Energy Demand to Rise in Commercial, Industrial Sectors.
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. energy use is expected to stagnate for most users over the next 10 years, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA) of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Consumption is projected to grow at only 0.3% annually through 2040, or half the rate of the population’s growth. Residential energy use is expected to be flat. Energy use in the transportation sector is forecast to decline. Increases will be concentrated in the commercial and industrial sectors. EIA explained the discrepancy by saying “Increases in energy consumption are mostly related to economic activity, and U.S. industrial and commercial enterprises are projected to increase output more rapidly than countervailing influences from improved technologies.”
