In 2025, US electricity net generation reached a record 4.43 terawatthours (TWh), a 2.8% increase over 2024, surpassing previous historical highs dating back to 1949, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).
This growth reverses the relatively flat generation trend seen from the mid-2000s through the early 2020s and is driven largely by rising electricity demand in the commercial (including data centers) and industrial sectors. Retail electricity sales rose across all sectors in 2025—residential by 10%, commercial by 4%, and industrial by 1%.
The EIA’s Short-Term Energy Outlook projects continued growth in electricity generation in 2026 and 2027. They write:
U.S. electricity net generation reached a record in 2025 based on data from our Monthly Energy Review. In 2025, the United States generated 4.43 terawatthours (TWh) of electricity, up 2.8% from 2024 generation, which previously had been the highest annual total in our Electricity Data Browser dataset dating back to 1949.
This growth contrasts with the trend of relatively flat electricity generation between the mid-2000s and early 2020s. Net generation is related to electricity demand. Much of the recent growth in electricity demand comes from the commercial sector, which includes data centers, and the industrial sector, which includes manufacturing establishments. In 2025, U.S. retail sales of electricity to ultimate customers, which is a key indicator of demand, increased compared with 2024 in all three sectors: residential (by 10%), commercial (by 4%), and industrial (by 1%).
We expect in our Short-Term Energy Outlook that electricity generation, driven by higher electricity demand, will continue to grow in 2026 and 2027.
