According to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s (PUC) latest Electric Power Outlook Report, the state’s electricity needs could change substantially by the end of the decade. Pennsylvania’s total electricity consumption decreased 0.24% in 2025 from the prior year, despite a 0.4% increase in the number of electric customers.  

However, five-year forecasts submitted by Pennsylvania’s major electric distribution companies (EDCs) are projecting average annual electricity usage to increase. The projected increases for residential customers (+0.52 %) and commercial customers (+0.32 %) sharply contrast the projected 18.56% increase for industrial customers. This increase estimation stems from rapidly growing demand from data centers and other large-load customers, in addition to regional challenges involving electric generation, transmission, and resource adequacy The PUC emphasizes that these figures are forecasts, not guarantees of future electricity demand. Click here to read more on the PUC website.