Projections for increased electric usage this year and next remain strong.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration says American electric consumption this year and in 2026 will exceed the record for usage reached last year.

Until 2024, the electric market essentially had been flat for most of this decade and at a very low point in 2020.

The demand for electricity during the first two decades existed. But consumption levels were offset by efficiency improvements and other structural changes in the economy.

Those changes included a shift away from traditional manufacturing in the United States – and other developed countries – to service industries. And those industries tend to use less power than manufacturing.

Now, the federal government is projecting growth of 1.7 percent through

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