customers.
The forecasts compare with all-time highs of 1,516 billion kWh for residential consumers in 2025, 1,486 billion kWh in 2025 for commercial customers, and 1,064 billion kWh for industrial customers in 2000. As renewable output rises, the EIA said the share of power generation from natural gas would slide from 40% in 2025 to 39% in 2026 and 2027. Coal's share will fall from 17% in 2025 to 15% in 2026 and 2027.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-power-use-beat-record-highs-2026-2027-eia-says-2026-01-13/
Link to Energy Information Administration (EIA) REPORT (PDF)- https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/pdf/steo_full.pdf