Many MindedUS power demand hits a record in 2026, and renewables take most of the growth
The US Energy Information Administration published its November 2026 Short-Term Energy Outlook on Nov. 10. It projects electric power sector generation of almost 4,390 billion kWh in 2026, up 2.7% from 2025 and a record. EIA ties the rise to higher commercial-sector demand and greater cooling needs during a warmer-than-average summer.
EIA says rising demand is being met mainly by growth in renewables. Utility-scale solar is forecast to go from 7% of US generation in 2025 to 8% in 2026 and nearly 10% in 2027. Wind is forecast to rise from 11% to 12% by 2027. Solar and wind are expected to add about 72 GW and 20 GW of capacity respectively this year and next. Battery storage is growing quickly too: systems of 1 MW or larger totaled 28.9 GW in the first quarter of 2025 and are forecast to reach 66 GW by the end of 2026, then 91.7 GW by the end of 2027.
Coal is moving the other way. Its share is forecast to fall from 17% in 2025 to 15% by 2027, with 13 GW of capacity scheduled to retire by the end of 2027. Power-sector coal use has been below 2025 levels in eight of the first ten months of 2026. EIA links this to added wind and solar and a 9% drop in average power-sector gas prices in the second and third quarters. Gas is expected to hold near 40% of generation and nuclear to average 18%.
For abundance, the point is that new demand is not forcing a fallback to older, costlier fuels. Added supply is arriving mostly as solar, wind and storage, which pushes power toward cleaner and, as gas prices fall, cheaper generation.
The caveat: every figure is an EIA forecast, not a realized result. EIA also expects the growth rate of generation to slow next year, with strong commercial and industrial demand partly offset by lower residential use after milder summer weather.
Source: Utility Dive