Retail electricity sales in the United States are expected to rise by 215,000 MWh per day this year to 10.3 million MWh/d, according to the latest "Short-Term Energy Outlook" released March 6 by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Of this 2018 total, 38.0% will go to residential customers, 36.2% to commercial customers and 25.6% to industrial customers.
U.S. retail power sales are expected to average 10.4 million MWh/d in 2019. The EIA predicts that sales to residential, commercial and industrial customers will account for 38.0%, 36.2% and 25.7% of U.S. retail sales, respectively, flat to the agency's prior monthly outlook.
The agency projects power production in the U.S. will average 11.2 million MWh/d this year before rising 1.1% in 2019 to 11.3 million MWh/d.
Coal will account for 28.6% of the country's power this year, while natural gas will supply 33.9% and nuclear generation will provide 19.6%. The EIA projects that renewable resources will provide 16.8% of the nation's power, with hydro generation providing 763,000 MWh/d and other renewable resources supplying 1.1 million MWh/d.
In 2019, the EIA forecasts that coal will provide 28.5% of the country's power to natural gas's share of 34.2%. The prior forecast had coal's 28.8% share behind natural gas's 33.9% share. Nuclear generation is likely to provide 18.9% of the nation's electricity this year, while renewable resources should supply 17.2%.
After declining by 0.6% in 2017, U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions are expected to rise 1.0% this year and another 0.8% in 2019, sensitive to changes in weather, economic growth and energy prices.
