U.S. cooling demand holds steady in August

U.S. cooling demand in August was near-flat compared to last year, according to recent weather data. 

• Catch up: Cooling Degree Days (CDDs) measure cooling demand by calculating the difference between a day's average temperature and 65°F.

Details: The U.S. notched 314 CDDs in August, down 0.6% from August 2023. 

• However, four of the nine regions where cooling demand is tracked (see here) had increases in CDDs: New England, Middle Atlantic, East North Central, and Mountain.

• Everywhere else in the U.S. saw a drop or no change year-over-year.

• Check out the data

The big picture: The Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects cooling demand every month, and in August, those 314 CDDs were 13% lower than expected. 

Looking ahead: While projections are projections, the EIA forecasts 204 CDDs in September, a 15% increase from last year — or in other words, a warmer September.