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Earth Wise
Earth Wise

Record-high American power use

By Randy Simon
Published July 30, 2026 at 1:00 AM EDT
Joseph Gage
/
Flickr

U.S. electric power consumption hit is second straight annual record high in 2025 and will rise further in 2026 and 2027. Electric grid consumption had been relatively stable between 2010 and 2021 and per capita consumption even declined over that period, but all that has changed.

Electricity demand is surging in large part because of the growing number and size of data centers dedicated to artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency. An additional factor is that homes and businesses are using more electricity and less fossil fuels for heat and transportation.

The rapid expansion of renewable energy means that it will meet an increasing part of the rising demand for electricity. Projections from the Energy Information Agency are that the percentage of renewable generation will rise from about 24% in 2025 to 25% in 2026 and 27% in 2027. The share from nuclear power is expected to remain at 18% while the share of generation from coal will decline from 17% down to 15%. Natural gas will continue to supply about 40% of power generation.

Power demand by U.S. data centers is projected to more than double from 2025 to 2027. Projections are that data centers could account for as much as 9% of total electricity generation annually by 2030. The rapid construction of data centers is currently outpacing growth in utility supplies, leading to a potential shortfall in grid capacity as well as rising consumer electricity prices in some places.

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References:
US power use to beat record highs in 2026 and 2027 as AI use surges, EIA says

Tags
Earth Wise Climate ChangeEnvironmentUnited StatesElectricityRenewable Energy
Randy Simon
Randy Simon has over 30 years of experience in renewable energy technology, materials research, superconductor applications, and a variety of other technical and management areas. He has been an officer of a publicly-traded Silicon Valley company, worked in government laboratories, the aerospace industry, and at university research institutions. He holds a PhD in physics from UCLA. Dr. Simon has authored numerous technical papers, magazine articles, energy policy documents, online articles and blogs, and a book, and holds seven patents. He also composes, arranges and produces jazz music
See stories by Randy Simon
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