U.S. cooling demand rises 12% in 2024
The number of nationwide Cooling Degree Days jumped 12 percent compared to 2023, according to data from the National Weather Service
Image: WIRED
U.S. cooling demand last year jumped 12 percent compared to 2023, according to an analysis of the latest national weather data.
The big picture: Nationwide cooling demand has been stable over the past five years, with the biggest yearly drop being in 2023 when cooling demand fell 10 percent from 2022.
Details: The U.S. recorded 1,400 Cooling Degree Days (CDDs) from January to December 2024, according to data from the National Weather Service.
- Catch up: CDDs measure cooling demand by subtracting 65 ℉ from a day’s average temperature.
- During the same period in 2023, the U.S. recorded 1,254 CDDs.
Zoom in: The Pacific region — California, Oregon, and Washington — saw cooling demand rise 36 percent year-over-year, the biggest increase in the country.
- Meanwhile, the “West North Central” region, spanning the Dakotas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, and Nebraska, saw cooling demand drop seven percent, the biggest regional decrease.
Looking ahead: The Energy Information Administration, the country’s official energy stats agency, expects the trend to persist long term, with nationwide cooling demand rising 70 percent between now and 2050.
📬 Get our stories in your inbox
Keep reading
Push-pull over gas appliance bans intensifies
U.S. cities and states are in a back-and-forth over the banning of natural gas appliances, including HVAC equipment, in newly constructed homes
Nexstar chair on splitting with private equity, the year ahead
In conversation with Claire Ferrara, Nexstar Network's 2026 chairwoman and president of MN-based Standard Heating & Air Conditioning
HVAC buying indicator dips this spring, still up from 2022
The share of consumers who felt it was a good time to buy 'large household durables' fell in April and May, but remains above 2022 levels