U.S. electricity sales see biggest drop since 2009 due to cooler weather

HOUSTON, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Retail electricity sales in the United States fell by 80 billion kilowatthours (kWh) or 2 percent in 2017, the largest drop since the economic recession in 2009, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said Tuesday.

According to the EIA, the drop in 2017 reflects lower retail sales in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors and is largely attributable to milder weather. Total electricity retail sales in 2017 were 3,682 billion kWh, nearly identical to the levels seen more than a decade before, in 2006.

The EIA said the residential sector bought the most electricity from the grid, accounting for more than 37 percent of the 2017 total.

Although factors such as electricity prices, energy efficiency and macroeconomic cycles play a role in the use of electricity in each sector, most of the year-over-year changes in sales in 2017 were attributable to changes in weather, the EIA concluded.

With few exceptions, air conditioning and other cooling equipment are powered by electricity, so warmer weather in summer months often results in greater use of air conditioning and higher retail electricity sales.

Cooling degree days, an indicator of cooling-related energy demand, were 9 percent lower in 2017 compared with 2016 levels, indicating a cooler summer in 2017 and less demand for air conditioning. Enditem