Utility Dive intl_tech D1

发布：2026-05-27 · 事件：2026-05-27

An article from Net electricity generation jumped 4.5% in March as the West baked under record heat Residential sales fell 0.1% year over year while residential prices soared 10.2% in the same period,...

An article from Net electricity generation jumped 4.5% in March as the West baked under record heat Residential sales fell 0.1% year over year while residential prices soared 10.2% in the same period, to 18.8 cents/kWh, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said. Published May 26, 2026 Meris Lutz Senior Editor Share Copy link Email LinkedIn X/Twitter Facebook Print License Add us on Google A group of friends finish their last ski run without their shirts at Breckenridge Ski Resort as temperatures reach into the 50s on March 18, 2026, in Breckenridge, Colo. Colorado, along with much of the West, saw its warmest March on record this year. Michael Ciaglo via Getty Images Listen to the article 3 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback . Net U.S. electricity generation increased 4.5% year over year in March as a large swath of the West — from Texas to California and up to Idaho — saw its warmest March on record dating back to 1895, the Energy Information Administration said Friday. The region also received “much below average” rainfall heading into wildfire season. California experienced its hottest and driest March in 132 years. Nationwide, retail sales increased by 2.3% while retail prices climbed 7.2% across all sectors to 14.2 cents/kWh in March compared with March 2025. The commercial sector saw the largest jump in retail sales among the sectors named in the report, up 4.5% from last year, it said. The sector saw a year-over-year price increase of 5.8% to 13.9 cents/kWh. Retail sales to the industrial sector were up 2.4% while prices for that sector grew 3.9%, to 8.6 cents/kWh. The residential sector saw a slight decrease in retail sales, down 0.1%, while residential prices were up 10.2%, to 18.8 cents/kWh. The transportation sector also saw a decrease in sales, down 6.9%, along with the steepest price increase — up 26.5%, to 17.8 cents/kWh. Optional Caption Retrieved from U.S. Energy Information Administration . “The changes in electricity generation from the previous March were broadly positive across all regions of the country,” the report said, with the West, Texas, Southeast, Florida, Central and Mid-Atlantic regions all seeing year-over-year increases. The Northeast was an outlier, with “virtually no change in electricity generation compared to the previous year,” it said. “The region-by-region increases in electricity generation were generally a result of warmer temperatures compared to last year, driving higher cooling demand across much of the country,” it added. The contiguous U.S. average temperature was 9.4 degrees F above the 20th-century average, making March 2026 the warmest March in the 132-year record , according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The period from April 2025 to March 2026 “now stands as the warmest 12-month span ever recorded,” it said. According to the EIA report, 32 states saw a decrease in heating degree-days — the number of degrees that the daily average temperature falls below 65° F — in March compared with the same month of the previous year. “Arizona had the highest percent year over year decrease, down 77%, followed by California, down 76%, and Nevada, down 63%,” it said. Recommended Reading US summer generating capacity increases by 75 GW since 2025: FERC By Ethan Howland • May 22, 2026 2026 Q1 roundup: Utilities divided on data centers as affordability looms large By Meris Lutz • May 13, 2026 Add us on Google Share Copy link Email LinkedIn X/Twitter Facebook Print purchase licensing rights Filed Under: Generation, Building & Transportation Electrification