US power demand to hit new highs on data center buildout

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US power demand is set to hit new highs in 2026 and 2027, after two years of record peaks, according to a federal forecast. Data centers are the main driver of that growth, the Energy Information Administration said.
The agency lowered its demand outlook for Texas after the state’s Republican governor implemented a moratorium on data center construction last week. And it projected that the total share of power provided by coal will slide to just 15% by 2027, mostly replaced by renewables.
Meanwhile, governors across the political spectrum are intervening more directly to limit power prices, and California’s attorney general launched a probe into the Trump administration’s latest offshore wind buyout deals. But if the wind industry is in trouble, no one told Orsted and Vestas: The pair of top wind manufacturers and installers beat Wall Street estimates for second-quarter earnings.

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