Typically, we try to update you on developments in the U.S. electric grid on a quarterly basis, as this provides a good overview of developing trends and smooths out some randomness from month to month. Unfortunately, I was out of the office when last month’s data was released, so this is a seven-month update on 2026 trends.
Most importantly, energy consumption continues to rise, although not as quickly as data center headlines would suggest. Beyond data centers, there is increasing electrification – such as electric vehicles and heat pumps – that is shifting energy needs to the grid. Despite all this, electricity consumption has only increased by 2 percent compared to the same period last year. At this point last year, demand was up 3 percent year-over-year.
Part of this may be due to continued efficiency improvements that had kept electricity demand largely stable in the early 2000s. And part of that could be because more data centers are generating their own power, so the demand isn’t visible on the grid. So far, demand growth has not reached apocalyptic proportions.
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