Is solar's growth finally slowing in the US?
Renewables easily cover changes in US demand, which is rising by 2% in 2026.
Renewables easily cover changes in US demand, which is rising by 2% in 2026.
The short version
- Normally, we try to update you quarterly on what’s going on with the US electric grid since it provides a nice view of developing trends and smooths out some month-to-month randomness.
- Unfortunately, I was out of the office when last month’s data was released, so this will be a seven-month update on 2026 trends.
- The top line item is that energy use is continuing to rise, albeit not as quickly as headlines about data centers might lead people to believe.
What happened
Beyond data centers, there’s a growing electrification—things like EVs and heat pumps—that is shifting energy demands onto the grid. Despite all of this, electricity use has risen by only 2 percent compared to the same period last year.
Why it matters
At this time the previous year, demand had risen by 3 percent compared to the year prior.
Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Ars Technica via the links above and below.