ECONOMY, NEW ENERGY, AND EE DRIVE U.S. ELECTRICITY USE DROP

U.S. electricity sales have decreased in four of the past five years

December 20, 2013 (Energy Information Administration)

"Total U.S. electricity sales have declined in four of the past five years…driven by declining sales in the industrial sector and flat sales in the residential and commercial building sectors, despite growth in the number of households and commercial building space…Electricity sales to the residential sector (blue line) accounted for 36% of all electricity use in 2012, up from 33% in 2000…[Weather patterns and efficiency improvements] are key drivers…Sales of power to commercial buildings (brown line) have increased about 1% annually since 2000 and accounted for 35% of electricity use in 2012…Total industrial electricity sales [--historically sensitive to economic conditions --] decreased by 9% between 2000 and 2012, and…total [sector] electricity usage fell from 30% to 26%...Growth in solar photovoltaic capacity and other types of distributed generation…[slowed] electricity sales in the residential and commercial sectors…[EIA's Annual Energy Outlook] projects relatively flat electricity use through 2015, after which growth resumes at near historical rates of nearly 1%...” click here for more

click to enlarge

Tweet