Washington (Platts)--3Apr2013/136 pm EDT/1736 GMT

US utilities generated 71,839 GWh in the week that ended Saturday, up 4.6% from 68,650 GWh generated in the corresponding week of 2012, the Edison Electric Institute said Wednesday.

The weekly total was 1,306 GWh below the 73,145 GWh total posted the week ended March 23, EEI said.

Output rose in all but three regions EEI assesses, with the largest percentage increase in the Southeast, where output rose 10.2% to 18,771 GWh. The second-largest percentage increase was in the Central Industrial region, where output rose 9.2% to 12,930 GWh, EEI data showed.

Output fell in the remaining three regions, with the largest percentage decrease in the Pacific Northwest, where output fell 5.9% to 2,874 GWh. The second-largest percentage decrease was in the South-Central region, where output fell 2.6% to 11,338 GWh. Output also slid 1.3% in the Pacific Southwest, to 5,020 GWh.

Utility generation year-to-date was 986,288 GWh, up 3.3% from 954,980 GWh in the same period of 2012, EEI said.

The numbers are based on generation from investor-owned utilities, cooperatives and government-owned utilities.

--Valarie Jackson, valarie_jackson@platts.com --Edited by Katharine Fraser, katharine_fraser@platts.com

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