U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
May 26, 2021
According to the EIA's 2021 Electricity Industry Outlook report, retail sales of electricity in the U.S. this summer will grow 1.5% more than last summer.
According to the EIA's 2021 Electricity Industry Outlook report, retail sales of electricity in the U.S. this summer will grow 1.5% more than last summer. This is because electricity use is expected to increase this year in the commercial and industrial sectors due to a recovering economy compared to last year's economic downturn due to COVID-19. In 2020, due to COVID-19, retail electricity sales in the U.S. reached the lowest of 1055 billion kilowatthours (kWh) since 2015.
However, retail electricity sales in the residential sector are expected to decline 0.9% from last summer. This is because, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a milder summer is expected this year. However, it is said that the effect of the reduction will be somewhat offset by the increase of remote work and the number of customers in residential areas.
The commercial and industrial sectors will work hard to reinforce the sales that had been reduced due to the coronavirus. The resulting electricity consumption will also increase significantly. As the electricity use, which had been stagnant due to the COVID-19, will recover, the emission of carbon dioxide is also expected to increase.
According to data released by the International Energy Agency (IEA), energy saving in the equipment and facilities sector accounts for 36% of the policy measures for GHG reduction as of 2050. The development of energy-saving technology is one of the most useful ways to reduce greenhouse gases.
We intend to prepare for the increased use of electricity due to coronavirus by increasing energy efficiency through FORCE. To do that, we need to make an effort together.