June and July heat waves in New England increased use of natural gas powered electricity

During heat waves in June and July in New England, electricity generation using fossil fuels increased to meet the additional air-conditioning demand, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Natural gas-fired electricity generation made up 56 percent of New England’s generation mix during the weeklong June 16 heat wave, peaking at 61 percent on June 22. Also, between July 6 and 13, natural gas-fired electricity averaged 58 percent of the generation mix.

Natural gas accounted for more of the generation mix during both periods compared with the five-year (2019–23) average of 48 percent for the June 16–23 period and 54 percent for July 6–13.

In addition, on July 10 in New England, 468,403 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity was generated, which is 31 percent more than the previous five-year average. Further, natural gas-fired generation supplied more than half of all the electricity generated in the region.

The use of petroleum and coal to generate electricity also increased in New England during both periods of strong electricity demand. Petroleum- and coal-fired generation make up small percentages of all the generating capacity in New England and are used when electricity demand spikes under extremely hot or cold conditions. On July 11, coal-fired generation made up 2 percent of the generation supply mix, or 7,038 MWh, compared with an average of 223 MWh in the first half of 2024.

Further. electricity imported from Canada and from New York, as well as use of renewable generation, also increased to meet rising air-conditioning demand in New England during the June and July heat waves.

During the week in June, imports from New York and Canada accounted for 9 percent of the electricity mix. Wind, solar, and hydropower generation accounted for 12 percent, while nuclear accounted for 22 percent.

During the July heat wave, electricity imports averaged 12 percent, while wind, solar, and hydropower accounted for 11 percent of total generation, and nuclear generation averaged 19 percent for the week.

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