WASHINGTON, D.C. – Load growth is expected to drive higher peak demand this summer and could strain resources in some areas during certain periods. According to NERC’s
2025 Summer Reliability Assessment, aggregated peak demand is forecast to increase across all 23 assessment areas by 10 GW—more than double the increase from 2023 to 2024. New data centers, electrification, and industrial activity are contributing to higher demand forecasts.
While all areas are projected to have adequate resources for normal summer conditions, above-normal electricity demand, periods of low wind and solar output, and wide-area heat events that disrupt available transfers and generator availability could leave system operators short on supply in at-risk areas, the assessment finds. New resource additions—primarily solar and some batteries—are helping to meet surging load growth. However, these additions are offset by ongoing generator retirements and introduce more complexity and energy limitations into the resource mix.
