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United States power use projection to reach record highs in 2024 and 2025

U.S. power consumption will rise to record highs in 2024 and 2025, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) stated in its Short-term Energy Outlook ( STEO) on Tuesday.

EIA forecasted power demand will rise to 4,103 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2024 and 4,159 billion kWh in 2025.

That compares to 4,000 billion kWh in 2023 and a record 4,067 billion kWh in 2022.

With growing demand from information centers and as homes and companies utilize more electrical energy instead of fossil fuels for heat and transport, EIA projection 2024 power sales would rise to 1,510 billion kWh for property consumers, 1,396 billion kWh for industrial consumers and 1,048 billion kWh for commercial clients.

That compares to all-time highs of 1,509 billion kWh for residential customers in 2022, 1,391 billion kWh in 2022 for industrial clients and 1,064 billion kWh in 2000 for commercial clients.

EIA said natural gas' share of power generation would hold at 42% in 2024, the same as 2023, before relieving to 41% in 2025. Coal's share will drop from 17% in 2023 to 16% in 2024 and 14%. in 2025 as sustainable output rises.

The portion of sustainable generation will rise from 21% in. 2023 to 23% in 2024 and 25% in 2025, while nuclear power's share. will hold at 19% in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Using coal to create power has actually been falling versus. gas in part due to the fact that gas produces less co2 and other. emissions and its relative cost to coal has dropped.

EIA tasks gas will be less expensive per million British thermal. units (mmBtu) than coal in 2024 for the first time ever,. according to federal energy data going back to 2001.

In 2024, area gas rates at the U.S. Henry Hub criteria. << NG-W-HH-SNL > in Louisiana will average simply $2.18 per mmBtu. versus $2.47 for coal, EIA said. That compares to 2023's. averages of $2.54 for gas and $2.52 for coal.

Over the previous five years (2018-2022), gas was a lot more. expensive, averaging $3.62 per mmBtu versus simply $2.07 for coal.

EIA forecasted 2024 gas sales would increase to 12.39 billion. cubic feet each day (bcfd) for residential customers, 9.30 bcfd. for commercial clients and 35.72 bcfd for power generation,. Slide to 23.01 bcfd for commercial customers.

That compares with all-time highs of 14.32 bcfd in 1996 for. residential consumers, 9.63 bcfd in 2018 for business. consumers, 23.80 bcfd in 1973 for industrial customers and 35.43. bcfd in 2023 for power generation.

(source: Reuters)