The Energy Information Administration (EIA) released a report showing U.S. electricity sales, including retail sales and onsite use of power at utility-scale generators, have declined in the past four out of five years. That trend is expected to continue in 2013.
The only rise over the past five years occurred in 2010, when the country was rising out of the 2008-09 recession.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration,
Monthly Energy Review
Note: Direct electricity usage and sales to the
transportation sector are not graphed as both account for
less than four percent of electricity usage.
The EIA found that electricity sales were driven by declining sales, despite the increase in households and commercial buildings.
Residential electricity sales accounted for 36 percent of all electricity use in 2012, up from 33 percent in 2000.
Commercial building sales increased a percent annually since 2000, however, accounted for 35 percent of electricity use in 2012.
The report stated that growth in solar photovoltaic capacity and other distributed generation factored into slower growth sales for residential and commercial electricity sales.
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