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(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 4,195 billion kilowatt-hours in 2025 to 4,268 billion kWh in 2026 and 4,372 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 1,541 billion kWh for residential consumers, 1,520 billion kWh for commercial customers and 1,063 billion kWh for industrial customers.
The forecasts compare with all-time highs of 1,517 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 hold at 40% in 2025 and 2026 before sliding to 39% in 2027. Coal’s share will fall from 17% in 2025 to 16% in 2026 and 15% in 2027.
The percentage of renewable generation will rise from around 24% in 2025 to 25% in 2026 and 27% in 2027, while nuclear power’s share will hold at 18% in 2025, 2026 and 2027, according to the outlook.
The EIA projected gas sales in 2026 would hold at 13.1 billion cubic feet per day for residential consumers, ease to 9.7 bcfd for commercial customers, decrease to 23.3 bcfd for industrial customers and rise to 36.2 bcfd for power generation.
Those figures compare with all-time highs of 14.3 bcfd in 1996 for residential consumers, 9.8 bcfd in 2025 for commercial customers, 23.8 bcfd in 1973 for industrial customers, and 36.8 bcfd in 2024 for power generation.
Reporting by Scott DiSavino Editing by Rod Nickel
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