U.S. Hourly Electricity Usage Highest During July Due to Heatwaves: EIA

U.S. electricity usage during summer 2024 in the Lower 48 states was highest at 6 pm on July 15, 2024 reaching around 745 gigawatthours (GWh), according to an Oct. 10 report published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Hourly demand during the peak of summer 2024 was similar to peak hourly demand in both 2023 and 20222, which was recorded at 742 GWh and 743 GWh respectively. Meanwhile, U.S. production for the January to July period this year was around 2,500 terwatthours (TWh), up 4 percent compared to the same period during 2023.

U.S. electricity consumption is seasonal and peaks during the summer months of July or August, in line with increasing air conditioning usage. During July 2024 temperatures were above seasonal average across the majority of the U.S. according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information. As a result, certain areas encountered higher peak demand this year compared to 2023.

The U.S. electricity system consists of three major grids: the Western Interconnection, Eastern Interconnection, and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). Hourly power demand in the Western Interconnection peaked on July 10 at around 141 GWh. Hourly power demand in the Eastern Interconnection peaked on July 15 at 549 GWh, due to above seasonal normal temperatures in a number of East Coast states. Power demand for an hour on August 1 was close to July’s all time high, reaching around 540 GWh, but demand was reduced by power outages and rain due to Hurricane Debby.

Hourly power demand in Texas reached an all-time high on August 20 at 86 GWh, up 1 GWh compared to previous daily peak of 85 GWh during August 2023. Electricity usage reached 81 GWh during July 1 for an hour, however fell drastically to 55 GWh by July 8 due to the impact of Hurricane Beryl.