Total U.S. energy consumption is projected to rise in 2025 and 2026 in the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) latest short term energy outlook (STEO), which was released on August 12.
According to this STEO, the EIA sees U.S. energy demand coming in at 95.50 quadrillion British thermal units (qBtu) this year and 95.52 qBtu next year. The EIA’s August STEO highlighted that total U.S. energy consumption was 94.22 qBtu in 2024.
In its previous STEO, which was released in July, the EIA projected that total U.S. energy demand would be 95.32 qBtu in 2025 and 95.25 qBtu in 2026. This STEO also pointed out that U.S. energy consumption was 94.22 qBtu last year.
The EIA projected in its August STEO that total U.S. energy consumption will come in at 23.83 qBtu in the third quarter of 2025, 23.96 qBtu in the fourth quarter, 24.76 qBtu in the first quarter of next year, 22.42 qBtu in the second quarter, 24.16 qBtu in the third quarter, and 24.19 qBtu in the fourth quarter. It highlighted that this demand was 25.42 qBtu in the first quarter and 22.28 qBtu in the second quarter.
In its July STEO, the EIA projected that total U.S. energy consumption would be 23.80 qBtu in the third quarter of this year, 23.94 qBtu in the fourth quarter, 24.76 qBtu in the first quarter of 2026, 22.35 in the second quarter, 24.03 qBtu in the third quarter, and 24.11 qBtu in the fourth quarter. This STEO also highlighted that this demand was 25.42 qBtu in the first quarter but showed that it came in at 22.17 qBtu in the second quarter of 2025.
The EIA’s latest STEO forecast that U.S. liquid fuels demand will average 20.44 million barrels per day in 2025 and 20.47 million barrels per day in 2026. In its previous STEO, the EIA projected that U.S. liquid fuels demand would average 20.39 million barrels per day this year and 20.42 million barrels per day next year. Both STEOs highlighted that U.S. liquid fuels demand came in at 20.31 million barrels per day in 2024.
U.S. natural gas consumption is expected to average 91.4 billion cubic feet per day in 2025 and 91.2 billion cubic per day in 2026, the EIA’s August STEO showed. Its previous STEO projected this demand to average 91.4 billion cubic feet per day this year and 91.1 billion cubic feet per day next year. Both STEOs pointed out that this consumption was 90.5 billion cubic feet per day last year.
The EIA forecast in its latest STEO that U.S. renewables consumption will come in at 8.82 qBtu in 2025 and 9.40 qBtu in 2026. Its previous STEO projected that U.S. renewables demand would be 8.88 qBtu in 2025 and 9.44 qBtu in 2026. Both STEOs highlighted that U.S. renewables demand was 8.58 qBtu in 2024.
The EIA noted in its STEOs that renewable energy includes minor components of non-marketed renewable energy that is neither bought nor sold, either directly or indirectly, as inputs to marketed energy. The EIA added in the STEOs that it does not estimate or project end-use consumption of non-marketed renewable energy.
In a note related to its total energy consumption figures, the EIA said in its STEOs that the conversion from physical units to Btu is calculated using a subset of conversion factors used in the calculations of gross energy consumption in EIA’s Monthly Energy Review (MER).
The EIA collects, analyzes, and disseminates independent and impartial energy information to promote sound policymaking, efficient markets, and public understanding of energy and its interaction with the economy and the environment, the EIA states on its website.
To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com
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