Retail electricity sales in the U.S. are projected to rise 210,000 MWh per day to reach an average 10.3 million MWh/d this year and hold relatively flat through 2019, the U.S. Energy Information Administration's latest "Short-Term Energy Outlook" released June 12 shows.
Of the 2018 total power sales, 3.93 million MWh/d will go to residential customers, 3.73 million MWh/d will go to commercial customers and 2.62 million MWh/d will go to industrial customers.
The agency projects power production will average 11.24 million MWh/d this year and 11.22 million MWh/d in 2019.
Coal will account for 28% of the country's power generation this year, natural gas will supply 32% and nuclear generation will provide about 20%.
"Nonhydropower renewables provided slightly less than 10% of electricity generation in 2017 and are expected to provide more than 10% in 2018 and nearly 11% in 2019. The generation share of hydropower was 7% in 2017 and is forecast to be about the same in 2018 and 2019," the EIA said in the latest outlook.
Dropping 0.9% in 2017, U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions are seen increasing 1.1% this year and by another 0.2% in 2019, depending on changes in weather, economic growth, energy prices and the fuel mix.
