Data Corner: How the Pandemic Has Affected EBCE Load

Long term impacts from the pandemic remain to be seen. Counties are starting to lift parts of their shelter-in-place orders as public safety landmarks are met, assuming infection rates continue to decline. Business activity will gradually pick up, increasing demand for electricity and shifting load back to the non-residential sector.

“Economic activity and energy demand are closely linked,” says Ait-Laoussine. “But I’m afraid that some businesses may not be coming back, as we head into a potentially severe economic recession.”