The US is about to consume more electricity than it ever has. The Energy Information Administration’s Short-Term Energy Outlook projects that national power demand will shatter records in both 2026 and 2027, with data centers, AI workloads, and cryptocurrency mining identified as the primary culprits behind the surge.
The country hasn’t seen electricity demand growth like this since the 2000 to 2007 period.
The numbers behind the power grab
According to the EIA’s projections, US electricity demand already hit an unprecedented 4,195 billion kWh in 2025. That record won’t last long.
The agency forecasts demand climbing to between 4,244 and 4,271 billion kWh in 2026. By 2027, that figure is expected to reach approximately 4,381 to 4,397 billion kWh, based on April through June 2026 STEO projections.
