EIA USA Demand Forecast Raised for 2026, Dropped for 2027

by Andreas Exarheas | Rigzone Staff
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*this article was not written by Roseland Oil & Gas

The EIA now sees U.S. total energy consumption coming in at 95.84 quadrillion British thermal units (qBtu) this year and 96.77 qBtu in 2027.

In its latest short term energy outlook (STEO), which was released earlier this month, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) raised its U.S. total energy consumption projection for 2026 and lowered it for 2027, compared to its previous STEO.

According to its September STEO, the EIA now sees U.S. total energy consumption coming in at 95.84 quadrillion British thermal units (qBtu) this year and 96.77 qBtu in 2027. In 2025, U.S. total energy consumption was 96.26 qBtu, the EIA’s September STEO showed.

A quarterly breakdown included in the EIA’s latest STEO projected that U.S. total energy consumption will come in at 24.13 qBtu in the third quarter of this year, 24.19 qBtu in the fourth quarter, 25.02 qBtu in the first quarter of next year, 22.74 qBtu in the second quarter, 24.49 qBtu in the third quarter, and 24.52 qBtu in the fourth quarter of 2027.

This demand was 25.19 qBtu in the first quarter of 2026 and 22.23 qBtu in the second quarter, the EIA’s latest STEO showed.

In its previous STEO, which was released in August, the EIA projected that U.S. total energy consumption would come in at 95.79 qBtu this year and 97.17 qBtu next year.

The EIA’s July STEO projected that U.S. total energy consumption would hit 95.80 qBtu this year and 97.13 qBtu next year. The EIA’s June STEO expected U.S. total energy consumption would hit 95.77 qBtu this year and 97.02 qBtu next year. In its May STEO, the EIA saw U.S. total energy consumption coming in at 95.45 qBtu in 2026 and 96.76 qBtu in 2027.

Liquid Fuels, Natural Gas

In its September STEO, the EIA reduced its demand projection for U.S. liquid fuels for 2026, and kept it unchanged for 2027, compared to its August STEO.

According to the EIA’s latest STEO, the EIA sees U.S. liquid fuels consumption averaging 20.58 million barrels per day in 2026 and 20.80 million barrels per day in 2027. This demand came in at 20.61 million barrels per day in 2025, the STEO showed. The EIA’s August STEO projected that this demand would average 20.63 million barrels per day in 2026 and 20.80 million barrels per day in 2027.

Compared to its previous STEO, the EIA’s September STEO upped the demand projection for U.S. natural gas consumption for 2026 and lowered it for 2027.

According to the EIA’s September STEO, the EIA now sees U.S. natural gas consumption averaging 92.2 billion cubic feet per day in 2026 and 94.3 billion cubic feet per day in 2027. This demand came in at 91.9 billion cubic feet per day in 2025, the STEO showed. The EIA’s August STEO projected that this demand would average 92.0 billion cubic feet per day in 2026 and 94.8 billion cubic feet per day in 2027.

Renewables, Coal

The EIA reduced its U.S. renewables consumption forecast for both this year and next year in its latest STEO, compared to its previous one.

In its September STEO, the EIA forecasts that U.S. renewables demand will come in at 9.37 qBtu in 2026 and 10.04 qBtu in 2027. In 2025, this demand came in at 8.82 qBtu, the STEO highlighted. The EIA’s August STEO projected that U.S. renewables consumption would be 9.39 qBtu in 2026 and 10.06 qBtu in 2027.

The EIA’s latest STEO edged up the organization’s U.S. coal demand forecast for 2026 but dropped it for 2027, compared to its previous August STEO.

According to its September STEO, the EIA sees U.S. coal demand coming in at 417 million short tons this year and 392 million short tons next year. This consumption was 452 million short tons in 2025, according to the EIA’s latest STEO. The organization’s August STEO projected that U.S. coal demand would be 416 million short tons this year and 402 million short tons next year.

The EIA noted in its STEOs that renewable energy includes minor components of non-marketed renewable energy that is neither bought nor sold, either directly or indirectly, as inputs to marketed energy. The EIA added in the STEOs that it does not estimate or project end-use consumption of non-marketed renewable energy.

In a note related to its coal demand figures, the EIA stated in its STEOs that total consumption includes Independent Power Producer consumption. In a note related to its total energy consumption figures, the EIA said in its STEOs that the conversion from physical units to Btu is calculated using a subset of conversion factors used in the calculations of gross energy consumption in EIA’s Monthly Energy Review (MER).

The EIA collects, analyzes, and disseminates independent and impartial energy information to promote sound policymaking, efficient markets, and public understanding of energy and its interaction with the economy and the environment, the EIA states on its website.

by Andreas Exarheas | Rigzone Staff
click here to read this article at Rigzone.com
*this article was not written by Roseland Oil & Gas