This summer, U.S. electricity demand fell to its lowest level since 2009

Summer electricity demand in the US is expected to be the lowest since 2009, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
The summer demand level from June to August is expected to be 998 billion kilowatt-hours, down 5% from last summer’s demand, the report said. The lower power demand is mainly due to the coronavirus pandemic and its effects.
Compared with demand in 2019, the EIA said it expected residential electricity use to increase by 3 per cent, while commercial electricity use would fall by 12 per cent and industrial use by 9 per cent.
The EIA says coal production is likely to be lower than last summer. Coal is forecast to generate 178 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, down from 272 billion kilowatt-hours last year.
It said it expected coal to account for just 17 per cent of electricity generation this summer, down from 24 per cent last summer.
Gas is expected to grow from 460 billion KWH last summer to 467 billion KWH this summer, with low gas prices making it attractive. Natural gas is expected to account for 44% of electricity generation this summer, up from 41% last year.
The EIA says the share of wind power will reach 7% this summer and utility-scale solar will grow to 3%.